Today has been an almost perfect Sunday. A perfect Sunday would of course involve a day off, which I don’t get until Thanksgiving. Tired of my whining yet? It will continue. I hate to admit it, but it’s only fair to warn you. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around it will have been over 2 months of straight work, so you’ll just have to bear with me and accept that although I love what I do, this Fall has been a challenge mentally.

Anyway, I woke up at 5:30 to run with Kara. Unfortunately, after I was already dressed, I checked my phone and noticed a text from her saying she didn’t feel so hot. What’s funny is I had hardly slept either and I laid in bed debating canceling, but I figured I was already dressed, I better get my run on. I thought about taking Winston, but I haven’t focused on speed since before the Komen, and I knew I needed to use today to work on it. Unfortunately, my ipod running playlist isn’t finished and my phone isn’t doing so well on my runs so it was just me and the silence of 5:45 am. It was super dark out and I was a little scared, but it was nice to just be by myself in the perevt 65 degree temperature.

I did jogging and speedy run intervals up to Starbucks where I stopped for some water and a chat with some of my fav baristas, then was back on my way to continue. The second half I may or may not have had to take a stop and breathe break or 4. Yes, I paused my garmin so my “speedy” time I don’t feel super impressed with, but it was nice to at least work on speed.

A little while after my run, my appetite came on full force. It always takes a good 30 minutes for me to be able to consider food after a work out. Yesterday at Chompy’s, Hermano ordered pumpkin pancakes that tasted like heaven. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them, so I woke Steve up to take me to Starbucks and the store. I’m an awesome wife. I got a delicious grande bold coffee with 2 pumps pumpkin spice, 2 pumps sf caramel and steamed soy with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I really miss hot coffee when it’s warm here. It’s still too hot, but if I REALLY want it, I will drink it and sweat. It’s really cute. I am the epitome of class.

Onto the most important part: The most amazing pancakes I have EVER made! Better than chocolate chip, better than any white flour crap. This is the real deal.

Pumpkin Pancakes

(theworldlink.com)

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons. packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup cooking oil

My Swaps:

• 1/2 recipe (-temptation)
• Whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose (+fiber, +protein)
• Molasses and sf maple syrup for brown sugar (-sugar, -calories)
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk for reg (-fat, -calories)
• Egg whites for whole eggs (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
• More pumpkin (+yum)
• cooking oil who needs it?! Spray works just fine.
• + chia seeds (+fiber, +protein, +staying power)
• + protein powder (+protein-duh, +staying power)
• + raisins (okay, the more I add things,  the less “skinnified” these sound…)
• + seasonings and extracts (+yum)

Skinnified Fluffy Pumpkin Raisin Pancakes

yielf 3-4 servings

• 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tbs molasses
• 1 tbs sf maple syrup
• 1/2 tbs baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• almost 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 tbs chia seeds
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• dash cloves
• dash ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash maple extract
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.
3. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry until barely combined with some small lumps–DO NOT OVER MIX!
4. Pour pancakes onto sprayed nonstick pan or skillet.
5. Top with raisins if desired.
6. Cook over medium low heat until bottom is set and small bubbles form on top.
7. Flip, and cook on remaining side for 2-3 minutes until golden.
8. Enjoy!

Topping ideas:

• vanilla Greek yogurt
• sf maple syrup
• granola
• fig butter
• nut butter
• butter butter

Whiccchhhaaaaa!!!! I am the pancake master!!! No pancake stands a chance!

Ok, ok, I admit it! I am still in my sweaty run clothes. You can judge me if you want. Sometimes I’m lazy. Steve just topped his with sf syrup.

I topped mine with nonfat vanilla Greek, sf syrup, extra chia seeds and granola per usual, but also added a thin layer of TJ’s fig butter which was an excellent choice!

Yummmmmmm

I’m telling you, I always love every recipe I post, and I almost always at least like every recipe I make, but these pancakes were a different kind of out of this world amazing love. I admit that sometimes whole wheat pancakes are a little brick-like dense, but these are light and fluffy like clouds or pillows. They are the perfect amount of sweet and the right amount of pumpkin. I could eat them again and again and again and I plan to. Do yourself a favor, make these pancakes. You won’t regret it.