Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

pancakes

Birthday Boy!

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Happy Birthday

to my Pretzel-Making

Little Brother!

Love you, man!

 

We’ll start by celebrating the day with some One Size Fits all Pancakes:

(He’ll probably ask for chocolate chips, and I’ll give it to him. It’s his birthday!)

We have a lot of fun games lined up for him. Egg toss, three-legged races, a pinata, water balloon fight! You know, stuff that makes you roll around in the mud and giggle without caring what you look like.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What was your most memorable birthday?

I would say what was your best birthday, but I think that’s an unfair question. So many great birthdays are unique in so many ways-it’s hard to choose!

 

 

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

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Sorry to leave you all hanging with that delicious stack of…

Chocolate Waffles!

Pure torture to live another day without these.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you have two options:

  1. Make these into pancakes.
  2. Go buy a waffle iron.

Print
Bitter Chocolate Waffles

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

~These waffles have no added sweetener, so they are bitter. If you are not a fan of bitter chocolate, top your waffles with lots of fresh fruit! Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour (simply blend oats in blender until smooth)
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water or milk substitute
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons oil or applesauce
  • Optional: Add a few tablespoons of ground flax for extra fiber and omega's. Substitute 1/2 of oat flour for protein powder of choice. Add a handful of chopped unsweetened chocolate for an extra boost of flavor!

Instructions

  1. First, combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Then, add wet and mix until smooth.
  3. Follow your waffle iron's instructions to cook. Make sure you cook it thoroughly. I made the mistake of taking them out too soon, and I ended up with a bowl-full of waffle pieces!
  4. Top with any combination of nut, fruit, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate shavings, or anything else you can imagine!
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/11/bitter-chocolate-waffles/

They freeze well, so you can make a big batch to save for later. Simply throw them in your toaster to warm. Much better for you (and tastier!) than Eggo’s frozen waffles.
This batch is topped with a dollop of Peanut Butter Frosting, Banana Slices, and Shaved Unsweetened Chocolate.
You could probably make my One Size Fits all Pancakes made with brown rice flour in a waffle iron, too, if you are feeling adventurous.
If you haven’t tried the Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate combo yet, do it. It’s worth it. I have so many recipes with that delectable combo.
Click HERE for nutrition information on Oats and HERE for nutrition information about chocolate. They both boast plenty of good properties.
Try not to drool all over your computer.
In other news, I have finally hopped on the Twitter bandwagon. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure the whole thing out. My Twitter name is SugarFreeAlex, so make sure to follow me!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have a twitter account? If so, any tips or tricks?

Also, what is your favorite waffle topping? You already know mine!

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

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The mystery pancakes were Pumpkin Pancakes! So Val and the Flourishing Foodie were right!

I know Pumpkin is not a summer flavor, but it is full of vitamin A, fiber, and it is delicious! I saw a huge can of it at the store, so I had to buy it.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes 

~The almond extract really makes these pancakes. It is at almost every grocery store, and I highly suggest buying a bottle. Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon garbanzo bean flour (or flour of choice. I have also tried millet and coconut flour. Both work fine.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Heat skillet to medium heat and grease with oil of choice (I used coconut oil). Drop batter by spoonfuls on skillet.
Flip after about a minute or until the pancakes hold together and are slightly browned. Take of skillet and serve with toppings like shaved coconut or chopped almonds.
Serves one. Each serving makes about 15 small pancakes. Feel free to double or triple recipe as needed.
Leftovers make great snacks for later!
I topped mine with Homemade Coconut Butter. The coconut really compliments the pumpkin well.
Health Benefits of Pumpkin:
One cup of pumpkin has 7 grams fiber, 2650 IU Vitamin A, 564 mg potassium. It also boasts a truckload of antioxidants like Alpha-carotene and Beta-carotene.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Favorite Pancake Flavor?

Blueberry, chocolate, banana, cinnamon, pumpkin?

Banyan

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My Saturday is over. For now.

This is one amazing tree I was privileged to see over my extended weekend: the Banyan Tree located on Thomas Edison’s Fort Myers home.

Its roots shoot down from the tree, and it keeps growing and expanding.

He also grew vegetables in his garden.

Chiles

Baby Eggplant.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you grow a vegetable garden?

I would love to have one, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I have a couple of potted herbs and a Tangelo tree, though!

Stay tuned for a new pancake recipe tomorrow. Can you guess what flavor it is?

Red, White, and Grey?

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Happy Flag Day!

Did you know it was flag day? Honestly, I never really know these things until I look at my calendar in the morning and say, “Hey everyone-It’s Flag Day!” (In the United States atleast)

I never knew this before, but Flag Day is the day that the United States adopted the flag Betsy Ross made in 1777. Wave those flags high! And eat ’em, too!

~One Size Fits all Pancakes with frozen strawberries, melted.

I tried to make the pancakes “blue” by adding some concord grape juice, but they ended up turning grey. It would be better if I had some blueberries, but I didn’t have any at the time. I need to fix that!

Grey, yet delicious!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

What was the last cooking oops you did?

I’m always experimenting with different ideas and recipes. One time I tried to make banana waffles in a panini maker instead of a waffle iron. Well…let’s just say I ate some caramelized goop for breakfast that day and spent the rest of the morning cleaning the panini maker.