Gingerbread Protein Pancakes

Things in Miami have been an absolute whirlwind! I've literally applied to 324,566,835 jobs at this point and had 1 (or 2) mental breakdowns amid realizing I am totally NOT prepared for the workload at this school. However, things seem to actually be falling into place now so I promise a full update once I have things confirmed. In the meantime, I wanted to share a delicious recipe with you all for protein gingerbread pancakes.

Okay, so I've been craving all things gingerbread for like 2 months now and while packing up my kitchen in Portland I found my long-forgotten waffle maker and made a note to make myself some gingerbread waffles once I got my kitchen unpacked here in Miami. Further, my step grandparents gave me a MASSIVE jug of real maple syrup for Christmas from their hometown in Western Massachusetts which I couldn't wait to break into! Finally, one night last week I went online to research recipes and after compiling a few different ones here's the one I came up with:

2 egg whites
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop vanilla whey (I used Syntrax Matrix Simply Vanilla)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Here I am, ready to go!

However, it having been eons since I last used my waffle maker I forgot the most important part...the non-stick lining isn't really non-stick...it requires a good spray of Pam prior to use...

And this is what happened.

It was so sad. My pre-lifting protein waffles burnt to a crisp! Not only that, but I also put too much batter in at once and it literally seeped out all over my counter-top. Not fun :( 

However, I still had a little batter left so I quickly whipped-up one delightful pancake and made a side of scrambled eggs to keep my protein count up. All is well that ends well :)

Not only was the mix delicious, healthy, and bodybuilding diet friendly, it's also gluten free! The nutrition for the entire recipe (sans the additional eggs, banana slices and maple syrup shown here) works out to approximately 371 calories, 14 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbs, and 35 grams of protein. Can't beat that! 

Even though I now live in a warm climate and the allure of cold-weather seasonal foods like gingerbread isn't quite as strong as it once was, I'd still make these again. I'd even serve them to company they were that good! Give 'em a try and let me know how you like them! xo

Home Sweet Home In The 305

Good Morning all you gym rats out there! What an absolutely fantastic morning it is too! Of course every morning (well, every minute pretty much) of the past 4 days has been superb as well as I am officially a Miami resident!!!!!!! Okay, before all you fans of my historically sarcastic attitude get ready to barf, I'll admit I've been a bit on the overly positive side lately but I just can't help it! If you've been following me on Twitter @PortlandGymRat then you'll know just how happy I've been since arriving in this gorgeous sunny state! I've been wanting to blog sooner but due to a mishap with Comcast (Side-note: DO NOT ever ever ever use that company if you don't have to; their customer service is abominable!) I did not get internet connection until last night and was angrily over-dipping into my cell phone's data plan to use the internet all week long.

As I type I am sitting on my balcony, nicely shaded by a giant palm tree, overlooking my pool. Yeah, I live in a fucking paradise! I don't know why anyone would want to live anywhere else. I am so meant to be here! It's a slightly breezy day which nicely offsets the hazy-humid 81 degrees Fahrenheit it currently is at 10:00 am. This morning I awoke around 6:00 am and just like every other morning since arriving here I made breakfast and sat out on my patio dining al fresco while the sun began to rise and the world around me remained asleep. The sun rises a bit later here than in Maine but I'll take it since that means it also sets later and thus I'm not feeling like it's bedtime at 4:00 pm!

Post breakfast I drove across the street to my new favorite gym ever, Porky's, and trained back and core (I really don't even need to drive it's that close!) for a couple of hours. The gym is so totally me it could not be more perfect. It's like old school Bally's or Gold's. No frills but has all the necessary equipment, people are actually in there to put in work, not to socialize and chat on their cell phones while hogging all the equipment you need, and it's filled with actual FIT PEOPLE! On my second day there I not only met a trainer who is a local NPC show promoter but was also invited to join the bodybuilding team of a well-known successful bodybuilder! More on that at a later date as I need to meet with him and go over the details before I commit but how cool is that?! With all the effort I put into my diet and training, it feels so good to be recognized like that by a total stranger!

After my workout today I scooted next door to Publix (grocery store) and loaded back up on meat and veggies (I've been eating a ton of delicious fresh fish for dinner!) and then came home to walk Mugsy and shower. I think he is really loving it here too. He's getting so much more exercise since it's not a fucking tundra outside and he gets to enjoy being out on the patio with me all the time as well. The rest of my days since getting here have been filled-up with random errands and I'm feeling pretty comfortable getting around the area now. Yesterday I went to my school to check out the bookstore and it's literally on the same street that I live on. My whole world is literally so close, how perfect is that?! The only thing still causing me stress right now is my lack of finding a job but I'm applying to anything and everything I come across so hopefully something works out quick. Living in this palm tree paradise ain't cheap!

I noticed not too far from here a sign advertising a farmer's market on Sunday's from 10-3 so I am looking forward to checking that out tomorrow. I hope it's good. If I could get fresh grapefruits and oranges each week I might actually need a depressant I'd be so high on cloud 9 LOL!

One thing I've been wanting to write about lately is how many people over the past month have sent me messages via Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter, etc. along the lines of "What you're doing is so risky" or "That really takes guts" or "I wish I had the nerve to do something like that". The thing is though, I don't feel gutsy at all. I feel like I had just been so miserable for so long that this was my only choice. I needed to be in a new area. I needed warm weather. I needed to meet new people. I needed a new career. A new future. New experiences. Yeah, moving is a pain and it's extremely expensive and oftentimes stressful but you know what? It's worth it if you wake up and suddenly all the negatively that had been weighing you down for 7 years is gone and you can't wait to take on the day because you know only new and exciting experiences are ahead of you. Everything ALWAYS works out in the end, just remember that. You might have to go through hell to get there but if you want something you can have it if you work for it. Take that step. Just go for it. Don't live vicariously through someone else's experiences wishing you had the balls to go after your dreams. Go after them now before it's too late and you're 65 or 70 years old, finally retiring from a career that brought you no personal satisfaction, and you're ready to do whatever it is you've always wanted to do only you can't because you're old as fuck and you're tired and you're body doesn't work the same as it used to and you feel like you're chance is over. Anyway, I just can't stress enough that everyone who is feeling stuck in a life they don't want should just cut ties and move on. The only guarantee in life is death. Don't you want to make the most of the time you have?

People's reaction to my life change is both motivating to me and extremely saddening. More people than you realize are unhappy in the life they are living and it doesn't have to be that way.

Well I'm signing off now before I blab on any longer. I'm going to research beaches to see if there are any worth checking out that may be closer than South Beach as I do not feel like dealing with traffic today. I hope you all had a safe and happy new year and have something to look forward to in 2015! If so, please share your goals below. I'd love to hear them! 'Til next time, happy gymming :)