Two Grain Hi Protein Pancakes with Applesauce Syrup

It was my Mom's idea to add a blackberry to the plate, isn't she a genius? : )

You probably know this already, but I love going to the gym.  Yes, I am one of those people.  Going to the gym is my anti-depressant, my stay on track with my health, and my free pass to eat cookies habit.  Another thing I really love to do is travel.  Unfortunately these two habits tend to clash in every way. 

If only they would invent an airplane with seats that could transform into treadmills.  Come on, how brilliant is that?  Plus, the whole "being high up in the air" thing probably would make you burn more calories...I mean really have you ever seen an overweight flight attendant....yeah, didn't think so.

This past week I was fortunate enough to travel back to VA/DC for a few days for the March for Life.  GO PRO LIFE!!!!  I can't believe it has already been 3 years since I lived there!  I was blessed to visit with old friends from college, and to spend some time with the cousins and family that live up in the area marching for the babies!  It was awesome to see all the people fighting for the unborn, and so many young people at that!  One day everyone will see and understand the horrifying truth about Abortion.  Killing a baby is never a justified act, and the fact that people think it is okay is terrifying.

It was a good trip, but nothing went according to plan...starting with our flight getting cancelled on Friday...and not leaving Houston until Saturday.  Needless to say I felt like I was trying to outrun that lost day the rest of my stay.

Speaking of outrunning...we had a layover on the way up to DC, and since our first flight was delayed they told us that if we wanted to make our next flight leaving from a different concourse we would have to run like the wind.  There were about 15 passengers from our first flight trying to make it to the second flight and boy did we run!  It was so fun!  We grabbed our bags and did a mad dash.  I was so proud of myself when we got to the escalator and I was able to sprint up that thing so fast and wasn't out of breath!  Go me! 

Then I did something dumb.  They had a bus/train thing that brings you from one concourse to the next and my brother made it in before me and the doors began to close which would mean me and about 10 other passengers wouldn't make our flight.  So I did the only logical thing, I threw myself in between the closing doors and became a human door stopper...which come to find out is very dangerous as those doors are very strong and can crush you.  My bad.  I fell through the doors with the rest of the passengers falling in behind me like an unexpected tidal wave.  It was crazy!  To make a long story short we made it on our flight and then it ended up being delayed anyway...but, I always wanted to run through an airport like that and can now cross it off my bucket list.  If you haven't done that before I highly recommend it. 

Traveling made me take a 1 week hiatus from the gym...the day I returned I thought it would be a little rough, but that is an understatement.  I could barely lift a 5 lb weight.  Lunges, do we really have to do more then 2?  Sit ups, I am fine with my 3 pack.  Overhead presses...when do I really ever use that motion in real life?  PAIN.  AGONY.  WHAT A WIMP.  I barely survived my 1 hour weight lifting class, and the teacher kept eying me like she thought I was going to faint or something.

So onto the food part, which is really why you are here.

Day 2 of our weight watcher adventure landed on a Sunday, which as we all know every Sunday is "Pancake Sunday."  I was happy to find a pancake recipe in my Mom's "getting started" cookbook.  Low and behold it called for applesauce...then I decided since applesauce is free points that I would mix it with the maple syrup and stretch that syrup out.  Win win.  These are simple pancakes with 10 grams of protein per a serving, plus they gave me another reason to use my buckwheat flour stash.

Two Grain Hi Protein Pancakes with Applesauce Syrup

serves 4, 3 pancakes each, 8 points/person

1 egg

1 egg white

1 cup plain Greek Yogurt, I used low fat

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 TBSP Canola oil

1 TBSP Honey

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (I didn't have that so I used 1/2 cup whole wheat, and 1/4 cup white)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, applesauce, water, oil, and honey.  Then add the dry and whisk to combine.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto a lightly greased hot pan and cook on each side until bubbles form on top.

Applesauce Syrup

8 TBS applesauce

4 TBS real maple syrup

Mix together and heat in microwave or on stove top just until warm.  Pour over pancakes.

Do you know what this is?  Yeah, it is Buckwheat.  How pretty it is!