Oatmeal Pancakes

These pancakes were inspired by pancakes served at a fabulous bed and breakfast in Arizona. Good friends of mine gave me the original recipe, and I've added some healthy ingredients to boost the nutritive value. You'll see that these pancakes have some surprise ingredients. If you don't have some of the less common ingredients, feel free to use the substitutions listed. These pancakes still make a healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 quart low fat buttermilk

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (or whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup wheat germ (or whole wheat flour)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

yogurt
fresh berries

Directions:

The night before: mix the oats and buttermilk in a large bowl, cover and let sit until morning. The next morning: add the whole wheat flour through the cinnamon and stir until just mixed. Heat a griddle and spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake has bubbles and the edges are slightly dry. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the second side is light brown. Serve with yogurt and berries as toppings.

Serves ... a lot! This recipe makes about 30 5-inch pancakes.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: These pancakes freeze well. Make a batch when you have time, then freeze them separately, on a platter. To reheat, place 2 pancakes in the microwave for about 1 minute. This way, you have healthy pancakes at a moment's notice.