Healthy Pancakes!

Happy Friday lovelies!!

I'm sharing one of my all-time favourite breakfast recipes with you today! Pancakes. I have a big sweet tooth, so one of my favourite ways to have breakfast is with maple syrup. What can I say, I'm Dutch! ;) The Dutch actually have a word for people with a sweet tooth, which is pronounced something like "Slickhert". I actually have no clue how to spell it, but that's not important. What is important are pancakes!

I don't like to deprive myself, but I do like to be healthy. So, these pancakes are the perfect way to have your cake and eat it too! It's super easy, and the secret healthy ingredient is.........protein powder! It works as a great substitute for flour. Along with pancakes, I've made chocolate cake and muffins with it as a replacement for flour.

You need to make sure you add the baking powder though, otherwise it will not hold together very well. Trust me, I've tried. I've tried many different recipes for protein pancakes, and this one is the best, by far!

So here it is!!

One of the great things about this recipe is that it's so versatile. You can literally make hundreds of different combinations. This recipe is just like a base. You can add whatever other flavours you like to it!

Protein Pancakes

1 Banana

1 Egg

1 scoop Protein Powder

1 tbsp Flour*

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4-1/2 tsp Cinnamon

*any kind - I've tried almond flour and all-purpose flour - both work good!

Step 1: Mash the banana with a fork or whisk. Add the egg and mix together until evenly combined.

Step 2: Add all the other dry ingredients, plus the vanilla, and mix together.

It should look like this.

Now's the fun part!

You get to add whatever ingredients you like! This time I added strawberry jam & coconut flakes.

Here's a list of things you can add to/on top of them, to make them even more tasty:

Chocolate Chips**

Almond Extract

Crushed up nuts

Peanut/Almond Butter

Lemon Juice and Stevia

Dates

Rasins

Nutmeg

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Cacao Powder

Apple Sauce

Baked Apples

Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, etc

Pumpkin Puree

Greek Yogurt (mixed with vanilla & stevia)
Banana Slices

** I try to use semi-sweet or dark, but sometimes I just want milk, so I use that! Extra refined sugar is not good for you. Neither in an excess in sugar. So, even if you're using real natural maple syrup, it's best to keep your sugar intake on the low side, by not using milk chocolate. 

-Even better is to get your sugar from natural sources, like fruit! I love baking apples in the oven and then putting them on top. It's warm and delicious!

Once you're ready to cook them, you can do a few things. You can make a bunch of little pancakes or one large one. But keep in mind, it will be large, so you'll need a massive spatula, if you want it to come out in one piece. Yet again, learned from personal experience. This one is great. I totally own it. 

Another thing you can do is cook them in coconut oil! It kind of fries them, and makes the edges crispy, which I really like sometimes. Coconut oil is a great oil/fat to use, but it is higher in calories. (You can look up the amazing benefits of coconut oil here, or anywhere on Pinterest or Google). If you want to cut back on calories, I suggest using a spray such as EVOO or Pam.

This time, I used coconut oil.

I was able to make 3 - 2" pancakes in my pan. I probably could have fit 4 though. Cook, and wait until bubbles have formed on top before flipping. Cook for about 30 seconds on medium to medium-high.

And that's all there is to it! Delicious protein pancakes, that are healthy and taste oh-so-good.

Here's a couple other versions of the protein pancake that I've made:

Banana & Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chips & Coconut

Banana and Coconut Vegan Icing

Apple Sauce

Peaches and Greek Yogurt

Banana, PB, and homemade chocolate sauce

Strawberry & Greek Yogurt

Blueberry & Coconut

Pumpkin, Greek Yogurt, and real Maple Syrup

So yeah, you could say I like pancakes. ;)

You can also make them savoury, but more on that later. 

Now go make something delicious and good for your body! It will thank you for it.

Love,

Lo

New York, New York!

Reading Week is coming up! That means 5+ glorious days of no school! So yeah, I'm pretty stoked. Today, I was thinking of places to go. I want it to be somewhere close-ish, not super expensive, and somewhere that you can see a lot of it in just a week. My two ideas are Mexico and New York. I've been to Mexico twice already, and I wouldn't complain to go there! (Sign me up for a tan), I just want to go some place new! After all, that was one of my new years resolutions. So, I figured now's a good time as ever! Plus, it's on my life Bucket List to go for a run in Central Park!

When I think of New York, this is what I think of:

King Kong

Topper

How to Marry a Millionaire

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Elf

You've Got Mail

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Step Up 3D

The Great Gatsby, and

Mr. Popper's Penguins

I also think of Broadway shows, Rockefeller Plaza, The Mindy Project, the Empire State Building, good eats, and cute streets. 

So, since I have never been to New York, I'm hoping those of you who have could give me some tips and tricks! Which hotel did you stay in, and did you like it? What are the best shows you saw? Where is the best place to eat? What was your favourite part of being there? 

Ready, Set, Go! :)

Wednesday Favourite Five!

It's that time again! Favourite Five day!

Favourite SUPERfood:

So, I love quinoa. It's a crazy superfood that had caught-on in the last year or so, and people are loving it! Why? Because it's a grain and a protein. Plus, it can be substituted for rice or even pasta sometimes. Either way, I love it. It's nutrient dense, so it helps you keep full! What more could you ask for? Here's a list of some awesome healthy quinoa salad recipes!

Favourite Adventure:

If you don't already know, I really love elephants. Ideally, I want to go to Thailand and ride one. But for now, I'll settle with watching other people love them. 

Favourite Quote:

I grew up always being told to pick my friends wisely, because they shape who you are. And you don't even realize it sometimes. Just goes to show that the people you spend time with have a huge effect on your overall wellbeing. 

Favourite Hat:

I love the brand Young and Reckless. Probably from seeing Drama on all those episodes of Rob & Big, that were just hilarious. You seriously need to check it out. Anyway, his clothes are legit too.

Favourite Cake:

Going along with the whole elephant theme here....haha. Seriously though, how cute is this cake?! I don't have any children that this would be applicable for, but I still appreciate it. 

Have a lovely Wednesday beauties!

Love, 

Lo

Nutella Hot Cocoa!

Happy Tuesday my friends!!

So remember when I wrote up a bucket list for winter?! #5 was to make 5 different types of hot cocoa.

So naturally, I procrastinated.

Until this weekend! I finally went onto Pinterest and looked up homemade hot cocoa. I saw one Nutella flavoured, and my decision was made.

Its a super easy and quick recipe. You could probably even make it in the microwave, but I made it on the stove. Don't want to lose any of those nutrients by cooking it in the microwave, right??

SO! This is what you need to do! 

Get some milk, Nutella, and Vanilla. See! So easy!

You can use regular cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, or whatever you want. I'd like to think I'm being health conscious with this drink (Nutella has nuts = protein and almond milk = protein, right...?), but really the sugar content from the Nutella takes away any chance of being healthy. So, go with whichever milk you'd like. 

For ONE Serving:

1 cup Milk

2 tbsp Nutella 

1/2 tsp Vanilla (or more, if you like)

Set your saucepan on medium-low and add 1/4 cup of milk and Nutella. Whisk until combined. Then add the rest of the milk and heat to your preferred temperature.

Then you can have your hot cocoa as picture above, or go all out and have marshmallows and some whipped cream. Your choice. 

This was mine. Go big or go home, right?

*It's important to give yourself treats, so you don't make yourself crazy from withdrawals. 

Hope you're staying warm! Love you guys!

xoxo,

Lo

Pranks: Holding Hands and Macklemore

Last semester for my social psyc class, we were asked to break a social norm and get it caught on video. Looking for inspiration, I found this guy - Andrew Hales. 

After watching this, I decided I was going to go around and hold people's hands. Let me just say, doing that takes major balls. (Excuse the language - it's the most appropriate word). I tried doing it on one person, and it got so freaking awkward!! So I settled with just standing and sitting super close to people. Still awkward. But awesome. 

So here is his video of Holding People's Hand. 

Then he did it again:

And again:

Props.

Side note - he looks like Macklemore. All the more reason to like him. Oh yeah, and he pretended to be him this one time.

Have a happy Monday!

love,

Lo

SeaWheeze.

The SeaWheeze.

Seems daunting. 

And it is. At least to me.

If you don't know, the Seawheeze is a half marathon in beautiful Vancouver, BC. Half marathon. Here's the thing. I've never ran a race more than a 5K. Plus, I mostly do intervals when I run anyway. But, somehow, my friend Carla convinced me to do it with her this summer. 

I figured I should look up how long a half marathon actually is. Trusty google never lets me down! It's a little over 21km! As daunting as that is, I still want to do it. Call me crazy! ("You're crazy." - Thanks.) But hey, that's what Lu Lu Lemon is all about. BHAG's - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. 

I can relate to more of these than I'd like to admit.

Luckily, there are two things that make me think I can do this. 1. It's over 7 months away. 2. They have a training plan. Two actually. One for beginners, and one for those in the intermediate level (hard pass). So here's to hoping that this actually works! I'm about to get super out of my comfort zone. But I'm looking at it as a good thing. Wish me luck!

What?

The SeaWheeze half marathon is 21.1km (13.1 miles) of epic sea, sun, and smiles along with tons of yoga and a concert in one of Vancouver’s best parks.

Why?

We are passionate about yoga, running, and community. SeaWheeze brings this all together in one weekend to remember.

Where?

Vancouver, BC, Canada (SeaWheeze central will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre).

When?

August 23, 2014

How much?

Entry for SeaWheeze 2014 is $128 (CAD and inclusive of taxes)

What do I get with my registration?

• Entry in to the half marathon
• Entrance in to the Sunset Festival
• Multiple yoga practices with some of North America’s best teachers
• SeaWheeze exclusive shorts (only available to participating runners), sent to your door in time for your SeaWheeze training.
• A SeaWheeze training-based app to support you in your training goals
• Access to our official yogi and run trainers
• A fully supported race route with aid, water, and fueling stations
• Post-race runners’ brunch

RUN.

YOGA.

PARTY.

If you're wondering why I want to do it. Just watch. ;) 

Wayfaring.me

A little while ago, I came across this blog/website called wayfaring.me. I'm pretty sure they actually just started following me on instagram randomly, and so I took a look at what they were about. 

This hub has one of the coolest ideas I've heard of! Basically, they want to help people travel more! (Amazing!) They ask people to write little articles about travelling, and then pay you for them. They want to inspire you. They pay you about $1/1000 article views. That's almost free money! How can you say no?! 

Anyway, I read this article, and I loved how simple it was. Just go, and travel. If you have enough money for a one way flight then go! There are ways to make money while travelling abroad.

Here's her list:

1. Just Do It.

2. Don't Overpack.

3. Be Spontaneous and Expect to Change Your Plans.

4. Meet as Many People as Possible.

 I'm all for helping people travel! So why don't you go take a look at her list of "4 Lessons I Learned After Quitting My Job To Travel The World".

Love, 

Lo