Tag: Simple

Simple Wasa Cracker Snack — The Skinny Fork by Gordon Ramsay

My fridge, just like most fridges right now, is stocked full of hard boiled bright colored eggs. And no matter how prepared any of us are for it… we always always have leftovers that we just don’t know what to do with. Thankfully, I was hungry this morning and was forced to rummage through the kitchen to put together some sense of a breakfast/brunch/lunch bite for myself.

It’s the day before I go to the grocery store so my pantry and fridge are running on fumes right now. Pickings were slim, but! Somehow I managed. What do you need for this snack? Crackers. Avocado. Tomatoes. Hardboiled egg. That is all.

Banana Pancakes – Healthy, Quick, Simple, Delicious! by Gordon Ramsay

These warm, delicious pancakes are a cross between a traditional pancake and a thick fluffy banana crepe. Requiring only two ingredients (I add a spoonful of oats and a little cinnamon for a little extra flair from time to time) you likely have everything on hand to make them today! They are a healthy treat with all the satisfaction of an indulgence – seriously!

As another bonus, if you are on Weight Watchers Freestyle and using sugar free syrup, they can be zero points- no guilt!

Now, as part of the Southerner’s food code, there are two ways of using the word “healthy”. One way is in the expression “Wow! THIS is healthy?!” Which translates to “This is so delicious I would have never known had you not of told me. I will actually make, and eat, this again.”

And the other is “Oh! This is healthy! How neat!” Which translates to, “Well, at least it doesn’t look like cardboard but it sure does taste like it. I’ll finish chewing this bite to be polite and then I’ll distract you with an elaborate story about the crazy side of my family.” If both sides of your family are crazy, your job just got that much easier.

Well friends, these pancakes fit into the first category. In fact, me and my Katy have them several times a week and sometimes, when I get to hankering for a little something sweet, I’ll even make up a batch in the evening as a dessert.

They only take a couple of minutes to make and don’t make much of a mess at all, which is probably another reason why I’m always so gung ho to whip up a batch!

To make these you’ll need: 1 ripe Banana, 1 egg, some cinnamon (optional), and 1 tablespoon of quick oats (optional).

*I know more than a tablespoon of oats is pictured but you only need one. They just like to travel in groups like that. Also, the oats and cinnamon are completely optional and your pancakes will turn out just fine without them so you do you, feel free to use only a banana and an egg. If you do use the oats, they add about 1 weight watchers point to this entire recipe, which makes about four mediumish pancakes, so it’s totally worth it to me. No sweetener is needed because our banana makes them perfectly sweet.

Note: As I’ve shared this recipe, one question I have been asked a lot is whether or not they taste like eggs. They do not taste like eggs. They taste like warm banana pancakes that love you and want to feed you bliss and comfort.

Moosh Moosh Moosh the banana.

Until it’s nice and liquidy like this.

Add in your egg and just mooch that in using the same motions you did for the banana. If using cinnamon and oats, add those now as well.

Your batter will look like this. It will look slightly different without oats but again, it will be just fine. Do you feel reassured? I want you to be reassured. Because I want you to eat these pancakes – because I care.

Drop by large spoonfuls into a hot skillet or griddle that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook these on about medium heat.

Now the one thing to remember with these is that they need to be almost fully cooked before you flip them. You’re basically flipping them to just brown the bottom for a bit. If you try to flip them before they are almost fully done they will fall apart. But if you do that, go ahead and finish cooking them because they still eat just fine!

This makes about four medium sized pancakes. Me and Katy usually split them but in general, a recipe is enough for one person. This recipe can be easily doubled.

I’m tearing up just thinking about y’all getting to taste these!

Banana Pancakes – Healthy, Quick, Simple, Delicious!

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
1 large egg
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon quick oats (optional)

Instructions

Place peeled banana in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork. Add egg, cinnamon, and oats and mash it all together until well blended.
Spray a skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat to medium or medium high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto this.
Allow to cook until almost fully done before flipping to brown on the bottom. Serve warm, topped with more bananas if you like, with syrup of your choice – I use Mrs. Butterworth’s Sugar Free.

Notes

To make these zero points on Weight Watchers Freestyle, omit the oats. If you leave the oats in, this entire recipe (which makes about 4 medium sized pancakes) has 1 point. I like the oats for texture.

If you would like the nutritional values on this or any other recipe, I encourage you to check out the free apps and websites that allow you to figure that. One of my favorites is MyFitnessPal.com. You can create a free account and input any recipe you like for automatic nutritional calculation. I found another one at a website called very well fit. I’d love to hear suggestions on any that you use in the comments below!

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I got this recipe from a dear friend of ours, Tom, when we went camping with them last September. He and Donna have become some of our dearest friends and y’all know, when dear friends get together, recipes get passed around! These were too good not to share. Thanks, Tom!

The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.

~James Joyce

You might also enjoy my Low Sugar Banana Muffins

Low Sugar Banana Oat Muffins – Katy’s Favorite!

Yum

It’s Not Difficult! – 5 Simple Tips That Will Make You Healthier by Gordon Ramsay

Introduction

We all know the importance of healthy eating. Nothing can replace a balanced diet, and the food is the most critical factor that directly influences health. After all, the foods we eat enter our organism – all other factors such as exercise and environment are external.
Although healthy eating can also be tasty, the truth is that all unhealthy foods taste great, and that is the only reason why we would consider eating them. So instead of telling you to ditch sweets, smoking and start exercising 6x every week, here we are going to focus on small improvements that can bring significant changes, without requiring too much effort and willpower. Let’s begin!

Drink A Glass Of Water Before Each Meal (And One After Waking Up)

Our bodies consist mostly of water, and can’t function without it. And yet, so many of us suffer from chronic dehydration. Our lives are too fast, and with so many things on our minds, it is easy to forget to drink water. It’s funny how we never forget eating junk food.
One of the best features of water is that it has zero calories, but it can trick your stomach, making you feel full.
Drink a glass of water before eating. This simple strategy will make your digestive system think it has food in it, killing off hunger, and making you eat less. So in one shot, you will reduce your total calorie intake, and increase your daily water consumption.
The second part of this tip is to drink water as soon as you wake up. This will have many benefits – although idle, you sweat during sleep, which makes you lose water, and makes your blood thicker, which puts increased pressure on your heart. Drinking water immediately after waking up dilutes your blood, relieving your heart.

Boost Your Breakfast To Kickstart Your Day

Starting your day with a quality breakfast will be a cornerstone of healthy eating habits. Instead of opting for something easy, go for something smart.
Yes, cereals are convenient, but the ones you eat are probably filled with unhealthy junk (more later in the text). If you have to eat them, pick something whole-grain, with minimal additives and sweeteners. But it would be much better to ditch them for something that will fill you up, so you don’t have to binge around noon.
“Wakey, wakey! Eggs and bakey!” A delicious omelet is not only super satisfying but actually more healthy than you might think. Proteins and fat are packed with energy and are digested slowly, giving your body a steady supply of gasoline to go through your packed work schedule.
By opting for a protein and fat rich breakfast, your blood sugar is less likely to suddenly drop later, which is the primary cause of binging. Yes, you might still get hungry, but a tasty, healthy snack such as fruit or salad, or a smoothie will do.

Healthy, But Still Tasty Substitutions

There are many small tweaks you can make and significantly reduce your caloric intake, or just make your meals healthier. The best of all, you don’t even have to pretend it tastes good, as it certainly does!
This site is filled with recipes that are both healthy and tasty, and your only job is to browse through them, finding something you like. If you want to make tweaks, you can look up for substitutions, switching an ingredient here and there for its healthy substitute.
Although they might feel insignificant, those slight changes add up over time, and that is the only thing you need to look and feel better.

Learn to read the Labels

Learning how to read food labels is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Reading the back side of products is not super complicated, and it will help you much better understand what goes into your body.
But beware, it can be heartbreaking! Food manufacturers use tricky tactics to mislead consumers into thinking that their products are healthy. You will probably find out that some of your favorite “healthy” foods are exactly the opposite.
You can completely ignore the claims that are displayed on the front side; those are 99% marketing tricks. Turn the product over, and read the label – manufacturers are obligated by law to present accurate information, no lies there if you know how to decipher it.

It Goes Beyond Food

While food is the most significant factor, other things you do off the table still contribute to your health. Take some steps to be more active and distress.
You don’t have to run five miles every day, start by 15-minute walks. It will help you not only get the blood flowing and counter that all-day sitting but also destress, especially if you walk through nature – a local park will do.
For activity/destress combination, yoga and pilates are also great. If you don’t have time for that, you can practice deep breathing and meditation technique that you can do anywhere.
And don’t neglect sleep. Try to sneak in an hour more of nightly sleep by going to bed earlier. If that’s impossible, fit a 30-minute afternoon nap just after work. It will help you re-energize, making that workout you wanted to postpone more likely to happen.
Lastly, do some checkups. First, get some blood tests, to make sure everything is in order. Also, consider a DEXA scan. It will tell you much more about your body than a simple scale ever will giving you exact information about your body fat percentage, but also amount of muscle, bone density, and other valuable body composition parameters.
Those will help you determine what your current position is, and what moves you need to make in the future if you want to have a balanced, healthy, and good looking body.

Conclusion

As you can see, the title wasn’t a clickbait; it really isn’t difficult. Drinking water, eating eggs, reading labels, and switching from full fat to low-fat cheese won’t kill you. And taking a 30-minute afternoon nap is not exactly torture.
So no excuses, go ahead and implement at least one tip into your routine. Picking something simple like a 15-minute walk every day will have a positive impact on your health long term. That’s all it takes to start healthy habits – a small step in the right direction, as simple as that.

This is a guest post written by Brandon Lee