Christmas Pancakes for the Health Nut

I love food that makes you fat. Carbs... love'em. Fat... Loooove it! Sugar.... yes, please. I'm not ashamed to admit it either. Fat and carb filled sugar is delicious. If anyone knows me well, they know that passing up a donut is as difficult for me as saying no to 1 million bucks. 

It's simply not fair. Just like the universal imbalance of how youth is wasted on the young, so is the irony of delicious food making you fat. Ooooohhh the injustices of the world... I shake my head. 

Lately, I have been on quite the quest of trying to close the veil between delicious and healthy. Tirelessly striving to make the two more synonymous with each other. I do believe there are ways to trick your mind and taste buds into thinking you are eating something that you should probably feel a little bit guilty about. 

Today I have proudly conquered yet another recipe and have successfully come up with a beautiful trick for the oh-so-delicious pancake! With a few key substitutions, these pancakes taste amazing and are sooooo satisfying.... I know because I ate them this morning. 

I give you: The Christmas Pancake! They are made with cinnamon and Eggnog to get you into the holiday spirit! They would make for a great breakfast on Christmas Day for unwanted... errr...I mean... wanted family houseguests. 

Recipe for: Christmas Pancakes for the Health Nut

What you will need:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cups reduced fat Egg Nog (if you don't like Eggnog you can sub milk, almond milk or soy milk)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions: 
In a large bowl- mix flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
In a microwave safe bowl (you can do this on the stove too)- heat Eggnog to lukewarm. 
In a medium bowl- add coconut oil, Eggnog, vanilla and egg. Whisk well to combine. 

In the bowl with the flour mixture make a well in the center. Pour your wet ingredients into your dry and mix with a fork. The batter will be rather thick. Mix until combined and only small lumps are left- do not over mix. 

At this point, you can add fruit or nuts if you like. Walnuts, bananas, blueberries, apple compote... the list is endless. Be creative! 

When ready, heat skillet and use a small amount of butter to coat the pan (if you are not anti Pam, use butter flavored Pam to reduce calories). Spoon in batter to make a 4"circle. Since the batter is so thick, use the back of the spoon to spread it out. Wait until edges are lightly brown and bubbly.... flip. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. 

I hope you enjoy these pancakes! Please leave comments if you make them and tell me how they turned out!

Happy Holidays! 

Being Sick Sucks!

Ugh... I've been sick for the past 3 days. Face feels like it has been run over by a semi. My throat feels like creepy tiny people are scraping at it with sharp razor blades. Chest is on fire. I. Am. Miserable. 

Here are a few of my tried-and-true home remedies that can help curb the symptoms of a cold: 

1. If you are over 21- Drink hot toddies. Seriously. There are many, many recipes for these miracle drinks but I like this one the best- Hot water or tea, one shot of whiskey, lemon slices squeezed and then added to the drink, cinnamon, honey and pepper. Stir. Enjoy. It works wonders. 

2. Eat soup. I know, I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here. However, eating soup while sick induces a sense of nostalgia. Remember how good it felt when your mom would give you soup in bed when you were sick? It reminds you of that feeling and you will instantly feel better. 

3. Cuddle up with someone- if they let you. One of the best ways to feel better when miserable is to have human contact. Lay in the lap of your significant other, spoon or hold hands. You will immediately feel less pain. 

Don't have a significant other? Don't worry.... dogs and cats make great cuddle buddies or call your bestie. They must owe you for something... 

4. Sleep. A no brainer, right? Well... not so much. Many of us have crazy lives which gives little room to take proper care of ourselves. We work... have kids... family... projects... etc. 

Stop it. Stop it right now... and sleep. You will never be 100% if you don't take care of yourself first. Your sickness will be prolonged and mostly you will spread it to others. 

Ask someone for help. You will be surprised at how many people are actually willing to help you. 

There you have it. My simple but very effective home remedies for a cold. I'm going to go take my own advice and start with #1..... end with #4. Gulp, slurp, mmmmm, Zzzzzzz.....