Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix

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It’s Baack! Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix has returned!

It seems like fall is really here, beyond the date on the calendar…. Trader Joe’s is bursting with great Pumpkin items!   It was a hard (internal ) debate in the store…. which mix  would I be going home with this week?

Pumpkin bread or Pumpkin Pancakes… I have to choose?? Yikes!

uh…a hard choice… made even harder when I found out that the sample that cool Friday AM was warm Pumpkin bread…. ohhhh just delish.

But in the end, the box in our trolley was the Pumpkin Pancake mix. Super easy and (OK honestly) I could make up a small batch and devour them quickly, and make another batch up at a later time.   I guess waiting until I have a “thing” to bake the Pumpkin bread for is a better idea… then I can grab a slice and still look like an office hero, right??

OK, back to business…. below are the directions for both the pancakes & waffles just in case you need them:

Pumpkin Pancake Directions (Mini batch)

Makes approximately 6-8 (5″) pancakes

You will need:

  • 1 cup Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake Mix
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

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1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees (Medium heat).

2. Measure out 1 cup pancake mix, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, melted butter. Add the dry pancake mix and stir until almost all the lumps disappear.  Do not over mix.  Let the batter stand for a few minutes before using… you may need to add a few spoonfuls of milk if the batter gets too thick.

4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter on hot, greased griddle. Pancakes are ready to turn when bubbles form and break and the edges appear cooked. Turn and brown lightly on the other side.

I then transferred the cooked  pancakes to a plate that was in my oven, set on a low temperature (like 200 degrees) to keep them all toasty warm until we were ready to eat.

Cooking Directions for Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 4 (4″) waffles

You will need:

  • 1 cup Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix
  • 2 Tablespoons Melted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

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1. Preheat waffle iron (follow the directions that came with it).

2. Measure out 1 cup of pancake mix, set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine egg, water and melted butter together.   Add the dry pancake mix and stir together until the large lumps disappear. Do not over mix.

4. Ladle onto hot waffle iron and remove when golden brown.

YUM! anyway you make these… they are just fantastic!

I made the smaller batch… like I said so that I would not have THAT many leftover pancakes and it was just the right amount.  I ate the leftovers cold slathered with Trader Joe’s almond butter!

So my suggestion is to get to Trader Joe’s, grab a box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle mix and whip up a batch this weekend~ you’ll be glad you did!

 

 

Grifone Primitivo Zinfindel 2010

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Wine Moment featuring Grifone Primitivo Zinfindel 2010

Hello Trader Joes’ Fans;

It is time for another Wine Moment with Delaina.

Trader Joes’ is offering Grifone Primitivo Zinfindel 2010 for only 3.99 (at my local). This is a rock’in good Zinfindel priced just right for those of us that want to enjoy our wine and not break the bank. The wine is Italian and as is typical, in my opinion, of Zinfindels  is rich full of complexity. The wonderful complexity of this wine I credit to the soft vanilla and sharp raspberry tones; the juxtaposition of the two flavors are perfect.

As for paring, I had this wine with a tuna and squash and it paired wonderfully. This wine also passes my “it goes down just fine on its own” test, and I dare say with flying colors.

The Grifone would also make a great gift wine because it is soft enough for the novice drinker and complex enough for the sophisticate.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy Grifone in all is complex-simplicity.

Cheers,

Seccola Frizzante at Trader Joe

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Seccola Frizzante = YUM!

Hello Wine Drinkers;

I have another Wine Moment with Delaina for you. They were sampling the Seccola Frizzante  at our local Trader Joe’s store in Kansas City today. It was very nice so I bought a bottle so I could share it with you.

This Semi-sparking German/Italian wine is very Prosecco’esk. This German made blend of two Italian grapes has a dry Granny Smith flavor that is very refreshing.

This wine pairs nicely with Trader Joe’s Coconut Shrimp as well as Trader Joe’s Indian dishes.  (Can you tell what we had for dinner tonight?)

I know many of you are looking for the Vola Trebbiano Pinot Grigio. This is not it and it has been too long since I have had the Vola Trebbiano to really compare them. Yet, from my memory I would say that the Seccola would make a good and bubbly void filler.

Also for those of you watching the alcohol levels on your wines, the Seccola is only 10% so you can enjoy your wine again without it being too sweet or having a “funny” flavor

I hope you enjoy this wine as much as I do.

Cheers,

Delaina

P.S. We brought home the Frequent Flyer and Viola! The Seccola Frizzante is mentioned on page 5! Who knew we were soooo trendy…

P.P.S. Do you like my super cool new stemless wine glasses? I just LOVE them! They are fancy and yet not too delicate ~ they recommend a hand wash but they feel solid and not too thin that I would be worried about using them EVERY NIGHT 🙂

 

Kale Salad: Kale Yeah!

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Are you trying to eat more Kale but the texture, color and taste are really throwing you off? Have you tried a range of recipes but still have not found the “right” one for you?  Well, we think that we may have found the “perfect” Kale recipe, one you will actually eat, enjoy and plan to make again.

We are enjoying it soo much, that we have given it a fun name: Kale Yeah!

The salad is basically Kale leafs tossed in yummy guacamole and WOW is it good! The recipe below is one we are making on a weekly basis, and we hope that you enjoy it too.  Feel free to use this as a general guideline and modify the salad as you wish. Sometimes we do not include the onions, (or add too many…eeks!) or we will add in some cooked vegetables to the Kale salad for the lunch box. We also LOVE to add toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds for some added crunch to the salad… the possibilities are endless, right??

You know the drill:  experiment, relax and enjoy!

 Kale Yeah! Salad

What you need:

  • ½ bag of Trader Joe’s Kale (depending on how many you need to feed)
  • 1 large avocado
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Tbls of kosher salt
  • A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tablespoon)
  • Two cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ to ½ a red onion small diced (depending on your taste and the size of the onion)
  • 1/2 cup of shredded carrots (buy ready made from Trader Joe’s)
  • Optional: Nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch

What you do:

Cut the stems out of the kale. You only want to use the soft leafy parts of the kale. Cut any super large leafs in smaller pieces. We sorta “rough chop” the Kale, just so it is more bite-sized.

I like to heap the chopped Kale onto a pan to keep it from getting all over the counter(and floor etc..)

Set the kale aside. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half set them aside. Dice the onion set it aside. If you buy the shredded carrots from Trader Joes we recommend cutting the strands in half or thirds to make them easier to eat.

Dice the Red Onions as fine (small) as you can. You may want to sharpen your knife just before you start.

Now that all of your parts are ready,  it is time to have some fun.

 

1. Make the Avocado Dressing:

In a large bowl add the salt and the splash of Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and add the avocado to the bowl. With both very clean hands dive right in and start mixing the salt, vinegar, olive oil and avocado together, mashing the avocado as you go.

The start of the Avocado Salad Dressing, Kale Yeah!

Once ingredients are mixed together add in the kale. The kale can be wily so start by pressing the kale down and into the avocado mixture. Kneed, rub, and massage the kale into the avocado until the avocado is lump-less and each kale leaf is nicely coated with the avocado dressing.

Now, add in the rest of your salad ingredients. First add  the carrots and the onions; massage, coat, and mix in the carrots and onions into the salad. When you are satisfied that they are nicely coated with the  avocado mixture, add in the tomatoes. Still using your hands lightly toss and mix the tomatoes into the salad. You only need to coat the tomatoes with the avocado mixture and blend them into the salad so be mindful not to smash or mash the tomatoes.

We recommend serving the salad with roasted almonds or pumpkin seeds for a protein, crunch, and color. But don’t worry even without the nuts this salad is delish.

The finished Kale Yeah! Salad

There are many reasons why we love this Kale Yeah! salad, but one that you might appreciate as well, is the fact that you can make this salad one day, and (if you make enough) you can eat it for lunch for 2 or 3 days!

Let us know what you think about our Kale Yeah! Salad. You can leave a comment below or on Facebook!

P.S. For those of you who have emailed asking about my knives, Let me just say that I LOVE this knife! I have used in exclusively since 2005 or 2006 and can’t say enough good things about it. It has a “grippy” handle to keep you steady when you cut, it is only 7 inches long (so not too big), and yet there is a deep blade to allow you to cut, chop and use the knife like those huge chef’s knives.  Click the link to read more about this knife 🙂