Working Out and the Hunger Games

Oh for the love of pancakes…why can I not stop EATING YOU?!

Please ignore the puddle of syrup in the bottom corner of my plate—it is made of veggies and vitamins…promise!

Pancakes with a side of creepers…Sorry pups, these little pillows of syrupy goodness are all mine!

I took Gina’s recipe and combined it with Katie’s recipe to that it looked a little something like this:

Chocolate Cookie Dough Pancakes

(Serves 1)

• 1/3 cup whole wheat/normal flour 
• Can also puts oats in there for a combination of textures…it should all equal about 1/3 of a cup though
• 1 scoop of protein powder (I used chocolate)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Splenda (optional)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs egg beater
• up to 1/2 cup water or non-dairy milk (I used water because I was out of almond milk…imagine that!)
• 1/8-1/4 cup Dark chocolate cocoa powder to make them super chocolately

Mix all the ingredients, then stir. Cook on medium-low, flipping 1/2-way through…easy peasy! 

My main alterations were switching out some of the flour for protein powder, and making the pancakes chocolate flavored.  I knew I wanted protein in these pancakes because it keeps me full longer and adds another dimension to the pancakes.  You should try to incorporate a little protein in each/most of your meals.

According to WebMD, some other benefits of protein include:

• Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues.
• You use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.
• Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Pancakes that taste fabulous and are good for you?  Sign me up!

Workout

Last night I tried my hardest to finish the final book of The Hunger Games called Mockingjay.  My eyes read as fast as they could, but they just couldn’t seem to finish before the clock struck 9 o’ clock.  (Much like Cinderella, my carriage will turn into a pumpkin and my horse into mice if I stay up past my bed time.)  Okay, not really, but I knew I had to get up at 5 to get in a workout, so I reluctantly shut my book and huffed and puffed all angry to bed.

This morning, I was determined to finish the book, so instead of doing boot camp, I staked out a stairstepper and went to work reading stepping away.  I finished the book 15 minutes later.  I rounded out 30 minutes of the stairstepper with 30 minutes on the elliptical and called it a day! 

I will give a full review of the Hunger Games series later…but I will tell you this right now.  It was AMAZING!  I finished each of the books in two days (a piece).  I couldn’t put them down.  For now I am off to guzzle sip on my iced coffee…it’s only my FIRST one today, I swear!

QUESTION: What was the last book you couldn’t put down?  Any recommendations on what my next book should be?