Pancakes, pop corn and cooking for others :)

You know you have a passion for food when you cook yourself breakfast, lunch and dinner, bake treats for the rest of the fam, constantly think up new recipes and genuinely enjoy doing all the things mentioned above.
My weekends typically look like that and yesterday was no different. After whipping up the PB+J oats you saw in yesterday's post I went on to go grocery shopping, then whipping up lunch!

Inspired by Spoon's snack plates I too made myself a delicious plate of... everything!
I popped some plain popcorn kernels (less than 1/4 cup + a small drizzle of olive oil, placed in a saucepan over medium heat- ready when you can't hear any popping!)

Roasted up some sweet potato:

Whazzed up some guacamole (1/2 an avocado +1/2 a squeezed lemon + small amount of red chili and a strip of capsicum, combine in a small food processor)

On the side was a simple salad of spinach, sprouts +mung beans, a torn up veggie sausage, purple cabbage and some salsa!

Dipping action:

YUM!
That evening my grandparents came over for dinner and not only did I cook my own dinner, but I also made a roast veggie tart to go with the rest of the roast dinner mum made:
1. Pastry

 2. Veggies

 3. Bake!

I also made a maple cheesecake, but that was cut and demolished before I could get a good photo... :)
And.. finishing off my my whirlwind of cooking post.. well- it is pancake Sunday isn't it?

I made blueberry pancakes with a banana+almond butter spread, with a side of grapes!
They are vegan, sugar+wheat+soy free!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water (more info below- new product I found!)- or just use 1 whole egg
20g rolled oats
15g oat bran
30g spelt flour
sprinkle of chia seeds
small handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3-1/2 milk of choice (depending on desired thickness) I used rice milk

banana+almond butter spread:
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons almond butter, heated slightly in microwave (20 seconds)

Method:
1. Make egg replacer according to packet instructions

2. Place dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add egg replacer (or egg) and slowly add milk until you get a pouring cream consistency:

4. Leave to sit while making the spread. tear up banana and place in a small food processor with the almond butter:

5. Whaz!

6. Set aside until needed. Meanwhile if your pancake mixture has thickened quite a bit, add a splash more milk and then your blueberries:

7. Heat a non-stick pan with a small amount of olive oil over medium heat and spoon on mixture:

8. Leave until edges begin to set and bubbles start appearing (usually after around 1-2 mins)
9. Flip!

10.Place on plate and layer with spread in between each pancake:

Looks pretty messy- but sure does taste good!
Fork shots:

I can't wait for Summer to return (only 5 months! :0) so that my food pictures can start looking good again- I mean only Summer can produce a picture like this with zero editing:

Breakfast pizzert

Ahh well, at least I can still promise you it tastes good!

Bye for now folks! :D

Oats-sorta oats + smoothies!

If I had to ask myself what my favourite breakfast was I couldn't answer it with just one... well I could but I don't think this one counts- it's a million-gazillion times better than any other breakfast ;)

My favourite breakfasts however, is a tie between smoothies and oats, which is exactly what I've been enjoying lately!
Kicking things off with CHOCOLATE!

I made some simple chocolate oats (oats+rice milk+ raw cacao powder+ cocoa nibs+ dash of cinnamon+sprinkle of chia seeds) then I remembered this ice-cream- where I added greek yoghurt and it tasted just.like.cheesecake!
So I wanted to make some chocolate cheesecake oats :)

blob, blob, blob

Stir, stir, stir
and bubble away until thickened.

Plopped in a mug and covered in almond butter... mmm

Never had cheesecake (oats) for breakfast. T'was good :)
Especially with a nudie :)

Then I made...
A tropical dough boy smoothie- inspired by Kath from Kath Eats Real Food!
I made some overnight oats the night before:

Then in the morning got out the rest of the stuff:

Overnight oats, 1 frozen banana, 1 handful of frozen mango, (didn't end up using the greek yoghurt- too much of a good thing, right? Nah!) 1 tablespoon almond butter and about 1 cup of rice milk (depending on desired thickness)
All placed in a blender and whazzed!

Deeee-lishhh!
All natural sweetners, vegan, cake-y(?) yum!

 Lastly was this mornings breakfast of oats in the form of granola and smoothie in the form of PB+J
Inspired by this recipe.
I made the granola by preheating oven to 180 degrees and melting some coconut butter with rice milk in the microwave for about 25 seconds:

Bit hard to see, but there was about 1 tablespoon coconut butter and 1/4 cup rice milk.
Then, with your hands you rub it in to some oats and dried fruit and nuts (as much as you want)

Place on baking tray:

Bake for around 15 mins:

and cool while you make the smoothie.
The smoothie was just 1 banana + chia seeds + 2 dollops greek yoghurt + 3/4 cup frozen blueberries+ 1 1/2 tablespoons almond butter+ 1/2 cup rice milk, whazzed:

Pour into mug (mugs are cool)

Top with coconut granola and any leftover banana:

Enjoy!

I sure did (my favourite part was the colour.. but then I ate some... my favourite part is the taste :)

I hope everyone has a fantabulous weekend, enjoys the extra time and maybe make a delicious breakfast! :D

Thinking out loud Thursday!

Welcome everyone to my second Thinking out loud Thursday! Head on over to Spoons to see what other people are rambling on about...
Let's get started!

Do you know what occurred to me for the first time the other day? Why we say Good afternoon! I mean I never really got it until I said it really slowly and was like, 'Oh... coz it's after- noon!' like noon as in 12:00pm!

But then it got me a-thunking! Why isn't morning called after-night? I mean morning is a homophone of mourning and I'm definitely not mourning in the morning- I get to eat breakfast!

Wow. Isn't that just the best picture ever?
Any-who, all those homophone stuff reminds me of something someone told me ages ago where you can't spell slaughter without laughter... creepy right? Which reminded me of this excellent picture:

And... there goes all (any?) male readers I have! Speaking of males (mainly being my father) I'm amazed he hasn't killed me yet, on account of never getting a serious answer to his simple question of 'What did you do at school today? '

Well, I see no problem with this answer.... what I do see a problem with is EXAMS! (Which I have finished.. did I already mention that?)

Exams make me wish that I was my cat sometimes. She spends all day lying on my bed, only to move for food. I would make a cool cat:

But  if  I really had to choose an animal to be, then you know what I'd pick:

Sooo, this post turned out more random than I anticipated, but that is the joy of thinking out loud Thursdays! See ya next time! :D