"EAT YOUR OATMEAL!"

Remember being little and your mom saying "Eat your oatmeal"?
Now we hear how good oatmeal is for us and as we age, fighting the cholesterol battle is made easier by including oatmeal into our diets.

Being the purist that I am, I love the Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats. I have a container of quick cooking oats that I use for baking and I have the little Quaker Oats packets for the grandkids who love all the sugary flavors, but give me the real cooked stuff any day. The husband and I both like oatmeal…him with Tupelo honey and me with a little brown sugar. We both add cinnamon and sometimes fruit or nuts. OK…now once in awhile it is nice to change it up a little, so here’s a recipe to keep your breakfast interesting and still get your oats! Pancakes made with oats. Yes that’s right…pancakes! I made these this morning and they are awesome. The hubs even liked them! A winner!! I will make these over and over as they are a pretty healthy alternative to a bowl of oatmeal. They are also versatile because you can add a little cinnamon to the batter if you like, or toss in some blueberries, or how about some pecans. I diced up a nectarine and mixed in some raspberries and a Tbsp. of sugar. (You could use Splenda). That is how I topped my pancakes…no syrup. What a good way to start the day! You might also want to try these with kids who don't like the texture of oatmeal but who love pancakes. Pour a little sugar free syrup over them or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar! The batter is a nice consistency so you can use it to make shapes for the kids. Also, if you have extra batter and you know you won't have the opportunity to use it up, freeze it! Or make up a batch of pancakes, freeze and pop into the toaster oven when ready to use. Voila...an easy and hearty breakfast when you are in a hurry or the kids have to get to school. If you want a breakfast sandwich, I can see rolling a pancake around a link of turkey sausage. Still pretty healthy! Once again, this is a nice easy recipe that you can toss together in the morning, or mix the dry ingredients the night before and just mix up with the rest in the morning. It is versatile as to what you can add to the mix. And it is good for you!

Whole-Grain Pancakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (uncooked)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir just until combined. Batter will not be smooth. Spray non-stick pan with PAM and pour batter by 1/4 cups into the pan. Cook until tops are bubbly and edges look dry. Turn and cook other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Use topping of your choice.