To Keep or Not to Keep (and Chocolate Chip Pancakes!)
Good, afternoon! It’s Friday!! Cue happy dance.
This morning I went on a glorious run before it got too hot. Or too rainy…
Then I came home for a fabulous Friday breakfast.
Guaranteed Good Mood Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or flour of your choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 T almond milk (or milk or your choice)
- small handful organic chocolate chips
- 1/2 banana, sliced in half lengthwise (optional)
- organic strawberries (optional)
- maple syrup for drizzling (optional)
**You should know that when I say “optional,” I really mean “I strongly urge you to use these if you have them on hand. And you should always have chocolate, bananas and maple syrup on hand.”
**Yes, those 2 T of milk really matter. It’s what stretches your batch from 4 pancakes to 5 pancakes. And when it comes to pancakes, 5 is always better than 4.
- In a small bowl, mix flour, soda, cinnamon and salt together.
- Add milk and mix.
- Add in your handful of chocolate chips.
- Grease your griddle pan and heat on medium.
- Pour your batter and set your banana slices face down. Flip once your pancakes fluff up and your banana begins to caramelize.
- Top with grilled banana slices, strawberries and whatever else you can find in your pantry.
- Drizzle with maple syrup and devour.
If that’s not a recipe for a good mood, I don’t know what is.
Onto more serious matters.
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My laptop has been out of commission for quite some time now.
I’d love to get a new one, but that requires quite a bit of $$$. Plus there’s all the software to buy. Grooooan.
I’m saving up, but it might take some time, so for now I’ve been relying on Joey’s computer.
Which is scary since it flashes the “blue screen of death” at me then shuts down a couple times a day.
My blogging life is hanging by a thread!
Or I’m just being dramatic.
Anyways, in an effort to save Joey’s computer, we’ve decided to “clean it up,” or I guess “clean it out” would be more appropriate.
This means deleting some files. Like the increasing number of pictures I have…
That’s 2200+ pictures I’ve been hoarding.
You don’t even want to know how many I had on my 4-year old laptop.
But what do I do with all those food pictures. I wouldn’t dream of deleting people pictures, but do I actually need any of the others. Half are on my blog already, but what about the others? Those that “didn’t make the cut.”
Help!
What do you do with all your food blog pictures??
Happy Friday!
Odds and Ends
But it’s me, so it’s probably more odds than ends.
I now have Google Reader.
And consequently will probably have “blog reading guilt” every time I see how many posts have suddenly piled up.
I like to set myself up for failure.
I always eat plums with a knife.
It’s easier, I swear.
This probably makes Joey nervous – he knows I don’t do well with knives…
I’ve been wanting to watch this movie all week.
Don’t even judge me. We all love seeing Jeff Bridges doing gymnastics, don’t we?
But settled for this one. Which is equally good, if only for the “You Make My Dreams Come True” dance scene.
If you haven’t already noticed, there’s some new things up in here.
New picture.
That looks slightly off every time I look at it. Is it just me?
It’s supposed to look “professional,” but I’m pretty sure it just looks sunburned.
Blogroll.
You should feel special if you’re on it.
And you shouldn’t feel un-special if you’re not on it. I was struck with momentary amnesia and couldn’t even remember which blogs I read.
I’m on Facebook!
I say that like I’m excited, but really, having a F-book page makes me highly anxious.
Story: On the drive to Santa Fe, in an attempt at linking my most recent post to my Facebook via iPhone, I accidentally shared the link on my personal Facebook page.
Hysteria ensued as I frantically tried to figure out how to delete the post before anyone saw.
Call me crazy but the thought of sharing my blog with people I wasn’t actually friends with in high school, pre-school teachers and co-workers of the past and present makes me feel slightly ill.
Anyways, for those of you who belong to this ever so understanding and supportive blog community, I invite you to check out my page and “like” it all you want.
Colorado weather is terrifying lately!
Every afternoon/evening it starts raining, which quickly progressing into pouring, plus lightning like you wouldn’t believe.
(Source)
The next morning, the sun is shining and it’s like nothing ever happened. And this has been going on for weeks!
My life is forever changed by freezer jam.
Purchased (for $7!!!) at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, which makes the Boulder Farmer’s Market seem small.
What’s freezer jam, you say? No cooking involved. Everything is just mashed together and stuck in the freezer.
Beautiful, no?
It tastes like the raspberry popsicles my mom bought us as kids. I love it. Now I just have to make it last until my next trip to Santa Fe.
I seriously had so much fun writing this post.
If you missed it, you should probably go back and check it out. Even better than all the fun I had writing it, was all the laughs I had reading your comments.
Off to check out what my Reader has in store for me!
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Do you have Google Reader?
Have you seen 500 Days of Summer? If not, you need to get on that, NOW.
Is your weather equally crappy?
WIAW: Santa Fe Style
Are you sick of hearing about my 3 day vacation to Santa Fe?
Get over it, because you’ve got one more day to get through. 3 days, 3 posts, right?
Don’t worry, at least this post includes actual food.
And a party.
But really, this is more like a “What I Ate and Drank Wednesday”
Award for best rooftop bar goes to…
As does the award for most vegetarian friendly.
“Local Squash Blossoms: stuffed with crab and New Mexico goat cheese, tempura battered and flash fried, served with roasted red pepper butter sauce.”
According to Joey, this goat cheese tasted like “it came straight from the goat.” I don’t know what that means but I don’t think it’s a good thing. I happen to disagree and think it all tasted great! I also didn’t realize they had crab in them until I just copied the description…
“Stuffed Roasted Red Pepper: beluga lentil salad stuffed in a roasted red bell pepper, including sautéed spinach, broccolini, assorted baby vegetables and local garlic, quinoa pilaf, sweet corn flan and roasted tomato vinaigrette.”
Bell pepper: meh. Everything else: fab. I could have drank that vinaigrette.
“Burrito La Plazuela: a flour tortilla filled with your choice of shredded beef or chicken and topped with your choice of local Hatch red, green or Christmas chile.”
Guess which one was mine.
A sopaipilla may have been shared afterwards.
The “Looked Better than it Tasted” award goes to…
“Breakfast Tostadas: two crisp yellow corn tortillas cups filled with anasazi beans and spinach and mushrooms. Scrambled eggs on top. Served with home-cut potatoes and toast or muffin.”
Fact: Drowning something in cheese doesn’t make up for bland beans, veggies and chile.
Fact: I should have ordered the half-size portion.
Fact: The cinnamon raisin bread totally redeemed the Guadalupe Cafe.
Bottom line: Always order the migas.
Joey’s equally lack luster huevos.
Award for best mid-day treat, most unique and most needed in Colorado goes to…
Kakawa. Duh.
And if you don’t know what Kakawa is, you should probably skip on over to this post and get a clue. <—Shameless self plug.
Marie Antoinette Elixir
Fact: Drinking something called “elixir” makes you feel extra sophisticated.
And even more so, if it’s out of a tiny cup.
Award for most fun dining experience goes to…
Don’t be silly, of course it goes to Maria’s.
How could somewhere offering over 100 margaritas not be fun?
Veggie fajitas.
Don’t let this picture fool you. There was also guac, pork green chile stew and yet another shared sopaipilla involved.
Sometimes it’s okay to be stuffed to the max. And that time is totally your birthday.
Then I proceeded to wake up the next morning at 6:45 AM starving. My appetite amazes me.
The award for hands down best breakfast goes to…
And if I learned anything from my disappointing breakfast at Guadalupe Cafe it’s: if it’s isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
In other words, I got that same exact thing I got last time.
In my opinion, red chile > green chile.
Have I lost you yet? Please, feel free to skip over my ramblings and just look at the pictures. My sister and Joey assure me that’s what they do when they read my blog. Thanks for the support, guys…
Award for best new foodie find goes to…
It’s kind of a big deal.
Despite being highly enticed by all the cupcakes, pies and cakes, I managed to leave with only a sandwich for the road.
And in-house baked whole wheat bread.
For $3?! Chocolate Maven should give Great Harvest a few pointers on bread pricing.
And maybe a cookie, too.
Peanut butter chocolate marble cookie.
Sweet end to a sweet trip.
How do you feel about Mexican food? If you hate it, then what’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Red or green chile?
Don’t forget to thank our hostess and join in on the party!
Lauren Loves Good Food 