Celebrate Berry Season

Celebrate Berry Season!

Celebrate Berry Season!At the Original Pancake House, we love many things about the summer season.  One of the things we look forward to most is fresh berry season which begins in late May and early June throughout the country.  Many of our breakfast menu items feature berries including our popular Seasonal Berry Crepes, Strawberry Belgian Waffles, Blueberry Belgian Waffles, Seasonal Berry French Toast, and our Blueberry Pancakes. Next time you are heading out for breakfast in Denver, be sure to try one of these berry delicious breakfast dishes!

 

Did you know you can celebrate berry season in Colorado by picking your own fresh fruits?  There is nothing quite as delicious as a strawberry or raspberry warmed by the sun and picked straight from the vine.  Here are a few places to visit this berry season:

 

Berry Patch Farms

: Berry Patch Farms is an organic farm and orchard featuring Pick-Your-Own strawberries, cherries and plums.  Located in Brighton, Colo., this local farm’s picking season begins in June.  Be sure to call in advance for hours of operation and seasonal fruit availability.

 

Hoot ‘N Howl Farm:

Located near Gunbarrel, just outside of Boulder, Colo., Hoot ‘N Howl Farm grows a plethora of fruits and veggies throughout the summer growing season.  Their berry selection includes a variety of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and elderberries.  Check their website for fruit availability and U-Pick harvest schedules.

 

Strawberry Days Festival:

For a full weekend of strawberry fun, plan a visit to Glenwood Springs, Colo. for the 117th annual Strawberry Days Festival.  Held June 20-22, Strawberry Days features arts and crafts, family fun activities, an old fashioned carnival, and parade.  Free strawberries and ice cream are served to all on Saturday afternoon, a festival tradition for over 100 years!

 

Happy berry season and happy picking, Denver!

 


Eggstravaganza

Spring Eggstravaganza Recap

2014 Eggstravaganza FB cover_Final

As April comes to an end, we also close the curtains on our month-long Spring Eggstravaganza.  We’ve had so much fun celebrating eggs with you this past month.  One feature of our Eggstravaganza was a weekly Egg-off contest between several of the Original Pancake House favorites.  Our customers voted on their favorite egg breakfast dishes via Facebook and the results are in:

Week 1:  Fried Eggs claimed victory over Scrambled in our first weekly Egg-off.

Week 2: Denver Omelet took top prize in a heated contest with the ever-popular Joe.

Week 3: After a tight race, Green Chile Eggs Benedict inched ahead of Classic Eggs Benedict to take the win by a nose.

Week 4: In a close contest, Ham & Cheese Omelet earned the win over the Florentine Omelet.

All were close-fought “battles” and for good reason; we have a hard time choosing our favorite egg dishes as well!  As a closeout to the Eggstravaganza, we’d also like to share a few additional Eggstra Fun Facts about Eggs.

Did you know…

  • Each of the roughly 280 million laying birds in the U.S. produces from 250 to 300 eggs a year. In total, the U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year, about 10% of the world supply.
  • Normally, hens with white ear lobes lay white eggs, and hens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs. There is no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs.
  • A mother hen turns her eggs about 50 times per day.
  • The most expensive egg ever sold was the Faberge “Winter Egg” sold in 1994 for $5.6 million.
  • Egg size and grade are not related to one another. Size is determined by weight per dozen. Younger hens tend to lay smaller eggs. The size increases as the hen grows older and bigger. Grade refers to the quality of the shell, white and yolk and the size of the air cell.
  • There are 7 to 17 thousand tiny pores on the shell surface, a greater number at the large end. As the egg ages, these tiny holes permit moisture and carbon dioxide to move out and air to move in to form the air cell. The egg can also absorb refrigerator odors through the pores, so always refrigerate eggs in their cartons.

Thank you to all our customers and fans who helped us celebrate our Spring Eggstravanza this past month.  Whether you joined us for breakfast in Denver and tried one of the 24 fantastic egg dishes on our menu, or you voted in our weekly Facebook Egg-offs, we hope you enjoyed celebrating the incredible egg as much as we did!

Have an eggscellent spring, Denver!


Eggstravaganza

Spring Eggstravaganza!

2014 Eggstravaganza FB cover_Final

Join us this month as we celebrate the incredible EGG with our Spring Eggstravaganza!   With the arrival of spring and Easter on the way, April is the perfect month to celebrate our favorite breakfast staple.  Did you know that the Original Pancake House menu offers over 20 different egg dishes?

This month, visit our Facebook page to vote on our weekly Egg-off!  Tell us which featured egg dish is the most eggcellent and you’ll be entered to win a $25 Original Pancake House gift card!  We’ll choose one lucky winner each week during the month of April.  Simply vote via the comments section on our weekly Facebook Egg-off post, and you’ll be entered to win.  If you haven’t visited our Facebook page yet, click here to be our friend!

What else makes eggs so incredible? Follow us on Twitter @OPHDenver this month for fun egg trivia and OPH Egg Favorites! We’ll share fun facts and recipes each day during the month.

And of course, the best way to celebrate our Spring Eggstravaganza is to come on in to Original Pancake House and try a few of our egg favorites.  Bring your whole family for the best breakfast in Denver; we look forward to seeing you soon!


OPH Corned Beef Hash

Irish Breakfast Traditions

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we’d explore Irish breakfast traditions.  The morning after all the St. Patrick’s Day revelry, we figured the good folks in Ireland must sit down for a hearty meal. As it turns out, a full Irish breakfast is nothing short of a small feast!  Here are a few breakfast staples from the Emerald Isle:

Our Corned Beef Hash
Our Corned Beef Hash

Rashers – Rashers are the Irish version of bacon.  This pork treat more resembles Canadian bacon, although it is a fattier cut and is served as a round patty.  Where American bacon is traditionally cooked until crispy, rashers are typically fried in Irish butter until cooked through and lightly browned.

Bangers – Bangers are a traditional Irish breakfast sausage.  Either made with pork or a combination of pork and beef, bangers are typically short in length and fat in diameter.  The word “banger” refers to the sausage’s tendency to split and explode out of its casing when cooked.

Boxty – Considered a traditional Irish potato pancake, the boxty actually more resembles American hash browns.  Riced potatoes are compacted into a pancake shape within a hot skillet and fried to make this breakfast staple.

Black & White Pudding – Black pudding is essentially blood sausage, or cooked and congealed blood from pigs or cows mixed with pork, beef, or sometimes oatmeal, bread or potato.  White pudding is a similar soft sausage made without the blood.  Both varieties are usually sliced and then grilled or fried.

And more still! – All Irish breakfasts are served with fried eggs.  In addition, a full Irish breakfast will include Irish brown bread, baked beans, fried tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms.  Whew!  With a meal this large, you are sure to have energy for a full day’s work or fun!  If you don’t want to fly all the way to Ireland for your next morning meal, we’d be happy to serve you an Irish inspired breakfast in Denver at the Original Pancake House with our very own Corned Beef Hash and Eggs.  From all of us at the Original Pancake House, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!


Cinnamon Almond French Toast

The Delicious History of French Toast

At the Original Pancake House, one of our favorite brunch menu items is French toast with a rich French toast history.  In fact, we love it so much, we offer four different types on our breakfast menu including Sourdough French Toast, Seasonal Berry French Toast, Cinnamon Almond French Toast, and the Denver breakfast favorite, Banana Praline French Toast.

French Toast History: Exploring The Fascinating History Of French Toast

 

With French toast on our minds, we were wondering, where did this delightful dish originate?  We were intrigued to find that, though the name implies a French origin, the first mention of this meal appears in Roman times.  In a cookbook attributed to Apicius, from the 4th or 5th century, a recipe simply called “aliter dulcia," or “another sweet dish,” describes soaking.

Bread in a milk and egg mixture, frying in oil, and then serving with honey.   French toast next appears in medieval cookbooks throughout Europe.  In France, it was called “pain perdu” or “lost bread,” which probably referred to the fact the cooks used stale or old bread in this dish with a fascinating French toast history.  German, English, and Scandinavian cookbooks refer to the dish as “poor knights” bread, which is also a nod to the use of old bread.

The first references to this ancient dish as “French toast” appear in the late 18th century in North America.  In New Orleans, the dish maintained its original French name of “pain perdu.” However, in English speaking areas of the North American colonies, the dish became known as French toast as it was popularized by French immigrants.

So, the next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, share the ancient history of French toast with your fellow diners.  It is a fascinating story!


Breakfast for Champions

Breakfast of Champions: What are Olympic athletes eating?

Breakfast for Champions

With the 2014 Winter Olympics underway, we were wondering, what is the true breakfast of champions?  With nutrition being just as important as the innumerable hours spent training for the Olympic Games, what do Olympic athletes eat for breakfast?  With a bit of research, we found some astounding facts. Did you know that many Olympians, especially those in endurance sports, require 9,000 to 12,000 calories per day?!   Amazing!  If we were so lucky as to have one of these athletes join us for breakfast in Denver, we might have to serve them one of each item on The Original Pancake House Denver menu!

 

For a day of training and competition, we found that Olympians focus on a substantial, yet healthy, breakfast.  After all, this first meal provides the foundation of energy needed to go for the gold.  In general, Olympians start their day with a healthy mix of carbohydrates, fruits and protein.  Many will combine a large bowl of whole grain oats with fresh fruit, and milk or yogurt.  In addition, you will likely see athletes enjoy eggs, a great source of lean protein, with toast or a bagel for additional energy.  Some athletes are reported to eat a whopping 12 eggs for their first meal of the day!  And because they continually burn so many calories between training and competition, you will often see competitors munching on bananas and enjoying a glass of chocolate milk to keep their energy high.

 

From The Original Pancake House Denver, we wish all the athletes on Team USA “good luck” in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.  And for the twenty Coloradoans competing in Sochi, we would love to have you stop by for an Olympic-worthy breakfast in Denver when you return home!


Aquarium

Escape Cabin Fever: Fun winter activities for the whole family!

We all know the feeling.  It’s too cold to play outside, indoor games have lost their charm, and everyone is feeling restless.  So what to do when cabin fever hits?  Take an excursion!  Denver offers many fun, family-friendly activities for cold weather days.  Here are a few of our favorite winter activities:

Denver Museum of Nature and Science -

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science offers a fun and educational experience for Denver families.  Visitors explore neat exhibits on everything from the solar system to dinosaurs.  Be sure to check out the planetarium or see an IMAX film when you visit.

Ice Skating at Big Bear Ice Are

Aquariumna

If the kiddos are bouncing off the walls, then a trip to the Big Bear Ice Arena might be a good choice.  Located in the heart of Lowry, Big Bear offers public ice skating, broomball, figure skating lessons and ice hockey leagues.  If your kids have a need for speed, strap on a pair of skates and let them go!

Denver Aquarium -

The whole family will love strolling through Colorado’s largest aquarium.  With a maze of different aquatic habitats and thousands of sea creatures to admire, the Aquarium features a shipwreck and sunken temple to delight the kids.  Make sure you check out the Mystic Mermaids interactive show and get a tasty snack at the Aquarium restaurant.  

Fun City -

Grab a few friends and head to Fun City for hours of family entertainment.  Fun City offers oodles of activities including laser tag, a foam factory, go-karts, miniature golf, an arcade, and rock climbing. 

Enjoy Your Favorite Denver Breakfast-

At The Original Pancake House Denver, we love to take our whole crew out to breakfast on cold winter days.  With big plates of pancakes, eggs, waffles, and crepes to share, everyone will have a smile on their face! And once your bellies are full, you’ll be ready to try one of Denver’s fun, indoor activities.

 


The Fiesta Bowl

Heart-friendly Breakfast Ideas

With the start of the New Year, we all strive to make healthy decisions and fresh starts.  Thankfully, breakfast is one of the best ways to kick start healthy habits. If you start the day on a good note, it is much easier to continue the trend throughout the rest of your day, week, month, and year.  Here are a few breakfast ideas to get your day, and New Year, off to a heart-healthy start.

From The Original Pancake House "Lighter Side" menu
From The Original Pancake House "Lighter Side" menu

Breakfast Smoothie

– Combine one cup of low fat milk or soy milk with frozen strawberries and a sliced banana.  Blend in your food processor or blender until smooth and frothy.  For extra protein, add a scoop of protein powder.  Create variety by mixing and matching your fruits.

Incredible Egg-white Sandwich

– Assemble this delicious morning meal with a toasted whole-wheat English muffin, scrambled egg-whites and a slice of tomato.  For extra protein, add smoked salmon and you have the perfect brain-boosting breakfast.

Spunky Oatmeal

– Spruce up your oatmeal with the addition of fruit and nuts.  Adding tangy rhubarb, blueberries, raspberries, currents, or cranberries can add a much needed zip of flavor to this pantry staple.  By adding nuts you’ll get an extra boost of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins to help keep you full and feeling great all morning.

And when you are heading out for breakfast in Denver, try The Original Pancake House Denver’s “Lighter Side” menu.  We offer breakfast favorites like Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Scrambled Egg Whites, and Homemade Granola, to name a few.  With these heart-friendly options, you can enjoy a delicious, guilt-free breakfast out with your family!


donut

Winter holiday food traditions around the world

At The Original Pancake House Denver, we love the holiday season.  Each year during the months of November and December, we add a few holiday favorites to our Denver breakfast menu – Sara’s Granola Waffle with Maple Whipped Cream, Egg Nog French Toast and our much loved Ho! Ho! Ho! Pancakes, to name a few.  These special breakfast traditions always make our season brighter and we love sharing them with our OPH Denver family.  Which got us to thinking – we know what we love for a holiday breakfast in Denver, what are some holiday traditions celebrated by other cultures and religions?  We did a bit of research and found a multitude of delicious dishes to make your mouth water!

Mexican Holiday Feastdonut-179983_640

In a traditional Mexican holiday feast you will likely find tamales on the menu.  Because they take so much time and care to prepare, many families only serve them on special occasions.  Mexican tamales are wrapped and steamed in a paper or a corn husk and are filled with masa, a corn based dough, and either meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, or chiles.

In addition to tamales, pan dulce is traditional treat during the holiday season. These sweet rolls are made fresh daily in local panaderias. Almost like a Mexican doughnut, you might find them with a red or green topping and festive sprinkles.

Filipino Christmas Treat

Just after Midnight Mass on Christmas Day, many Filipino families enjoy a Bibingka Especial. This coconut and rice flour cake is lightly sweet, and made with rice or cassava flour. Traditionally, these cakes are cooked over charcoal in a banana-leaf-lined clay pot.  Served with tasty toppings, Bibingka Especial is very popular in the Philippines during the Christmas holiday season.

The German Fruitcake

Ah, the infamous fruitcake!  Dresdner Stollen, the original and famous fruitcake recipe from Dresden, is sold throughout Germany during the holiday season.  Made from rich yeast dough and mixed with candied fruits and nuts, these special holiday loaves are folded before baking to symbolize the baby Jesus in his swaddling clothes.

American Kwanzaa Traditions

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration that links African traditions and American customs. Kwanzaa runs from December 26 through January 1 of each year and is always accompanied by friends, family and feasting! On each day of a Kwanzaa celebration, the host serves a dish from a different symbolic place, such as Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.  These dishes might include black-eyed peas, shrimp creole, mashed yams, corn bread, or creamed collard greens.

Hanukkah Brunch

Also known as the Festival of Light, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and eight nights in the Jewish religion.  A typical Hanukkah brunch always includes several delectable dishes.  Potato latkes, or crispy potato pancakes, are a staple of many Hanukkah meals.  In addition you might find a simple applesauce, or delicious egg frittata.  To round out the meal, Jewish families often serve homemade doughnuts, a tribute to the oil that lasted eight days and nights, and traditional rugelach cookies.

Whatever holiday you celebrate this season, and whatever your heritage, we hope you are able to share a good meal with friends and loved ones! Happy Holidays from The Original Pancake House Denver!


christmas

Holiday Stocking Stuffers!

It’s that time of year!  The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has us bundled up and running around town finding little things to bring joy to our family and friends.  To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite stocking stuffer ideas! christmas-21636_640

For the forgetful spouse

– Trying to get to your favorite Denver breakfast spot and they can’t find their keys…again?  This key fob locater may be just the gift!  Now they just have to remember to attach it to their key chain!

For the eco-conscious friend

– For the tree-hugger in your life, Carbonfund.org offers several gift options.  Choose between offsetting their carbon footprint or planting trees, for as little as $10 you can make your green friend a happy camper!

For the over-worked

– She canceled your Saturday morning Denver breakfast date again because she had to work?  Brighten up her cube with some fun games from officeplayground.com.  This fun website offers little gadgets such as mind bender games, stress balls, and even solar powered flowers for her desk.

For the techie

– For the family member or friend who is attached to their new iPhone, these gloves are just the gift.  The North Face E-Tip glove has full palm conductivity so you can stay connected and active on your touch screen without exposing fingers to the frosty elements.

!For the Foodie – Give the gift of Pancake Cheer!  Did you know The Original Pancake House Denver offers gift cards?  Share the joy of a delicious breakfast with co-workers, friends and family!  Nothing says love quite like the gift of a warm and delicious breakfast in Denver.

Happy shopping and Happy Holidays from your OPH Denver Family!


Ingredients for Salsa

What’s cooking? The Original Pancake House Denver chefs share their favorite home recipes!

The chefs at The Original Pancake House Denver are up early every morning to create delightful breakfast treats for our customers.  Pancakes, crepes, waffles and omelets are hand-crafted and cooked to perfection by our hard-working team.  So what do our chefs do when they head home for supper?   They cook, of course!  Here are a few of their favorite recipes to make at home.  Read on as these dishes will warm you up on the coldest winter days!

 

Ceviche Recipe by Guillermo Jimenez

Ingredients

2 lbs. tilapia

5 tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, shredded

2 cucumbers, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 bunch of cilantro

8 lemons, juiced

Salt to taste

 

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place tilapia in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Once tilapia is cooked, shred the tilapia into a bowl and add the fresh lemon juice.  Stir to coat.  Place tilapia in the refrigerator for an hour.  After an hour, add remaining ingredients and salt to taste.  Allow the mixture time to marinate.  Enjoy on a tostada with sliced avocado.

 

The Original Pancake House Denver Chefs’ Homemade Salsa

Ingredients for Salsa!

 

Ingredients

4 tomatoes

1 jalapeno

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

 

 

Directions:

Grill or boil the tomatoes and jalapeno until soft.  Once soft, place all ingredients into blender and puree.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

We appreciate Guillermo and The Original Pancake House chefs sharing their kitchen secrets with us!  We are lucky to have such a talented team in the back of the house to bring you our much loved breakfast recipes.  What winter recipes are a staple in your home? Share them with us on Facebook @OPHDenver.


Pumpkin Pancakes

All About Pumpkins!

Halloween is just around the corner and pumpkins abound on almost every front porch in our Denver neighborhood. With this healthy gourd on our mind, we came up with a few ways to incorporate pumpkin into your breakfast recipe repertoire. Read on to learn how you can make pumpkins part of a perfect fall morning.

Pumpkin Pancakes at home
Pumpkin Pancakes at home

Pumpkin Pancakes

We have our own secret pumpkin pancake recipe at Original Pancake House Denver, but here is a variation to try at home. Simply grind the oats with a blender or coffee grinder and combine with the remaining ingredients. Cook pancakes following the standard process and top with pecans and warm syrup!
Ingredients
½ cup oatsl
6 egg whites
¼ cup grams pumpkin puree
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp pumpkin spice
Splash of vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

This healthy fall recipe couldn’t be easier and tastes just like a fresh-baked pumpkin pie! Cook oatmeal according the package instructions. Once water is absorbed and oatmeal is nearly ready, stir in pumpkin puree and fall spices. Top your oatmeal with syrup, yogurt or toasted pecans.

Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 large pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 Tblsp maple syrup
Yogurt & toasted pecans (optional but delicious)

Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

Another healthy fall breakfast treat, this parfait is guaranteed to be a family favorite! This recipe is so easy you could even make it for the family before work and school. Combine granola, pecans and crushed gingersnaps to make the parfait topping. Mix one half of the pumpkin spice with the yogurt and the other half with the pumpkin puree. Alternate layers of yogurt, pumpkin, and toppings and breakfast is ready!

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-fat granola
2 tbsp. pecans, chopped/pieces
2 gingersnap cookies, crushed
1/3 cup 100% pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
1/3 cup. fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
1/8 Tsp. pumpkin pie spice

And of course we recommend you stop by Original Pancake House Denver for one of our favorite breakfast dishes and try Sara’s Pumpkin Pancakes! Ours are filled with rich pumpkin, molasses and fall spices, then topped with warm butter or fresh whipped cream. We can’t think of a better way to start the day!