How to Make PERFECT Silver Dollar {Mini} Pancakes + Fun Ways to Pack them for LUNCH! {Gluten, Dairy, Egg, & Nut Free}

The other night I shared a picture on my Instagram page: I had an idea to make making pancakes even easier (or as I joked, make them even lazier). ;) 
I usually make batches of pancakes or pancakes muffins (aka "puffins") over the weekends so Little Miss can have them ready for breakfast and lunches with a quick reheat.  
I had been toying with the idea in my head for quite sometime now to make them in my Babycakes Whoopie Pie Maker since the cavities are the perfect Silver Dollar Pancake size and thickness.
Well, I finally grabbed the machine and let it do it's thang! The results: PERFECTION. So simple! 
Here's how I did it and some fun ways you can use these cute mini pancakes for lunches and snacks, as well:

Don't Go Nuts: Breakfast Cupcakes #Recipe {GF & Allergy Friendly}

Don't Go Nuts is a line of Soy Butter spreads (and now Energy Bars) that are completely nut free. The spreads also happen to be gluten free & Vegan, as well. 
When they contacted us about using their products for an upcoming Holiday Recipe E-Book, I was excited to get my thinking cap on... Little did I know that my Sous Chef, Little Miss, would actually be the one to come up with our clever recipe submission!

Stack'd: The #GlutenFree Protein Pancake Cookbook {+ Breakfast for Lunch!}

Jessica Kahn is the mastermind behind Kitch&Table. A delicious Gluten Free food company that sells yummy mixes and has a blog of drool worthy recipes to complete it!
Now Jess has written her very own book called Stack'd! It's a Gluten Free Protein Pancake Cookbook, and ohhhh boy, was I so excited to get my hands on a copy! 

These aren't your ordinary pancakes folks, she's taken them to a whole new level! 

Lunch Made Easy: Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Ideas

This week Little Miss and I both had fun trying Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly recipes in our Work & School Lunches!
I've included links and recipes in the post below. If you've not experimented with Quinoa, this is a great way to try! Quinoa is a gluten free and a complete protein. It actually has all nine of the essential amino acids, as well as, being a great source of fiber and iron. Offering 100% whole grain per serving (even though it's actually a seed, not a grain). 
Towards the bottom of the post you'll also find our Quinoa Raisin Muffin recipe. Great for lunches, breakfast, or snacks!

Lunch Made Easy: Mommy & Me @CrunchAColor Lunches

I was honored to be asked again to participate in the Crunch A Color™ Healthy Lunch Challenge! 
Little Miss really enjoyed it the last time around, after we put ourselves to the challenge for a weeks worth of school lunches. 
Our Chicken Salad Stuffed Brussels Sprouts earned us one of the winning spots and a feature in the Huffington Post and on Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution website! How cool is that!? 
I always reiterate the importance of packing healthy lunches for Mom & Dad, not just the kids. So this week, I decided to get involved in the challenge right along with Little Miss. Packing a weeks worth of school and work lunches, trying to follow the Crunch A Color formula: At least 3 Colors, Healthy Grain, and Protein. 

Just because you're trying to keep up with food allergies or avoiding gluten, doesn't mean you can't still pack fresh & healthy school lunches!

Lunch Made Easy: Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day!

I've been posting our lunches in a fun round-up on Friday's, which I will still be doing this week, but since today is a special one it deserved it's own fun post!
Happy Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day / Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras! Say that ten times fast. ;) 

Lunch Made Easy: MOMables Monday - Pumpkin Pancakes for my lil' punkin!

When I saw this Pumpkin Pancakes post on MOMables last week by Chef Corey, I knew Little Miss would LOVE them!

We of course made ours {Allergy Friendly} and added some yummy chocolate chips!

Lunch Made Easy: Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks!

Thursday's lunch is a little "sticky"! ;)
Hardy har har...

Food for Thought: Friday the 13th!

Just a quick post with a fun "Friday the 13th" breakfast I made for Little Miss today.

Lunch Made Easy: Lovely Lunch

Little Miss has a lovey-dovey lovely lunch for Tuesday :)

Lunch Made Easy: I love you to the moon and back.

I always like to incorporate things Little Miss is learning about in school into her lunches when I can. (Such as her Apple Day lunch or Very Hungry Caterpillar bentos to name a couple.)
Right now they have been learning about the solar system. They just finished learning about the sun and next are moving onto the moon and stars.

Food for Thought: FIRST Day of FIRST Grade!

Today is Little Miss's FIRST Day of FIRST Grade!! It's actually only a half day of school ;) so I had to make her a special breakfast to celebrate the FIRST day!