For the love of my Protein Pancake

Coconut protein pancake with carob chips and slathered with Chocolate PB2

You know what wakes me up at 4:30AM in the morning? Definitely not my Insanity workout.

You know what makes me go to sleep early?

Definitely not my Insanity workout at 4:30 in the morning.

This slightly embarrasses me, but I’ve been having the same breakfast for almost a year now.  The only time I did not have this every week was when  I was on vacation in the Southeast Pacific.  It is mostly the reason I wake up early and recently, its revamped version also makes it the reason why I go to bed early.  I know, I am weird.

One year ago, I bought some cheap protein powder at Costco. I didn’t like to drink it so I found other ways to consume it.  At first, I just mixed it in my fruit salad and yogurt concoctions.  Then, I discovered I could bake a no-fat, no-flour protein-filled chocolate cake.

The next thing you know, I have a morning recipe I know by heart:  1 scoop of protein powder, 1/2 mashed banana, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder and 1/4 cup oat bran.  This is recipe version #1.  Actually, let’s say version 1.05 if you count the five times I’ve made the rubber version, cement version, dough-is-falling-apart version, etc.  I topped this with natural peanut butter and E.D. Smith jam.  This whole meal can go as high as 500 kcals if I go crazy on the Peanut Butter.  I love peanut butter.   It’s probably why I gained about 8 pounds within one year!!

A month ago,  I discovered a low-calorie version of this pancake.  The latest version of my pancake is as follows:

• 1 scoop protein powder
• 2 tbsp coconut flour (higher fiber content than oat bran)
• 1/2 tbsp flax seed (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp applesauce (lower carbs and calorie than the banana)
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 2 tbsp almond milk

Variations

1) Protein powder – the protein powder makes a huge difference.  For a long time, I’ve used the cheap powder at Costco – a brand called Leanfit – and it works fine.  Some protein powder don’t work as good.  They don’t hold as well together.  Sometimes, they won’t rise.  And other times, they just taste like crap.  The BEST protein powder I’ve used so far which I am currently using is ON 100% Whey Gold Standard Double Chocolate.  I don’t know why I always order chocolate because I don’t even drink it and the chocolate flavour is not as strong on bake goods unless you put cocoa in it.

2) Egg whites vs. whole egg – I used egg whites because they are lower in fat and calories.  You can replace it with one egg and the result will be richer and fluffier.

3) Banana, pumpkin, applesauce, etc. – Lately, I’ve been using applesauce as it is lower in calories.  But for a long time, I have been using bananas.  I buy them in bundles every week and let them sit in my rice bin until they are overripe.  Plantains are the best type of bananas to use in these pancakes.

4) Cocoa, carob chips, chocolate chips – these are optional.  Sometimes, if I am feeling it, I will add a tablespoon of cocoa powder into my mixture.  I also like carob chips on my pancake than the regular chocolate chips.

5) Flax seeds, chia seeds – Does not really affect the taste, but I add these just to make it healthier.

6) Toppings – You can put anything you want.  Peanut butter, jam, honey, laughing cow cheese, etc.  I am currently putting PB2 on my pancakes.  PB2 is powdered peanut butter.  I know!  It grossed me out too when I first heard about it.  But I am open minded so I tried it and now I like it better than the regular peanut butter!

Those are the carob chips.

I apologize for the photos.  It was 5:30AM and I wasn’t really in a creative mood.  I was famished so I just used my point and shoot.

If you want more appetizing photos, please see links below.

Links:

Sensual Appeal Blog - this is where I discovered using coconut flour in my pancakes.

Fitshop – I live in Canada and this is the only place I can buy a more affordable PB2.  Free shipping if order is $69 or >.

4 Whey Wonders – an article on how to bake with whey protein powder

Fake it until you become it

I finally changed my blog’s theme.  It was long overdue.  I look at my old header, and it doesn’t seem to represent what I am right now.  No longer are there only two boxes in my life…but there seem to be more…

It’s amazing to me how I have been evolving over the years in terms of my shyness.  I still don’t speak my mind out very easily and public gatherings still pain me, but I have been trying to push myself little and little.  Did you know that I was terrified of work socials and parties? Why? Well, I don’t do very well in large group conversations.  I always feel like I am not contributing enough and I feel self conscious if I am the only one who is not talking.  And if I do talk, it’ll probably be something stupid and awkward and I’ll be kicking myself inwardly for the whole week whenever I remember an awkward moment.  So I’d rather not talk at all.

I only become this person when I am around certain groups of people.  And you can probably guess which ones.  I am trying to solve this affliction of mine by forcing myself to attend the work socials and accepting the Friday lunch invites from co-workers.  Sometimes, I am surprised of myself for learning that I can actually enjoy this things.  I am still working on the Friday lunches though.  Why do I have a hard time being at ease with people my age?  Arghhh.

I was watching this talk from Ted by Amy Cuddy:

“Fake it until you become it”.

When I heard those words, I was reminded by what I wrote in my “About” section.

I still haven’t become it, but I am surely trying my best to fake it.

Be it in the workplace or my social circles, I will become it.

Soon, I hope?

I worry about nothing and everything.

I worry about my lunch meeting with the tax partner tomorrow. I don’t know what the heck I am worried for as he is probably Mr. Congeniality and my favourite partner, but nevertheless I am still dreading it. Two years into my CA and I decided to torture myself even more and go into tax.

I am kidding. The torture part, I mean. I am really going into tax.

You know how when you’re a kid and asked what you wanted to be when you grow up? Well, when I grew up, and realized I was gonna be an accountant, I knew I wanted to be a tax accountant the first time I went into my tax class. But unlike my childhood bubble dream, I decided to make my grown up dream come true.

So here I am, and I am worried as heck if I’ve made the right decision. I know it’s the fear of the unknown so I can’t wait till I get passed this stage. One thing I know is that I always enjoy the tax portions of my year-end work. I even like reading those long arse re-org memos. Those are some good signs, right…? Haha

At least, last week ended on a good note. All of our UFE writers passed!

I can’t wait for Wednesday. Can we just skip tomorrow?

Ah, I won’t even see him tomorrow.

I can finally do a pull up!

A real one and not just one, I can actually do two full ones!  The pull up bar at my gym is pretty high  (alright..it’s me who’s short), so I have to put a step up ramp on the floor.  I need to jump to reach the bars but this time, instead of doing just the negative, the second pull up attempt that had always failed miserably actually went all way through.  No way, yo!!  Did that just happen?  It was like magic…something that I thought will never be possible.

Okay, it’s not magic.  The pull-up craze started back in February 14th this year when I found myself at Wal-Mart at 9:30PM in the evening buying a free-standing pull up bar that was on sale.  I look back at this memory and I still laugh at myself.  On Valentines Day, just me and my impulse purchases.

I still have the bar but seldom used it since September when I started training at the gym instead.  I have always been a cardio girl but really got into lifting this year.  I dunno, I find it therapeutic especially when I am stressed or heartbroken.

I probably won’t fit in my skinny jeans now from all the squats, but so what?  I want to be this strong:

Funny, how my interests keep evolving as I age.  That’s why I like having this blog.  I was scanning my older entries and I can’t recognize myself sometimes.    But there is one entry that will hit home every fracking time.

It has been two years since my UFE marks day.  It’s hard to sleep today because I personally know four people going through the same experience this very night.  I wonder what they are doing?  Drinking themselves to oblivion?  Sleep won’t come easy tonight.

People say that the UFE is “just” an exam.  This is something you say after marks day to writers who are not as lucky.

This is not something you say to the writers prior to marks day.

Just an exam? I have’t had any sleep for weeks.

In reality, it’s not just any other exam.  No.  Everyone who went through it will remember it for years or even decades after writing it.  Ask any CA.  I wonder what’s going to happen  to it after the CPA transition.

Seven more hours and forty five minutes.  I am counting down for you.

It’s going to be a good day tomorrow!

I miss blogging

I miss it.

I just realized it now.

When is now?

Ah, now is 1:37AM.  I am writing this from my iMac and five feet away from me is another desk with my work laptop, trying (painfully) to finish an audit that is supposed to go on for review after tomorrow. I mean, Tomorrow.

The things I do when I procrastinate.

I don’t even remember when I changed this blog to private.  Or why I did it.

I am twenty eight now, by the way. I thought I’d let you know.  I’ll keep saying my age until I hit 30 because I only have less that two years on my twenties so I want to savor it.  Did I tell you turning twenty seven was the most painful, so far?  Twenty eight wasn’t so bad…

I keep wondering: When do women stop admitting their age?  That moment when they are asked the question, “How old are you?” and they pucker their lips, act coy and reply jokingly , “Hohoho, I am twenty-five.”

And then you know, they’re on their thirties.

I gotta stop reading these comments

The tears won’t stop and I am just halfway down the page.

Sob.

What the heck, I gotta finish a file…there’s no time to get depressed now.