Oatmeal Pancakes... on the Road! DIY Pancake Mix and Travel Options.

Welcome to summer!  That peaceful time of eagerly anticipated days of family travel, endless queries of "Are we there yet?" and the search for meals on the road.

While I love to travel, it's often hotel and restaurant food that does me in.  I can only take so many days of oil laden $18 (if we are lucky) pancakes and waffles, dripping made to order omelettes, and bacon on top of everything.

Being a mostly plant-based and dairy-free family (my kids are severely lactose intolerant making this an even more important issue to control) has its difficulties when searching for food to meet our needs.  Then toss in our travel for Liv's competitive dance team and finding not only dairy-free foods, but healthy options to sustain her through 10 hour plus days becomes nearly impossible.

But that's where a little DIY creativity finds us making our hotel neighbors positively envious as they find aromas of fresh oatmeal pancakes drifting through our adjoining doors.

Yes, I've taken to traveling with my own griddle!  A recent Amazon find of the Presto Liddle Griddle solved our breakfast issue with its small (read very packable) 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch cooking surface.

Traveling the last two weeks with Liv's team I planned ahead and pre-packaged several bags of our favorite pancake mix along with our new griddle.  With Almond Milk and syrup in the cooler, our plant-based pancakes were ready in minutes, and I'm proud to say I actually had a knock on the door from our hotel neighbors (a team member) saying she could smell them through the door and to please tell her we had extra!

With ingredients including oat flour, oats, chia, ground flax, and banana, these pancakes set Liv and her girlfriends off to a good start before competing, and if desired, the addition of an egg brings even more protein to the meal.  And... all for a small fraction of the price of the hotel restaurant.

Here's were I'm going to change subjects just for a minute and gush about our week!  You know that dream of winning it all?  The dream of scoring the highest score of the entire competition and coming home with an 8 foot trophy?  Well... that happened!

Pure excitement!  National 1st Place winner... Best of the Competition!

These girls attended the Star Systems Nationals in Las Vegas with over a thousand other dancers and finished the season with their large group contemporary number undefeated, and took home the highest score of the week.  Not a bad way to end the season!

For those of you following on our Facebook page, this is the same number you voted on for the Industry Dance Awards and the girls send their sincere thanks.

But back to the pancakes... which I'm thinking may have fueled the beginning of their day so well that I may be partially responsible for the win ;).  Whole grain, laced with cinnamon and banana, then drizzled with pure maple syrup.  Hotel breakfasts just don't get much better.

Power Pumpkin Pancakes

Pancakes... here at Liv Life, pancakes bring balance to the table.  For some 18 years I've made pancakes 3-5 times a week, and over the years I've done my best to keep that balance of a "light, fluffy pancake" with healthy ingredients that help get my kids through their mornings.

Hence, I've stuffed everything from whole grains to bananas to avocado to black beans into pancakes with mostly wonderful results (the black bean version was accepted,  but noted as "different... and not in the best way imaginable ;)

Pumpkin Pancake Instagram

Pumpkin, though, is always a hit.  Tweaking a version from 4 years ago (a special post with pancakes that brought comfort to our family), we've turned this pumpkin version in a power version - one that you can count on to get you through the morning in a healthy manner, but also one that will have the kids asking for them again for dinner.

Filled with whole grains, flax, chia and pumpkin, these pancakes bring an array of nutrients and healthy properties including fiber, vitamin E, easier digestibility and a lower glycemic index from the Organic Spelt.  Flax brings a high content of Omega-3's in addition to cardiovascular health, and pumpkin blasts us with vision-healthy vitamin A.

But it's the chia that brings on even more power.  Prized by the Aztecs and Mayans to provide sustainable energy, chia also brings bone healthy calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.  We've been adding chai to all sorts of recipes, and I'm finding I'm somewhat obsessed with this little seed that swells incredibly when added to liquid.

All these benefits leave me happy with our choice of morning meal, but add in a few dashes of pumpkin pie-like spices and you have flavors that will send aromas of the holidays through your kitchen.

Power Pumpkin Pancakes - they're what's for breakfast.  Or dinner.

DIY Homemade Waffle Mix - aka Hotel Waffles (mix works for pancakes too!)

How many times do you head to a hotel breakfast only to be greeted with fat laden, white flour, soggy waffles?  For years I've simply skipped breakfast and my kids, while excited at first, complained of not feeling well after these indulgent meals (frequently topped with whipped cream...).  We, however, have fixed the issue on our past few hotel stays with what we've affectionately dubbed, "Hotel Waffles".

With a little bit of pre-planning, healthy waffles can be ready in no time right in your hotel room and no one needs to shower, worry about when the restaurant breakfast ends, or spend the morning recovering from unhealthy treats that weren't really enjoyed but cost a fortune anyway.

A simple DIY mix containing whole grains, chia and flax shake together with an egg, a little oil, milk and vanilla in a lidded jar.  With a waffle maker brought from home (we travel with the Cuisinart Round Waffle Maker that I've had for years), we pre-measure the mix in zippy bags and store eggs and milk in a cooler.

I have small travel bottles of oil, vanilla and maple syrup that we pack along, and shortly after rising my family is happily sliding out of bed and starting their day the right way (healthy, quick and cheap).

Perfect for camping as well as hotels, you may want to make extra mix as these beauties work just as well on a leisurely weekend at home!

Heart-Healthy Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

Little white balls of fluff... who knew they could worm their way into your heart so easily??  Just four years ago we brought these Maltese litter mates home at 10 weeks of age and weighing just over a few pounds each.  They tested every bit of patience I had as they chewed, bit and peed their way through my house, and on more than one occasion I was sorely tempted to send them back.

But then something happened.  They settled into a routine, they did their business outside and they looked to me with undying love nearly every moment of the day.  I'm not sure exactly when, but I began loving these guys with all my heart.

They follow me throughout the day and one or both of them usually hops onto my lap whenever the opportunity is given.  Their big brown eyes exude happiness and pure love to our whole family and my heart simply breaks when they are sick.

Unfortunately, these last few weeks we've seen our share of sick pups.  One experienced a severe allergic reaction on Christmas Day and had me up worrying about him most of the night.  The vet gave meds the next day, but his sad little eyes didn't understand that the meds would take a little bit of time to work.  Needing medicine throughout the night to help him breathe, I slept little for days as I listened for any struggle during the night.  Luckily, his attack has passed and now we wait for a blood test to see what might have caused the whole experience.

Then a few days ago I treated the two to an after dinner treat of grilled mahi mahi, an old favorite that we haven't had in quite some time.  Apparently... too long of a time, and the change in diet caused the next pup to become sick.  Lethargic, weak and with the saddest brown eyes you've ever seen, my husband and I took turns holding the boy for two days until his digestive system bounced back on track.

With both boys finally feeling better, my heart is bursting with love and I'm hoping to keep it that way.  Hence... we've been eating these better than I ever thought they could be heart-healthy pancakes for the last few days for breakfast.

Not really looking for a vegan pancake, I stumbled across a similar recipe while searching for heart-healthy versions.  With no added oil or eggs, these pancakes feature whole grains, hints of vanilla, and refreshing chunks fruit in the form of blueberries or banana (or any other fruit your heart desires!).

Having my doubts about the texture without the egg, I simply had to see if these pancakes could live up to the hype.  Would my family reject them in favor of our usual version with eggs and oil?   Would the texture be dense and dry?  Could a pancake without an egg really be good?

I'm happy to say yes to all of the above, and the reception to these flapjacks was quite the opposite of my doubts, even garnering a, "Mom... these are the best pancakes you've ever made!  Can we have them again tomorrow?".

Tweaking the ingredients to suit my taste, I had these pancakes cooking up as some of the lightest and fluffiest pancakes ever, and this vegan version earned its place as a keeper.

I didn't tell anyone about the "things" I left out, but I feel good enough about this breakfast to serve it to family members struggling with heart issues, and with my two Maltese pups lounging on my lap as I type, my heart is full as can be.

 

DIY Homemade Pancake and Waffle Mix

High School is harder than I remember.  With all this extra homework, dance practice, hospital volunteering and now college application season approaching in addition to my other "Mom Duties", I'm completely and utterly exhausted.  Making my last round of kid pick ups at 9:30 on some night, lights out isn't happening until well beyond what I consider a "decent" bedtime.  And I'm the first to admit that the alarm getting me up again before the sun rises is leaving me a little grumpy.

The school year started some 6 weeks ago with me jumping out of bed before the alarm even went off, grabbing a shower and then happily popping downstairs to get a hot breakfast on the table before the kids headed out the door.  We had pancakes, waffles, French Toast, etc, lunches were packed with imagination and the kitchen was cleaned all before 8 AM.

However, these last few weeks have seen me lose my morning perk.  The alarm blares once, if not twice before I slide out of bed to get Liv moving.  My shower may be lasting a bit longer, and breakfast has been reduced to a bowl of cereal because I didn't had time to get all the ingredients for pancakes together and mixed as well as get lunches ready before the kids head out the door.

Hence, I've been working to streamline the morning breakfast routine by doing as much as I can the night before.  And last week I took that even one step further as I put together a wholesome pancake and waffle mix that had me whipping out hot breakfasts for an entire week in no time flat.

Enhanced with spelt and oat flours in addition to ground flax meal, the batter is then mixed with protein-filled eggs and and calcium-rich milk all combining into light and fluffy pancakes or nicely crisped waffles.  Adding fruit and nuts either to the batter or over the top brings a rounded meal that I feel happy sending the kids out to start their day on.

Scaleable to whatever quantity you are looking for, making your own baking mix is cheaper and healthier than store bought, and you can mix it up at your convenience (like after your afternoon nap!) to have you looking like Super Mom in the morning.  Have a sick friend? or perhaps a neighbor with a new baby?  Make up a cute mason jar filled with the mix, toss in a recipe and a bottle of pure maple syrup to ease their day.

Plain Restaurant-like Pancakes

"Mom... why do our pancakes always have to be healthy?  Can't we for once just have plain pancakes??  You know, like the big white ones at restaurants?"  Such were the questions Liv posed a few mornings ago as we discussed breakfast.

When my son was a baby he lived on pancakes, and over the years I've learned to stuff just about every sort of nutrient possible into those beloved circles of batter.  Pumpkin, with its pie-like spiciness, has always been a favorite (and filled with Vitamin A).  Our buttermilk version included rolled oats (lots of fiber) and even my most decadent version, the one served with the warm maple glaze, is made with whole wheat flour and bananas (potassium and grains covered here).  Fruits of all sorts tend to find their way into the pancakes (Blueberry anyone??) and nuts are a frequent partner.

Instagram shot

Back to Liv's request for plain restaurant pancakes, and my head filled with visions of packaged pancake mixes (not that there's anything wrong with that) and a plate of few nutrients.  On occasion?  Not a problem.

Referring to a basic recipe from Martha Stewart, I glanced at the ingredients of white flour, granulated sugar and lots of butter and began reaching into the pantry.  Somehow my spelt flour came out along with the white flour and my favorite orange blossom honey happened to replace my grasp for the sugar.  1/4 cup of butter?  It seemed a generous tablespoon would cover that, and then I might also have added a little flax meal.

Stirring the ingredients together, Liv smiled as I asked her to put the all-purpose flour away (I had taken care of the spelt and flax) and she proceeded to give herself a generous pour of maple syrup into her favorite pitcher.  Asking for plate sized pancakes, like the restaurant, in place of the smaller sized that I normally do, these beauties puffed up stunningly and had the kitchen smelling like breakfast in no time flat.

Serving up a plate-sized double stack, my girl smiled that, "Oh my goodness I can't believe she made plain restaurant pancakes!" smile, and proceeded to clean her plate.  She didn't oppose the banana and walnut topping, and proclaimed these pancakes even better than her favorite plain restaurant versions.

I gave her a hug as I tossed another one onto her plate and my heart grew just a little knowing that my girl likes healthier things... she just doesn't know it.

Oatmeal Pancakes with Milk

This post is sponsored by got milk? in partnership with local California organizations that educate kids about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

Since returning home from Liv's Vegas Competitive Dance Nationals, my main focus has been to put a little weight back on her exhausted frame and some energy back into her body.  With 12 hour days for nearly a week, Liv had the time of her life while competing against some incredible talent from as far away as Hawaii.

National Champions!!  (Liv's boots designed by... me!)

The Spotlight Dance Cup proved to be a most successful event for our team.  Remember those boots I spent hours (over 14 to be exact...) on earlier in the season?  How about 1st place, baby??  Yep... the small group tap number, Kixmix, was named the National Champion small group in Vegas last week.  I think I may be stretching my resume to add "National Champion Costume Designer" to my all around qualifications.

4th Place Lyrical Solo

Liv once again brought tears to my eyes as she performed her lyrical solo to near perfection, earning herself a 4th Place Overall standing in the finals.  Her second solo, a musical theater number, brought her a 7th place standing along with a 3rd runner up position in the Miss Teen Spotlight competition, and again, emotional tears to Mom and Dad.

Being on the road though, sometimes makes finding not only good, but healthy food difficult to come by.  With three to four hour long rehearsals (sometimes twice a day) combined with hours of competing, I found myself attempting to refuel her little body at any opportunity.  By the end of the week, however she was running mostly on adrenaline and ended up losing weight.

3rd Runner Up (Liv, left)

Shortly after returning home, the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program in combination with the California Milk Processor Board (the creators of the "Got Milk?" campaign) provided me with the opportunity to promote a product near and dear to our hearts, pure dairy milk.  An ingredient this Dance Mom uses on a daily basis, especially to refuel my young teenage dancer's body, highlighting the benefits of milk is not hard to do.

Filled with calcium, milk helps meet the requirements necessary for the growth and proper development of growing adolescent bones.  In addition, researchers have provided scientific support that milk is even better than sports drinks for serious athletes recovering from exercise.  Containing carbohydrates, electrolytes, calcium and Vitamin D, dairy milk sets an athlete's body back on the recovery track, and with casein and whey being two of the best proteins for rebuilding broken down muscles, milk "does a body good".

In an effort to educate consumers about the wholesome goodness of pure, dairy milk, the CMPB is partnering with the Bay Area based Community Resources and Central Valley After School Foundation, THINK Together, to sell limited edition Got Milk Glasses which contrast the pureness of dairy milk with some of the multiple ingredient imitation milks.  During the four week sale (July 9 through August 5th, 2012), the limited edition glasses are available at www.gotmilk.com/glasses for $15 with 100% of the purchase price going directly to the community organizations to support nutrition education programs in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco/San Jose, and Fresno.  The goal of the sale is to raise $10,000 for each area for a total of $50,000.

Making milk a part of our lives is vital to Liv's growing body, and while she has never been keen on sipping it from a glass like me, the ingredient is part of many recipes that have become family favorites.  Adding milk to smoothies, making ice cream, eating cereal, enhancing baked goods or stirring up pancakes, milk and all of its benefits are helping her to recover from her long week at the Spotlight Dance Nationals.

As her growing body finally eases into the lazy days of summer and rebuilds those torn down muscles, pancakes have been a frequent request.  Staying with simple, pure and wholesome ingredients, Oatmeal Pancakes have graced our table multiple times in the last few days.

Featuring rolled oats, whole grain flours, eggs, a touch of brown sugar and of course, pure bone building milk, Liv tops her pancakes with bananas, walnuts and maple syrup while my son prefers his with a banana on the side.  I enjoy mine with a tall, frosty glass of pure dairy milk.

Thanks to the CMPB and the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program for giving us the opportunity to share our love of milk and to help promote their charity event in support of the THINK Together community.

Banana Ebelskivers - It's Summer Vacation!

Can you feel it?  Summer just slipped into our lives.  Not the weather per se, as we are in the midst of the annual June Gloom here in San Diego, but the lifestyle.

Done are the early morning rushes to get out the door before the school bell.  Done are the late nights finishing up homework long after the sun has set.  Done is my driving schedule that has me trecking to and from the school multiple times a day.

What's not done, are leisurely mornings filled with new food creations, laughter with Liv, and steaming cups coffee that I actually get to drink before I run out the door.

Someone wants his own plate...

In celebration of the first day of summer vacation, Liv and I put together a couple of her favorite things.  Ebelskivers (little round pancakes), bananas, and brown sugar, to be exact.

Whipping out our new favorite kitchen tool, the Nonstick Ebelskiver pan, I felt a little like I was cheating.  For years my mom has spent time seasoning the cast iron ebelskiver pans of her youth, but I just can't get the hang of them.

First, I can't get over the amount of butter required to make the little pancakes not stick, and second, I just can't figure out how to make the temperature right.  Hence, ending up with some ebelskivers raw in the middle while others are burnt to a crisp.

So... I didn't tell Mom, but I ordered a non-stick pan a few months ago, and now ebelskivers have become something I can do.  Actually, Ebelskivers have become something Liv can do herself.

For these first day of summer beauties we used our favorite sweet batter, adapted from Kevin Craft's book Ebelskivers.  Actually, if you wouldn't tell mom that we changed her childhood recipe in addition to the pans I'd appreciate that too...

In any case, Sweet Vanilla Ebelskiver Batter layered with bananas quickly sauteed with a touch of brown sugar rang in our first day of summer in style.  Pajamas till noon, coffee sipped while still hot, and brunch... this is Living Life.

Back to the Future.... Our 2011 Top 10

As the year comes to a close, I always enjoy looking back and remembering the special events that I will carry forward into the New Year.  My personal life is filled with wonderful memories... from my autumn travels in Italy to Liv's Championship performance last summer in Las Vegas at Nationals.  In between, travels and time with close friends, dinners with my parents, lunches with girlfriends and weekends with the Dance Moms all brought treasured moments that I will bring with me into the future.

Life, as always, has kept me in balance, and here at Liv Life I make a decent effort to maintain a balance of healthy meals and sweet treats.  A review of our statistical Top 10, however, shows absolutely NO balance.  Sweets and treats all the way, with assorted Krispie Treats taking three of the Top 10 slots.  It would seem that the world, very much like Liv, has a sweet tooth.

Without further ado, I give you our statistical Top 10 of 2011... and then for a bit of balance, I've thrown in some of my personal favorites to carry with us as we enter the New Year.

10

Chocolate Banana Crepes

Arriving in the 10th position and making our list for two years in a row, is one of Liv's personal all time favorites:  Chocolate Banana Crepes.  Balance indeed, these crepes bring one, if not even more, servings of fruit in the banana all wrapped up in a thin, low fat, egg based crepe.  I'm proud of Liv and her efforts to perfect her crepe making skills as she frequently comes home from school and whips up a batch of crepes... just cause she can.

9

Becky's Famous Football Stromboli

Number 9 brings us a neighborhood favorite, and a guest post from my good friend Dan bringing us some serious "Man Food".  Unfortunately for him, this man food has also become one of the most requested kid foods and the ladies pretty much love it too.  Cheesy, salty and not to heavy, Becky's Stromboli is the ideal Super Bowl fare and will make you the hero of any gathering you bring it to.

8

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Warm Maple Glaze

Decadence on a plate, but now that I think about it, balance as well with a fairly healthy pancake made with whole wheat flour and topped with bananas in addition to the sweet Maple Glaze that makes this breakfast an event to remember.

7

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

2011 was the year that we discovered Nutella... that creamy, chocolaty, hazelnut spread that brings deliciousness to nearly everything it touches.  With our love of Peanut Butter Krispie Treats, trying a Nutella version was just a matter of time.

6

Limoncello Lemon Cake

Throwing rays of brilliant sunshine into our lives, this tender, bright cake features our own homemade Limoncello.  Bright with citrus flavors, Limoncello Lemon Cake won't last long on your table.

5

Lemon Drop Jell-O Shots

Continuing our love of Citrus, these Lemon Drop Jell-O shots were a hit at a friends after dinner party.  One of those "Wow!  Look at that!" plates on the appetizer table, you decide just how potent these little guys should be.

4

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ahhhh... the flavors of fall!  Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls have graced our tables in all seasons for years.  Balanced with the Vitamin A rich pumpkin, these lower in fat treats are one I can feel good about serving, and also taking that second piece.

3

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Trader Joe's Mini PB Cups

The marriage of peanut butter and chocolate is highlighted in these somewhat addicting treats.  A dairy free version for my lactose intolerant son has become his favorite after school treat.

2

Triple Layered Peanut Butter Krispie Treats with Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Ganache.

These guys are truly Krispie Treats taken to a new level!  Layers of Peanut Butter Fudge trapped in between peanut butter enhanced Krispies, all topped with a luscious peanut butter ganache makes these treats truly magnificent and most deserving of a top spot on our list.  These treats eased the pain of Back to School.

A funny note on this post, it wasn't until over 2 months after posting that I noticed the spelling error in the title... I had "layred" in place of "layered".  Ugh!!!

1

Strawberry Margarita Jell-O Shots

My surprise of the year, these adorable shots have had more hits than all the rest of my blog posts put together.  Definitely eye catching, the shots didn't bring the punch I was looking for, but I'm thinking that could easily be remedied with the addition of more tequila.

Some of our personal favorites made it to the Statistical Top 10, but to balance out the list I've gathered a few additional Liv Life Top Picks.

1

Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken

Coming in statistically at number 28 we get to the first healthier post on the list.  Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken is not only simple to put together, but a total family pleaser.  With your house smelling like a restaurant, this chicken will draw your family from all corners of the house asking how soon will dinner be on the table.

2

Coconut Mango Chicken Cups

One of my all time favorite appetizers.  Adorable in their single serving won ton cups, the flavors of the tropics really shine.  Mango, coconut and lime bring the chicken filling to a mouth watering level and will be one of the first appetizer plates empty on your table.

3

Poached Salmon with Asparagus and Citrus Vinaigrette

Light, healthy and filling... I never knew poached salmon could be so good!

4

Skewered Tomato, Cucumber and Feta Appetizer

Another eye catcher ideal for a gathering is this Greek-like Appetizer.  Featured for the first time on our New Years Table last year, I've been known to toss a few of these skewers together for an evening snack with a glass of wine.

5

Chocolate Espresso-Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Ganache

Keeping the balance in my personal choices, something sweet is in order.  As such, this luscious dessert will round out the Liv Life favorites of the year.  Readers of Liv Life may have noticed my fondness for the heavenly Grand Marnier, and this cheesecake definitely fit the bill.  Spiked with Kahlua AND Grand Marnier, the flavors mixed with the chocolate and brought 2011 to a resounding finale.

And there you have it...

Balance, Love and Life, all in one place.  May 2012 be prosperous to you and yours, and may your plate always be filled.

Happy New Year!!