Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

Kebabs (or kabobs as they are known in the US) are such a great, healthy dish to make. Chunks of veggies, meat or tofu if you want, under the grill and you're done.

These kebabs (from A Taste of Home) used a smoked turkey sausage and apple to add a little something different. Top them off with a cranberry glaze for a nice tangy taste.

To make 4 skewers:

1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tbs cornstarch
1/3 to 1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 lb smoked turkey sausage, cut into one inch chunks
1 apple, cut into wedges
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, cranberry juice, cider vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.
Thread the sausage, apple, and bell pepper onto your skewers and grill for about 8 minutes, brushing with the cranberry glaze.
Serve the kebabs on their own, with a salad, or on a bed of rice, using any extra cranberry glaze as a topping.

The minute hubby saw these on How Sweet It Is, and I saw his eyes light up like a three year old on Christmas morning, I knew I'd be making these birthday cake pancakes for brunch one weekend. The clincher? "They have sprinkles!"

If you have an aversion to sugar, you won't want to read any further.

If, on the other hand, your idea of breakfast bliss is sugar, filled with sugar, and sprinkled with more sugar...today is your lucky day.

Birthday Cake Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tbs sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 cups mil
sprinkles

Mix the flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until smooth then add more milk until you get the consistency you like.Add sprinkles and mix in gently. Too much mixing and you'll just end up with an icky purpley goo.

Preheat a skillet or griddle. Pour your batter and cook as you would any other pancakes.

This is where all hell broke loose in our kitchen. Hubby wanted to help so I let him man the griddle. How hard could this be?

Pretty swirly sprinkles

Let's rephrase that. How much mess can one human being make? How hard can it be to flip a pancake? By the time he was done, I was scrubbing mix out of my wedding ring, the griddle was smothered in random pancake goo, and my mood was...less than sweet. We need more sprinkles!

But eventually the pancakes were cooked. Top with a little frosting glaze and more sprinkles and you're ready to go.

Frosting Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkles

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar to desired pourable consistency. My advice would be to do this just before you need it. I made mine at the beginning and the colors started to blend a little too much.

Pancakes - check. Frosting - check. Sprinkles - check. Sugar high - you bet!