Thanks to the husband for making my breakfast this morning! He had to be at the bakery uptown at 7:30 and decided to bike there for his workout. So I headed to the gym solo. (I did 35 minutes of stairs plus 10 cooldown on the ET and upper body lifting). He said as I was leaving that he was going to make some Cheese Danish Pancakes and he’d leave some out for me.
I came home to a lovely plate, and a note that said they’d failed again. My conclusion? It’s the whole egg. The yolk must weigh them down too much. They work find with the carton-style egg whites (although they are still a big challenging to flip – but the wetness is what makes them danish-y so I still love ’em). We haven’t had carton whites on hand in ages, so I guess if we want to make these again we need to have some in stock. Thanks for the effort though xoxo
So after my shower and stuff, the pancakes were cold so I decided to just turn them into porridge like we did the last time they failed. I put ’em in a pot with some soy milk and more water and let them cook down and thicken. I also added a few tbsp of spelt berries.
Topped with a bit of granola plank, sliced almonds and PB.
It worked, but something (cottage cheese? soy milk?) curdled and although it tasted fine, the consistency was quite gross.
He also left me some coffee but it was barely enough for half a cup 😥
So I made some tea (egg noggin’ with soy) and am sipping that in my to-go cup.
ANOTHER mishap: my computer is powerless!! I think it’s a power issue because the printer is also off. Sometime between when I left for the gym and my return everything went dark. I am hoping it’s a fuse and I even went out to the fuse breaker and took a peek. There’s no way I’m touching that box!! Worse case it’s the whole outlet. So I’m on my laptop right now.
Let’s hope things start going right soon!!
zestycook says
Well Well Well Kath…. I hope you day gets better…. the breakfast does look tasty compared to my two pieces of toast and peanut butter…. Things can only move up from here.. Have a great day!!
Charlie Hills says
Pancakes to porridge. I must admit that’s something I never would have thought of. I probably would have just popped them in the microwave, slathered them in butter and syrup, and blown my day.
Of course, those aren’t regular pancakes either. May have to try those soon.
Charlie Hills says
I don’t know, zest, there’s a lot to be said for two pieces of toast and peanut butter. That’s miracle food, that is. 🙂
Heather says
Rough morning! But way to go on improvising with the pancakes- I probably would have gotten frustrated and ended up eating PB out of the jar for breakfast.
Have a great day! Good luck with the computer, too.
Melissa (the other one) says
QUESTION for Kath and anyone else – I am going on vacation next week, for a week at an all-inclusive resort. Last time I went on vacation, I ended up gaining 8 pounds in a week!!!
I’m looking for some tips and advice to not repeat that – the problem I run into is that it’s basically all you can eat and buffets everywhere! You have a buffet available to you 24/7 and drinks flowing non-stop. Buffets are hard for me, especially at an all-inclusive, because technically you’re paying good money for that! Plus they have tons of options and I like to try them all. What are anyone’s advice for dealing with a situation like this on vacation??? I’m going to try to get some exercise in each day, but that’s hard to do when we’re laying on the beach all day and no one else wants to go to the gym.
caitlin (seebriderun) says
melissa – i would just try to splurge only for “Special Meals” like a nice dinner. Don’t go overboard at breakfast. A stick to lower-calorie drinks, like white wine or diet coke and rum. No frozen mixers!
kath – sorry your breakfast was such a disaster! your description of the curdled cottage cheese made me gag a little… i can’t believe you managed to eat it! i would’ve dumped it for sure.
have a good day!!
Stacy (IN) says
Melissa, When I’m on vacation I try to make breakfast and lunch both healthy and splurge with dinner like Caitlin suggested. I know that it’s difficult when there is the all you can eat option, so personally I’d try know in your mind what you plan to eat from the buffet at those first two meals so that you don’t change your mind when you get all of the options.
Also, try to keep up the exercising. If you’re on the beach see if there are any watersport type activities that you can do like kayaking, it’s fun but it’s also a workout.
Lastly, it’s vacation. It’s a good idea to stay on track, but you can also get back to your regular schedule when you return.
VeggieGirl says
Fabulous breakfast from Matt!!
Eeek, hope your computer is fixed soon!!
Megan says
Very sweet of Matt, and I bet you are right about the egg!
Hope you get the computer thing figured out and that the rest of your day goes well!
R. Leigh says
Melissa-
Have fun on your vacation!!! A few pounds is probably worth it in the long run in exchange for the fun and amazing memories. And I’m jealous, it’s getting cold here!
But something that helps me when I’m faced with buffets of yummy food is to keep in mind that the first bite always tastes the best. I like to try all the new and yummy foods, but only take one bite and really, really savor it.
Sabrina says
Morning!
What a way to save a breakfast! Days like that make me eat off of my plan because nothing seems to satisfy me. Nice goin’ saving it.
haya says
i had a similarly gross consistency the other week when i tried to put a scoop of protein powder in my oatmeal. it was awful – straight into the trash.
you should learn about the fuse box. i’m on a mission to be less helpless around the house, especially with the small (not complicated or dangerous) stuff.
Kath says
Melissa (the other one),
Hello from my classroom 🙂
Good advice already. I definitely agree to keep breakfast and lunch reasonable (or just pick 1 meal a day to have whatever you want). 8 pounds in one week is nearly impossible – it was probably mostly water weight. 1-2 pounds maybe so don’t sweat enjoying the food for a week!! Lastly, EXERCISE!! There’s nothing like exercise (walks on the beach!) to 1) Offset high calorie meals 2) Motivate you to eat healthier when you do get to a meal 3) Rejuvenate/cleanse/energize your body after an overindulgence the night before.
Have fun!!
Haya,
Yes, I plan on getting a fuse box lesson tonight. I sometimes set it off with my hairdryer and if I were home alone I’d be screwed. We just need to label each switch clearly.
Kath
healthyceliac says
I’m definitely hoping that your power situation gets better soon!
And, great job on turning a bad breakfast into a better situation. I agree that the texture of something curdling can be gross, but if it tasted OK, than it was definitely somewhat of a success 🙂
Stacy (IN) says
Mellissa, Kath’s point about water weight reminded me of my other vacation must. Never weigh yourself immediately when you get home. Give yourself at least a couple days of regular eating and exercise to let the water weight go away and allow your body to re-acclimate.
Justy2003 says
Kath, couldn’t you just use the whites from the eggs and take the yolk out for the pancakes? I never buy the carton egg whites because they’re so much more expensive and I know it’s kind of a waste to throw out the yolk sometimes, but that’s probably what they do with them all when they use the whites in the carton!
Hopefully the pancakes turn out better next time!
Ana says
great advice from everyone on buffet eating! i am in college, and have to face the buffet everyday! Sometimes I win, but sometimes I lose. My clothes are fitting tighter, but the thing to remember is that this is not a permanent state. Tips to get you through:
1)figure out what you are craving (maybe before you see the food? i know my cravings get mixed when i am looking at all the food and deciding) and GET THAT!
2)if several things look amazing, grab just a little taste of each (ex: french toast sticks, eggs, fruit, muffins-you could grab ONE FTS, a small bit of egg, split a muffin, and then load up on fruit to fill up), and then load up on the healthy, low-cal fare to feel full (salad, fruit, etc)
3)always eat with friends!! i find if i eat alone, i more likely to go back for seconds, simply because i feel i have no one there to say “you are STILL hungry?” etc. plus it provides great meal convo and lets you savor your meal longer (eat talk eat talk=longer to finish)
4)liquids, liquids, liquids!! i always start a meal by downing some low-cal fluid: coffee, water, milk, etc. this fills you up, and can sometimes stop cravings. it will give you a little time to think “ok, what do i want to CHEW?”
i hope these tips help! the only other bit of advice i can offer is just remember that IT’S ONLY A WEEK! after that, you are back in control! you can exercise and eat healthy back home. i’m sure you lost those 8lbs you gained from last vacation, right? well you can do it again!
and lastly, IT’S VACATION! relax, have fun, soak up the sun, and DON’T STRESS! this is your chance to escape-so escape ^_^
JB says
Melissa,
Another tip, try walking around the entire buffet and scoping out which items you REALLY want to try. I find that by the time I get to the end of a buffet line, my plate is stacked…so scope it out first so you are aware of your options and don’t overload your plate.
Hil says
I find it very odd that whole eggs are giving you a problem in your batter. I make a very similar pancake recipe (no banana, whole wheat instead of oats) and I’ve never had a problem using whole eggs. Do you use a blender or mix them by hand?
If they are too wet to flip, maybe a little flour might help them bind better? Or maybe using a little oil in the batter or on the griddle would help…I always have trouble flipping my pancakes if I leave out the oil altogether. Good luck troubleshooting!
cb says
Maybe it is the milk? or too much of it? I make a “protien pancake” that sounds similar to this. I either use 1/2 c of oats, cottage cheese and egg whites or 1/3 cup. I throw in some vanilla and cinnamon and sometimes nutmeg. I blend them with the stick blender and always have a nice thick batter.
Kath says
Justy2003 ,
Yup, I guess that’s our next experiment.
Ana ,
Great tips!
Hil ,
Oh I know there are whole eggs in lots of recipes, and yes, flour is probably an issue. But I want to make these pancakes because of their wet/doughy/cheesy taste so I’d rather not change the other ingredients to make them more like pancakes.
Kath
Katie Mc says
I agree with everyone’s advice that this is a one week vacation and you should enjoy and treat yourself. I try to make sure I only eat foods I truly enjoy and not waste calories on things I find so -so. For example, I love carrot cake but am not a hugh cheese cake fan so that can stay on the buffet. Buffets can be intimidating but they usuallt have lots of healthy options as well. If you are going some place tropical enjoy the fresh fruit in the morning. They also usually have oatmeal and omlette stations at these buffets. You can request egg whites and veggies. I find i f I start lunch and dinner with a salad or noncream soup, I will eat less of the more indulgent food. Remember vacation is a time to relax and indulge. Have a great trip!
madiella says
Hi everyone,
I have a gym protocol question that I was hoping people on this blog could help me with. This morning I was on the elliptical at the gym, and about 35 minutes into my workout another lady came up and asked me if I was almost finished. She seemed pretty annoyed, which confused me because the gym was almost empty (out of 8 ellipticals, mine was the only one in use). I told her I had ten minutes left and she informed me that she’d been waiting for half an hour to use the machine. Again, this confused me because there were 7 open ellptical machines. So I apologized, and probably looked rather pointedly at the other machines, at which point she informed me that the machine I was on was the best, and everyone liked it the best, and wasn’t that why I’d chosen it? I told her I didn’t know that people liked that machine the best (in fact, I was only on it because it was the only empty one when I got to the gym). I apologized again, and because she kept standing there glaring at me I offered to switch, but she said no and finally left and got on the machine next to me.
Basically my question is this: what is the proper protocol next time I am at the gym on that machine (which, by the way, is the exact same as all the other machines, and after going to the gym regularly for a month I’ve never noticed it to be occupied more or less frequently than the other machines) and I see her waiting (which to be fair I didn’t this morning since there were so many empty machines it didn’t occur to me) do I have to cut my workout short and get off? Or can I finish my workout and she is out of luck and must take the first available elliptical? I don’t want to cause problems, but I also don’t relish the idea of interrupting my flow just so she can have her favorite machine.
Sorry for the long post, but I’d appreciate any advice! Thanks!
Melissa (the other one) says
Thank you everyone!!! You guys rock – thanks for all the advice! I can’t wait to report back with my success 🙂
CourtneyS says
Madiella, I think that lady is nuts! Tell her TOUGH and use a different machine. She sounds like a real pain.
Kath, I used your pancake recipe awhile back and didn’t have any problems. I mixed my batter in the food processor so it was super light…maybe that would help? Mmmmm, now I’m craving Cheese Danish Pancakes!
CourtneyS says
P.S. I think I used a whole egg but left out the banana. Maybe that’s it…
runjess says
I’ve tried making those cheese danish pancakes before and they didn’t work for me either (but still tasted pretty good).
working says
Madiella, I agree that lady was nuts. Most people at gyms are nice, but there are always a couple of nutjobs I guess.
caitlin (seebriderun) says
Madiella- I agree. That lady is crazy! I would avoid using her “favorite” machine and tell her to talk to management if she approaches you again.
the only protocol i know of is that most gyms have a max time for cardio machines when the gym is full and people are waiting. it’s usually 20 to 30 minutes. but if the gym is empty, and there are other machines available, the rule doesn’t apply.
people are f**king nuts. i swear! i wish that had happened to me!! LOL
Andrea says
pancakes –> oatmeal is so clever! i would never think of doing that.. so sweet of the hubby nevertheless 🙂
lucy says
Madiella,
If all the machines were in use, I think the standard (at my gym at least) is 30 minutes and then let someone else have a turn. But that is crazy for her to be rude to you over her “favorite machine.” Suck it up lady. I can’t imagine ever asking someone if they were done with 7 open machines.
madison (follow my weigh) says
hope theres no more mishaps for you today!
Kath says
madiella ,
I agree with the others – this lady seems a little dumb. But maybe she has some really good reason for liking that machine like it’s the only one with the cup holder on the left or something strange. I’d just pick a different one from now on but you’re under no obligation to give up your machine for someone else if there’s no wait and you haven’t been on a really long time.
K
Sabrina says
madiella! WHAT A NUTSO!
i would just avoid her and avoid that machine if at all possible, and if she ever says something again, tell her to speak with management.
madiella says
Thanks so much! That was my inclination also, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t breaking any unwritten rules of the gym.
RD2be says
Madiella,
I would purposely seek out that machine whenever possible just to make a point that she doesn’t own it, but that’s just me being difficult. Definitely don’t avoid that machine or cut your workout short for her, she has no right to make you feel uncomfortable.