For the past few weeks I have been dragging my butt around. I keep pushing through all of the things on my to-do list trying to convince myself that I am not as tired as I feel. The truth is I am just plain exhausted. I don’t know if I am fighting off a virus or battling the late winter blues but I think it is time to wave the white flag and let my activity (or lack of) match my energy level.
When I get in a funk like this I start thinking about food. The term comfort food exists for a good reason. Unfortunately the trouble with most comfort foods is their lack of nutritional value. I want to submit to my cravings and wrap up in a blanket of carbohydrates but if I over eat to feel better I will ultimately feel worse.
I just want a little something warm to soothe the emotional cravings. Something pure and simple like a muffin.
In my funk the last thing I feel like doing is pulling out bowls, measuring cups, flour, eggs, and following a recipe. So standing infront of my cupboard scanning for the next best thing I see a box of pancake mix. I pull it down, toss in a little of this and that, and divid the batter into a muffin pan. Approximately 30 minutes later the Lazy Baker Pancake Muffins come out of the oven and create a little sunny place in my haze.
Now I just need to teach my toddler the joy of coloring (on paper) for hours at a time…
Lazy Baker Pancake Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups package pancake mix – I like Fiber One Complete or Krusteaz Buttermilk Heart Healthy
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 TB vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups of blueberries – fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Mix together pancake mix through water, until smooth
- Fold in zest and berries – try other fruits if desired
- Portion into a muffin tin that has been sprayed with non-stick spray
- If desired pat a pinch of old fashioned oats and a few chopped nuts on top of each muffin before baking.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, until tops have begun to brown and cake is fully cooked.
- Turn out muffins on to a rack to cool or serve warm.
- Will keep in an air tight container for a couple of days. Include a sheet of paper towel to wick away any excess moisture from the fruit.
Makes approximately 1 dozen muffins
Approximate Nutrition per muffin (excludes garnish): calories 90; fat 4.5g; carb 12g; fiber 1.5g; protein 2g; PP: 3 per muffin
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your exhaustion has brought us a new exciting creation! I hope you feel better though! This is certainly an excellent idea! Will definitely try it out… How did it taste though? pancake’ish or muffin’ish…
I made several versions to figure out the amount of water and oil that worked the best. Without any oil they taste like pancakes shaped like muffins. Made with the recipe I published they taste much more muffin-y than pancake-y. I hope you like them!