Overnight Oatmeal & Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes (two breakfasts that you can eat in a hurry)

Overnight Oatmeal & Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Lets face it, we all know we “should” eat breakfast but its hard to get out of a warm bed on those cold mornings in time to cook AND make it to our 8am class. Here are two recipes you can make ahead of time and eat in a hurry.

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL
Steel Cut Oats are chewy and hearty and great for cold mornings. Quick cooking oats/ rolled oats cannot be substituted in this recipe.

Makes 4 servings
Add 1 cup of steel cut oats to 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning you can either:
a) Cook on low 9-12 minutes, stirring occasionally
b) Microwave for 3 minutes or until hot, stirring once at 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.

I just leave the pot in the fridge and scoop out a serving every morning. For the next 3 days, it just gets better.

WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN PANCAKES
The great thing about these are that they are even better if you re-heat them in the toaster!

Makes 6 servings
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
-or-
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
1) Mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
2) Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a separate bowl.
3) Make a well in the flour mixture and stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine (there will be lumps).
4) Set aside and allow air bubbles to form for 5 minutes undisturbed.
5) Add butter, margarine, or butter flavored cooking spray to a hot griddle or skillet.
6) Without stirring the batter, scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Be careful not to disturb the batter too much… you don’t want to lose those air bubbles. It may be necissary to use the back of a spoon to spread the pancakes out a bit.
7) Cook the first side until the edges are firm and bubbles start to appear around the edges. Then flip. The pancakes are done when the center feels firm.

Storing & Reheating
Once the pancakes have cooled, layer them between wax paper in a freezable container. Reheat by placing the pancakes in the toaster and toasting until hot and slightly crispy on the exterior.

Here is a video that demonstrates how to cook pancakes
http://www.ehow.com/video_2332365_tips-cooking-pancakes.html