Meet Jennifer Cheshek!
Have you met Jennifer Cheshek, our wonderful manager at our Denver Tech Center location? Jennifer’s big smile and a warm welcome are hard to miss and brighten even the cloudiest day. We thought you might like to get to know the lady behind the smile. Read on to learn a bit more about our wonderful DTC General Manager, Jennifer!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and where you are from.
A: My name is Jennifer Cheshek, I was born in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. I have lived in the Denver metro area since 1986.
Q: How long have you been with the Original Pancake House?
A: I have worked at OPH Denver since October 2001. I started as a server and became a general manager in November 2002.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at OPH?
A: What I love most about my job are all the wonderful guests and the great staff I have had the pleasure to work with. I am very blessed to work for amazing owners as well.
Q: What is your favorite menu item?
A: My favorite menu item is hard to say, there are so many delicious options! I will give my top three: the Apple Pancake, Cherry Kijafa Crepes, and of course the Bacon!
Q: If you could have breakfast with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you eat?
A: I have always said the two people I would love to have a conversation with would be Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. They seem to be genuine people with great sense of humor. I would eat our Cherry Kijafa Crepes.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing a little bit about you! The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver at our DTC location, be sure to say “hi” to Jennifer, she loves getting to know her customers!
Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
It is cap and gown season again and we are so proud of our local high school graduates! We will certainly miss your smiling faces around the breakfast table, but we wish you the best of luck as you head off to college and careers!
In honor of your special day, we’d like to share with you a few of our favorite inspirational graduation 
messages. Hopefully these words will encourage you and help guide you through the next few years!
“Just because you don't know what you want yet, it doesn't mean that there's nothing to want.” — Emily Henry
"It’s your turn. And the good news is, you’re ready. And when your journey seems too hard, and when you run into a chorus of cynics who tell you that you’re being foolish to keep believing or that you can’t do something, or that you should just give up, or you should just settle — you might say to yourself a little phrase that I’ve found handy these last eight years: Yes, we can." — Barack Obama
"Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art." — Neil Gaiman
"You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world." — Tom Brokaw
And of course, we have to add a few of our own words of wisdom to the list. Remember the following and don’t forget to come see us for breakfast out in Denver!
“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” – Unknown
Good luck Class of 2016!
Celebrate Mom!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner! We love this special holiday as it is a time to celebrate all of our moms and thank them for their love and support. Of course one of the best ways to say thank you to mom is to take her out for a nice breakfast in Denver. We’ll be happy to host your whole family so that you can give mom a much needed and well-deserved morning off!
Here are a couple of other cute gift ideas to show mom that she is special:
Hand Print Flower Art – Great for kids ages 0-5
Little ones will need a bit of help from Dad to work the paint, but will love covering their hands in bright colors to make the flower prints on this cute homemade card for mom.
Fruit Flower Bouquet – Great for kids ages 6 and up
This is a wonderful project to do with young children and makes a very special treat for moms on Mother’s Day. It would be a great gift to tide everyone over before going out to brunch later in the morning. Little one’s may need some help from dad to cut the shapes, but then can arrange the fruit flowers on their own!
Homemade Chocolate Truffles – Great for kids ages 10 and up
Instead of buying mom a box of chocolates from the store, gather the whole family (minus mom of course!) and make your own! Homemade chocolates are easy and make a very fun project for older children. Plus mom will love this sweet, homemade gift! Check out the recipe here.
To all our moms, we wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day from your Original Pancake House family!
Add a little SPRING to your breakfast
Spring is finally in full swing in Denver! We love the sweet smells of flowering trees and plants, bright green grass, and warm sunshine. This time of year, we really like to enjoy breakfast dishes that utilize fresh spring produce – both at home and when we go out to breakfast in Denver!
For a comforting and healthy spring breakfast at home, we love this recipe for asparagus and prosciutto strata which utilizes all the fresh flavors of spring. Served warm on a lovely spring morning alongside a warm cup of coffee and a bright spring berry salad, you’ll be in heaven! Read on for the recipe below!
Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata
Ingredients:
2 slices dense multigrain bread
12 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup dry white wine or low-fat milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups halved and very thinly sliced sweet onions
1 cup thinly sliced leek(s), white part only
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch thin asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped scallions or fresh chives
3 very thin slices prosciutto (about 1 1/2 ounces), torn into strips
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
Directions
- Cut bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in milk, wine (or another 1/2 cup milk), dry mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the bread. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables. (If baking the next day, cover and refrigerate the egg mixture.)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, leek and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking very gently, stirring occasionally, until the onions have a little color and appear almost melted, 30 to 45 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add asparagus, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and let cool; pat dry.
- Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or similar 3-quart dish) with cooking spray.
- When the onions are done, stir in scallions (or chives) and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the asparagus over the onion mixture. (If baking the next day: cover and refrigerate the vegetables in the baking dish.)
- If the egg mixture and vegetables were refrigerated overnight, remove from the refrigerator, uncover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Scatter strips of prosciutto over the vegetables. Stir 1/4 cup cheese, parsley, mint and lemon zest (if using) into the egg mixture until well combined, then pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top.
- Bake the strata just until firm to the touch in the middle and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 160°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, very carefully cover with foil to keep warm and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Tips
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare egg mixture (through Step 1) and vegetables (Steps 2-5) and refrigerate separately for up to 1 day; remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking (2 hours before serving).
And of course for those days that you’d rather have us cook up a delicious spring breakfast, we have many dishes that will brighten your day including our Seasonal Berry Crepes, Blueberry or Strawberry Waffles, our Garden Benedict, or the Vegetarian Omelet! Happy Spring Denver!
Colorado Rockies Baseball Breakfast
The Colorado Rockies are wrapping up Spring Training down in Scottsdale and are getting ready for their big season opener at Coors Field in just a couple of weeks. At the Original Pancake House, we’re getting excited for baseball season in Denver! So that got us to thinking – what do baseball players like to eat?
Baseball is a bit different than other professional sports in its approach to health and nutrition. Until very recently, baseball players were eating candy bars, hot dogs, and their fair share of beer after a game. Just in the past few years, baseball players and their respective clubs have started to put a much greater focus on nutrition and healthy choices that one might expect for professional athletes. Whereas a pre or post game spread used to consist of cheese and bologna sandwiches, fast food, and a few hot dogs, now the players are dining on salmon, veggies, and shrimp scampi. Gone are the sweets and processed foods, gone are the days of ball park fare!
With a focus on health and well-balanced meals, baseball players are also making healthy choices for their other meals, including breakfast. Many baseball players sleep in and enjoy a big breakfast after a late night at the park. But their breakfast is typically well-balanced with lean protein, fruits, veggies, and of course a few healthy carbs.
We’ve come up with a perfect breakfast for the professional (or little league!) baseball player. This meal has a perfect balance of protein, fruit, veggies, and carbs to fuel any position from pitcher to left field.
Colorado Rockies Veggie Omelet Platter
- To start, make sure your eggs are whipped until they are light and even a bit frothy. For a solid meal, we usually use three eggs. Choose a selection of your favorite veggies such as broccoli, peppers, onion, spinach, tomatoes – anything goes! Dice veggies.
- Warm your pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of butter or oil.
- Turn your pan down to low heat. Add your eggs to the pan and sprinkle veggies and cheese if you like over the top.
- Once the eggs are in the pan, lightly stir the eggs and pulling them away from the sides to ensure evenly cooked eggs. Cook covered on very low heat for 5-8 minutes.
- Once the omelet has finished cooking, fold in half or in thirds and ENJOY!
Serve Omelet with whole wheat toast or an English muffin and a side of fruit.
Of course if you are tired from extra innings in your game the previous night, the Original Pancake House would be happy to serve you an MLB-style breakfast in Denver. We have a great selection of veggie omelets including our Mediterranean Omelet, our Denver Omelet, the Fresh Vegetarian Omelet, or the Florentine Omelet. Best of luck to our Colorado Rockies in their upcoming season, and best of luck all our Denver little leaguers who dream of someday becoming one of the Rox!
EGGstravagant Easter Eggs!
Easter is one of our favorite holidays as we always enjoy a big family brunch with our loved ones. But the highlight for the little ones is usually the Easter Bunny and of course the Egg Hunt! We love decorating our own Easter Eggs and each year we try to come up with a few fun new ideas to surprise the kids. Here are a few of our favorite Easter Egg ideas:
Easter Chick Eggs:
First dye your Easter Eggs yellow with traditional egg dye. Once the dye has dried, use a permanent marker to draw eyes, a beak, and cute little wings.
Neon Dip-Dyed Eggs:
Use bright or neon colored dye for these eggs. Wrap small strips of tape around eggs and dip parts of the eggs in different color dyes. Remove tap when finished to reveal stripes of natural shell color. Experiment with overlapping colors and angles.
Glitter Eggs:
Dye eggs in a variety of colors. Once dye has dried, use glue to create lined design patterns or polka dots. Gently roll eggs in glitter allowing the sparkles to adhere to the glue strips. Shake of excess glitter and allow eggs to fully dry. Alternatively, you can skip the dye and cover the whole egg in glue and then roll in glitter to create beautiful and sparkly eggs.
Tattoo Eggs:
Tattoo eggs are a cute idea for slightly older children. Purchase a variety of temporary tattoos - Spiderman, butterflies, hearts, etc., any design will work! Follow instructions to adhere tattoos to eggs. Either overlap images to cover entire egg, or select one larger image to feature on each egg.
Of course we adults love watching the Egg Hunt, but our highlight is usually the Easter Brunch that follows. If you’re up all night decorating eggs, join us for Easter breakfast or brunch in Denver. We’ll be happy to feed the whole family! Happy Easter from your friends at the Original Pancake House!
Celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month!
We all know by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If your normal routine of cold cereal is giving you the winter blues, it might be time to spice up your morning with a hot breakfast. February is the perfect time to switch up the menu as this month is National Hot Breakfast Month.
For those who are on the go and need a very quick meal in the morning, hot oatmeal might be just the ticket. Simply boil water, mix with instant oats, and you are ready to go. If you plan ahead, you can even make traditional oats in the slow-cooker overnight and have them piping hot and ready for you as head out the door, check out our recipe here.
In our house, we like to make egg sandwiches each morning. They are quick, easy, filling, and healthy! Simply toast English muffins, fry up a couple of eggs, add cheese and ham if you like, and you are ready to eat in just three minutes. You can even wrap these yummy breakfast sammies up in tin foil and eat them during the morning commute.
On weekends, when we have a little more time, we try our hand at homemade pancakes, waffles, and muffins. And of course on lazy weekends we celebrate with breakfast out in Denver! Sometimes it is nice to have your friends at the Original Pancake House do all the work, and clean-up, for you!
From our breakfast table to yours, happy National Hot Breakfast Month!
Meet Karen Kinney!
You’ve probably seen Karen Kinney’s smiling face around the Original Pancake House each time you head out for breakfast at our Cherry Hills location. Karen was the Manager of our Denver Tech Center location for ten years before she transferred to Cherry Hills to become a General Manager this past October. We thought you might like to get to know the lady behind the smile. Read on to learn a bit more about our wonderful General Manager, Karen Kinney!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and where you are from.
A: My name is Karen Kinney, and I am from Canada. I was born in a small town in Alberta called Medicine Hat, and raised in British Columbia in a place called Invermere, just outside of the Banff National Park. I met my husband Troy skiing in Kimberley B.C. and moved to Spokane Wash. where we lived until moving to St. Louis Mo. for 2 years, and Clovis Ca. for 8 months, before settling down in Highlands Ranch where we have raised our 2 children.
Q: How long have you been with the Original Pancake House?
A: I started as a server for the Original Pancake House Denver Tech Center when my daughter was 4yrs old, and she is now 16 and works as a Host for our Cherry Hills location. Our son also worked for me at the DTC location as a Host while he was in High School. I became a Manager at DTC the same year I started working there and have been with the Franchise for 12 years now. I was promoted in September of last year and given the position of General Manager for the Cherry Hills location.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at OPH?
A: My favorite part of working for the Pancake House is the people! I love the staff and guests as they have become my family since my real family is in Canada still. They make me laugh, cry and smile with all of their stories, jokes and antics.
Q: What is your favorite menu item?
A: My favorite menu item is always changing; I eat something different every day! But interestingly enough before I started working here I did not like to eat eggs. Now I will crave a simple side of scrambled eggs almost every day.
Q: If you could have breakfast with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you eat?
A: It I could have breakfast with anyone I suppose I would choose Lady Diana. She was such an amazing and poised person that had so much to offer in the short time she was with us. With her I would love to show off our delicate Dutch Baby and that would be my breakfast choice, along with a side of our infamous bacon, and hot tea of course!
Thank you Karen for sharing a little bit about yourself! The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, be sure to say “hi” to Karen, she will always treat you as family.
Denver Broncos Super Bowl Specials!
At the Original Pancake House we are so proud of our Denver Broncos that we decided to salute these brave men as they face off against the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 this Sunday. We’ve come up with a couple of delicious Super Bowl Specials for this weekend only! If you are out for breakfast in Denver, come celebrate the Super Bowl 50 with these scrumptious orange and blue breakfasts! GO BRONCOS!
SUPER BOWL SPECIALS
Mile High Salute
A Denver scramble with peppers and ham over our home fried potatoes smothered in Tillamook Cheddar Cheese and Pork Green Chile Sauce. Served with three Bronco Orange pancakes topped with orange whipped cream and blue sprinkles. $12.95
Go Broncos Plate
Three of our made from scratch Bronco Orange pancakes topped with orange whipped cream and blue sprinkles. Served with two strips of Pigskin (bacon). $7.50
Celebrate National Oatmeal Month!
Did you know? January is National Oatmeal Month! What a perfect time to celebrate the simplest, healthiest, and one of the most comforting breakfast foods. We’ve researched a few fun facts about oatmeal, and even have a great oatmeal recipe idea for you. Read on below!
Fun Facts About Oats:
- There are three types of oats that can be used to create oatmeal. Steel-cut oats still contain the whole grain and oat bran and are processed through steel cutters which slice them into pieces. Rolled oats are de-hulled, steamed and flattened. Rolled oats are often referred to as “old fashioned oats.” Finally, instant oats are similar to rolled oats except that they are steamed longer and are fully cooked before they are dried.
- In general, the less processed your oats, the more fiber they will contain. For optimum health benefits, go with the steel-cut oats.
- Ancient Germanic tribes around 1,000 BC were the first to cultivate and eat oats.
- Oats were first brought to the United States by European settlers in the early 1600’s. Immigrants used the oats in porridge, pudding, and baked goods, much the same way we do today.
Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats
If you want to create the healthiest oatmeal with steel cut oats, but don’t have the extra time in the morning, try using a slow cooker! Follow the instructions for water and oats ratio and combine in a slow cooker. Add in raisins, fruit, or any other toppings of your choice. Set the slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours and in the morning you have piping hot oatmeal, ready to go!
And of course, we’ll be happy to share our Old Fashioned Oatmeal with you the next time you are out for breakfast in Denver. Our version is served with warm skim milk, brown sugar, and raisins. You can’t beat it on a cold January day! Happy National Oatmeal Month!
Holiday Traditions: The Nutcracker
We’re nuts about the holidays! Some of our favorite holiday traditions include enjoying the beautiful music from The Nutcracker Ballet. While listening to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, we decided to do a bit of research on Nutcrackers. Here are a few fun facts:
- Nutcrackers originated in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, which is a mountainous region with many
mining communities - Miners in the area created these wooden crafts as a way of supplementing their income. Nutcrackers are often sold in the Christmas markets around Germany and are often given to children as Christmas presents.
- German legend says that a nutcracker in a home will bring good luck to all that live there, and also to the home itself.
- The largest collection of German Nutcrackersin the world has 4,334 of them in one place. This is a nutcracker museum and is owned by the Loschner Family in the town of Neuhausen, Germany.
Cool! Of course all this research makes us a bit hungry for nuts! To satisfy your next nut craving, be sure to stop by The Original Pancake House when you are out for breakfast in Denver this holiday season. Our Pecan Belgian Waffle or our Cinnamon Almond French Toast will fulfill your nuttiest dreams!
Happy Holidays!
‘Tis the Season to Spread Pancake Cheer!
This time of year we like to think back upon the past twelve months a give thanks to all the amazing customers, 
staff, and friends who support us at The Original Pancake House and who help spread “Pancake Cheer” all year round. We also like to enjoy a bit of pancake cheer at home and bring the holidays to our breakfast table even on the days we can’t enjoy a breakfast out in Denver.
If you are making breakfast for a crowd this holiday season – try our favorite homemade Snowman Pancakes. Simply create your favorite pancake mix and spoon three dollops of the batter onto your griddle in the shape of a snowman. We like to add blueberries or chocolate chips for the eyes, nose, and buttons. You can even try sticking pretzels in the batter for the arms – just be careful when you flip the pancake! These sweet Snowman Pancakes are sure to bring smiles to your family and will certainly impress any visiting in-laws!
Also, don’t forget, if you are looking for a thoughtful and easy stocking stuffer or gift for co-workers, friends, or anyone you’d like to send an end-of-year thanks, we have gift cards! You can spread the gift of pancake cheer to those you love and check off almost every name on your list.
Warmest wishes for the holiday season from your friends at The Original Pancake House in Denver!