Oatmeal pancakes

I've been experimenting with this one for awhile. My patient husband has gratefully eaten each experiment...even the ones I insisted needed to be dumped. Hope you enjoy this, hearty, just a little more heart healthy pancake:

Ingredients:
1 cup oatmeal (instant, quick, or steel-cut)
3/4 cup milk (I prefer vanilla almond milk - homemade or store bought)
2 Tbs ground up flax seeds
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg (or substitute with 1 Tbs ground up flaxseeds mixed with 3 Tbs water)
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 date blended in 1/3 cup water (make sure to take out the seed :)

First, grind up the oatmeal (a blender is fine, I use the Magic Bullet). Place in bowl and add almond milk, and let it soak for about five minutes (maybe longer for steel cut/whole oats). Grind the flaxseeds (same as oats) and mix it with the whole wheat flour, baking powder, and coconut flakes. Add egg (or egg substitute) to milk/oatmeal mix and whisk. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the date water until you have your preferred consistency. Nick and I like them a little thicker. Now, spruce it up with either some cinnamon/nutmeg and some pecans or a tsp of vanilla.

Cook on medium heat until the top edges start to cook, then flip. If you like it thick, you will have to spread out the batter on the pan.

Be creative with what you throw on top! I like berries with a little agave sprinkled with more coconut flakes. You can mix some cocoa into the batter. Enjoy!

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A little about flaxseed: First, in order to fully maximize the benefits of flaxseed, they must be ground up. Otherwise, the whole seed goes in one end and out the other. Recently, there's been much research in this seed that's been around for ages (a ruler in Babylon in the 8th century is said to have decreed that his people must consume flaxseed because he believed it was a powerful protectant and healing agent).

It's gained such a great reputation due to it's Omega 3 fatty acids (basically good fat that helps lower the bad fat that causes complications like athersclorosis that can lead to coronary artery disease...and heart attacks),  lignans (which have plant estrogen and antioxidant qualitites), and fiber (both soluble and non-soluble). That's quite a bit from such a tiny seed!

Aside from health benefits, flaxseed is great in the kitchen. As mentioned earlier, it can be used as an egg substitute. It can also be used as a butter substitute. 3 Tbs ground flaxseed = 1 Tbs butter. I use it for cookies, muffins, etc. If you're using a lot of heavy, whole wheat flours in the recipe, you may want to add some ground up apple or applesauce to help keep the recipe moist.

Sprinkle a little ground up flaxseed on your bowl of hot oatmeal, or in your next smoothie!