Guest Author - Jill Valente

I have some news that I must share with you all. As I have said before, my husband Jeff has had some health issues in the past. Before we met he was a mess! Eating wrong and not taking care of his body resulted in high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Well, yesterday he went in for a physical and his blood pressure is now 110/70 which is perfect!! His cholesterol results aren’t in yet but I am expecting them to be a lot lower as well. Not only am I super proud of Jeff for making efforts to change his lifestyle but I am just thrilled to see firsthand the direct effects of healthy eating. It just furthers my passion for healthy foods! Okay, back to business…

This past weekend was very cold and the added chill in the air upped my desire for comfort foods. I was craving pancakes but instead of heading to my local diner I created this wonderful and healthy recipe for Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes. Check it out!

Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes
These pancakes are packed with fiber and oh so filling! We ate them for breakfast and were full until dinner. For an added treat I like to warm some sugar-free syrup in a saucepan along with a cinnamon stick.

• 1 cup buckwheat pancake mix
• ½ cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• ¾ cup skim milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sugar-free syrup
• 1 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries
• Cooking spray
• 2 tsp butter

Directions
Combine pancake mix, oats, cinnamon, vanilla, buttermilk, skim milk, egg and syrup in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Fold in blueberries. Heat a griddle or non stick skillet over medium and coat with cooking spray. Make pancakes in four batches using a ½ tsp of butter for each batch. Drop batter onto griddle or skillet in ¼ cupfuls for small pancakes or ½ cupfuls for large ones. Cook pancakes until brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Makes 4 servings. 4 points per serving (not including additional syrup).

Notes
A lot people think you need fancy equipment for pancakes…a griddle, a special spatula, molds, a dispenser but you really don’t need a thing! Just use your biggest skillet, a normal spatula and to pour pancakes I think a ladle works best. Don’t be intimidated, they are super easy and simple to tell when ready. Make sure your skillet is well heated and coated, be patient by not futzing with the pancakes and when the sides start to brown and look cooked, its time to flip! I feel like the first side always takes longer than the second but maybe that’s just me. If you mess up the first one, just toss it and start over. No one needs to know ;-)