Old Fashioned Banana Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

By Jodee Weiland

When my children were little, I used to make old fashioned pancakes made from scratch.  I would mix up my pancake batter and cook it in my Farberware Stainless Steel Electric Skillet. It’s the one that came with the dome lid.

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I loved cooking in that skillet because it made it so much easier. I guess one might say it was the equivalent of a crock pot today for young housewives back then in the seventies. I especially liked it for cooking Old Fashioned Banana Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup because you set the temperature and cooked them with little fuss.

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Well, old habits die hard, my friends, because I still have my Farberware Stainless Steel Electric Skillet, and perhaps more surprising, I still use it. I guess I will until it dies, or I do, whichever comes first. Keep in mind, I don’t use it as much as I did when I was younger, but I do use it for pancakes still. For other dishes, I regret to say it has been pretty much replaced, but not when it comes to pancakes and only a few other things. By the way, they call my skillet vintage now. I just call it well taken care of and loved. Hey folks, there’s nothing wrong with vintage. I’m vintage and so are some of my best friends!

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Old Fashioned Banana Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

2 cups all-purpose flour (whole grain flours may be substituted)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten
1 and 1/2 cups milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh blueberries (optional)
1 fresh banana sliced (optional)

All natural blueberry syrup

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Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg, and then add the milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Gradually add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients while blending together with a mixer or in a blender.  When blended well, add the blueberries and sliced banana, stirring in carefully.

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Heat the electric skillet or griddle at 350 to 375 or the manufacturer’s designated temperature.  For a stove top skillet, set the heat to medium heat. Once the skillet is heated, spoon out pancake batter into the skillet to about 4 to 4 and 1/2 inch width and cook.  When the batter bubbles over top surface of the pancakes, and the underside is the preferred brown color, it is time to flip your pancakes and cook the reverse side. This recipe will make 10 to 12 pancakes of this size.

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Any leftover pancakes can be cooled and put in the freezer in plastic freezer bags for later use. When used later, simply put the pancakes in the microwave to reheat.

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Old Fashioned Banana Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup are the best breakfast and so easy to make from scratch. Homemade is always better than store bought frozen pancakes, and the best part is that you can even make these pancakes ahead and freeze them for later. My family loved homemade pancakes, whether they were made with or without fruit. The fruit can always be added after the pancakes are made as a topping.  Whichever way you decide to make your pancakes, they’re always better homemade!  Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Sausage, Beans, and Escarole…All in One Pot!

By Jodee Weiland

When I was growing up, it was not unusual for my parents to cook one of my favorites, escarole and beans. I loved this dish, and I usually didn’t care what else was being served with it. As an adult, I realized that other people do care, and many of those who do, like a nice sausage, meat, or fish of some sort with it.

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So I decided to do escarole and beans in a red sauce with Italian sausage. The best part of this dish is that Italian Chicken Sausage, Beans, and Escarole is cooked all in one pot!

https://learnfromyesterday.comLater when I needed to watch the use of sausage in our family for health reasons, I switched to Italian chicken or turkey sausage. Either way it’s good, and I seriously doubt many can tell the difference, even if they claim they can. But that’s okay, because with this dish you can choose for yourself which kind of sausage to use.

https://learnfromyesterday.comItalian Chicken Sausage, Beans, and Escarole…All in One Pot!

6 to 8 mild Italian chicken (Italian sausage or turkey sausage may be used)
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
15 ounce can of crushed or puree tomatoes
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes cut up
4 to 5 cups of escarole cut up
Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
15 ounce can of cannellini beans

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Prick the sausage with a fork several times, and then cook it in olive oil over a low heat turning often until browned lightly.  Many chicken sausages are pre-cooked, so if that’s the case, you will just want to brown them lightly and continue. Add the onion and the garlic, allowing this to cook covered for a few minutes. Once done, add the escarole on top of this and cook covered until the escarole cooks down slightly.

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Then add in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir together and simmer covered for about five to ten minutes longer.  Finally, add in the cannellini beans, stirring them in over a medium heat until bubbling. Once bubbling, lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes or longer to allow the flavors to blend.

https://learnfromyesterday.comhttps://learnfromyesterday.comItalian Chicken Sausage, Beans, and Escarole…All in One Pot is definitely is a hearty and delicious meal! Serve this meal with a crusty multigrain bread and a robust red wine for a delightful dinner any time. The various flavors blend together easily to create a savory dish that will please any one, young or old. But don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself, and enjoy!

Homemade Italian Lasagne…A Classic Italian Family Meal!

By Jodee Weiland

When it comes to a good hearty meal, Homemade Italian Lasagne is at the top of my list. Whether made with Italian Marinara or Italian Bolognese sauce, it’s actually pretty simple to make, especially these days.

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You can make it with regular lasagne noodles cooked, drained, and then placed in the layers of your lasagne, or you can use the no boil required noodles sold now.  No boil required noodles go from the box, straight to your layers making it easier and quicker than you might expect.  Even if you choose to make a Italian Bolognese sauce, it’s still not as hard as some might think.  It’s simply buying your ingredients and following the steps.

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When I was growing up in an Italian family, lasagne was served along with a full turkey meal on holidays. It was more like being served two meals rather than just one. That’s one tradition I don’t follow because it was too much food, but I have fond memories of our holidays together and the conversations and laughter that went along with those meals.  Having so much food on the table meant people tended to sit and visit longer. That may have been because we were all too full to get up and move away from the table. I learned early on that it was better to take small portions, despite the fact that everything on my mother’s table was delicious.  Besides, there were always leftovers to be had the next day!

https://learnfromyesterday.comHomemade Italian Lasagne…A Classic Italian Family Meal

Prepare your Italian Marinara or Italian Bolognese sauce by following the link

9 ounce box of no boil lasagne or a regular box of boil lasagne
2 cups Italian ricotta
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For top of the lasagne: About 3/4 cup mozzarella sliced or shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

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In a mixing bowl, blend together the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan Reggiano, mozzarella, egg, and ground pepper.  I do not add onion or garlic to this because I usually have sliced onions, chopped garlic, and sliced mushrooms in my sauce, which will be layered into the lasagne.

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The layers are simple.  Coat an 8” x 11” baking dish with olive oil.  This size baking dish works especially well with the no boil lasagne noodles.  Three across, slightly overlapped, fit the dish well.  Either way, once the dish is prepared, start layering by putting sauce across the bottom of the dish. Then put a layer of the pasta, followed by a third of the ricotta and mozarella mixture.  Next put about sauce on top of the ricotta mixture and spread across. Continue to do this for additional layers until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch or more from the top edge of your dish, finishing with pasta across the top.  Cover the top noodles with sauce followed by the remaining 3/4 cup of shredded mozarella.

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Keep in mind the lasagne bubbles up as it cooks and sometimes drips over the side, so place the dish of lasagne on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for easy clean up.  Bake covered loosely with foil or a baking dish cover, if you have one, until it begins to bubble, uncovering it the last 5 to 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. I uncovered it the last six minutes, and it was perfect.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.  Let it sit for about fifteen minutes or longer before cutting and serving.

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My Homemade Italian Lasagne…A Classic Italian Meal cuts up into perfect square layered pieces of lasagne. I love ricotta and mozzarella, and as a result, I put plenty of both into the mixture for the three layers, then add sauce on each layer.  Our family members and friends who have had my lasagne will tell you that it is awesome!  Serve the lasagne with extra sauce, grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, crusty rosemary olive bread, and a Chianti wine.  Toss a light salad for a side and your meal is complete.  We love this meal in our house, so try it and enjoy!