Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I keep trying new pancake recipes and this one tops the list. I have to say that I miss the fruit topping on these pancakes, so I added it as a topping with the nuts.  

Ingredients

  • 1 medium apple, cored & chopped
  •  1 cup  almond milk
  • ½ cup fine wholemeal (whole wheat) 
  • 1/3 cup rolled oats 
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ground nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ Tbsp coconut oil, for frying
  • These pancakes are delicious served with a sprinkling of nuts, ground linseed and a drizzle of
  • natural syrup. Any leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. 
  • Gently warm through in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
  • Instructions
  • Place the milk and apple in a blender. 
  • Pulse to break up the apple then blend on high speed until smooth. 
  • Add the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and pulse until incorporated. Transfer the batter to a jug and allow to rest for 5 minutes or so (this can happen while the pans are heating). If possible, use two non stick frying pans (skillets) to halve the cooking time. Brush the bottom of the pans with a little oil and heat on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, pour a small ladle of batter into the pan (equivalent to a ¼ cup).
  • Gently swirl the pan to spread out the batter to a  5 inch diameter. 
  • Once the pancakes start to firm up, carefully flip them over using a thin spatula. 
  • Cook for a further minute or so, until the underneath is lightly browned.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

It's not just a diet, but a lifestyle change!

Back in November 2015, we had a painful realization that our diet was killing us.  Diagnosed high cholesterol and blood pressure was only the beginning.  Over weight, tired and in pain was not the lifestyle we envisioned when we retired.    We wanted to be healthy 60 and 70 year old adults.  We wanted to be fit to travel the world and continue to explore as we did when we were in the military.
We knew we needed to change something, anything.  Kim as a chef and nutrition guru, started to research nutrition and diets.  In June 2015, we started the South Beach diet.  But that wasn’t working either.  We lost a few pounds, but our cholesterol didn’t come down.  Then in November is came to a painful point.  Kim thought she was having a heart attack!  It wasn’t that so much as it was the acid re-flux and the hernia that was so inflamed that it was causing problems through out her body.
Talking with a nutritionist, we decided to try something different in eating and 1Cabbagecooking.  We were introduced to whole, plant based foods.  Kim was given a book called “Fork over Knives”.  (Recommend reading for more information on this vegan lifestyle.)
After reading about this new way of eating, we jumped in with both feet.  This  is our journey.