S’mores Pancakes with a wish list

 

 

Happpppppy Fridayyyyyy!

Last night I ate my dinner and dessert in record time. How? I combined them. I couldn’t decide if I wanted a breakfast sandwich or pancakes for dinner but I finally chose pancakes. Not just ANY pancakes – S’mores pancakes. Growing up S’mores was ALWAYS my favorite dessert. I even asked for a s’mores maker one Christmas. There’s something about a warm marshmallow and gooey chocolate on a graham cracker that just makes me smile 🙂

S’mores Pancakes (Serves 1)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (whole wheat or all-purpose would work too)
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground flax-seed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 packet of nunaturals stevia (splenda or sugar would work too)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (add more if you want thinner batter)
• 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 10 mini marshmallows (i used colorful ones, because I’m 5)
• 1/4 of a crushed graham cracker
• Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup (topping)
• Sugar Free Cool Whip (topping)
• 1/4 of a graham cracker broken into pieces (topping)

Directions

• Combine flour, baking powder, ground flax-seed, sweetener and salt to a bowl.
• Next add egg whites and almond milk. Mix thoroughly.
• Add in dark chocolate chips, crushed graham cracker (1/4) and mini marshmallows

• Pour batter into olive oil sprayed skillet over medium high heat

• Cook for 2-3 minutes or until it bubbles and is firm enough to flip.
• Gently flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add to a plate.

• Sprinkle 1/4 of the graham cracker over pancakes, drizzle a little bit of sugar-free chocolate syrup and add a dollop of sugar-free cool whip to the top.

You don’t need syrup. The chocolate does the work.

Yum, Yum goodness.

Eat.me.

Make these tomorrow for your boyfriend/fiance/husband. He will love you forever and ever and ever.

Now that we’ve gotten the food talk out-of-the-way I must tell you that today is one of my favorite days in the ENTIRE year. Nope, it’s not my birthday… But it is the day I make my birthday wish list because it’s the beginning of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

I’m not too old to make a birthday list, right? I’d like to think I’m Forever Young as Rod Stewart likes to sing to me.

When I browse the site I normally look for staple pieces. Think jewelry, jeans, bags, shoes, boots, scarves and jackets. Of course I always find a top or two I want but you can get those anytime…the focus is staples. Here are my most needed wanted list this year.

 

Cara Accessories Mini Crystal Leather Wrap Bracelet – Sale $29

Vince Camuto Snakeskin Bangle  – Sale $58

Chloe K Burnout Texture Tee – Sale $18

Enzo Angiolini “Sully” Platform Pump – Sale $60

Caslon Ruffled Faux Leather Jacket – Sale $79

Nordstrom Windowpane Boucle Wrap – Sale $45

Michael Kors Moxley Shoulder Tote – Sale $253

Hue Wide Wale Corduroy Leggings – Sale $25

Michael Kors Leather Crossbody Bag – Sale $85

Nike Low Rise Crop Capris – Sale $33

Caslon V-Neck Poncho – Sale $45

So you know, feel free to buy me whatever you’d like. My birthday is less than two months away… You can have it shipped directly to me or even a store near me and I’ll pick it up. I know you are grateful for me making a list while things are on sale. No big deal, it’s my pleasure.

QUESTIONS: What type of pancakes are your favorite? Do you shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

Listen to the Local’s

I’m back from The Keys…and not so happy about it. Although I have missed you all 🙂 We went from this:

To this:

Whomp. Whomp. Whomp.

I’m not going to complain anymore though because we had a great time, ate delicious food, even better desserts and soaked up every ray of sunshine possible.

We rented bikes as our mode of transportation, so i used the excuse that since I was riding at least 12 miles a day I was “earning” my desserts. Yeahh…I’m ridiculous.

Every restaurant we ate at was recommended by a local – Here is the recap aka an insane amount of Food Porn

Day 1

First stop: Flamingo Crossing – Homemade Ice Cream

Ordered: Mint Chocolate Chip & Cookies n Cream in a waffle cone

Grade: A+ – Perfect way to kick off the trip!

Day 1

Dinner: Ibis Bay Lighthouse

Ordered: Old Bay (lie, only MD serves Old bay apparently) Shrimp – Special of the Day: Blackened Yellow tail snapper with black beans and yellow rice – Seared sesame tuna with spanish rice

Grade: A+

Day 1: After dinner treat

Ordered: “Serendipity’s” Frozen Hot Chocolate

Grade: F for FAILURE. Hands down, the WORST dessert I’ve ever had. They claimed they follow serendipity’s recipe to the tee – but it’s a lie. This was basically icy water made to look like chocolate. Huge disappointment is an understatement.

Day 2:

Dinner: Conch Republic – huge restaurant on the water w/ great service and zero disappointments

Ordered: Appetizer: Cracked Conch (SEA SNAIL!?!?!?!) Dinner: Grilled Shrimp w/ Yellow Rice and Chef’s Veggies (which were the best veggies I’ve ever had at a restaurant) and Blackened Swordfish w/ yellow rice & veggies.

Grade: A+ – still can’t believe I ate a slithering sea-snail.

Day 2:

After Dinner Treat: Tempura fried strawberries rolled in cinnamon and sugar, drizzled with dark chocolate in a white chocolate cream sauce with a side of vanilla bean ice cream.

Grade: I. die. for. this. A++++++

Day 3:

Breakfast: Blue Heaven – Heaven on a fork and Sin in a glass.

Ordered: Eggs over easy with homemade wheat bread, bacon, potatoes, 1 blueberry pancake and 1 strawberry pancake with real maple syrup and a glass of chocolate milk.

Grade: If there was a grade higher than an A, this would take it. If you are ever in Key West – GO HERE. There will be a wait, but it’s worth it.

Day 3

Linner: Sloppy Joe’s

Ordered: Pulled pork sandwich, Sloppy Joe sandwich, Bacon cheese fries

Grade: C+ – service..horrible, fries…cold, pulled pork was better than the famous sloppy joe. Wasn’t expecting gourmet food but still expected to enjoy my time there.

Day 3

Post Sunrise Cruise Treat: Better than Sex Desserts

Ordered: Peanut Butter Perversion & Between the Red Velvet sheets Cheesecake

Grade: A. I loved the atmosphere – it was pitch black and they hand you a flashlight to review the menu, the waitresses are actresses and there are fun games at the table – The cheesecake was SO red and velvety it was a true treat. It takes their chef 9 hours to make and it just won a crazy amount of awards. Of course i loved the peanut butter pie as well because we all know peanut butter + chocolate = amazeballs.

Day 4

Lunch: Green Republic – Regular, Vegetarian and Vegan Meals

Ordered: Mango Green Monster, Berry Good Smoothie, Vegan Avocado and swiss burger and steak and goat cheese sub

Grade: B – I thought everything was delicious but overpriced. It was $40 for the 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks. They also didn’t have any tables and you ate over your tray… I think they just opened so I’m sure they will pull it together!

**FORGOT PICS OF DINNER – THAI FOOD AT FLOATING RESTAURANT**

Day 4

Cold dessert after spicy thai food: Mattheessen’s Eats, Sweets and Treats

Ordered: 1/2 pound chocolate chip cookie w/ Cookie Dough and Cookies n cream ice cream with pretty sprinkles (mine), 1/2 pound chocolate chip cookie w/ cake batter ice cream (Adam’s)

Grade: A+ – this was the FIRST dessert to ever defeat me. I’ve never not been able to finish a dessert….ever. No lie that I laid down in a booth for at least 10 minutes before my boyfriend had to pull me out of the restaurant because it was time to go. We should’ve shared one fo sho.

 

Dessert Coma

 

Day 5

What I love most: Ice Cream – Polar Bear Homemade Ice Cream

Ordered: Strawberry Cheesecake and Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone

Grade: A+ – Key West clearly makes the best ice cream. I’m never going to be able to have ice cream anywhere ever again because it will never live up to this! I was so excited to eat this that my glasses became crooked.

We also had Key Lime Pie, various breakfasts/lunches we made from our grocery store visit, pizza and managed to polish off this baby:

Who wants to start placing bets on how much weight I gained during the trip? I did manage to get three 4.5 mile runs in, some weight lifting and all of the bike riding/swimming we did added into my daily routine but I’m still counting our eats as overindulging. As i sit here in the biggest pair of sweatpants I own, promising to get back to being healthy tomorrow, I’ve decided to start lent a week late. I’m giving up sweets… I know this isn’t going to be easy but that’s the point (in my mind). This means no ice cream, no cheesecake, no brownies/cookies/cupcakes/cake, fro-yo, etc. I can still have yogurt, granola bars, fruit, peanut butter etc (whew) but I haven’t decided if my frozen banana should be counted as dessert?? This is going to be a HUGE challenge for me but an extremely fulfilling one if I succeed. So, wish me luck!

It may be hard to believe but we did other things besides eat on our trip!

Laid out

Went on a Sunset Cruise

Went Snorkeling

Saw Dolphins!

Watched every sunrise and sunset possible

Made lots of funny faces & had the best time ever 🙂

We will definitely be back to visit Key West again (hopefully sooner than later) and highly suggest taking a vacation there if you haven’t.

You can find me at the gym working off the millions of calories i took in on vaca or in the kitchen creating recipes that will include anything BUT sweets for the next 33 days. I do have a couple of healthy dinner recipes I hope to post tomorrow… But for now I’ll be catching up on reading blogs! Hope everyone has a wonderful week 🙂

QUESTIONS: Any advice for giving up sweets? When you go on vacation are you more food or activity oriented?

Some sunrise/sunset favorites from Key West

Sorry for the picture overload!! I have about 50 more – if you want to see them you can check out my facebook page .