Whole Grain Bacon Cheddar Pancakes

Today has been a complete blur. Miss Ava had a before school play date (she goes to school in the afternoon) so we were up bright and early waiting for her friend to arrive, the kids were on a complete high all day from the out of schedule excitement. It made the day go by fast but I had no time to think what I was going to make for dinner. Am I the only one who goes food shopping and then gets stumped what to make!? how does that happen?? On the way to dropping the girls off at school I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner and little man and Ava both screamed "pancakes and bacon!" talk about a weird brain wave.

It was simple and it was something I could make fast before Ava had to head out for ballet tonight so I didn't argue. Breakfast for dinner is the best! While i was frying the bacon I got a little inspiration and decided to go with it. After frying up the bacon I let it rest in the oven to stay warm while I whipped up my standard pancakes. Start by whisking the following...

1/2 c. All Purpose Flour

1/2 c Whole Wheat Flour

1 tbsp. Sugar

2 tea. Baking Soda

pinch of salt

Next, combine 2 tbsp. melted butter, 1 beaten egg and 3/4 c. fat free milk. Add wet to dry and stir to combine, leave lumps! you want fluffy pancakes not bricks : )

At this point I have my skillet preheating and I add the batter back to my measuring cup for easy pouring. I made the kids pancakes first and added cinnamon to theirs. I normally add the spices to the batter but for my pancakes I was going a different route tonight.

As much as I love having breakfast for dinner I still have a hard time eating something sweet at night for a meal. I know I'm an odd person but I like my lunch and dinners to be savory, so shoot me! I don't know why it hit me but I'm glad this combo did. I spotted a bag of 2% shredded cheddar cheese and instantly thought man that would be good IN the pancakes! I folded in 4 slices of the crumbled crispy bacon ( btw I use Applegate farms Natural Bacon) and added 1/4 c. of cheese to the rest of the batter 

Spoon the batter in the skillet, these babies are thick! It is a meal in cake after all 

When the bubbles start to break through then flip, it will take a little longer than normal

I topped mine off with pure Maple Syrup, the combo of sweet and savory was good! They are very filling and very satisfying. 

 Not exactly my skinniest meal but I did use REAL ingredients, keeping it real is the first step in keeping it skinny : ) 

Hope you all have a great Friday!!

Party In Seussville

Little man celebrated his 2nd birthday on Sunday with close family,  we decided to go with a Dr. Seuss theme. He is a HUGE fan of everything Dr. Seuss, he has numerous t-shirts, pajamas and books. His favorite show is even "The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That" -big sister got him the DVD collection for his birthday : ) so it was fitting and his face was priceless when he saw the table decorated for his day.

I got this idea from Pinterest and I had waay to much fun coming up with rhymes : )

To go along with the color theme I had a simple Strawberry and Blueberries Salad I marinated overnight in a little sugar

No party is complete without a ball pit!!

How cute is that bobble head!? I found it on ebay and used it as the cake topper, I was smart this year and didn't buy a large cake so there would be no leftovers. My love for cake runs deep and having extras around is just a bad idea.  The party was fun and simple, I made ok food choices but how "good" can you be when there's cake,pizza and pasta around? The most important thing was that my little man had an amazing time. My family never understands why I go overboard when there is only a few at a party but I feel it's important to let your child's personality shine through each year and I'll continue to do it for as long as I'm around! : )

Happy Birthday Little Man!!

Today my baby turned 2, he is officially a toddler on his way to being a kid : ( I can't believe it's been 2 years already, I don't know if this is common with the second born but I swear time has really flown by since his birth. Our day started with a winter surprise, SNOW!! it's about freakin time!! we had that little snow storm in October (!??) but nothing since. I know most people loathe snow but to me it's not winter without it! I welcomed it with open arms : )

Breakfast was simple this morning with a cup of coffee and some fruit, i just wasn't in the mood for anything big. Lunch however, was BIG and yummy!! I made huge salad filled with romaine, green peppers, carrots, deli pickles- I was out of cucumbers and I LOVE the vinegar/salty crunch in salads. I also added a can of Tuna for protein and a drizzle of Olive Oil : )

 While little man was napping Miss Ava and I made "Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats," tomorrow is little man's birthday party so we didn't want to do cake on both days. These were AWESOME!

After nap time we headed out to play in the snow : ) 

Harvest joined us to play : )

Miss Ava lost both her front teeth last week and I am loving the teethless grins!! 

This was the first time he actually played in the snow!! Last year he was still too little , he was in awe! 

I was in no mood to cook tonight so I gave into my husbands request and ordered Chinese, I shoveled the driveway and path so it's a wash in my book : )

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend! I'm off to setup for tomorrow's party, Goodnight!!

Keeping It Low (Carb)

Today was one of those days when time wouldn't stay still. I felt so out of control of my day, Miss Ava went off to preschool and this guy headed to the groomer...

The day was going great till I called to check on Alfie to see if he would soon be ready for pickup -it was 2 hours after his appointment and the groomer is usually pretty fast with him-she told me he was just drying and it looks like it was going to be at least another hour. Well, little man was just about to eat lunch and Ava was getting out of school in a little less than 2 hours so this meant no nap time for him today...

                           

No sleeping toddler and lots to do around the house makes for one out of loop mommy!!! BUT 20 mins after my convo with the groomer she called back and said Alfie would be ready for pickup in 15 mins. yay!!! there was light at the end of the tunnel : ) How cute is this little guy!? <3

Once back home, I got little man to finish his lunch- he's battling a cold right now so eating is not a priority for him lately : ( he did go right to sleep and I got to work on my lunch. I've been loving omelets/scrambles the past couple of days and today was no different. I made an omelet with crumbled bacon, spinach, 2 eggs and topped with fat free feta. The extra protein has been really helping during the day to keep me full. I'm still not a big breakfast person so I've been sticking with a Larabar, nuts or fruit and coffee. It's simple and filling

 Dinner was a simple one of whole wheat spaghetti and sausage. it's one of those meals that is a major go too when I don't feel like cooking but I need something I KNOW the kids will eat so I don't have a battle on my hands : )

I've been trying to keep major carbs (rice,spaghetti,potatoes) to one meal a day and keeping my other meals throughout the day low carb and full of protein. I use to follow Weight Watchers old Core plan (no counting points) and it limited those carbs to one meal per day and encouraged grains throughout the day. I believe it's called "Flex" now?? I had huge success with the Core plan and I'm trying to live by those rules again, except this time I'm cooking for a whole family which can be difficult but I'm loving how I feel. 

Hope you all have a great night and a fast hump day!!

Simple Eats

Today was one of those days that i could have spent the whole day in the kitchen experimenting but unfortunately I have a crazy active toddler and a kid in Pre-K everyday. Ah, my day will come that I can cook all day and post glorious pictures of mouth watering goodness : ) but for now, I'm sticking with healthy quick foods. When little man went down for his afternoon nap I cooked up a scramble of eggs, yellow peppers, mushrooms and a sprinkle of Mozzarella/Parmesan cheese

Ok and a drizzle of Ketchup : ) 

For dinner I made a quick sauce of crushed tomatoes, basil, garlic, onion powder and salt. I added a can of white beans and browned Italian sausage. The hubby and kids ate it over pasta but I made spaghetti squash and made it a very filling low carb dish. Why do I always forget to spaghetti squash!? it's perfect for a healthy meal!!

Tomorrow is going be a rough day, I'm registering my little lady for Kindergarten (already!!) and little man for pre-k! maybe my all day cooking adventures are closer than I thought : (  

Have a great night!!

Simple Sunday

I remember as a kid I hated Sundays, I dreaded the thought of school the next day but now that I'm older and a mom I look forward all week to Sundays with my family. I make sure to never make plans with others that don't involve my family taking part. My husband and I work have a family furniture business and I'm only there 3 days a week but my hubby works 6 days a week and Sunday is OUR time and I wouldn't trade it for the world...even if little man makes it a cranky day..

He's so cute when he's pissed off! LOVE. IT

My new obsession...

HUGE salad filled with greens, dried cranberries, chicken, leftover roasted brussels spouts, and carrots with a drizzle of Olive Oil and Balsamic. yum!!

Afternoon Ice Cream breaks at her Great Aunts is a must as well on a Sunday, which is where we went today for a visit  : ) 

No Sunday is complete without a little R&R and a good book! 

While little man and daddy hit the living room to watch the playoffs, my little lady and I got busy in the kitchen and made homemade pizza using my Whole Wheat No Rise Pizza Dough. We topped it off with sauteed red peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, we also decided to make it a thin crust night...gotta love that crunch!!

I hope you all had a great weekend, I'm off to sip on some Eggnog Black Tea and start the second book of The Hunger Games. Goodnight!

Goodbye 2011

2011 has been a great year for me, I couldn't be happier with where I am in life. For so long I have always wanted more or wanted to be doing something different but as I sit here I can say I am content. Sure, I could use more money and hell I would love to be thinner but life isn't about what we don't have it's to appreciate what we have right in front of us. I think it was an awakening when I realized my friends are getting married, having babies and my own babies are growing up in front of me. Life is way too short to sweat the small shit. period.

Because of this way of thinking I was able to accomplish my first 5k! 

and FINALLY try on a pair of Skinny Jeans!! 

I'm welcoming 2012 with open arms and I look forward to another year of self awareness and accomplishing personal goals. Food is no longer a chore for me, it IS a way for me to entertain and a way for me to socialize and show others how much I love them. We are told countless times to stop looking at food as a crutch but I feel when you reach a point in your life that you have a personal relationship with what you put in your body and no longer fear what you're not supposed to eat then you truly enjoy life and what it has to offer.

I look forward to having our afternoon popcorn while little man sleeps and just talk or draw together. 

I look forward to him taste testing dinner while playing with cars on the kitchen floor.

I look forward to night time ice cream runs in our pjs on hot summer nights. 

I also look forward to Chinese food and a bottle of wine with my amazing husband.

Life and memories revolve around food. Embrace it because it won't last forever. Thank you 2011 for making me be comfortable in my own skin. Happy New Year Everyone!!