Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Light and fluffy with a fresh lemony taste. Perfect for a weekend brunch!

1 1/2 cups flour

3 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

2 Tbsp butter, melted

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Create a well in the middle and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta cheese, eggs and vanilla extract until well blended. Whisk together the lemon juice and zest, then add to milk mixture, along with the melted butter. The lemon juice may cause the milk mixture to curdle a bit, so quickly stir together and then add to the flour mixture and whisk just until combined. The batter may be a bit lumpy. Pour about 1/4 or 1/3 cup of batter onto a greased griddle or skillet over medium heat and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook until the other side is also golden brown. Serve with berries and maple syrup.

* Adapted from http://www.cookingclassy.com/

Homemade Granola

Wow! Apparently I haven't posted anything since September. I didn't realize it has been so long. Finally I have a good recipe to share. I've made this a couple times now and its a keeper. I love putting granola on my yogurt, but its a good snack too! And the great thing about this recipe is its versatility. Use whatever you have in your pantry.

Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Heat oven to 300F.

In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients:
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup seeds/nuts (slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc)
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, etc)
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp of your favourite spice combo (I used pumpkin pie spice, but you could use cinnamon, cloves, ginger)

Combine the following and stir into the above mix:
1/4 cup oil/fat (butter, canola oil or coconut oil)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sweetener (brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc)
1 1/2 tsp flavouring (vanilla extract, almond extract, etc)

Spread evenly in pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and break up into pieces and store at room temperature.

*From http://www.trueaimeducation.com/easy-healthy-homemade-granola-recipe/