Showing posts with label pancake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pancake. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Camera Randomness

Good morning!  Is everyone enjoying the weekend thus far?  This is a 3 day weekend for us thanks to Monday being family day!  Looking forward to NO alarm tomorrow morning.  LOL  Anyways, the kids are busy watching movies this morning so I decided it was high time to clean up the pictures that have been lingering on my camera.  Thought I’d share a few with you!
First, last Friday we went to Casey’s for dinner and I was (happily) surprised to see that they now have a gluten free menu!  I haven’t had pasta in a restaurant for ages so I dove right into a bowl of Jambalaya with corn penne.  The flash went off when I took the picture so I took another of the leftovers that I ate for lunch yesterday:IMG_6799  Nicely done!  I also enjoyed a PB ice cream/brownie “mini” dessert.IMG_6798 I’m not a fan of whipped cream so that went to Jason’s dessert, but I was all over the brownies!!  YUM!
Speaking of pasta, I’ve collected a few noodle-y meals on the ole camera:IMG_6595 IMG_5618 The above was from a bit ago, but I remember it because I had made a wicked seafood sauce!
IMG_5674 IMG_6192 ^^^Pad Thai; also from Casey’s back in the summer…^^^
IMG_6356 ^^^Rice noodles with homemade clam sauce^^^
IMG_6591  ^^^Rice pasta bakes with ground turkey, spinach and provolone cheese.
I’ve also seem to have collected many breakfast pictures over the last few months: IMG_0443 IMG_5499 IMG_5665 IMG_5676 IMG_5891 IMG_6276 IMG_6283 IMG_6323 IMG_6336 And eggs!  I seem to eat more eggs than I thought!  I’m a little quirky with my eggs in that I really don’t like them for breakfast.  I mainly eat them for lunch or, on occasion, for a quick dinner. IMG_0355 IMG_5752 IMG_5813  IMG_6222
Here’s a coupla kitten pictures!IMG_6793 IMG_6800 What a face!!   :)  I think I’ll leave the photos at that.  There’s plenty more, but I’d like to get them in some sort of order for a proper post!  :)
Before I go I wan tot remind you to check out the House of Tsang giveaway I’m hosting.  There’s still time to enter!!
Bye for now!!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Alarm Free

Happy Sunday, all!  Has everyone been enjoying a great weekend?  Mine’s been more low key than usual which is just fine by me.  Yesterday and today I actually got to wake up naturally, read; NO ALARM!  I seriously can’t remember the last time I was able to go to bed without setting my alarm.  It’s not even that I sleep late, it’s just SO nice wake up on my own, ya know?? 
It’s definitely been a lot cooler lately, this weekend in particular.  Only 6*C right now!  I was hoping to go another few weeks before starting the furnace up, but we cracked yesterday and started it up.  I’ve also been using the oven as a heat source.  Yesterday after groceries but before Noah’s hockey game I baked another batch of granola from Quinoa 365:IMG_6401
I love that this makes such a massive amount (7 cups) of granola!  And we all like it, so it never goes to waste.   Sarah helped me out with another recipe from the book:IMG_6456 She seems to be developing a real interest in the kitchen, so I let her do most of it for me.  I only had strawberry jam so we used that instead and the bars turned out GREAT!IMG_6458 The quinoa flour *almost* makes it taste like there’s peanut butter in the crust.  Noah actually thought this and I didn’t try to change his mind.  ;)
Breakfast yesterday was a big stack of pumpkin pancakes topped with blueberries;IMG_6438 How absolutely delicious does that look?  I could go for another stack right now!  HAHA  I had one rice tortilla left in the fridge so I decided to fill it with some eggs.  I cooked a big handful of spinach, added some turkey deli meat (GF) then poured in about a 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters. When it was just about set I added some goat gouda w/ chilles:IMG_6454 Then wrapped it up!IMG_6455
I don’t know that I’m too fond of the rice wraps.  They taste fine, but tend to get awful hard which in turn makes them crack.  Hmm….For dinner I made a BIG batch of homemade butternut squash soup which was served with plain Greek yogurt and grated mozzarella:IMG_6439 Soup just never photographs well, does it?  I had some toasted rice bread on the side for dipping.  YUM! 
Sarah is trying out for a volleyball team here in town so a few tryouts have been taking place.  IMG_6427
I know; just what we need right?  Another competitive sport in the house!  But I firmly believe in giving my kids every opportunity out there that they show an interest in.  This may make for a busy life right now, but when you think of it, at 12, I really don’t have many more years left with her before she leaves for school and what such so it’s a small price to pay. 
Let’s see….not much more to report.  The gluten free thang is still going well.  Like I’ve said before; I’m sure there is still some gluten in my diet, but the bulk of it has been removed and I’ve been feeling better.  It’s really only been 7ish weeks and I was told to give it at least 4 months to *really* see results, so I’m gonna stick with it for the time being.  On that note, I have a delicious salad waiting for me to eat for lunch!  Talk soon!
Bye for now!!!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday Breakfast = Pumpkin Pancakes

Good morning!  It’s been a beautiful weekend so far which is such a treat because the forecast originally called for rain.  Has it been lovely in your area? 
This morning was the first in a long time that we didn’t have to set the alarm to get up and be somewhere so I relaxed in bed for a bit deciding on what I wanted to make for breakfast.  I was feeling pancakes, but wanted more than just the plain ole, plain ole.  Looking for inspiration I flipped open Quinoa 365 and found the perfect recipe! 
IMG_6431  IMG_6429 IMG_6430
Seeing as this is the first weekend of fall, what could be more perfect than pumpkin pancakes??  I set to work on the batter and proceeded to pump out 18 beautifully golden, fluffy ‘cakes!IMG_6434  IMG_6433
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I gotta admit; I was getting a little anxious to eat about halfway through the batter!  HAHA!  Patience is not a strong virtue of mine.  But finally I was down to the last 2 that were destined for my plate.  I knew right off that my toppings of choice would not only include the pecans as suggested in the recipe, but a good glug of this raspberry syrup I picked up last night;IMG_6428
Raspberries, sugar and lemon juice make up the list of ingredients and I just knew that the combo of pumpkin and raspberry would be delicious.  My plating skills are seriously lacking, but here’s what my breakie looked like:IMG_6437
GET IN MY BELLY!!!  These pancakes were just awesome.  AND (!!) I have 16 left to go in the freezer for quick weekday breakfasts.  Cook once, eat twice…..or 8 times, right?!
What is your favourite pancake flavour?  And what do you like to top your flap Jack’s with?
Bye for now!!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Weekend Update

Hi everybody!!  I hope you all enjoyed the post written by my guest blogger last week….thanks to Danae for sharing her story!  I also hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me.  I love posting little questionnaire’s from time to time!  Some of you mentioned that you had some difficulty reading that post in Google Reader; my apologies.  Ever since I frigged up my layout I’ve been having some issues.  Oh, to be tech savvy right about now!
So the weekend was a success where my little man’s sporting events were concerned!  His hockey team made it to the semi finals in their tournament.  IMG_2048 They played 2 games on Friday, 2 games on Saturday and one on Sunday.  The most exciting though was his soccer team WINNING the league finals on Saturday morning! IMG_1971 They played like rock stars and were awarded a 5-2 win which earned them the spot of best in South Western Ontario for their age group.  I’ve truly enjoyed every minute of his soccer season.  The boys on the team are some of the best kids ever, the parents are all so friendly and easy going and the coaches are some of the most dedicated I’ve ever seen.IMG_2005   Just such a pleasure to be a part of it all.  Soccer is done now for a month, and then they will start practicing indoors mid October so a wee bit of a break there.
On the food front I’ve been really concentrating on making “stick to your rib” meals to keep us warm in the chill of fall, but more importantly to ensure that the kids are getting proper nutrition to keep them healthy and strong with school and extra activities all starting this month.  Not to mention the inevitable illnesses that come with the beginning of school.  Hello cold season!  Here are a few of the dinners we’ve been enjoying;
Poached Sole Fillets with Dilled Rice IMG_6409 This was easy and quick.  I simply chopped and cooked 4 slices of bacon until crisp, then drained the drippings out of the pot.  Next I added a 19oz can of diced tomatoes with green pepper & onions, one crushed garlic clove, chilli powder, s & p.  Once the sauce was boiling I added sole fillets, turned down the heat, covered and cooked for 10 minutes.  While that was doing its thing I made a quick pot of Minute brown rice infused with 1 tbsp of fresh dill. Voila!!!
Roasted Turkey Thighs with Cheesy Polenta IMG_6411
Tuesday was a free night so I knew I would have time to make a more time consuming dinner.  Or maybe I should say one that takes longer to cook.  After arranging 4 turkey thighs in an 8x8 baking dish I treated them to an EVOO-BBQ spice rub massage.  I covered them up with foil and popped them in a 350* oven for 45 mins, then another 15 uncovered.  Now the fun part; sit on couch and watch Jamie Oliver’s new show!  I got started on the polenta after the thighs were out of the oven “resting”.  The polenta is super easy; simply bring 2 cups of liquid of your choice to a boil.  I used water this time.  Turn down heat and slowly whish in a ½ cup of dry polenta (cornmeal).  Once smooth you can start using a spoon/spatula.  Stir, stir, stir because it comes together lickety split!  When it’s thick, stir in a ½ cup each of cheese of your choice to equal one cup.  I used parmesan and goat’s Gouda with chillies.  Serve immediately.  As you can see from the picture, we had some baby peas, aw well.
Tonight’s dinner was requested by Noah; pasta.  The kid could live off this meal, I swear it!  HAHA!!IMG_6420
My sauce is always slightly different; sometimes is ground poultry, other times extra lean ground beef.  I can even get all fancy pants and use bison!  But it ALWAYS starts with chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic.  You will also always find dried basil, oregano and the tiniest bit of nutmeg.  I also use straight tomato sauce; not ready to go jarred sauce.   For tonight I wanted to sneak an extra veggie boost into the sauce so I grated a small zucchini and added it after sautéing the beef.  The kids never realize when I do this because the veggies “melt” into the sauce if grated.  The fam had WW fusili, I used rice fusili for my own which is what you see in the above picture.
I haven’t bothered taking many lunch photos because most times it’s leftovers from the night before.  I did, however, snap a few yummy breakfast ones. 
IMG_6392
This French toast was prepared with some homemade gluten free bread.  I won’t link to/share the recipe because clearly bread and I do not get along and although this was edible, it was FAR from the greatness I was hoping for.  Hence the “French Toast” disguise!  I topped it off simply with some blueberry/Meyer lemon jam that we purchased at the St. Lawrence Market.
IMG_6407
Mmmm…pancakes!  I made these using a gluten free mix.  Again, not the best BUT!!!  While watching Diners, Drive Ins and Dives one night I saw a chef add homemade granola to his pancake recipe.  Brilliant!  So I added a ¼ cup of granola to my batter which did wonders for the overall taste and texture.  Try it out…you’ll love it!
Whelp!  The new season of Criminal Minds starts in a few so I’m off to tuck under a blanket, sip a cuppa tea and watch the show!  Enjoy your evening, friends!
Bye for now!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Enjoy Life Foods Double Chocolate Crunch Granola & Semi Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks-Review

A few weeks ago I was lucky to receive a box of goodies from Enjoy Life Foods.  Inside there was a bag of Double Chocolate Crunch Granola and a bag of Semi Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks:IMG_0449
First, a bit about the company.  Enjoy Life Foods was founded early in 2001 and has 32 products on the USA market and 23 on the Canadian market.  Their products range from granola to trail mix to baking chocolate to cookies and bars.  All items are gluten free and allergy friendly.  They’re free of the top 8 allergens;
  1. wheat
  2. dairy
  3. peanuts
  4. tree nuts
  5. egg
  6. soy
  7. fish
  8. shellfish
Most are also free of:
  • potatoes
  • sesame
  • sulfites
  • casein
I must admit that the double chocolate crunch granola is divine and I’ve simply been eating it out of hand.IMG_0452  
Sarah loves it stirred into strawberry yogurt.  And Noah adds it to his morning bowl of cereal for some extra crunch  Some facts on the granola:
Ingredients: Brown Rice Flakes,Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Chocolate Liquor, Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter), Evaporated Cane Juice, Brown Rice Syrup, Water, Rice Bran, Rice Crisps (Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Raisin Juice Concentrate, Honey, Salt), Natural Process Cocoa Powder, Insulin (Chicory Root Fiber), Ground Flaxseed, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Honey,Vanilla, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Rosemary Extract
NO TRANS FAT, NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, VEGAN, KOSHER PAREVE, GLUTEN-FREE, CASEIN-FREE
Vitamins and minerals: Vitamins and Minerals: Magnesium, Iron,
Niacin (Vitamin B3), Zinc, Thiamin (Vitamin
B1), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Folate,
Vitamin B6
  • Great for breakfast or snacking
  • Loaded with semi sweet mini chocolate chips
  • re-sealable, stay fresh package  (MAJOR POINTS HERE!!)
double_chocolate_granola
The mega chunks were super fun to bake with and made a nice sweet treat out of hand.  I baked a big batch of almond butter chocolate chunk cookies (for which I unfortunately lost the link to so please let me know if these are your so I can link back!!) IMG_0494 IMG_0492 The chunks held their shape yet proved to be melted morsels of love straight out of the oven; just like their dairy counter part.  The kids and I also topped many a pancake with  whipped cream cheese and chocolaty morsels!IMG_0487_1 YUMMY!  I also baked them into a batch of my dark chocolate chip avocado muffins.  Here’s some more info for you:
Ingredients: Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Chocolate Liquor (non-Alcoholic), Non-dairy Cocoa Butter
NO TRANS FAT, NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, VEGAN, KOSHER PAREVE, GLUTEN-FREE, CASEIN-FREE
mega_chunks
These are 2 Enjoy Life Food products that I will definitely be purchasing again and again.  Especially the Chocolate Mega Chunks. 
Have you tried either of these products?  Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section.  After all, the more information out there the better, right??
You can read my other Enjoy Life product reviews here and here….
Bye for now!!