Earlier this year my blood pressure went through the roof and I had a bit of a scare. I won’t go into detail about the circumstances that let to that situation, but suffice it to say that I had no choice but to radically cut down on salt and eliminate caffein, both of which I thrived on. I am used to a salt-free diet from my youth since both my parents had high blood pressure issues, but I have difficulties booting my brain in the mornings without my shot of java juice. Nevertheless, the change was noticeable within three days and I accepted my dismal fate of a decaffeinated life. Sniff….
Thus began my journey of taste testing the different brands of decaf in the market here in the Iberian Peninsula. Some tasted like coloured water, other like dishwashing remains, and I began to wonder whether I would have to give up coffee altogether. What added to the challenge was that I needed Nespresso capsules, without paying the ridiculous prices of the the original Nespresso capsules. Eventually I found a fair trade brand on Amazon that I can live with and gets me through my coffee breaks, but I definitely miss my caffein rush. When I travel I do have a cheat day from time to time, especially when I forget to tell the waiter that I need a decaf cappuccino – an abomination unto itself and a sacrilege, I know, but what’s a girl got to do? – but those moments are rare now.
Have you ever had a day when the craving for pancakes was so intense but you open the fridge and discover that you are all out of eggs? Trust me, it’s infuriating, but I finally found a solution. I recently stumbled on a recipe from a vegetarian / vegan blog for eggless pancakes and I was intrigued. After tweaking the recipe a few times until I achieved the desired consistency of the batter and fluffy pancakes that are not chewy or soggy. The recipe below is the vegetarian version, but if you need to have it vegan, simply use almond or oat milk.
Vegetarian Pancakes
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
You could of course use vegan egg substitutes, instead of going through this process, assuming you can find it. But I liked this simple, no-frills version that uses ingredients you have in the pantry in any case. I know cinnamon is not everyone’s favourite so you can dispense with that and it won’t make a difference. Let me know how yours turned out!
The temperatures have dropped in the Shire, so Cherry and I are snuggled up in the office next to the heater. We will be firing up the chimney soon, just so we don’t both end up as grumpy old ladies before the sun sets.
FrogDiva Thoughts 