Hearty Baked Granola Pancake (For One)

Another breakfast recipe. I know, I'm so predictable.

After a whole lot of mornings of cold overnight oats and smoothie bowls, I decided I was ready for something warm and stick-to-your-ribs filling. Enter the baked pancake. Full of nuts and seeds and oats, this breakfast is full of texture and will keep you energized throughout the morning.

If you're a fan of crispier and thinner pancakes, I suggest splitting this recipe up into two dishes. I prefer a thicker pancake that eats more like a bread or muffin, so this is right up my alley.

Hearty Baked Granola Pancake (For One)


Dry ingredients:
2 tbsp oat flour
2 tbsp rolled oats
2 tbsp almond meal
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp coconut oil, Earth Balance or apple sauce
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp sweetener of choice (I omitted this but you could use agave, maple syrup, Stevia, or cane sugar)

Add-ins:
1 tbsp walnuts
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1-2 tbsp dried fruit
1/2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tbsp hemp or sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a 6-inch ramekin. If you don't have a ramekin, feel free to use a muffin pan, an oven-safe mug or a mini cake pan.

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Add in wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
*If you're using Earth Balance or coconut oil, make sure it's melted and slightly cooled. Once the base is combined, stir in add-ins. Pour mixture into ramekin and smooth out the top.


Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Once the pancake is slightly cooled, transfer onto a plate and top with syrup, fruit, nut butter, etc.

When Sugar Isn't So Sweet (and a smoothie bowl to make it better)

I have a confession.

My name's Vanessa and I'm a sugar addict.

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally decided to own up to my sugar-obsessing ways. Even though sugar can be a totally wonderful treat for those of you out there without food issues, it just leads to a path of overeating and obsession with me. And frankly I'm sick of it.

For the month of April, I've decided to cut out all added sugar from my diet with the exception of whole foods. I mean...who wants to live without fruit? Not this lady.

For this first month, I've decided to limit myself to very little dried fruit simply because it can be a trigger for me. Because dried fruit is so concentrated in sweetness, it often comes off as candy-like and can give me that same sugar rush that other sweets do. So for now, I'm keeping it simple.

When your mood and personality is altered negatively by what you're putting in your body, it's time to make a change. I'm kind of sick of counting on the wrong foods to pick me up...because I always come crashing down.

I'm sure I will be all kinds of angry, moody and crazy for the first week or two but I'm excited to see how I feel after that! Stick around and I'll let you in on my madness.

And to kick this experiment off right, I made myself a delicious green smoothie bowl this morning full of nutrients, veggies and the right amount of fruit. It was so delicious and clean, I thought I'd share it with you guys.

Clean & Green Smoothie Bowl:

Base:
1 cup spinach and collards mix
1/2 cup baby kale
1 tbsp MacroGreens
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tbsp Maca Powder
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
2 ice cubes (and a little added water for consistency)

Blend all ingredients until smooth

Toppings:
1/4 cup raw granola with spirulina via Whole Foods
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp goji berries
1/4 cup blue berries

Decorate and enjoy!

Have you ever given up sugar for an extended period of time? Forever? I love hearing about the experiences others have gone through when giving up a habit or vice.

Building A Better Breakfast: Nuts & Bolts

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. By far. Like...I live for breakfast. Have I said that before? I'm sure I have.  Because breakfast is the best, guys. The. Best.

I love variety and I love switching up my breakfast, but I also think it's important to get the most bang for your buck. The easiest way to do this is to pack as much delicious nutrition you can into this magical meal.

The nuts and bolts (er, seeds) of a hearty breakfast:

My favorite part of any breakfast is choosing the toppings.  You know, basically all of the good stuff you use to decorate your meal. Maybe this speaks to the visually obsessed person I am, but I love a ton of texture, flavor and color. In this particular breakfast I added sliced almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, flax meal, cinnamon and vanilla bean. 

To the right: my base on this particular morning was cooked wild rice and unsweetened almond milk. Other options include oats (steelcut, rolled, Scottish), quinoa, brown rice, or buckwheat groats. Endless possibilities, folks.

I stick to natural sweeteners such as a pitted date, bananas, and/or berries. Yum!

The end result is a delicious stick-to-your-ribs meal that will keep you fueled and satisfied for a pretty good chunk of your morning and afternoon.

What are your favorite breakfast add-ins? Do you like a bunch of complex flavors or do you prefer to keep it simple?