Monster Pancakes!

Regular pancakes are getting boring.  So the kids & I got creative this morning!

My healthy start was 1 cup "Heart Smart" Bisquick (adorned with a Box Top for my school), 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1/4 ground flax seed, 1 grated apple with skin, 1 egg + 3 egg whites, 1/4 cu 1% milk, 1 pat melted butter, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt.

Then we added Chocolate Chips & Butterscotch chips & cereal!  Zoe added Lucky Charms & Nate smashed up Chocolate Mini Wheats!  They were lumpy & chunky & the kids picked them up like monsters (no syrup, no forks, no mess)!

A new breakfast favorite with fruit, dairy, fiber & protein!  I feel like Tony the Tiger "They're GRRRRRREAT!"

Getting this apron from Amazon might be in my future~

Ribbit Chirp Chirp

It's like living in the tropics in my upstairs bathroom, the sounds of nature ...well really 30 crickets living in a plastic tub.  We got 2 new low maintenance pets...Chubby Tree Frogs!


They sit sleeping in one spot all day & sit awake in a different spot all night.  They wait for crickets to hop by them to nab for a meal.

I can't imagine such a limited menu!

Grocery Items

After an hour 'strength training workout' in my living room, (while watching my favorite shows "Modern Family" & then "Minute to Win it") I headed out for some fresh groceries.  As I loaded the conveyor belt to the cashier, I smiled at my selections!  Raw beets, cucumbers, carrots, sweet potatoes, organic mixed greens, peppers, tomatoes, fresh strawberries, whole grain bread, oven roasted turkey, skim milk, free range eggs....& 2 tubs of chocolate peanut butter swirl ice cream on sale: 2 for $5, plus 2 tubs of Cool Whip for mixing with my low fat cottage cheese & strawberries...yummy!  Boy do I know good health AND good SUGAR!

For lunch I baked the raw beet - wrapped in foil for 50 minutes at 400 degrees & it was delicious!  It tasted like corn with a firm potato consistency.  I liked it much more than I thought & I didn't need to wear lipstick after it dyed my lips pink!

The ice cream I saved for after dinner (Amy's Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable soup was delicious & spicy.)  Ribbons of peanut butter in the chocolate ice cream felt heavenly in my mouth - definitely worth the wait!

Chocolate Fiber Crunch

Okay, I am on a roll with this healthy chocolate thing & have just melted semi sweet chocolate chips with fiber one cereal to satisfy my sweet tooth & get some vitamins, minerals & fiber!  I remember seeing The Chocolate Bar in Texas sell blobs of Lucky Charms tossed with chocolate, but I'm upping the ante & adding some roughage!  Bon Appetite!

Chocolate Cereal with a bit of health!

One of my daily missions is to find sugar, chocolate & health intertwined & here they are!  Good fiber, whole grain, no high fructose corn syrup & real chocolate!  Special K Chocolaty delight & Chocolate Mini Wheats are good dessert or anytime snacking material!

My Dentist Loves Me

Did I mention my 10 year old filling cracked & I waited just long enough for sugar to decay it MORE.  SO, I just got a new CROWN in my back molar!   But first I have to wear a temporary crown while they officially make my real one which means no eating milk duds for a whole month!

The design of molars have two important features: the trigonid, or shearing end, and the talonid, or crushing heel.  And people say I shouldn't annihilate my suckers - I have the tools!!!

Dark Chocolate RULES!!!

I forget that chocolate is derived from a plant (the cacao plant).  It contains cell-protective phytochemicals, more commonly referred to as "antioxidants." Researchers have discovered that a standard dark chocolate candy bar contains about twice as much antioxidants as a glass of red wine. This is great news!!!

Chocolate contains a surprisingly big quantity of heart-protective antioxidants, most notably plant phenols, procyanidins and catechins. In recent studies, these compounds have been shown to increase HDL (good) cholesterol, reduce blood clots that can cause heart attacks & strokes and may even lower blood pressure. As an added bonus, the phytochemicals in chocolate may also prevent cancer.

Here's a link to Hershey's research: http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition/antioxidants.asp
Data from the recent study sponsored by The Hershey Company and previous data from USDA and others indicate that dark chocolate is one of the most concentrated sources of flavanol antioxidants among plant foods. The antioxidant capacity of 1 serving of HERSHEY'S EXTRA DARK dark chocolate (37g) is equal to 3 cups of tea, 2 glasses of red wine or 1 1/3 cups of blueberries.  Hip Hip HOORAY!!!