Easy Pancakes

It’s a gorgeous Saturday morning. The kind where you want to have a stack of pancakes, some fresh fruit, and a tall glass of juice out on your patio. So, that’s exactly what the Pickle Family decided to do.

Let it be known that Papa Pickles is usually the one who whips up breakfasts during the weekday morning whirlwind. His smoothies are A1 and I’m hoping that he’ll do a guest post sometime and share some of his recipes. *hint hint to Papa Pickles*

I’ve never been all that great at making pancakes and I have no idea how people get them so perfect and round. I have finally learned, though, that the key for me is to make smaller ones so they are easier to flip. Hats off to all your expert pancake flippers out there! Let’s just say that mine might not be pretty but they sure were tasty!

Breakfast is served!

So if you are looking for a nice, basic (yet tasty) pancake recipe look no further and bookmark this page for your weekend morning cravings.

Easy Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp oil

1 egg replacer*

1 cup soy (almond, hemp, rice etc) milk

1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix ingredients together in a container you can use to pour the batter onto a preheated pan.

Garnish with syrup, Earth Balance, fruit etc. We actually used chocolate chips right into this batter. Extra sweet and yummy.

*Egg Replacer

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp water

Combine in a small bowl and mix together with fork or wire whisk until foamy.

How easy is that? Yummmmm.

What is YOUR favorite weekend breakfast?

Snack o’ the Week: Tempt Ice Cream Bars

There are a lot of things that are important to the Pickle Family and we love, love, love our food! These days, once Mr. Pickles has called it a night, Papa Pickles and I will come up with a “snack plan” to munch while we enjoy a little bit of grown up time before crashing into bed ourselves.

This week’s pick is something I didn’t even know had hit the shelves. We are already in love with Tempt products so it was a no-brainer for us to pick up these little babies when we saw them at Whole Foods last weekend.

So creamy. So good.

We chose vanilla with fudge swirls but they also have a variety of other flavors we can’t wait to try. Besides these being really yummy, they are only 100 calories per bar! The trick to only eat one. 😉

The Holiday for Mamas

There have been so many amazing firsts since I’ve become a mama. That first squeeze of the finger by my little one, that first time I held him in my arms, that first time I kissed his little feet, that very first diaper change. Okay, so that first diaper change wasn’t amazing, but I’ll never forget how long it took me, how I wondered if I would ever be able to do it in under 20 minutes time, and how in awe I was that this little person depended on me and his daddy for everything.

More recently there has been that first real smile, that first giggle, that first honest look of recognition that Papa Pickles and I were in Mr. Pickles presence. (Can I just say how my heart has continued so skip a beat every ding dang time I’ve seen that smile?!) And this past weekend was my very first Mother’s Day.

So much love.

The day was absolutely perfect. Papa Pickles gave all the credit to Mr. Pickles but I think he might have had something to do with the yummy breakfast, gorgeous flowers, framed photo of our son, and the fun new diaper bag I desperately needed to haul all of Mr. Pickles must haves around (and be stylish doing it!). Calls, cards, texts, oodles of Facebook messages, and even a Skype session came from loved ones making me feel like the luckiest mama in the entire world — as if having Mr. Pickles didn’t already make me that?!

Before my boys swept me away to a super secret location for a picnic lunch, we stopped by to see Nana Pickles to wish her a happy day, too.

We love our boys.

The weather was perfect as we settled to have a yummy lunch near the mountains. It was actually also my first time nursing Mr. Pickles in public because I forgot the bottle nipples and burst into tears thinking the perfect afternoon my sweetie planned for me was ruined because our little guy was hungry and his mommy forgot the crucial part of his bottle! Then, it occurred to me, “Mama, you HAVE his food so just go ahead and nurse him.” That might sound like a no-brainer but I had yet to nurse my child anywhere but the comfort of our home and I was really nervous. Really, though, it was a piece of cake. Papa Pickles grabbed the picnic blanket and I threw that on top of a cozy Mr. Pickles so he could chow while we chowed, too. Talk about a complete reminder that I am indeed a mama! 😉

I’m so thankful for that perfect day and can’t believe how lucky I am to be the mother of a ridiculously amazing little boy.

Happy mama.

So here’s to another first as a mama; what a wonderfully amazing day. I look forward to many more firsts ahead (oh and to the fact that it no longer takes me 20 minutes to change a diaper. This gal is a pro!).

Pickles Run Errands

Running errands is a whole new ballgame with a newborn. It’s not just grabbing a jacket and keys like the days pre-Mr. Pickles. Oh, no, not at all! First there is making sure he’s eaten, has on a clean outfit and a nice clean diaper. Next up is stocking the diaper bag with all the essentials for the trip (we might need rolling luggage by the time he’s a toddler) and then, almost without fail, changing his diaper again. Get his car seat ready, locate his hat and blanket, and check that diaper one more time because he’s getting strapped in!

Let's roll!

Unstrap Mr. Pickles, change his diaper one last time (fingers crossed) and get ready to roll. Also, pray to the diaper gods that he stays dry at least until we reach our first destination! Grab a bottle for the trip and pack up the car. Oh, and don’t forget the baby!

The Best Baby Gift Ever

I am so fortune to have so many wonderful friends and family who love me and were excited for the little pickle to be born. At the baby shower, I got just about everything we possibly needed (and things I didn’t know I was going to need!) and more. Adorable clothes, fun toys, and must haves like the stroller and car seats were all ready to go before baby arrived. I was set!

The best gift, though, that I would recommend to anyone is one that wasn’t on a registry or one I even gave much thought to at all. Pre-made meals. Yes, that’s right — FOOD! Nana Pickles was on the ball and knew I would have my hands full with feeding the little guy and changing his diapers (how many could one person go through in one day anyway?!) that I wouldn’t be up for making meals when I got home from the hospital. Thank goodness for the wisdom of Nana. Honestly, those meals saved me those first few nights home. I didn’t have to think about what I was going to have to eat (I was lucky to even shower), I just opened the fridge and pulled out the next meal and I was happily noshing.

So, if you are about to have a little one or know someone who is about to have one of their own, trust me, food is the way to go! Casseroles, pasta dishes, soups and stews, breads and fruits are all great choices.

Taco Soup!

Here are a couple ideas to get you started:

Super Simple Corn and Potato Chowder

Tasty Tamale Bake

Taco Soup

Pizza Casserole

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Even having just one meal prepared for the day you come home with baby is a life saver. Trust me…life saver!

Do you have a quick and easy recipe to recommend for new parents who have nano seconds to cook? Share them here!

Welcome to the Pickle Patch!

In February of 2011, our lives changed forever. I gave birth to a little guy who weighed in at 6.8 lbs. and is the sweetest pickle imaginable! This blog is going to be a resource for parents (particularly first time ones like myself and Papa Pickles), as we navigate the world of parenthood. You’ll find a variety of tools, recipes for the busy family (for baby and parents), product reviews, advice (that a $2.50 will get you a tall coffee at Starbucks), and I’m sure good amount of fodder at the Pickle Family’s expense.

We’ll try to keep things green, clean, and lean (on the waistline and the budget!). Things might get a little silly around here (we can only hope!).

The Pickle Family