Kids in the Kitchen!
As long summer days stretch on, your kiddos might start getting a little bored with their usual activities. At The Original Pancake House, one of our favorite things to do with the kids during the dog days of summer is to have a little fun in the kitchen. Cooking with your kids can be a great activity and of course is very rewarding for everyone as the whole family will enjoy eating the culinary creations.
We’ve come up with a few of our favorite recipes to cook with the kids. And best of all, these easy food recipes for kids work well for a breakfast or snack on the go all year round!
Donut Hole Breakfast Skewers
These little skewers are easy, quick, and fun for little hands to assemble! Plus, they make for a great breakfast-on-the-go for busy mornings or when the kids head back to school this fall! In this example we used strawberries and blackberries, but any fruit will work. Try a variety of different fruits and see if your kids can make a rainbow!
Ingredients:
Donut holes
Strawberries
Blackberries
Skewers
Directions:
Have kids assemble fruit and donut holes skewers according to preference. Try serving with salted caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and shredded coconut for an extra fun treat.
Honey Nut Cheerio Snack Bar
We love these little bars because they are fun and easy for kids to help make and we end up with a great stash of healthy snack bars for an afternoon at the pool or a quick breakfast! Try substituting with any type of fruit, nut, or cereal for this recipe to mix it up.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy unsalted butter (half of one stick)
1/4 cup honey (light-colored corn syrup may be substituted and will keep the bars firmer at room temp than using honey)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1 cup raisins, optional (1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, 1 cup chopped almonds, or 1 cup trail mix may be substituted)
1/2 cup chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, optional
Pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt for sprinkling, optional
Directions:
- Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir. On this third and final burst, mixture will become quite bubbly and foamy; use caution when removing from micro because this is boiling hot caramel and can cause burns.
- Stir in the vanilla using caution because mixture could bubble up.
- Stir in the cereal.
- Stir in the optional raisins (or nuts).
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top.
- Optionally, sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds and salt (the salt cuts some of the sweetness and I recommend it).
- Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until bars are completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend storing them in the fridge rather than room temp because they soften and get loose.
Bon appetite and enjoy cooking with your kids!
Celebrate National Blueberry Month!
Did you know? July in National Blueberry Month! One of our favorite fruits to top any breakfast, blueberries have it all. Blueberries are native to the United States and are grown in 35 out of 50 states with Maine producing more blueberries than any other place in the world. In fact, the United States supplies 95% of the world’s blueberry demand. That’s a lot of blueberries! Blueberries are also known for their amazing health benefits and are rich in antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin C and may slow cognitive decline and improve brain function. There are so many reasons to love and celebrate these little blue wonders this month.
At The Original Pancake House, we love to include blueberries in many of our signature dishes. The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, we recommend you try our Blueberry Belgian Waffles or our Blueberry Pancakes. You’ll find both these breakfast favorites chock-full of plump, delicious blueberries and served with powdered sugar, whipped butter, and our warm blueberry compote syrup.
And if you’d like to create a delicious blueberry breakfast at home, we recommend this recipe for blueberry muffins:
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup milk
2 1⁄2 cups fresh blueberries or 2 1⁄2 cups frozen blueberries
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°. Grease 18 regular-size muffin cups. In a large bowl, mix butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. With a spoon, fold in half of flour then half of milk into batter; repeat. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into muffin cups and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch.
From our kitchen to yours, happy National Blueberry Month Denver!
What are Your Favorite Dishes at Greenwood Village Restaurants?
Mom always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we definitely agree with her! Whether you eat at home or dine out, you're better off starting your day with a good meal. When you go out for breakfast at Greenwood Village restaurants what are your favorite dishes to order? If your answer is eggs, then you are in good company.
According to a 2015 market research study conducted by Ask Your Target Market, 56% of the participants said that they regularly eat eggs for breakfast. And when asked what is their favorite breakfast food, again eggs took the top spot with 40%. It's hard to argue with this, eggs are not only fast and convenient, they're also delicious, nutritious and very versatile. As for the other favorite breakfast choices, bacon came in second place to eggs, toast took third place, and pancakes and waffles ranked right in the middle.
So when you dine out at Greenwood Village restaurants do you fall into the majority of people who eat eggs for breakfast? Maybe you order your eggs with a side of bacon and enjoy the top two favorites on the same plate. You really can't go wrong with this classic combination.
Next time you're looking for breakfast at Greenwood Village restaurants, join us at The Original Pancake House. Our menu has all the favorites, eggs, bacon, toast, and of course, our famous pancakes. If you're looking for waffles we've got you covered too, along with a lot of other delicious choices!
How Do You Judge Breakfast Places in Denver?
Everyone has their own personal favorite breakfast places in Denver. But exactly how did those places end up on the list? Maybe their list includes places they’ve been going to since childhood alongside the hippest, trendiest new spots in town. With such variety available, exactly what are people looking for when they judge a breakfast restaurant?
It’s safe to say that when judging breakfast places in Denver most people evaluate them based on four major categories:
- Quality of the food
- Quality of the service
- Overall cleanliness of the restaurant
- Overall ambiance/atmosphere
However, we all know that plenty of people love going to places for other reasons, like nostalgia or one specific dish on the menu that they love. We also know that plenty of people frequent “dive” restaurants that might not be perfectly clean and that have a rowdy atmosphere. And maybe the food isn’t going to win any awards but they still go because they really like the place.
So when it comes to judging breakfast places in Denver are you strictly evaluating the four criteria above, or do you consider something else? Do you judge it by the bacon, or perhaps the pancakes? Do you order your favorite dish and see how it measures up? Or do you read the reviews to find the hottest new spot?
When you’re looking for a delicious, hearty meal that is served in a clean and friendly environment; someplace the whole family will enjoy, a place that is a welcome and refreshing break from “trendy,” come visit us at The Original Pancake House.
Need an All Day Cherry Hills Breakfast Spot?
Sure, breakfast is the first meal of the day, but lots of us also want to enjoy it at other times besides the morning. Sometimes pancakes with syrup is just what you need for lunch! According to a survey done by the National Restaurant Association, 70% of Americans want restaurants to serve breakfast throughout the day. So if you're like the majority and live in Denver, you might be looking for an all day Cherry Hills breakfast spot.
So why is that sometimes we want breakfast for lunch or dinner? Could it be because so many people actually skip breakfast, but still want to enjoy breakfast food? An estimated 31 million Americans skip breakfast each day, so it makes sense that lots of those people are going to be craving bacon and eggs come lunch time.
If so many Americans want access to all day breakfast, why can it be hard to find at restaurants? This may be due to the logistical difficulties involved in offering two different menus at the same time. There are always factors like cost, demand and labor to consider when deciding what's best for each establishment.
Luckily for people in the Denver area they can turn to The Original Pancake House when searching for an all day Cherry Hills breakfast spot. We offer our full menu of pancakes, waffles, eggs, and much more seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. So you can always satisfy your craving with us!
What Do You Look For in Family Friendly Breakfast Restaurants?
It's Sunday morning and you want to take the whole family out to eat, but the questions is "where to go." What do you look for in family friendly breakfast restaurants?
Most families want to take their children to breakfast restaurants with a relaxed atmosphere that is welcoming to the little ones. Nobody wants to show up somewhere with the kids in tow only to find a quiet or formal setting where they will be uncomfortable. And most definitely the food is a major consideration. Most children have simple tastes and really can't be expected to order off a menu geared for adults, particularly if the food is especially fancy or trendy.
Here's a few things that many people look for when trying to judge if breakfasts restaurants are truly family friendly.
- Kid's menu
- Plenty of high chairs/booster seats available
- On-line menu available to help research and make decisions in advance
- Crayons and coloring menus to keep kids busy
- Food brought to the table quickly
- Changing stations in the restrooms
- Plenty of other families who dine there
When you're looking for family friendly breakfast restaurants you really can't go wrong with The Original Pancake House. Our friendly staff, great food, and fast service is always a hit with kids and adults alike!