Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Manicotti with Meat Sauce, Salad and Garlic Bread- HEAVENLY! 

 My family loves my spaghetti sauce, and truth be told, I love red meat sauce. I've been making it and tweaking it since I was about 14 years old, and over the years, I've learned many things. Chief among them is that you need to let it cook for several hours, cool down and then cook it again. Growing up, this was one of the best things my mother made. She was not a great cook, but her sauce was GOOD! When my mom made it, she always made enough to freeze several batches so that we could have it for a couple of meals. We said back then that the spaghetti sauce was always better the second time, and I still believe that. It's something about letting it cool down that brings the sauce together. My sauce is different from my moms. She used garlic powder and oregano. I've updated the sauce with lots of fresh garlic and used basil instead of oregano. The meal I am writing about today is a round two meal, Manicotti with Meat Sauce.

What's the difference between manicotti and canneloni? Manicotti is a stuffed tube of pasta, either with meat or cheese, covered with a red sauce. Canneloni is a stuffed tube of pasta, usually covered with a white sauce. You can check out my Crab Cannelloni with Roasted Garlic Shrimp HERE . It's a delicious, company or special event dish that everyone who loves crab adores. The Manicotti I am writing about today  is a more family friendly, inexpensive type of meal, that most kids love. It has an added benefit as being perfect to make up ahead of time, either earlier in the day or a day or two ahead of time. AND you CAN make it and freeze it, for another time. This is a great dish to master. After all, what's not to love about tubes of pasta stuffed with cheese and covered in red sauce? In addition to being delicious, the sauce can be a lifesaver, frozen to have on hand for a busy day. First, let me tell you how I make it:

Midlo Mom's Meat Sauce
Serves at least 12
2 medium onions, diced
6 cloves minced garlic (2 heaping T.) or more if you like
1 T. olive oil
 1.25 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb. meat loaf mixture (beef/pork/veal) OR 3 links mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 28 oz. can Cento Whole Italian tomatoes,  or any San Marzano type
3 - 16 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can Hunts Tomato Paste
1/2 c. dry red wine
6 oz. water
1 dried bay leaf
1 heaping tsp. kosher salt
2 Tablespoons dried basil
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
(**a few shakes of red pepper flakes if your family likes things spicy, totally optional)
In a large pot, heat olive oil and add both kinds of meat, over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to break up meat and brown it. When it begins to brown add the onions and cook until the onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and stir it into the meat/onion mixture. Add the whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as they go into the pot (don't let any huge pieces slop though your fingers! :). Next, add the 3 cans of tomato sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and red wine. Divide the water between the the three empty cans of tomato sauce and "rinse" them out, adding that liquid to the sauce. Sprinkle the basil over the pot and add the bay leaf. Stir the sauce to combine, and bring it to a full boil. Turn it down and let it cook- covered - for at least 2 hours on a simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking. After an hour, add the tomato paste and stir it into the sauce, and bring it back to a boil. Turn it down again and let it cook another hour. You may taste the sauce at this point if you like, but it will not yet have reached it's full potential.
Turn the sauce off and either refrigerate it for 2 hours or divide into containers to freeze. Reheat the sauce to serve over spaghetti, or to make lasagna or manicotti, or over ziti or whatever kind of pasta your family likes. Now, onto making some manicotti. 

To make the manicotti, boil a large pot of water and add 10 pasta tubes (odds are one or two will split to be unusable).Salt the water. Cook for the least amount of time recommended on the package. While the tubes are cooking, make the filling.

Three cheeses and egg for the filling

Manicotti Filling
4 servings, 2 tubes each
15 oz. Part Skim Ricotta cheese
1/3 c. low fat cottage cheese
1 large egg
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1.5 c. part skim Mozzarella cheeses
Place all ingredients except Mozzarella in a medium sized bowl. Stir with a spoon until the cheeses and other ingredients are completely combined. Drain the manicotti noodles and gently cool by running a little cold water over so you can handle them. Grease a square 8X8" baking dish. To fill the tubes, use a small spoon or place the filling into a large plastic bag and snip off one corner. That way you can pipe the filling into approx. 8 tubes. I could only salvage 7 tubes and had to toss a little filling. Since there were only 2 of us, it was fine, just less leftovers! Fill the tubes until they are just full, not stuffed. If using a spoon, start the filling at the middle, and then fill in both sides. That may be the best method if you use a bag to pipe it in as well. It's a little "fiddly" but worth the effort. 

Manicotti tubes filled and ready for the meat sauce

Cover the manicotti with 2 - 3 cups of the meat sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with foil or a top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake 10 more minutes until it's hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. 

Manicotti with meat sauce, waiting for the final sprinkle of Mozzarella! 

 ENJOY! 

Spring Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

I've had leeks on my  mind lately. I keep seeing them, looking fresh and palely green in stores and at markets but I've got a secret. I've NEVER cooked a leek! Why? I honestly don't know, except perhaps I can't remember my mother or my grandmothers or any of my aunts cooking them. Those wonderful ladies were my cooking mentors, companions and partners in happy hour crime. We cooked and laughed our way through many, many dishes, but leeks never appeared. Now that I've conquered them, I honestly don't know why.

Why was I afraid of a leek? 

I decided to start out with a Leek and Potato soup. First I researched my favorites-- a little Julia, a little Ina and a dash of Emeril. All of them have much to say on the subject of leeks -- Julia doesn't saute' them first in any fat, but simply boils the leeks and vegetables in water. Ina and Emeril both added different amounts of chicken stock and water. Emeril kicked his up with spices, but I wanted a more traditional flavor. However, they all agreed on one point -- YOU'VE GOT TO WASH THEM WELL!! This is REALLY important, as the leeks hold lots of sand and dirt between their layers. I decided to do it by removing the tough outer, dark green leaves, cutting off the top couple of inches (also tough and darker green) and then cutting off an inch at the root. I sliced them into rounds about 1/4" thick, like this:

Sliced Leeks

I put them into a big bowl filled with cold water, and let them soak for a few minutes, swishing my hand through the water. I drained them in the colander shown above, and then put them back into the big bowl with more clean cold water. I swished, I repeated the process. Finally, after several repeats, I didn't see any sand or grit in the on the bottom of the bowl. So, I drained them well and I weighed them. Why weigh them you ask? Well, that's what Julia Child said to do, so that is what I did. And after all, I've got this snazzy red food scale, so why not?

1 lb leeks and my handy food scale

Once I'd cleaned the leeks and weighed them, it was all uphill, and the kitchen began to smell like something good was on it's way. I have made potato soup many times over the years, but I must admit, this was hands down, the BEST POTATO SOUP I've ever made! Something about the leeks and the slow cooking worked absolute magic on the flavor. I cut WAY down on the amount of bacon, butter and cream used by the famous chefs, but I swear, it didn't matter! Here's the recipe and some pictures to urge you on toward your own leek adventure. I promise, I'll be cooking them again and soon. Perhaps a leek gratin or quiche or tart.....hhmmmmm.......

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise
1 lb. leeks, well washed and drained (about 3 large leeks)
1 lb peeled russet potatoes, cut into chunks for cooking

Frying Smithfield Original Bacon

3 rashers "Smithfield" original bacon
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T. butter
6 c. chicken stock
4 c, water
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. heavy cream + a little for garnish
chives for garnish
In a large, heavy soup pot, cook the bacon over low to medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain it well on a paper towel. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the pot and then the leeks. Cook them for 5 minutes until they begin to wilt and add the potatoes and garlic. Stir all the vegetables around in the pot until they are coated with the butter/fat mixture. 

Leeks and potatoes in the fat mixture

Add the stock, wine and water to your pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and add the salt and pepper. Partially cover the pot and let the soup cook over low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes. By partially cover, I mean leave the top just off center so that the soup reduces and thickens, like this:

Partially covered soup pot

Watch it, you don't want it to boil over, just to gently bubble away. Lower heat worked fine on my gas stove. At the end of  1 hour, test your potatoes by sticking them with a knife to make sure they are tender. You may need to cook the soup another 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the size you cut the potatoes during the prep. When the potatoes are done and the soup is thickened, you'll need to puree your veggies. 

There are several ways to process the vegetables. I used my immersion blender, which is super easy to do. Let the soup cool a little before you start, put the immersion blender into the pot and begin blending in short bursts. You want the soup to be smooth and creamy.  You could also use a regular blender. Simply remove the potatoes and leeks (in batches) with a slotted spoon and puree them, then return them to the broth. You could run the vegetables through a food processor or a food mill. Whichever method you use, let the soup cool slightly before pureeing, to minimize the chance of getting splashed by boiling liquid or super hot vegetables. 

After the vegetables have been processed and returned to the soup, add the cream. Turn the heat on low to gently heat the cream and soup. Crumble the bacon and add it to the soup. Be careful not to let it boil. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning -- you might need a little more salt or pepper, depending on the chicken stock you used. I always use lower sodium chicken stock and sometimes do need to add a little more salt at the end. Be careful, it's better to under-salt a dish than to over-salt one! This will make at least 6 bowls of soup. Garnish the soup with a tablespoon of cream and some chives. To make Vichyssoise-- that American invention we think is French -- simply cool the soup and serve it cold. We ate it one night for dinner, along with spinach salad. The rest made it's way to several delicious lunches and yes, one of the lunches I ate it cold. I knew I couldn't sell it to my husband, but I liked it just fine. 

Bon Appetit! 

Lamb Chops, French Country Potatoes & Greek Salad

I can not believe it's been a month since I blogged! How does the time get away from you like that? I suppose it's all the yard work we've been doing. Central Virginia has had a rough winter and a rainy spring, so when things finally cleared up there was a LOT of work to be done outside! On the plus side, my jonquils, phlox and azaleas have never looked healthier!

Grilled Lamb Chops, French Country Potatoes, Greek Salad 

This Easter was a first for us. There were only 2 of us present for dinner. This year marked the first time I haven't fixed an Easter basket in 28 years. Even though there were just the two of us, me and the hubby, we still marked the occasion with a special dinner. Early in the day I made these colored, deviled eggs. They are an absolute Easter tradition in our family. And they taste delicious, just an added bonus!

 HERE'S a post I wrote a few years ago about how to make these festive eggs. Keep them in mind for other holidays as well. How about red, white and blue ones for July 4th or Memorial Day?

The first thing I did was to get my French Country Potatoes ready. These potatoes are simply a lighter take on scalloped potatoes. They don't use any cream and the amount of cheese is a lot less than in traditional recipes. There are also mushrooms in this version, stretching the potatoes without adding much to the calorie count. I got the recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook, but have made it my own.

This recipe will easily serve 4 adults. I used a wonderful clay dish from The Pampered Chef, but any round, heavy type baker will work. It needs to be at least 2 1/2" deep to hold the broth and potatoes.

French Country Potatoes
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c. minced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. minced fresh rosemary
8 large mushrooms, sliced
3 oz. Swiss cheese

French Country Potatoes, ready to bake

1 T. butter, divided use
2/3 c.fat free, low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium, non-stick skillet, heat 1/2 the butter and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they are translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring gently to combine. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Rub the other 1/2 of your butter over the surface of the baking dish. Layer the potatoes in a single layer, slightly overlapping them. Pour the mushroom, onion, garlic mixture over the potatoes, distributing it evenly. Pour the chicken broth carefully over the vegetables in the dish. Sprinkle with the rosemary, a little salt and pepper and then dot the top with the cheese. You can grate it if you have a block, but I had slices so I just cut it into small pieces and scattered them on top. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, until they are hot and bubbly, as shown below.

French Country Potatoes

Next get your lamb chops ready. I made 6 1.5 inch chops for 2 of us, but it was too much. No worries, my husband loves them and ate them for lunch the next day with leftover potatoes! 

To prep the lamb chops, drizzle them with garlic olive oil*, sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh pepper and place a few pieces of fresh rosemary on top. (*To make your own garlic oil, heat 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil over low heat and add 2 crushed garlic cloves. Steep this mixture for about 1/2 hour, never letting it get hot enough to sizzle or brown the garlic. You may need to turn it on and off to achieve this.) 

Leave the chops at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. Like this:

Lamb chops prepped with garlic olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper. 

Get your grill nice and hot -- ours was at almost 500 degrees when we put them on. Lamb should be pink in the center, so they only need to cook about 5 - 6 minutes per side. Keep some rosemary on them. They should be lightly browned, and just firm to the touch when you press a finger in the middle of the chop. The firmer the meat, the more well done it is. 

Lamb Chops on the Grill

Greek Salad
First make the Salad Dressing
You'll need;
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh garlic
1/2 of a lemon
Black or Kalamata Olives
1 anchovy (from a can or jar, packed in olive oil)
Dried Oregano
Wine Vinegar
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Get out a trusty 1/2 quart jar. Add 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, the juice of 1/2 large lemon, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 minced anchovy, 1 small clove minced garlic, 6 minced black olives, 1 T. water and 1/4 c. wine vinegar. Screw the top on tightly and SHAKE, SHAKE, Shake it until it is all blended together. This dressing will keep in your refrigerator for about 2 week. You can omit the anchovy, but I don't recommend it. Once you mince it finely and add it to the dressing, you really can't taste it, you just know the dressing is extra special good!!

Salad Ingredients
Mixture of Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce
A jar of Pepperoncinis
Red Onion
Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Black or Kalamata Olives
To make a salad, tear up some washed Romaine lettuce and mix with a little washed iceberg lettuce. Slice some red onion and about 1/2 a cucumber, cut 6+ cherry tomatoes in half. Add those ingredients to the lettuce. Remove 2 or 3 pepperoncinis (small mild pickled peppers) from a jar and squeeze the juice out of them. Slice them, discarding the stem. Mix all the veg together and sprinkle with chunks of Feta Cheese and as many black olives as you like. Dress the salad with a little homemade Greek Dressing. Delicious!!

Philly Cheese Steak Subs at Home Or More Manly Man Cooking

We have a tradition in our family that you get to pick whatever you want for dinner on your birthday. Short of an 11 year old demanding shots of tequila, the tradition is pretty sacred at our house. Your birthday is YOUR special day, and you should get what you want on your birthday. I've written about this before when my husband chose ribs on his birthday (read about that day here ).  My mom always honored this custom and I loved it as a kid. I was a traditionalist and almost always chose spaghetti with meat sauce, my favorite thing that my mom made. Sometimes I picked apple pie for dessert, sometimes angel food cake. My youngest son likes to mix it up when it's his turn to choose. He's often chosen rockfish stuffed with crab meat, but this year he choose to have me concoct Philly Cheese-steak Subs.

The internet is truly a wonderful thing when you are searching for recipes. Instead of buying a bunch of cookbooks you'll never use again or spending hours at the library looking through recipes,  you have the info you need right at your fingertips. My husband got involved -- he's pretty sure that HE'S the KING OF SANDWICHES (not that guy on TV who claims he is) and he narrowed it down to 2 recipes, one on a website labelled "Real and Authentic" and one from Bobby Flay. Bobby called for using hot peppers and we decided we didn't want that this time, but maybe later we'll try that. The "Real and Authentic" recipe writer claimed that the secret of authentic Philly taste was to use only Olive Oil to fry the meat and vegetables, so that's what we did. Also, don't get smoked provolone if provolone is the cheese your prefer. My son had his sub cut in half, with provolone on one half and American cheese on the other half, both with mayo. He preferred the provolone, in the end. Here's how we did it at home.

Philly Cheese Steak Subs at Home

Philly Cheese Steak Subs
makes 5 - 6 large subs

1 3 lb. sirloin roast
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive Oil
Large sub rolls
2 green pepper, sliced
1 large yellow onion sliced
1 can sliced mushrooms
Light Mayo (optional) 
Sliced American or Provolone Cheese
OR Cheese Sauce 

The method is the important thing here. Freeze your sirloin roast for about 45 minutes so that it firms up and will be easier to shave. Shave or slice the raw meat into very thin slices. We used our electric meat slicer for this. If you don't have one, make sure your knife is very sharp and that the meat is frozen until just firm. That will make it easier to slice. Try to slice it as thin as you can. After you've got it all cut up, preheat a large skillet and put a Tablespoon or 2 of olive oil into it and add the meat. Sprinkle with the Worcester, a pinch or 2 of salt and some black pepper. Fry it quickly, about 3 minutes, stirring it around to brown the meat on both sides. Don't over cook it. Remove the meat from the pan and chop it up like the guys in the deli do it. It's very manly, chopping meat with two knives, just sayin'. (IF you've got a man who loves to cook, try this!)

Sirloin Roast chopped and ready for Philly Cheese Steak Subs

 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Set the meat aside and fry up your peppers and onions in the same pan with a drop more of olive oil. Add the canned mushrooms and push them to one side for anyone who doesn't care for the mushrooms on their sandwich.

While the vegetables are cooking put the buns in the oven, slicing them first to make them easier to handle. Toast your sliced sub rolls until they are starting to get crisp, 5 or 6 minutes. Swipe one side of the roll with mayo if desired and pile on the meat. Top with your choice of onions, peppers and/or mushrooms. Place 2 slices of cheese on top or spoon a little cheese sauce over the meat. Put the subs back into the oven for a minute to make sure it's all hot and bubbly. My son and husband prefer mayo and sliced cheese on theirs. I don't care for mayo so I prefer cheese sauce. I've included the recipe below.
The shaved meat in these was YUMMY as was the gooey cheese over the vegetables. I like peppers, onions and mushrooms, my son prefers his without mushrooms. It's all good, I promise!

PS My son took the picture of the sandwich. We need to keep this real, right?

Easy Cheese Sauce
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
a pinch of salt
2 oz. grated provolone or American cheese or 2 thick slices of cheese, torn up
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until you can't see any white and the flour is absorbed by the butter. Add the milk and Worcestershire. Stir, stir stir, or use a whisk so that there are no lumps and the sauce is smooth. Put in a pinch of salt and add the cheese. Cook over low, stirring often, until cheese is melted. Taste the sauce and correct the seasoning Enough for at least 2 subs. 

Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Pork

What, you may ask, is a Rack of Pork? I bought this pork roast a month or so ago, not really even sure what cut of meat it was, except I knew it was done in the "French" style. All that "French" style means is that the meat has been cut away from the bones so that they are exposed. You most often see it done to a rack of lamb or lamb chops. However, this was, for sure, pork. I've cooked many a pork roast before (See my first post about pork roast HERE) but this was a totally different cut of meat. SO, I searched my way around several food and recipe sites yesterday, and after reading a bunch of recipes, this is what I came up with. Using the mustard to hold the herb crust in place added great flavor and cut out some of the fat - several of the recipes called for rubbing the top with olive oil. The fresh herbs were a real treat and I think the bed of vegetables under the pork added to the flavor. The presentation was lovely, and it tasted delicious. This a great alternative for those who say they don't care for lamb, and I know there are a lot of you out there. It looks great on the table and on the plate and it was a lot cheaper than Prime Rib of Beef, that is for SURE!

Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Pork ready to serve

Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Pork
serves 4 - 6
1  2.5 - 3 lb. rack of pork roast
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
1 carrot, cut in 1 inch chunks
1 rib celery, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 T. Whole Grain Garlic Mustard (We used the Kroger brand "Private Selection")
2 T. minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 T. of Kosher or Coarse Salt
2 T. coarse ground Black Pepper

The number of bones in the roast will determine the number of servings. 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, score the fat on the top of the roast by shallowly slicing a few X's into the surface of the fat. This will allow the herbs to penetrate into the meat and flavor it. 
Pour the olive oil in the bottom of shallow metal roasting pan and spread it so that the middle of the pan is completely oil. Put the sliced vegetables on the oiled part of the pan in an even pile. Place the roast -  fatty side up -- carefully on top of the veggies and spread the mustard over the surface. Sprinkle the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper evenly over the mustard so that the top surface of the roast is covered. Gently pat the crust into the mustard so that it stays in place while roasting. 
Place the roast into the preheated oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Roast for 20 - 22 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat -- making sure not to touch a bone -- reads 145 degrees. This will yield a roast that still has a touch of pink at the bone. I know, I know, that's not the way your mom did it, and mine didn't either, but pork is a lot safer than it used to be. If you feel nervous about the pink, cook it for 25 minutes per pound but it will be a little drier than mine looks. 
Slice between the bones for each serving and top with a slice of the caramelized onion, if desired. I made some garlic mashed potatoes and a big salad to go with the pork. It was yummy, I promise. Give it a try for Easter or any time you want to make a festive and delicious meal. 

Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Pork with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Salad 

Blueberry Pancakes

I hate the phrase "But we've always done it that way!" especially when uttered in the workplace! Nothing stagnant in the world of work ever moves forward, at least not very quickly, and the workplace needs to be fluid, in my humble opinion.
That being said, I make these pancakes the same way I've always made them, because they are YUMMY! Some of you will turn up your noses at my shortcut of using Bisquick, but before you go all Downton Abbey on me, give them a try. They beat the stuffing out of pancake only mixes, and take 1/2 the time you'd take if you had to measure and combine flour, butter or shortening, baking soda or powder and salt. That's all Bisquick really is, a pre-mixed base for making biscuits, pot pie toppings, shortcakes etc. I always make my Strawberry Shortcake using Bisquick and Dick's dad, the undisputed KING of BISCUITS, told me it was the best he'd ever eaten. He was a wonderful man, and not just because he loved my cooking and my sons. He was so handy, and could fix lots of things. He had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to play cards and games. We miss him.

Blueberry Pancakes with bacon -- perfect breakfast or dinner! 

On to the pancakes! Your kids will love you for making these, believe me. So will your grandfather.... and your husband, or your wife, and your dad.... Here's to you, Gramps!

Blueberry Pancakes
makes approx. 14 3" pancakes

2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix
1 2/3 cups low fat milk
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 Tablespoon (approx.) vegetable oil
1 pint washed and drained fresh blueberries

Drain the blueberries well and turn them out onto a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to dry. Mix together the Bisquick, milk, eggs and melted butter. Beat the  mixture until all the large lumps are broken up. Pre-heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add a few drops of vegetable oil and pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Wait about 15 seconds and then drop 6 - 8 blue berries onto the surface of the pancake. Wait until the edges of the batter begin to bubble and break open and the pancake is set before turning it. You do have to watch pancakes carefully -- they've gotta' brown and set without burning. Add another drop or two of oil about every 3 pancakes. That will give them the crusty edge that looks so pretty and tastes so good! Serve with your favorite syrup. 

Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Lent, Mardi Gras, etc ...Pancakes!

Blueberry Pancakes! Delish!

Happy Fat Tuesday! Pancakes are the best! Recipe HERE - Enjoy!