Cinnamon Chip Pancakes with Bananas Foster Topping

Big breakfast slurge this morning! Nothing like a jolt of sugar to wake you up. I finally made it through the semester and classes are over so I am hoping to have more time to try new recipes and blog more. I combined two different recipes for breakfast this morning. I used Harried Housewife's Cinnamon Chip Pancakes recipe and topped it with Barbara Bakes' Bananas Foster Topping. Barbara has a delicous sounding coconut pancake recipe with her topping, but since I'm the only coconut lover here, I didn't try them yet.

The Cinnamon Chip Pancakes uses cinnamon chips that are like chocolate chips, but with a smooth cinnamon flavor. They are sold right next to the chocolate chips, but not every store carries them. This recipe only uses 3/4 cup of the chips so if you need another recipe to use the rest of the bag, check out my older posts of Cinnamon Chip Crescents, Cinnamon Fudge, or Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake or just throw some into your muffin, cake or cookie batter or dough.

Cinnamon Chip Pancakes with Bananas Foster Topping
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 eggs
6 T. butter, melted
3/4 c. cinnamon chips

Bananas Foster Topping

1/4 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

2 T. water

1/2 t. vanilla extract

4 firm ripe bananas, sliced

 

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and eggs; whisk just until combined. Stir in butter. Heat griddle to 375 degrees or set a heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush griddle or skillet with vegetable oil, if necessary. Gently fold in cinnamon chips. Working in batches, ladle 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges are slightly dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over; cook until bottoms are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with maple syrup. Makes 6 servings.

 

Topping:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, water and vanilla stir until smooth. Add the banana slices and stir to coat evenly. Allow to cook for 1 minute (don’t overcook the banana.) Remove from heat.

 

Did You See Ryan?

Way back in 2011, I wrote this post about Ryan Innes. Who is he? Well, if you watched The Voice last night, you know. Or if you went to Stadium of Fire last year where he sang, or if you already read my blog post or heard him in person around Utah, you know. He is a uniquely talented, unforgettable singer in Utah.

I've been a fan since I first heard him and have seen him sing several different times and he always has such energy, feeling and soul. Recently he alerted his fans that he was gonna be on The Voice auditions, but the show didn't tell him what day he'd be on. So I've been watching every episode if the auditions this season, waiting and waiting. It's apparently contagious because my kids have been eagerly watching too. They'd scream when they'd see a glimpse of him on the commercial or blurb of a preview.

And of course, Ryan couldn't tell anyone if he made it onto the show or not because of nondisclosure stuff, but there was no way that he wouldn't get on. I told my kids that I knew it would be a 4 judge turn-around. Finally, they showed his episode last night and all 4 judges did turn around and gushed about his talent and amazingness. He choose to be on Usher's team. If you missed the show, you can still watch it on Hulu.com or places like that online. You can buy his version of Gravity from the show last night (or some of his other great songs) on iTunes right now.

I cannot wait to see his next performance. And I'm so excited that the world (well, lots of it) are finding out what a jewel has been hiding in Utah. He is gonna be BIG, people. "LIKE" him on Facebook and check him out on Reverbnation.

Learn how to put a song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

Hanging on Small Hinges

I am very grateful for the LDS General Conference talks this weekend. I took notes and have some thoughts in my head, but I’m not ready to write about any of them quite yet. I will say that I am grateful for the messages of hope and peace that were spoken and for the reminder that our Father is bound to keep His promises when we are obedient.

This afternoon I was looking through my file where I save things I want to share here in the future and saw this talk that I haven’t blogged about yet. It had similar messages of hope and peace that I have enjoyed during this conference so I’m happy to share a few bits of this today. It’s called Faith, Hope & Charity by Stan Kivett, a religion professor at BYU-Idaho.

 

“Some of my favorite friends––heroes I have come to love and respect––are those who have had the faith and courage to seek forgiveness. However, even more impressive, and less celebrated in my estimation, are the accomplishments of those who exercise the faith not to fall. When temptations become powerful, they use the example and power of the Savior to control passions, to forgive, or to remain faithful in spite of adversity. They use the atonement to succeed instead of just using it to rectify failure”

“…Brothers and sisters, life’s doors swing on small hinges. Many of us are facing tests right now that will be pivot points on which the rest of our life will swing.”

I love that statement about our lives hanging on small hinges. It is a small decision we make today or another we make tomorrow that will determine which way our life will go. We cannot make a choice without the consequence that comes with it.

 

Brother Kivett reminds us, along with President Packer’s words, that because we are children of God, if we are obedient and follow our Savior, we have power beyond our own.

"Satan is striving to cause us to become weak, pathetic victims. However, you are not victims—you are soldiers with a cause. President Boyd K. Packer once said:

‘When you say, ‘I can’t! I can’t solve my problems!’ I want to thunder out, ‘Don’t you realize who you are? Haven’t you learned yet that you are a son or a daughter of Almighty God? Do you not know that there are powerful resources inherited from Him that you can call upon to give you steadiness and courage and great power?'' (Ensign, August 1975)

I don't know about you, but I know a few blessings that I’d rather have now instead of wait for them. But I do have faith that my Father's promised blessings will come to me one day if I continue on His path. Brother Kivett’s words about this remind me of this photo that I have as the background on my computer. (I would give credit to its creator, but have no idea who that is. I have found it going around online.)

 

 

“As we exercise the faith to obey, we begin to acquire hope. Hope reinforces our faith as we seek to pass the tests of life. Hope in Christ has been equated with an 'earnest expectation' (Philippians 1:20). It is behaving according to a firm belief in how things will unfold. It is expecting, not wishing. Hope orients our lives. Hope keeps our eyes focused on eternity. Hope-filled individuals cherish eternal promises enough to cling to them through trials and distractions, while those who lack hope give up what they want most for what they want at the moment.”

"The immutable promises of God allow you to face the vicissitudes of life calmly. The temporary withholding of a promised blessing does not trouble those who keep their eyes riveted on the eventual fulfillment of the promise. Moroni explained that this kind of hope begins with faith and becomes 'an anchor to the souls of men which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God' (Ether 12:4). I testify that God is omniscient and omnipotent, and therefore able to fulfill any promise. You can trust in this assurance from Him: 'I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them' (Isaiah 42:16)."

I took this photo of a plaque at a pioneer cemetery in Utah.