Deb's Oatmeal Pancakes

Back to school!  It’s time - and I've spent my fair share of efforts “liking” pictures on social media of friends near and far as they post the pics to indicate this change in the seasons of life.  

The best advice I ever received when my kids were young was to “Be in the season you are.”  I translated that to mean do a thousand “under ducks” at the park, one-on-one hoops and endless games of horse in the driveway, and blow bubbles until they no longer chase them.  Many days this took a disciplined effort, and some days, I unfortunately chose laundry (with Oprah) as a rationalized replacement.  

Often I found that this meant if dinner wasn't planned and preparations begun early in the day, I was scrambling (usually literally with eggs….) to put something on the table.  Here is a great supplement to those scrambled eggs that are quick and packed with nutrition, allowing you to “be” in your season.  

The recipe was mastered by and therefore I named it after my sister.

Deb’s Oatmeal Pancakes

2/3 cup oats (steel cut, old fashioned or quick)

1 cup white or wheat flour- or some of both

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 T oil

1 cup buttermilk

2-3 T water

Combine dry ingredients together and stir.  Add egg, oil, and milk and water.  Stir until combined, without over mixing.  Spoon batter onto hot griddle sprayed with Pam and cook until browned.  Flip and cook on the other side. Makes 8 6-inch pancakes.

Top with your family’s favorite pancake syrup, peanut butter, or really enjoy your season by topping with cinnamon apples glazed with salted caramel “syrup”.

For the cinnamon apples, I peel, core and cube them.  Then I sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and simmer them in a few tablespoons of water.  I thinned the "secret" recipe pictured below with a little milk for the syrup.  

“Be in the season you are.”

Because before you know it, it'll be more than a decade later.