PB2 Greek Yogurt Oat Pancakes

These pancakes were sooo yummy! The texture was so fluffy!

Ingredients:

• little over 1/2 cup oats
• 1 packet stevia 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed 
• 1 tablespoon PB2.  (Find out more about PB2 HERE)  
• 1 1/2 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup soy milk  

Blend all of the ingredients together in your blender! Heat a non stick pan and add a little olive oil.  Cook until golden on each side (just like regular pancakes, silly!)   

This is for one serving!  Please note that all of the liquid ingredients are guestimates! ;)  Just make sure the batter isn't too dry or wet.  It needs to have a thick consistency but still moist enough.  Basically look to make sure it doesn't seem like there is extra liquid floating around in the texture.  If your batter looks too dry I would suggest adding more egg whites before adding more milk.  

Top with about 1 tablespoon (or less) of real maple syrup and enjoy!   

This is definitely a new weekend treat!  

Enjoying every moment.

March 8? Really?  Where is this year going?  Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose... :D

My recital is in 4 weeks? FOUR weeks.  Enter freak out mode.  I'm sure everything will be great.  I'm in a good place a far as all my music goes, but I need to work on endurance at this point.  An hour of solo music is a LOT of music.  It sure is going to be fun though!

8 weeks out until I'm done with my masters.  1 paper, 1 recital, and a handful of concerts stand in my way.  I can do this.  I can do this. I can do this!

We have been in L.A. for the PAC 12 tournament the past few days.  Sunny California... I don't know that I really want to live here, but it is always nice to spend a few days here.  Our hotel was right next to USC, so yesterday morning (after applying for 4 or 5 more jobs) I went on a nice long walk (alone of course) across the campus.  There is something so special about being on a university campus, especially on a beautiful day. Such a strong sense of hope exists, and future possibilities seem endless.  When you're an 18 year old freshman the world is at your fingertips.  My goals have altered slightly in the past 7 years, wow...7 years..., but the world is still at my fingertips.  I hope I never lose that feeling.  That excitement for life!  I'm learning to not let others get me down with their rudeness.   They can do their own thing, but I will continue to do mine.  I don't expect anyone to ever understand.  Hell, sometimes I don't even understand myself!

The future is looking bright.  So very bright, and I intend to enjoy ever moment of it.

Another reason to drink coffee. = )

A story on the Today show just said that women who drink two cups of coffee a day are less likely to be depressed.  I think I'm covered. ;)

Foodie Pen Pal #1

So I was supposed to post about my Foodie Pen Pal yesterday, but I TOTALLY forgot!  Uh oh!

So I signed up for this thing called Foodie Pen Pal at the beginning of the month.  It's this awesome thing where all these fold from the U.S. and Canada sign up and then are paired with someone else to be their pen pal for the month.  The premise is to share local and healthy foods with other folks in the country.  There is a $15 spending limit on the food you send, so it can't get too out of hand.  If you want to participate email theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
-WHETHER YOU ARE A US RESIDENT OR CANADIAN RESIDENT.  

It is way worth it!  So much fun!  
My foodie pen pal was Chung-Ah Rhee who lives in California.  Her awesome blog is: http://damndelicious.tumblr.com/

I was so excited when I got my box in the mail!  I told Chung-Ah that I mostly try to eat clean, so she sent me some awesome goodies!  My box contained a box Kashi honey and flax seed cereal, sesame seeds, banana chips, and some amazing homemade chocolate chip almond butter granola bars.


I  haven't had banana chips in so long, and I had forgotten how good they are!  I've been enjoying the Kashi cereal topped with the sesame seeds on days I'm lacking time to make oats and egg whites.  So yummy!

Now the granola bars...oh.my.goodness. You can find the recipe for them here.  I absolutely plan on making them sometime!  I ate one as soon as I opened the box, and then I had to eat another one right away because they were just that good!

So many goodies!  

The letter Chung-Ah included explaining everything.  = )

If you want to see the goodies that I sent out to Holly Coleman, check out her blog: http://thepioneerapron.blogspot.com/

Would you be surprised if I told you I was drinking coffee right now?

Yup, I've got a coffee cup right next to my computer right now.  Maybe that's a little dangerous, but I like to live life on the wild side every now and then.

 I read a quote the other day that said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you realize why."  The "why."  Why are you here?  Why am I here?  WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE?  I don't know about you, but I need a reason to live.  I NEED reinforcement.  I need to know and believe that I am doing right by my life.  That's why sometimes, in the midsts of things I feel discouragement.  This is a marathon we're talking about, and it is easy to lose your way when you're on mile 6 of 26.  I lose my way a lot, but somehow I keep working my way back to the right path.  One key I've learned to live by is to never give up.  Just keep going.  Just keep running.  Just keep pushing forward.

The whole "it get's better" movement, IT'S TRUE! It is absolutely true, if you just keep going.  When you find your purpose, keep going!  If you haven't found your purpose yet, then keep searching! Keep going!

If you get knocked down 9 times, get up 10.  Another quote I recently read: I would rather live a life of 'oh wells' then live a life of 'what ifs.'  


I'm 25 years old.  I've already had some huge failures.  That's okay.  I tried.  I put my entire self into what I was doing, and it just didn't happen at the time.  You live, you learn, and you move on.  I like to replace 'move on' with move FORWARD.

Here's some encouragement for your Thursday morning:

I CAN DO ANYTHING GOOD!  

I still believe that people are inherently good.  I still believe that I can be anything I want to be, just like you can too!  

Funk?

I'm in a funk, and I just don't know why.  I've felt really lonely the past few days and I have no clue why. I have plenty of friends, and it's not like I've had to spend a ton of alone time lately.  I don't know.  I guess being lonely doesn't always mean being alone. It really is just a weird feeling.  I suppose it is just a result of being so close to graduation. My life has the potential to dramatically change in a short 12 weeks.  This makes for awkward social constraints. I'm going skiing tomorrow.  Maybe that will make me feel better.  There really is something rejuvenation about being on the mountain and seeing God's beauty.

Baked mango and blueberry oat yum yums

 So I the other day I was in a serious baking mood.  =)  Luckily this time instead of making cookies I made that delicious pumpkin goodness and some baked oats for breakfast!

Now, when you eat clean, eating oats for breakfast becomes a standard.  Sure their are other amazing complex carbs for breakfast, and I have an awesome berry quinoa breakfast recipe, but oats are the big breakfast grain in my opinion.  I'm always game to play around with recipes.

These baked oats were so amazing.  It is a must try and it reheats so well.  I've got one more serving left that will be breakfast tomorrow.  When I open my own clean eatery this will absolutely be on the brunch menu!  

Ingredients for Baked Mango and Blueberry Oats: 

• 1 cup frozen blueberries 
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup frozen mango 
• 3/4 cup light soy milk 
• 1 tbsp maple syrup 
• 3 egg whites 
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 4 tbsp ground flax  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Use safflower oil (or whatever oil you have around) to coat your 9 inch pie dish.  Then distribute the mango and blueberries on the bottom of the pan.  In a mixing bowl mix together the soy milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and egg whites.  Add the dry ingredients and mix well!  Pour the oat mixture over the fruit and pop in the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes until your oats are golden brown on top.  This makes 4 servings!  It really is absolutely delicious!  Mango is already so good, but mango after being baked for 30 minutes melts in your mouth.