Paleo Pancakes makes for a happy brain

A happy brain makes for a happy life...

One of my all time favorite meals is pancakes and fruit.  Over the years I started noticing an irritating cause and effect relationship between pancakes and my energy level.  Basically,  I would eat pancakes and in an hour I turned into a zombie.  I lost energy, my brain got all muddy and I was less than fun to be around. (was is the key word here)

I don't want to become a zombie but I still love pancakes.  A couple years ago, I found a recipe for what I call Paleo Pancakes.  It is mostly squash and eggs.  The best part is it tastes delish,  keeps my energy happy and gives me a nice little serving of veggies.

 I have made the below recipes a zillion different ways.  Recently I added beets, which turns the batter pin, a color my little 14 month old niece would love.   On a job, I will pack up a container of pancakes and eat them for snacks.  In the morning, when they are fresh off the grill I put top with a bit of coconut oil and fresh fruit.  These mock pancakes are easy, yummy and have great staying power!

 Hope you enjoy,
     Denise

Paleo or Gluten free Pancakes 

    1 1/2 cups cooked butternut squash
    1/2 roasted beet
    1/2 gluten free flour - Trader Joe's brand
          grain free substitute: coconut flour or almond flour
    1/4 cup coconut milk- water or any other milk will also work
    Lots of chopped up pecans
    1/2 tsp baking soda, the soda is optional but it does make your cakes a little fluffier-
               (who doesn't like fluffy pancakes)
    Spices:
          Cloves, cinnamon and ginger powder
     7 eggs
     Coconut oil for cooking and topping pancakes
    Fresh fruit- for topping

Directions:
   In a blender mix:  
       Squash, beets, eggs, flours, spices, milk, baking soda
  On a hot griddle pan- put a bit of coconut oil
       Pour on your pancake mix and add lots of pecans to the batter

  The other day I made a peanut butter sandwich from two pancakes- quite yummy

Pumpkin Pancakes
  Here is the original recipe:  
           from the Book Paleo Comfort Foods Pg 112

    4 large eggs
    4 large egg whites
    1 cup canned pumpkin
    1/2 cup almond flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/4 coconut milk
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp nutmeg
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 cup crushed pecans
      1-2 T butter or coconut oil

1.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except pecans.
2.  Heat a griddle or large skillet to medium heat and coat griddle/pan with butter or other fat source when hot
3.  From here, traditional pancake rules apply with a slight modification.  These will not bubbly like your traditional pancakes.  The batter is a bit thicker.  On medium heat the first side takes about 2-3 minutes to brown then another 1-3 minutes on the other sides.  

Variations-  They are fans of "adding a few chopped nuts on top of a freshly poured pancake.  You can also top a stack of these beauties with a few berries, or mix into the batter some finely chopped apples for a little sweetness.
                                                              Paleo Comfort Foods page 112

Your life hidden in plain sight- the practice of 17

Familiarity - lulls us to sleep

My dad and I stopped by a bakery the other day.  As we chatted with the baker, she mentioned the bakery no longer smelled like fresh doughnuts to her.  The longer she has worked there the less she could smell the donuts.

It is not just scent either; sound has the same diminishing quality.  Have you ever lived by a train track?  At first, those trains rattle your home and your brain.  But over time something peculiar happens, we stop hearing trains.

A few years ago, my father in law asked me if we got many airplanes flying over our home.  I said, no, not too much.  But then I paused and listened, sure enough one was flying over our home that very minute!!  Amazing- our senses are amazing!

The same thing happens with our vision.  What we see all the time, we stopped seeing.  I see this in houses all the time. The longer something sits, the more invisible it becomes. 

Our senses, they give us so much.  They also protect us and help us adapt to any situation.

 If you want to see your life clearly, you must shift the normal.  Travel new paths with your senses and life.

Look at what has become consistent in your life, your daily actions.  What has become stagnate.  Dust them off, move them completely out of their entrenched space and see what happens.

Spring brings a fresh start. If you want to see it clearly, re-spark your senses.  Start with a clean slate, a fresh canvas.  Sometimes what you have been looking for has been sitting right in front of you the whole time.  Keeping your life fresh and alive requires movement and change.  Let the gift of your senses start to shine again.

This month shift 17 things.  Start March by waking up your senses.  Eat 3 new foods,  travel a route to work, play new music, move 17 things in your home, call old friends, turn off your cell phone, try a new hobby- juggling?  Add flowers to your kitchen, read from a new author, read nothing. Shake up 17 of your normal habits.  Wake up your senses and your life.

Let me know how your shift and what happens when you do,
         Happy Travels,
                  Denise
                       Life Coach and Healthy Home Specialist

Your life hidden in plain sight

There is a natural rhythm to our senses, always shifting and re-balancing. What we are constantly in contact with shifts our awareness.  The more consistent the sense input the less awareness we have.  It is our an internal protection.  

My dad and I stopped by a bakery one day and as we chatted with the baker she mentioned the bakery no longer smelled like fresh doughnuts to her.  The longer she has worked there the less she smells the bakery scents.   

It is not just scent either; sound has the same diminishing quality.  Have you ever lived by a train track?  At first, those trains rattle your home and your brain.  But over time something peculiar happens, we all start to tune out the consistent.  A few years ago, my father in law asked me if we got many airplanes flying over our home.  I said, no, I don't think too much.  But as I then paused and listened, sure enough one was flying over our home that very minute!!  Amazing- our senses are amazing!

The same thing happens with our vision.  What we see all the time, we stopped seeing.  Have you ever looked for something- everywhere you search without success?  And then someone looks for you and what you were searching for was right in front of you the whole time.  The longer something sits, the more it becomes the backdrop and no longer present to us. 

Our senses, that give us so much, also protect us by taking away.  If you want to see your life clearly, you must clear out what has become background noise, daily scents and composted possessions.  

As the New Year appears, kindly look at what has become consistent in your life, your every days, your things that have sat in place for over a year.  Dust them off, move them completely out of their entrenched space and see what happens.  Let go of what has become background noise.  Let go of your stagnate spaces.  Breathe life into your days again. Maybe some of your background noise needs to move on.  Let it go out of your home and life with gratitude.

The New Year brings a fresh start and if you want to see it clearly, re-spark your senses.  Start with a clean slate, a fresh canvas.  Sometimes what you have been looking for has been sitting right in front of you the whole time.  Keeping your life fresh and alive requires movement and change.  Let the gift of your senses start to shine again.