Shake and Bake...and I helped

though the weather hasn't cooled to a blissful 50-60 range that i so love as an indication of autumn, i will use any excuse to make a delicious fall breakfast.  and, in keeping with my "eat only what's in your cupboards" economic policy this week, i made a delightful impromptu breakfast that i'd like to share.  pancakes are a great way to use up those last few nuts, granola, canned/dried fruits, or anything else that's too small to pack for lunch, but too big to throw away in good conscience.  so, without further ado, i present healthyish happy accident pancakes:

1 cup bisquick/buckwheat pancake mix

2/3 cup rice milk

handful sliced almonds

pinch of flaxseeds

1 egg

1/3 of pumpkin pie mix (from can)

dash of cinnamon

dash of almond extract

pinch of sea salt

cooking spray

if you have a food processor (or in my case, the awesomest of all time, le magic bullet) mix all the dry ingredients together (pending you like a pancake with a consistent texture.  if you prefer to crunch into almonds, etc, mixing everything together in a bowl is just dandy).  spray pan with cooking spray (something that can handle a high temp without burning - i tried it with safflower and that was a fucking disaster) and pour a palm-shaped dollop in the pan at a time.  cook to desired consistency (i like mine spongy) and plate.

the syrup:

some of you may have noticed, but maple syrup is freaking expensive.  $6 for a wee bottle these days.  so, to keep the mapley flava without using the entire thing, i propose a tasty supplement.  mix a tablespoon of marmalade with a tablespoon of maple syrup.  mix and pour over hot pancakes.  not only does it taste divine, but you save precious maple syrup, since it now seems to be the saffron of sweet condiments.  top with sliced almonds for extra crunch and chow down.

in my case, this happy accident paired nicely with extra strong coffee, an open window, and a real simple magazine.  i'd imagine it'd be freaking lush with fresh pineapple (though that is not in my cupboard and therefore not in the plan), to sop up the orange-y syrup, and some smokey sausage.  yum.

the clean up is not so fun, which is what i have to do now.  mwah!