I have learned that I appreciate long weekends even more now that I am in a full time practicum for teaching. I have also learned that I liked it much better when I was the student, because it meant I got a four-day weekend. Instead, I attended a Professional Development day seminar at my school today while all the students got the day off. Yea – I liked being the student better. But, I am not complaining because we all get a nice long weekend in February! It’s desperately needed as well.

It has been crazy busy the last week because I’ve also learned that being a teacher when there is an extra long four day weekend means that your weeks get condensed, things have to be changed and you have to learn to cram more into those four days. Especially when you have two four day weeks back to back, and even more so when you have two prep blocks cancelled on you a minute before the bell rings. Next week we have our midterm conferences – which seems crazy because even though we’ve done so much, I feel it’s only been a short time at the school so far! Still lots to do.

Speaking of things to do, Adam and I have some big plans for the house this long weekend, part 2 of our DIY built in shelves (you can see Part 1 here)

Long weekends usually mean house projects, lounging around the house, movie nights in, and of course big sunday breakfasts.

I’m not a huge breakfast fan, my history of food allergies limits my choices so I usually grab some fruit and go (especially when teaching and racing to school; fyi I was the second one at school Thursday which meant it was still locked..haha) So my breakfast is not very exciting during the week. I’ve recently begun eating my gf/wf oats again with almond butter and bananas, but I haven’t had cereal forever! On the weekends it’s usually no different, breakfast is fruit, a green smoothie, maybe oatmeal.

However, Adam is a big breakfast person – though he was hooked on honey nut cheerios for a long time. So every now and then I’ll try and make a big breakfast, eggs, hashbrowns, turkey sausage or bacon. We used to do pancakes or waffles but those haven’t made an appearance in our new kitchen yet.

Last weekend I felt like a real breakfast, and wanted to use up the veggies in our fridge. I made a healthier Frittata for Adam and I. Before I found out about my dairy/egg allergy I used to wonder why I felt so sick after eating things like omelettes. My dad loved breakfast-for-dinner nights, and would make huge, thick, cheesy omelettes that would make me feel super nauseous afterwards – now I know why! I can only eat eggs that are well cooked, or baked in things, but runny eggs make me feel sick (so-long eggs benny!)

So – If you’re having a stay at home family-day weekend, I highly suggest making a frittata for breakfast one morning.

This isn’t Nonna’s frittata, which is more like zucchini in sauce with egg mixed in and lots of cheese..which is heaven. However, it’s much healthier.

(P.s I dunno why but the song hakuna matata popped into my head as I was writing Frittata. Love the lion king)

Goat Cheese Frittata

• 6 eggs (more/less depending on how many people, I say 2.5 eggs a person, plus you can always have leftovers)
• 1 medium Zucchini
• 1 red Pepper
• 1 orange Pepper
• 1 yellow Pepper
• 1 small Onion
• pepper (to taste)
• Goat cheese

When I found out I had more food allergies I knew I would have to give up a lot of my favourite foods. However, I am truly amazed at how well I feel now. I felt SICK all the time before. Adam would constantly complain that I said “my stomach hurts” after almost every meal. That of course wasn’t helping me in any way, and it put a damper on events or nights out. I had no idea what was going on with my stomach. Throughout high school and the years after, I remember eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast, Special K (a “healthy” option then, now I know of better ones), with Milk (before I realized I had a dairy allergy). I remember feeling uncomfortably bloated, and pain in my abdomen following breakfast. Not a great start to the day. Now, after dealing with and finding out all of my lovely food allergies I know better, and have completely changed my eating habits to reflect a healthier happier life, and belly.

I was never a real lover of bread, probably because of how it made me feel after eating it. I was more of a smoothie for breakfast kind of girl. Adam, however, would like some pancakes or waffles on the weekend for our Sunday breakfast. I would usually make waffles or pancakes, I actually prefer waffles to pancakes because their crispier and lighter, while I feel pancakes are quite heavy. I would jazz up a pancake/waffle recipe by subbing out butter/oil for apple sauce, add in some banana or fruit to the mix to make it ‘healthier.’

But, I would still feel like crap after eating them (before I knew of my wheat allergy). I started making them just for Adam, and maybe sneak a bite or two. I then discovered Bob’s Red Mill pancake mix, which is gluten/wheat/dairy free and would add a purred banana to it, and was pleasantly surprised that for the first time I wasn’t feeling sick after eating a meal like pancakes. However, I still wanted something healthier, cleaner and with less ingredients.

I was SO excited when I saw a link from The Skinny Confidential via Blogilates on twitter about two ingredient pancakes. Really? Could it be this easy?

The answer is YES.

Banana. Eggs. That’s it. No need for other filler ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, oil, baking soda/powder. Just two simple ingredients that are amazingly fluffy like a buttermilk pancake. They’re also filling! I had about 4 smaller pancakes, and was quite full. Adam said he could have eaten more, he also had a side of bacon. But you can make as many or as little as you like. Also – a good dose of protein, with 14+ grams !

The list of ingredients is getting shorter and shorter. First, 5 Ingredient Date Bars, now 2 Ingredient Pancakes.

You can add in other things, good things, like cinnamon, natural (not artificial) vanilla, a few tsp. of ground flax seeds (they help hold it together), nutmeg etc.

And – Instead of covering them with syrup, warm up some frozen or fresh berries for a compote!

These are a great weekend, or week day breakfast if you have time. It’s also the weekend before Halloween! Adam and I are going to two parties this weekend, tonight I’m going as Catwoman. Tomorrow, Adam and I are doing a ‘couples’ costume, lame but bound to happen =)

Two Ingredient Pancakes 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

2 mashed, ripe bananas

3 eggs

Directions:

In a medium bowl, crack your eggs and add your banana. Using a hand mixer/beater, fully blend together the egg and banana so that there are no noticeably large chunks of banana. Add spices, flax etc. if you like.

On medium heat, spray/coat a pan lightly. Using a ladle, scoop about 1/4 cup onto the pan. Allow to cook on one side for about a minute, until bubbles appear on top. Carefully flip over, they will be less firm as a regular pancake. Allow other side to cook.

You can add as many banana’s / eggs as you like for a crowed, I would say an egg and a half per banana.

Enjoy with Berries!

{Pardon the ugly pic, but you can see their just as fluffy as regular pancakes!}

{Flip, and they’re golden!}

{You could have them plain, but they’re delicious with berries! Or maybe Almond butter??}

Just a quick recipe this morning! It’s been a really muggy few days in Vancouver. It has been warm, but not hot, cloudy, but not sunny. I hate this type of weather, if it’s going to be warm it should at least be sunny. But it looks like this really is going to be the coldest June on record.

That being said, I have officially begun my one month countdown until Europe! I leave near the end of July, and hopefully I will find warmer weather in the Mediterranean.

I woke up this morning craving pancakes, but knew I probably shouldn’t make a batch because A. I’m home alone still, Adam gets home this afternoon, and I would probably eat an entire plate of pancakes, and B. I’m continuing my ‘clean-eating’ in preparation for my trip! I’ve been going to the gym for four days on, one day off for the last few weeks as opposed to about 3-4 times a week, to stay on track. I’ve been incorporating interval training to my treadmill workouts. I was getting a little bored of my usual warm up cardio, 30 min treadmill walk/run before doing weights. So, I warm up for about 5 minutes walking at 3.5 – 4 speed, and then rev up to about 7 speed, and 3-4 incline,  and do intervals. 20 seconds as hard/fast as you can, and then 10 seconds off / resting (the Fitnessista just posted her Tabata Thursday’s post so you can read about it here!) It’s super sweaty, and feels great.

So, instead of making some Bob’s red mill pancakes this morning, I decided to make some breakfast quinoa. Since finding out I have a wheat allergy, I have avoided my beloved oatmeal. I had to give up peanut butter and oatmeal, what gives?? Two of my favourites. With quinoa you get the same warm, comforting food feeling as oatmeal and pancakes, only much healthier and loaded with protein (quinoa, almonds, almond milk)

I had lots of Quinoa leftover from Wednesday’s Marinated Quinoa Salad. With already made quinoa it’s a really quick breakfast to prepare.

Hopefully we will see some sun this weekend. Not sure what Adam and I are going to get up to tonight after he gets back, tomorrow we’re planning on going to our townhouse showroom to pick out our options and upgrades. We drove by last week and they have already framed our building, and are starting on the roof! Very exciting. And tomorrow night we’re planning on visiting a friends restaurant for the first time in North Van. Let’s hope if the sun doesn’t make an appearance, it stays warm and muggy with no rain!

Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• Shredded coconut
• Blueberries
• Cinnamon
• Almonds