pancake party

I don't know when I suddenly started making pancakes like a mad woman, but since this summer I seem to wake up on Sunday mornings and want pancakes.  I have tried tons of recipes and ingredients - blueberry, chocolate chip, raspberry....... but since it is now fall, and I am obsessed with pumpkin, I had to try some pumpkin pancakes.  I have to say these are hands down the best pancakes I have made in a while, and they are healthy too.  They are super easy so you should definitely try them out. And get a griddle.  What did I do before my stovetop griddle?!  Happy Sunday.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes 

 

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (or 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar and 1 Tablespoon Stevia)
⅓ cups Pumpkin Purée
1 whole Egg
1 cup Milk
½ teaspoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce (Can also sub in 2 Tablespoons butter) 

Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar). Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in another bowl (pumpkin, egg, milk, vanilla and applecause). Make a little well in the dry ingredients - add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Let the batter rest for a few minutes. Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto a pre-heated griddle on medium heat. Wait until the batter bubbles a bit around the edges and flip. Cook until both sides are lightly golden. Enjoy!

Member Appreciation Day

Wednesday was Member Appreciation Day at our gym.  We have been members since 2008, so it is safe to say, we should be appreciated. Well, Lauren did not get the appreciation she wanted/deserved. So of course it was the topic of our early morning email conversation...

Lauren to Wesley :
Subject: Wednesday

Im so snoozy.  Im going to have to go have a tea party before my interview at 10:30 am.  I am pissed about the coffee.  I am a valued customer and there is no reason all the coffee should be gone by 8:40.

Like any good husband, I wrote an email expressing my frustration that my wife was not properly taken care of.  Preface: For whatever reason, our gym likes to serve very unhealthy breakfast food on member appreciation day.....

Dear Vida,

It would be appreciated if on Member Appreciation Day, you would have enough coffee for those who like to be appreciated. Also, it is a bit of an oxymoron to serve creme filled danishes, muffin, croissants, and bagels at a GYM Appreciation Day.  You should know that is takes 20 minutes of intense running to burn off one croissant, so after getting up at the ass-crack of dawn, sweating my butt off to burn a few cals, why the HELL would you think I would want any of those options. You are promoting a "healthy lifestyle", yet serve items that Trainer Bob says should never be on your daily menu. Come on now. Wake up. Maybe if you would have had more coffee, you would have been able to wake up and realize your stupidity.

Unregards,

An Unappreciated Member's Husband

P.S. I really didnt send this, but should have.

Post Work Jog

Lo and I decided to sleep in this morning and go for a run after work. It was quite the perfect day for a jog down the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial, then back to the Capitol and on to Lincoln Park. After running up the treacherous hill that hugs the Capitol, we decided to stop and take in the beauty of the sunset. It was very calming and peaceful, considering the very tense weekend that just passed.

The Great Pumpkin Race

Sometimes I get nervous about new things... or things I don't have control of. Actually I always do. Well, I always get nervous before races. I called Wesley out in the car on the way there because whenever he gets nervous he always hits the breaks. Literally. If we are walking toward something he isn't sure about he will literally back up. On the way to Reston, VA for our race today when we weren't sure where we were going he would literally hit the breaks. Well, I clam up. I cross my arms, cross my legs and look around like a deer in head lights. I also talk a lot. I like to give myself pep talks out loud... but to other people. Example:

Lauren: "Wesley, well this is just for our personal best. I mean, it doesn't matter how we do against everyone else, right? It is just for fun." (Verbal affirmation for myself so that I won't immediately walk away and/or just quit the second I cross the start line.)
Wesley: "Yes, dear (as he secretly laughs to himself because I'm such a crazy ass)."

Today ended up being a beautiful fall day in Reston, VA. Even more beautiful because I beat Wesley. Yes, you read that right. I beat Wesley (and no Mom, he didn't let me win!). Fair and square. I would even venture to say that in the last 0.2 mile I whooped about 10 men. Not to brag... or to kinda brag. I finished 46 out of 803 women and 12 out of 147 in my age group. I'll take that. Doesn't really matter - we had so much fun and enjoyed something new. Here are a few pics to share... don't judge my sweaty hair, people.

How are people fat in this city?

So I am going on almost a week in the new city and I feel as though I have walked 500 miles! The other day I got turned around and before I knew it, I had walked a good 30 blocks. Needless to say, I should invest in a good pair of walking shoes. If any of you have seen the movie "Working Girl", that is what it looks like in the mornings and afternoons, both men and women. Pretty funny because I think some of the people are wearing the exact shoes that were worn in the movie. I believe that movie was filmed in the 80's. Enough said. So why do I see fat people everywhere? I have to assume that they are tourists, not locals. Most locals use public transportation, therefore, can not be out of shape. Just can't. It's impossible to fathom the existence.

I have also noticed while on the Metro, a subway to those who are unfamiliar with the term, people like to stare. While I love to people watch, I catch myself making eye contact with people, only to quickly look down as if it did not happen. Don't act like I am the only who does this. I'm sure I just called out several people. While most will look the other way, I feel the eyes of the same individual whom I just made the "brief" eye contact with still staring!!! I do not feel I look any different than the person next to me, but obviously I do. Well that shit is not happening anymore. I now wear my sunglasses on the Metro to avoid any strange contacts with the world around me.

Side note: Working Girl is from 1988. Exactly 20 years ago. Time for a new pair of walking shoes. I will have to admit, I am impressed they have kept them that white for 20 years. Anyways.

A couple of days ago, we encountered a very bizarre occurrence. Across the street from our apartment is the Hart Senate Building, which houses all the Senators' offices. Around, 5 ish, police cars, firetrucks, the works, swarm the building and evacuated everyone. My first thought, a bomb. Great first week, bomb threat across from my living quarters. Fortunately, that was not it. Some dumb....... decided his life was stupid and thought he should try and end it there at the Hart building. A suicide attempt! For FIVE hours this man could not decide whether his life was worth it or not. He almost went through with it because they posted up the huge trampoline thing out on the street, along with bringing in the S.W.A.T team. This paragraph will not get gruesome because he decided he should live a little bit longer. Thanks to this man, numerous individuals robbed convenient stores and street carts throughout the city and got away with it because all of the DC law enforcement was circled around this guy. This did not really happen, Lo and I just thought it probably did.

Laundry check, be right back.

I am doing laundry today because we need it, and for those of you wondering, I do have a job. I actually have a meeting set up tomorrow, one Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for work related interests. I am not being a bum.

Another interesting topic that Lo and I have encounter is our grocery shopping. Goodbye to the days where you get in your car, pull up to Kroger, Whole Foods, etc., grab your germ infested cart and make you way down the aisle marking off your list as you go. No more waiting for the little old lady to move to one side so that you can pass, yet you just politely sit there until she has made her choice so you are not rude. No more grabbing a couple of grapes in your buggy as you shop or reading the latest "How I lost 50 lbs. overnight" gossip magazine while you wait for your turn at the checkout. Paper or Plastic? That is over. DC is moving on. We made our first grocery purchase ONLINE last night. Peapod is a online grocery store that delivers to you door....AMAZING! What does this cost you ask? The prices are the same, sometimes cheaper than the "old fashion" kind. They add the specials and discounts to your bill without you having to enter in the codes. Do they have everything? Yes, you can shop by aisle or by brand with everything you need. Seriously. So, our groceries should be arriving between 4 and 6 today. You also get to pick the time you want them delivered. Pretty interesting and I know many of you are jealous, eh?

Well I have rambled on enough for today. Until next time...