Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

It's official. These pancakes are now our family's favorite pancake recipe.

They are a quadruple threat: They have amazing taste, terrific texture, are easy to make, and turn out beautifully. They also happen to taste like a decadent morning treat, but without any of the work usually involved. The pancakes were ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.

And the icing... How often do you get to eat pancakes with icing? Half of us enjoyed the icing, the other half thought maple syrup tasted the best. I would recommend trying both and deciding. The icing definitely thickened up a bit as the butter in it cooled, which I actually preferred, so next time I'll make the icing as I mix up the batter for the pancakes.

It is an amazingly delicious splurge, and one that you should not put off any longer. I promise you'll love it, and I'm a woman of my word. Now what are you waiting for? The print-friendly button is below. ☺

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

Yield: 12 3-inch pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1½ c. flour
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 c. milk
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients and whisk together until well combined.

Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Cook until brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup or icing.

Icing
Ingredients:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 2 Tbsp. milk

Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and a pouring consistency. Icing will continue to thicken as it sits. If the icing is too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more sugar.

Source: Baked Bree

Cilantro Lime Rice

If the name conjured up images of a certain fast-casual restaurant (cough, Chipotle), this rice won't disappoint. My sister-in-law, Julie, shared this taste-a-like a couple weekends ago, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. The secret to imparting all that lime flavor into the rice is...

(wait for it)

Sauteing the rice in the lime juice before adding the water. Ingenious!

Cilantro Lime Rice

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 medium limes, juiced
• 1 & 1/3 c. water
• 1½ c. basmati rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (we increased this to closer to ¼ c., so plan to do this to taste)

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add lime juice and rice and stir for one minute. Add water and salt, and bring to a full rolling boil. Cover, reduce heat to low to simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

*The cilantro can wilt/discolor in leftover rice, so if you are planning on having some leftover, I would suggest adding the cilantro to just the portion that you plan to use immediately.

Source: My sister-in-law, Julie

Easy Black Bean Burritos

I love easy dinners, especially when they require little to no advanced planning. When they taste great and are pretty nutritious, even better. Take these burritos for example... They require almost all pantry staples, taste amazing with a nice cold beer, and are ready in 10 short minutes.

Served with tortilla chips and cilantro-lime rice (recipe coming soon!), it's really a perfect dinner.

Easy Black Bean Burritos 

Serves: 3-4 Main Dish Servings

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp. dried minced onion (or substitute ¼ c. finely chopped onion, sauteed in ½ tsp. olive oil for 5 minutes to soften)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• ½ c. sour cream (plus additional for serving)
• ½ c. purchased or homemade salsa (plus additional for serving)
• 4 standard-sized flour tortillas (we use whole wheat tortillas)
• 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ¼ c. chopped cilantro (for serving)

In a large saucepan, combine onion, garlic, beans, coriander, sour cream, and salsa. Cook over medium heat, mashing beans a bit with the back of spoon, about 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Layer tortillas between paper towels and heat on high in microwave 30 seconds or until just warmend. Divide bean mixture among tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Top with additional salsa, sour cream, and/or cilantro and serve.

Source: Colorado Collage