Breakfast for dinner

The weather here has been gray and drizzly all day, and has now turned cold. Usually I'd make chili in the CrockPot on nights like this, but I didn't have any turkey thawed. Comfort food runner up? Breakfast for dinner! Tonight we had gluten-free veggie pancakes (not as gross as they sound, I promise), chicken-apple sausage, and homemade blueberry syrup. The H said the house smelled like fall, "and maybe a little bit like winter." The pot of half-caff Sumatra-Mandehling coffee he brewed added to the hunker-down homey feeling.

Veggie Pancakes - triple batch

1 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)

1 bag Bob's Red Mill GF pancake mix

3 eggs, or equivalent (I used one egg + 1/3 cup egg whites)

1 1/2 cups milk (cow, almond, rice, etc. as stated on pancake mix; I used enough for a double recipe, not a triple as I didn't want them runny)

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (could use applesauce, I bet)

Cook vegetables until soft - microwave works great. Let cool slightly, then add to blender and puree with milk; add eggs and oil and blend until smooth. Don't add the eggs with the milk or the might start to cook if your veggies are still quite hot. Mixture will be light green. In large bowl, stir veggie mix into dry pancake mix. Add more milk if you like thinner pancakes (remember I used 2x the milk called for, and 3x everything else).

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Add oil or spray of your choice. Scoop pancake mix by 1/4 cup and pour onto hot griddle. Flip when pancakes are dry on edges; cook another few minutes until golden on the other side. Making a triple batch provided enough for our dinner plus 14 extra to freeze for quick breakfasts or snacks. They do turn out green, but the veggies do not negatively affect the flavor.

Blueberry Syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup water, minus a few tablespoons to mix with cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp powdered stevia (I found mine at Trader Joe's, in a big shaker-style container. I think Truvia would work)

1-2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with reserved water

Combine blueberries, water (minus reserved), spices, and stevia in small sauce pan. Bring to boil over med-low heat, stirring often. Mash blueberries with a fork if you feel like it. Once the liquid has reduced a bit, stir in the cornstarch + water slurry. Return to a boil and let bubble until thickened the way you want. Pour into small pitcher or gravy boat and serve with pancakes.

For the sausage, I just sliced each one into quarters (giving each piece a flat side) and browned them in a skillet, adding water to keep the pan from scorching. With a small glass of milk and the aforementioned coffee, this was a great filling meal for a cold blah night.