Two Peas in a Pod

Thursday and Friday were SAGE days for us teachers and I attended 3 workshops about technology that I actually enjoyed and learned a lot in!  Friday night I invited my dad over for homemade pizza because my mom was out of town.  Friday also marked one year since I travelled to Saskatoon to be with him while my dad received 5 heart bypass surgeries.  The week my parents and I spent in Saskatoon waiting for the surgery was terrible because none of us were sure that my dad would be coming home with us afterwards. My mom and I agree that it was the worst week of our lives, and we had a few scares.  Fortunately, my dad is a very strong man and he had some amazing doctors and nurses looking after him, and one year later he is better than ever. I am so thankful to have my dad in my life!

My dad and I at my cousin's wedding at the beginning of September

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

I am so excited! I can eat real pizza again without feeling awful afterwards since I discovered this post inspired recipe.

It all started when my mom brought over an $8.95 Gluten Free Living magazine.  I have to admit I'm a "judge a book magazine by its cover" type of person and wasn't super excited to read it, but I eventually did and am happier because of it.

There was a whole section about pizza with recipes for homemade sauce, 4 different types of pizza, and this awesome gluten free crust. I wasn't sure how it would turn out and didn't get my hopes up too high, but was pleasantly surprised.  It tasted pretty close to real pizza crust that I'm used to and even my husband liked it. 

The recipe makes 2 medium or 4 individual crusts and you HAVE to freeze the baked crusts before using them, which is the only minor inconvenience.

Try it out!

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch (*I couldn't find this so I used potato starch the first time and corn starch the second)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. xanthum gum (*this is used a lot in gluten free baking)
1/2 cup milk (any kind, I used skim)
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar


1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet (upside down if it has a rim) or a pizza stone in the oven to heat. Draw two 8-inch circles on two separate sheets of parchment paper.
2. Combine the rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, baking powder anf xanthum gum in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl combine the milk, water, egg, olive oil and vinegar, and whisk to mix.Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir briskly with a spatula for about 30 seconds, until the dough is smooth and just holds its shape.  (Energetic stirring activates the xanthum gum which thickens the batter).
3. Fill a large Ziploc storage bag with the dough.  Snip a corner off. Pipe 2/3 of the dough onto the 2 circles and spread it out.  Pipe a rim around the edges of both pizzas with the remaining batter to make a ridge. Slide the parchment onto the baking sheet or pizza stone, and bake for 15-18 minutes, until firm and light gold.  Let cool, wrap airtight and freeze.  When you are ready to make pizza, add toppings to the frozen crust and rebake.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Happy Thanksgiving! 

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday at my parent's house and it was extra special because we had guests from Ontario visiting.  Part of their family Thanksgiving dinner tradition is a Sweet Potato Casserole, which my family had never eaten before.  I thought it tasted a lot like pumpkin pie, and how could anything topped with marshmallows be bad?  Here is the Winder family recipe:

1. Peel and boil sweet potatoes (as many as you need to feed your crowd).
2. Drain and mash the sweet potatoes.
3. Add a few tbsp. of cream and mash some more.
4.Stir in a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Spread the mixture in a casserole dish.
6. Top the casserole with a bag of miniature marshmallows.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven to melt and brown the marshmallows just before serving.

Here is what I am most thankful for this year...

My family and a roof over my head

 I am also thankful we got all of our leaves raked yesterday since we woke up to SNOW this morning!

 

Catch Up

So I have had a lot going on between work and my personal life in the last month and it seems too overwhelming to put it into words.  But that's not to say I haven't been living life!  This is what I have been doing lately...

My cousin got married on September 1 and I captured this emotional moment. Tears turned into laughter for the greatest group of girls I was lucky enough to get to know better.

 

 

 



My dog, Bailey, is an excellent model while I practice using my new camera.

 

 



Dave and I spent an evening hanging out with our friends at their new home by the lake.

 

 



 

Last campfire and marshmallow roast before winter?

 

 

 

Dave and I went out last weekend to take pictures of the lovely fall colors.

 

Dave is becoming a good photographer.

Roasted Asparagus

Photo Credit: http://www.simplyrecipes.com

 

 

 

I eat asparagus several times a week but made a last minute change to how I prepared it last night for supper.  Since the oven was already on and I was feeling super lazy, I decided to throw the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle it with EVOO, sprinkle some sea salt on top, and throw it in the oven for around 15 minutes.  What a huge difference roasting the asparagus made to the flavor!  I love asparagus steamed, but I LOVE asparagus roasted.  I actually said to Dave later in the evening that I was craving roasted aparagus, which got a laugh and eye roll out of him (he has heard some weird cravings come out of my mouth, like when I couldn't get enough roasted chicken, but asparagus??).  You should try it sometime!  Trust me. 

Waffles

I made the best and worst decision last week. 

After years of desperately wanting one, I bought a waffle maker.  Previously a waffle maker was definately just an indulgence but I would always order waffles in restaurants.  A waffle maker was an appliance I didn't need nor had room in the cupboard for.  Since I have started to be gluten/wheat free my diet is so restricted, but breakfast is still my favorite and I had been wanting a waffle for months. My solution was to make my own wheat free waffles at home, and for that I'd need a waffle maker!

Best decision ever because I love waffles.

Worst decision ever because I love waffles and have made them 3 times in just over a week. Yeah, I know...it's bad!

You should make yourself some waffles too.  Here's the recipe I used from www.allrecipes.com

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used my favorite gluten free brand)               
1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Another first

Our last stop was in Edmonton, AB where we visited with Dave's aunt, uncle, and cousins for a few days.  We hit up West Edmonton Mall (again...not enough time to go into all of the stores I wanted to, plus next time I want to go to the water park), went to a teacher store (Dave's aunt is a teacher too!), and went to my first ever CFL game. 

I am not a football fan at all.  I actually know nothing about the sport whatsoever, but Dave's uncle had season tickets and asked if we wanted to go to an Edmonton Eskimos game.  Dave was in right away but I wasn't sure.  Then I remembered my goal to live spontaneously and go outside of my comfort zone, so I was in as well! 

I have to admit that I had fun at the game, even though Edmonton didn't do so well. I cheered whenever everyone else cheered because I had no idea what was happening, but by the end I had a few things figured out. 

British Columbia, I love you

Driving through BC was A-MAZ-ING! I could look at mountains forever.  Mountains impress me when I see them from a distance but driving through the mountains took my breath away.  They are enormous, and the trees are huge! 

Dave kept saying we would see some wildlife along the road but we saw nothing until we were on our way home from Maple Ridge to Edmonton, where we saw 2 gigantic elk laying in the ditch along the road.  People were stopping their cars along the busy highway and getting out to take pictures.  We even saw a few idiots  tourists standing BESIDE the elk to get a picture with them.  Dave asked if I wanted him to stop the car to take a picture from inside the car but I said no because I didn't want to witness someone getting killed by an elk.  Those things were seriously big and all they had to do was turn their head and take someone out with their antlers. 

We stayed in Penticton for 3 nights and that was my favorite part of the trip because it was so relaxing.  Penticton is a tourist town and it was packed because it was their Peach Festival which meant that everyone was celebrating.  There were bands playing at night near Okanagan Beach, parades, street fairs, amusement rides, food vendors everywhere, and parties everywhere.  Most of our time was spent laying on the beach or swimming in Skaha Lake because it was 36 degrees out, but we did take in the festivities in the evenings.

From Penticton we drove through wine country (the Okanagan) to Maple Ridge where Dave's two sisters live and we were staying for a few days. 

We went into Vancouver and visited Stanley Park where we went to the aquarium, walked around the park, took a million pictures, and drove around downtown Vancouver during rush hour (not my favorite moment).  It was so great to see some family and I even stopped in Langley to see one of my best friends from high school. 

Again, we didn't have enough time to see and do everything we wanted so we will have to go back!

Too many kilometers

My husband has wanted to take me to British Columbia (BC) for years, and we were actually supposed to go there for our honeymoon but decided on Mexico instead.  We finally, or I should say he finally, planned a road trip in August.  Dave lived in BC for several years when he was a teenager/young adult so he had some specific places he wanted us to go to and I had never been further west than Calgary, AB so it was up to him to plan the trip.

We left home on August 7 at 6:30 a.m. and made the 6 hour drive to Saskatoon, SK and then continued on to Calgary, AB, another 6 hours, where we were going to visit with my aunt and uncle for 2 nights.  We stopped in Drumheller on the way because I had only ever driven through the town.

Our second day of the trip was spent in Banff, AB (another first for me!) where we walked through town and stopped in all of the little shops (and I limited myself to buying only one thing all day-something from Lululemon, of course), walked through the beautiful gardens and down a bunch of the trails along the river, and took in all of the amazing views.  I wish we could have spent a few days in Banff and am already planning my next trip there because we didn't have time to do everything.

The next day we left Calgary on our way to Penticton, BC and stopped at Lake Louise for a few hours. Normally I am the type of traveller that wants to get from Point A to Point B, but on this trip Dave warned me that we would be stopping a lot to see different sights along the way.  I am so glad we made this stop because it was my favorite place in the whole 2 weeks of travelling!

Look at the view!

The air was so fresh and cool, and the view was breathtaking.  This is by far my most favorite place on Earth!

Putting things into perspective

I am very proud of myself because I did something I've never done before and didn't really want to do. 

I made an 8 hour road trip...solo. 

It has been awhile since my girlfriends from university and I have seen each other, especially all together.  Some of us have visited recently but it had been 5 years since I had seen a few of the girls.  Babies have been born and are growing up quickly and it was past due for a visit. 

I am so glad I made that trip to Brandon to see them. 

While in Brandon I also got the opportunity to visit with a former university teacher when she invited my friend Erin and I to Elk Horn Resort at Clear Lake with her and the Margetts family.  Neither Erin and I had ever been there before so we decided to act spontaneously and go.  My wise former teacher reminded me (when I was complaining about having to wear a bathing suit after eating a huge bowl of caramel corn) that life is too precious to worry about silly things and to take advantage of opportunities given to me. She told me about a man she had taught who now has MS and Parkinson's and how his life has changed completely.  Let's just say that I put on my bikini and jumped into the pool! Thanks Sandy for putting things into perspective for me!  Erin and I both agreed that we made a good decision to change our plans and head to the lake for the night.   We spent time in the pool and hot tubs (both indoor and outdoor), ate some good food, and caught up with each other, and stayed in an awesome room (which was free!  Even better!). 

After a fantastic visit I had 8 hours to think about how fortunate I have been in life and how I need to stop worrying about everything so much and just live in the moment.  Being the control freak that I am this is harder than it might seem, but I am trying to live outside of my comfort zone and take more risks.  I think I have done well so far.


P.S. To my friends who were unable to meet up with us, we missed you! 

Summer Vacation

I guess I took "summer vacation" quite literally.  It has been a month since my last post!  Not that I didn't have anything to write about...quite the opposite actually, and I think that was the problem. 

I returned home from visiting my friends from university in Brandon, unpacked my bags and repacked them for 2 weeks in Alberta and British Columbia.  Then when I returned from my vacation with my husband, I was home for 3 days and then repacked the suitcase again for a girls trip with my mom and brother's girlfriend.  Whew!  Now I am home and the suitcase has been shoved quite deep into the back of the closet. 

Instead of writing one big post with tons of pictures I am going to write a few of my highlights of summer! 

They'll be up shortly. 

Until then....this is me after TOO MUCH TRAVELING!

Workout Inspiration

I was out of town for 4 days this past week and couldn't wait to get home to visit the gym for a good workout.  My friend's condo has a gym that I visited on Wednesday night, but it wasn't very good.  I only did 20 minutes of cardio and about 20 minutes of weights.  I missed my workouts on Thursday and Friday, and after driving 7 hours on Saturday to get home I talked my husband into joining my dog and I for a walk/run along the boardwalk.  It was a beautiful night!

So I just wanted to leave you with this inspiration for the week.

Still don't have time to workout? 

The Dreaded Shopping Trip

Okay, if you are a man or my brother or someone who doesn't want to know about my breasts, then now is the time to stop reading.

If you are still reading then that means you are interested in my boobs. I'm okay with that.

As you know I have lost weight.  Yay!  When you lose weight you need to buy new clothes.  Yay! But you also need to buy new bras.  Ugh.  I HATE bra shopping.  Loathe it actually. I would actually prefer to go for blood tests, which says a lot because I HATE doing that too.  Unfortunately, bra shopping was a must because I only have one that fits properly.

So this morning I decided that I would visit La Senza in Brandon to buy a strapless bra, a black push up bra, and white and beige everyday bras. 

I walked into the store at 11:30 with no clue as to what size I would need. I used to wear a 38 DD, but was guessing I'd need a 32 B. Luckily the store was empty and a salesgirl came over right away.  I grabbed one bra and tried it on.  Then I did not leave the change room for an hour. 

The salesgirl brought me every bra in the store in my size...which is a 30 D. I almost fell over when she told me I'm still a D cup because I honestly feel like I have no boobs left. I was also very happy about this news because I am pretty fond of my chest.  Unfortunately only a few styles come in a 30 band so I had to try a 32 instead, which was fine on some of the styles.  I tried on 32Cs, 34Cs, 30Ds, pushup bras, lightly padded bras, unpadded bras, double pushup bras (I did not know that they made double push up bras and discovered that they are not made for girls who actually have boobs unless you want some serious, and I mean serious, cleavage). My head was spinning. Every style fit differently so I had to try on 30 different bras (maybe not 30, but there were a lot). 

It is a good thing I am not shy because the salesgirl was in the room with me to look at every bra, which I knew would happen and I was very thankful for because it made the process a little easier.  She knew which one looked best, when I needed to go up a cup, and continuously brought me new ones to try on.  I have been bra shopping where I got absolutely no help and had to keep getting dressed to go get new sizes, and needless to say usually left empty handed. 

Today I did not leave empty handed.  I bought a nude lace bra that could be worn strapless  Perfectly Me Convertible Balconnet $26.50,  a black pushup bra that isn't too pushupy (yes I'm sure pushupy is a word) Body Kiss Push Up Bra $36.50, and a second nude, super soft and comfy bra Ultra Soft Lightly Lined Bra $26.50.  I decided not to get a white one because the nude ones will work under everything anyway. 

The dreaded shopping trip was a success!

Two Year Wedding Anniversary

Today is my husband's and I two year anniversary.  I can't believe that it has gone by so quickly, and I have loved every minute of married life. 

We have been together almost 10 years (it will be 10 years in October) and so life hasn't changed much since we got married. 

What has changed is the promise of a lifetime together.  It is pretty wonderful to know that I have a partner by my side for every thing I will go through in this life; my own cheerleader, support system, shoulder to cry on.  My husband is my complete opposite, yet he brings balance to my life.  He makes me laugh every single day, even when I don't feel like smiling.  He makes me push my boundaries and step out of my comfort zone.  He has opened my eyes to so many things I would never have considered, and encourages me to persue my dreams and passions.

We got married at my aunt and uncle's summer home by the lake.  It was the perfect location and a beautiful day.  During the ceremony you could hear thunder in the distance (but the rain stayed away), and loons calling.  My bridesmaids and I arrived by boat.

After the ceremony our guests mingled on the lawn and were served wine and iced tea while the wedding party had pictures done.

Our dinner and reception were held at a hall.  Some of the highlights of the evening were our candy table which served as guest favors (all of the candy was purple or green), cutting our wedding cake, and dancing with family and friends.

Our wedding day was one of the best days of my life, and I am so lucky to have married one of the greatest guys I have ever met.  He is my best friend and I am so excited for all of the things we will encounter in this life together. 

Happy Anniversary, Dave! I love you. -Kali

Time to Refocus

True.

And lately, with all of the birthdays, family BBQs, and baking I have done...I have felt like crap.   I would say I gained weight in the last week, but the scale says otherwise (thank goodness for small miracles).  My body on the other hand looks like I've gained weight, probably because it is so bloated from all of the sugar and grains I've been eating. 

Lemon bundt cake, caramel birthday cupcakes, lemon cupcakes (recipe to come soon)...I have eaten a lot of cake lately. 

I have also been working out regularly so perhaps that is why my weight hasn't gone up, but my tummy sure looks like I have been slacking off.  But I'm back!  I'm focused.  Birthdays are over, I am going on holidays and won't be baking for awhile, and there is still one whole month of beach days left in summer. 

http://fitisthenewbeautiful.tumblr.com/tagged/typo/page/6

Everything month I try to set new goals for myself at the gym.  Last month I focused on full body workouts instead of focusing on one or two muscle groups and I really enjoyed the extra cardio benefits I got out of my workouts. 

My goals (yes, plural) for August are:

 1) To increase the amount of push ups I can do. Currently I can do 15 but the last 3 are TOUGH.  And I definitely can't do 3 sets of 15.  I usually end up doing "girly pushups".

2) To be able to do a pull up.  Unassisted.  I'd be happy with being able to do one or two by the end of the month.

Source: Pinterest



I came across this picture of Carrie Underwood again last night while wasting time on Pinterest and check out her legs! Every time I do Romanian Split Lunges I think of this picture and pull through the entire 3 sets. 

Well, I'm off to the gym to get me some Carrie Underwood legs. Happy Monday to you!

Happy birthday to me!

Thursday was my 28th birthday.  I spent the morning at the gym, afternoon at the beach, and evening with my family.  I received a few surprises: from a friend, the above balloon, and from my parents and husband, a Canon Rebel T3i camera (I have been wanting one for a few months). 

We ate gluten free cupcakes (from a box and I won't make them again or recommend them) with homemade caramel icing.

This icing is incredibly good. It is very similar to making fudge and it isn't a spreadable icing like a buttercream.  I found it was easiest to dip my cupcakes into the pot because the icing hardens quite quickly.

Caramel Icing
(you will need to double the recipe for a large cake)

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. milk (*I used skim--any will work)
1 cup icing sugar, sifted (*I didn't sift so my icing had little white lumps in it)
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a large saucepan for approx. 2 minutes.  It will be bubbly and golden.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then icing sugar.  Beat until it is smooth.
Quickly pour over your cake and spread it out OR dip cupcakes into the icing to frost them.
The icing will set up quickly and harden.

Flax Pizza Crust

I love pizza.

Pizza is one of the foods that I have missed the most the last few months, actually. The thick crust, tangy sauce, ooey gooey melted cheese....yum!

Figuring out a "clean" pizza has been tough, combined with the fact that I can't eat wheat or tomatoes, but then I remembered a recipe I received from a co-worker who also avoids grains. The recipe is for Flaxseed Wraps, but I modified it with the seasonings to make a pizza crust.

Flaxseed Pizza Crust
Makes 1 serving

3 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. each oregano, basil  or any other "pizza" spices (optional) *I didn't add these
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more to grease the pie plate
1 tbsp. water
1 large egg
corn meal, enough to sprinkle on a pizza stone *I didn't have any, so skipped this

Mix together the ground flaxseeds, baking powder, spices, and salt in a small bowl.  Stir in the oil.  Beat in the egg and water until blended.

Grease a microwave safe pie plate.  Pour the batter in the pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until cooked.  Let cool for 3-5 minutes.

Remove from the pie plate using a spatula to lift the edges. Place the cooked crust onto a pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal. Top with desired toppings.  Bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 10 minutes.

I topped my pizza with caramelized onions, thinly sliced zucchini, fresh spinach, diced chicken, goat cheese, and some mozza cheese. 

My husband topped his with BBQ sauce, red peppers, caramelized onions, chicken, and mozza cheese, but he used a pita as his base. 

Maybe I was just very excited to eat pizza, but I thought that it was delicious!  The flaxseed crust was sturdy enough to hold all of my toppings, it was a little crunchy, and it had a nice flavor and texture (although not doughy like a traditional pizza crust).  Keep in mind I didn't use a sauce, so I'm not sure if that would change how the crust holds up. 

The recipe only makes one individual crust the size of your pie plate, but that was big enough for me as my supper, and I couldn't even finish that.  I put 1/4 of the pizza in the fridge and enjoyed it for lunch today, and I was impressed that the crust was still crunchy.

My pizza up front and my husband's two pizzas on pitas at the back. 

More Than Cereal

Lately everyone I've talked to tells me they eat cereal for breakfast.  I used to be one of those people too, but when I made the change to clean eating approximately a year and a half ago I made the change from cereal to something else.

My go to breakfast most days of the year when I am working is a protein smoothie, with the occassional "special" breakfast on Saturday or Sunday morning when I have more time in the morning to prepare something. 

During the summer I have all of the time in the world to make a yummy, healthy breakfast that will take me through my morning workout. Today I made myself a two egg spinach and cheese omelette, but I also enjoy oatmeal, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hashbrowns, and my favorite breakfast food in the whole world, eggs benedict. 

Here are some other breakfast options for you to try:
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Clean-Eggs-Benedict.aspx
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Vegetarian-Hash.aspx
http://oxygenmag.com/Nutrition/Articles/Poached-Eggs-Florentine.aspx
http://oxygenmag.com/Nutrition/Articles/Low-Sugar-Protein-Pancakes.aspx
http://oxygenmag.com/Nutrition/Articles/Mexican-Breakfast-Wrap.aspx

You've heard this before, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  A cup of coffee or juice does not a breakfast make.  When you skip breakfast you most likely aren't making up the missed nutrients and vitamins you need in a day that you could get in your breakfast foods, you are probably hungrier later in the day and overeat, or choose unhealthy options for your snacks, and you most likely feel sluggish until you do eat a healthy meal.  I know that when I did eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast I was starving by the time I could eat again, usually during Recess at 10:30.  I always, always, always eat a healthy snack between breakfast and lunch, not because I'm starving, but because I try to eat smaller meals throughout the day and I feel better doing so.

Besides cereal not filling your belly up (unless you eat more than a serving--check out what the serving size on your favorite cereal is.  Usually a serving is 3/4 to 1 cup of cereal, and do you really measure that out?), most kinds are full of sugar--even the "healthy" kinds.  I was shocked once I started reading food labels, and cereal just doesn't make the cut in clean eating most of the time (there are exceptions if you do your research). 

One of my weightloss tips to people who ask is, "Eat a clean breakfast." Eat cereal if you must, because at least you are eating breakfast, but try some other options and see how you feel.  The options for a clean breakfast are endless, but if all else fails whip out your blender and make a smoothie.  They are quick to make, require a few delicious and simple ingredients, and you can drink them on the way out the door. 

Breakfast foods are my favorite and I have been known to make them for supper too!  What is your favorite breakfast food?

Weight Loss Story

It took me awhile but I finally did it.  I wrote my weight loss story after months of being pestered to do it, and careful consideration on my part.  I just wasn't sure. 

If you're so inclined, you can read it here.

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Check out these beautiful flowers my mom gave me for no reason other than she loves me. 

So Not a Beach Day

Good morning! I woke up at 7:30 this morning to get things started since my mom and dad were coming over at 9 for breakfast and I had beach plans at 11.  Looking out the window I realized that my beach date would probably be cancelled due to the cold, overcast, windy day, but I had hopes that it would change by then. 

Normally we would all go out for breakfast on Saturday morning, but since no one had to work today (Mom is on holidays, Dad is retired, and my husband gets Fridays off all summer) I decided to cook for us.  My breakfast menu included bacon, scrambled eggs, homemade hashbrowns, strawberries, and oatmeal blueberry pancakes. Sounds good right?  I LOVE breakfast! 

I decided to make oatmeal pancakes because a) I just found those wheat free oats and want to eat them everyday b) pancakes and syrup are delicious c) I like to try new recipes.

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Yields 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour *I used a gluten free flour
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp oil or melted butter
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix the oats and buttermilk in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, or, ideally, overnight. *I used quick oats and only refrigerated for 45 minutes
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the beaten egg, vanilla, and oil/butter to the oat and buttermilk mixture and stir together.
4. Add the oat mixture to the flour mixture, and stir to blend. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brush or spray with oil/butter. *Tip: To make sure it’s hot enough, wet your fingers under the faucet and sprinkle a few droplets of water onto the pan. If they sizzle, it’s ready.
6. Scoop the batter, 1/4 – 1/3 cup at a time onto the pan. *I use an ice cream scoop
7. When the bottoms are browned and the top is set around the edges, flip the pancakes. Cook until the second side has browned.
8. Re-spray/grease the skillet if needed, and repeat with the remaining batter. If the pancakes begin to brown too quickly, lower the heat just a bit.
9. Serve hot with maple syrup and butter

These pancakes were delicious and unfortunately there were none leftover so I will have to make more tomorrow! 

P.S. The weather did not improve.