a. Make my life in the kitchen easier, faster, and most importantly, doing as few dishes as possible.
And yet, at the same time...
b. Make everything we eat more nutrient dense, and use super-nourishing whole foods; while excluding foods that are damaging to our health, like refined sugar, processed convenience foods, and gluten.
Those two aims would seem to be polar opposites, wouldn't they? I mean, after all, "easier and more convenient" usually = "processed" or less-that-great quality and nutrition.
And "more nutrient dense and nourishing whole foods" usually = "from scratch"...in other words..."a whole lotta work".
But see, here's where the creative process lies for me; constantly seeking that balance between eating really well, yet not allowing that commitment to balloon into something that hijacks my life, and sucks up all my time. Because it easily can. And does, at times. That's when I look at yet another pile of dirty dishes and just cry.
Literally. I cried one day last week. Over dishes.
Isn't that ridiculous? But it's a flashing signal that I've slipped off the edge onto the "too much work" side of the path.
Other times, I've been known to slip onto the "not enough work" side...and when that happens it's more subtle, but I will see things creeping in, like too much reliance on pre-made gluten free products like GF breads and bars, too many grains and not enough produce...and then the physical signs emerge: a bloated belly, a skin eruption or two, exhaustion, irritability, followed by weight gain. Those are the red flags that get my attention. Then it's time to move back to the center.
That "not enough work" side usually happens when my schedule gets too busy and I start to lose balance in my life. That's when things drop off my daily routines, like outdoor exercise (This is so vital, seriously. The fresh air and the sun are mandatory to good health. I'm like the U.S. Mail...neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will keep me from my appointed rounds!), my Bible study time, and proper nourishment. These are the three non-negotiables--when I neglect these three daily practices for any length of time I notice my physical, mental, and spiritual health and vitality will start to spiral downward.
When I see those basic things creeping down my priority list it's like an alarm; a flashing light blinking: "re-evaluate, re-evaluate". If I can look ahead and see that this schedule is just a temporary thing, then o.k., I can ride it for a few days. But if it's turning into a permanent lifestyle, then whoa, something's gotta change, immediately, and it usually involves saying "no". I'm an expert at that now, after years of practice. Setting firm boundaries around my time so that my personal quiet time with the Lord and my health (exercise and nutrition) come first may seem selfish, but I'm here to tell you that without putting those things first I will crash and burn, and then I'm of no use to my family or anybody else. If I want to be energetic and strong to be a blessing to others I absolutely must lovingly care for myself. So really, it's not selfish, just a simple fact.
Conversely, the "too much work" side occurs when I lose my focus on purposing to make my time in the kitchen really, really effective--purposing to make double or triple batches, and freeze the extra, purposing to "keep it simple, sister" (I don't like to call anyone stupid, even myself! ;) That "too much work" side usually stems from a lack of organization and vision...it's when I'm just going one day at a time, one meal at a time, rather than seeing the bigger picture of the entire month. Strangely, the core issue here is not what you would expect: it's actually laziness! This is when I procrastinate, and put off the work of planning and prepping. When I neglect to address this topic head on, each meal sneaks up on me. Instead of being prepared I am scrambling and caught off-guard, and that ALWAYS results in lost time and wasted effort. It's just plain frustrating. Since we have to eat, three times a day, every day, it feels like I'm confronted and forced to continually figure out what we are eating every few hours of my life(!) instead of just once for the week, or the month. I'm a slave to it over, and over, and over, and over, instead of just addressing it once, then enjoying freedom from having to think about it the rest of the month.
A balanced life (in the kitchen, and out of the kitchen) does not just happen. I have to fight for it.
It means being ruthless about my priorities, fiercely protective and respectful of the time required to live well, and shrewdly calculating about what really is, and is not necessary. Not just in regards to food, but in regards to the "stuff", and activities I allow into my life. It requires a constant awareness, and a bit of cool detachment, to stand back, analyze, and make the choices that need to be made. Bring the ax down where it needs to be brought down. Let go where I need to let go. Sometimes I fall asleep a little, and then the "alarms" go off, and I wake back up.
So today I'm awake, alert, and dead-center baby. I'm on target with good, nourishing food, made simply, and in an organized fashion. Not "too much work", and not "too little". I'm on point, no messing around. Oh, it feels goooooood.
Pumpkin-Pecan Pancakes
I slightly tweaked a recipe found here at: http://www.pamelasproducts.com/pumpkin-pancakes-with-butter-pecan-syrup/ to exclude refined sugar. I switched the canola oil to olive oil, and used rice milk instead of water, for no particular reason, other than habit. I also added chopped pecans and switched up the spices. The pumpkin packs a nice punch of beta carotene, and the pecans add some lovely texture, and a bit of nice added protein and fat. I really appreciate using a convenient GF baking mix every once in a while, to simplify and speed along the preparation of these tasty little cakes. The baking mix is full of starch and very carb-y of course, but when I treat pancakes as a special treat, not an everyday staple, and just eat a couple, alongside some nice protein like eggs, I can be o.k. with that from time to time. Nice balance of increasing nutrition, while decreasing steps.
See!? I'm learning. :)
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 T. oil (I used olive oil)
- 1 c. water or milk--dairy, rice, or whatever kind you like
- 2 T. pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 c. Pamela's Gluten-Free baking mix
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I used Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus spice blend)
- 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
Heat your skillet to medium-high and fry up your pancakes. (Please check the original recipe link above for helpful tips on baking GF pancakes.)
To freeze: As your pancakes come off the pan, place them on a baking rack to thoroughly cool. Then place pancakes in a single layer inside a ziplock freezer bag, then, if you desire, you can place a piece of parchment paper on that layer, and then add a second layer of pancakes to prevent them from sticking together, but that's not absolutely necessary. Simply warm frozen pancakes in the microwave or toaster oven when ready to eat.
These are delightful topped with butter and applesauce, or a drizzle of pure maple syrup for a special treat.
These are great for making a quick PB and J sandwich...you could just leave out the pecans, and instead spread the pancakes with almond, cashew, or sunflower-seed butter and some sort of fruit, like sliced bananas, or applesauce, or some no-sugar added fruit preserves. That could go in the lunchbox for a fun fall treat, or wrapped in a napkin and tucked into a little hand...with a cup of some sort of milk in the other hand (dairy, almond, rice, whatever you drink in your house).
I imagine these pancakes would also make a great outer layer for a breakfast sandwich, made with a fried egg and some sort of breakfast meat layered up, like bacon. That's a nice handful 'o protein to start the day when you're running out the door. It would be fun to make them smaller if you are going to try this...like English muffin size.
Regardless of how you use them, it's just plain NICE to have a little ace tucked up your sleeve. And the best part is, you only have to wash the dishes ONCE. And you get to eat pancakes many times. Hooray for small steps that make a big difference.
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