0 Alpha and Omega

This will probably be my last post here at FelixFletus(blogspot). I don't know why it is like that but every time I begin a new chapter of my life, I feel compelled to start a new blog. I have just exported all my Early Morning Oats posts and combined it with FelixFletus (wordpress). So FelixFletus (Wordpress) details my life (or lackthereof, really) from October 2009-August 2011, while FelixFletus (Blogger) dates from August 2011-May 2013. It's been a great and tiresome journey through the years and I seriously need to do some cleaning up before I get a more professional blog up and running. I'll stick to Early Morning Oats because I feel most attached to this name. I shouldn't be thinking about this blog business now seeing that I have an unstudied paper in about 26 hours time. So more on it tomorrow.

0 Pancake batter [1]

This happy meal actually took place yesterday morning - a beautiful start to a beautiful weekend with beautiful food and most importantly, with beautiful company - mum, sam, and granny. Such a rare chance to get three-generations to gather.

I was so enticed by the drop-dead-salivating-inducing pancakes by Ashley over at Edible Perspectives, as well as the literal food porn that accompany GingerGirl's single-serve breakfasts. I could handle it no longer. Off I went to buy a pancake/waffle mix from the ever trustworthy Bob's Red Mill. Specifically, a 10-grain mix with baking powder and buttermilk powder all mixed in. All I needed was to throw in some milk and eggs, and do some flipping action. It sounds easier than it is; I have experienced failed pancakes of all sorts: burnt, stodgy, doughy, floppy etc. But yesterday I was Determined To Master THE PANCAKE.
I can't say I'm fully over with my fear of eggs and oils. Instead of 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of oil (for 1 cup mix), I did one real egg and one chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water), and nixed the oil completely. The result couldn't be any better - the batter fluffed and puffed and stretched tall and proud as it heated up in the non-stick pan (I didn't even have to coat it with oil), as if trying to test it limits of how far it could stretch. In the end, 1 cup flour mix yielded 9 souffle-like pancakes, just so I know the serving size estimation in the future
My only regret was I wolfed down the pancakes too quickly, leaving no time to analyse the improvements needed. It was too good, especially with durians, chocolate, JEM nut butter and strawberries are involved. Pillows of Heavenly Goodness.
Now, for the exact recipe

Basic pancake batter [1] (BRM's 10 grain pancake/waffle mix)

• 1 cup flour mix
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1. Make the chia egg by stirring chia seeds into water. Let stand 15 min (can be prepared the night before if you're to inpatient to wait in the morning)
2. Whisk the egg and add in chia egg and almond milk
3. Create a well in the flour and mix in the wet ingredients. Do not overmix (it's okay for the batter to have some lumps).
4. Heat a small non-stick pan over low heat. Spoon batter into pan (about 1/4 scoops) and heat each side for about 1.5-2 min.
5. Cover each cooked pancake with a kitchen towel to keep moist as you cook (an agonizing wait, I know)
6. Finally, pour/sprinkle/scatter on the toppings!

The contrast of cold durian against the steaming fluffy cloud-like pancakes was out-of-the-world. Better than four-seasons anytime.
Three more days, two more exams, but hardly in a mood to study!

0 A true JEM

Drugs paper was so bad today I should have cried. Instead, I relieved my sorrow with a bout of grocery shopping (4 peaches, 10-grain BRM pancake/waffle mix) and whipping up a yummy one-bowl-buddha-bowl lunch (couscous, garlic cod, avocado, blush tomatoes, red peppers). And then random surfing of the www until now. Is this yet another year-4-graduation symptom?

I haven't posted a picture in a long while and here's my pre-exam breakfast fuel. Delicious but sadly, did nothing to help in my writing speed and memory.

Steel cut oats cooked in almond milk (Natura, unsweetened) spiced with vanilla & cinnamon, on a bed of chopped strawberries, blackberries, nugget of Laughing Giraffe vanilla almond macaroon, chopped mango pieces. Baked for an additional 10 minutes to get it all hot and bubbly. Topped with my concoction of JEM cinnamon maca AB/melted raw chocolate truffles (Ultimana)/raw macadamia nut butter + more toppings of crushed almonds and dried cranberries. The shade of pink is so lovely, isn't it?

JEM nut butter definitely lives up to its name. For the cinnamon/maca version, it tastes exactly like caramel, and if you're familiar with asian cuisine, full of that gula melaka (jaggery) flavour. That's because they sweeten it with coconut palm sugar. My next haul from Raw Food Living will definitely include another of their products - likely the cardamom one. Sounds exotic!

***

Update. Was dreaming about pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast and then mum came home, with not just one box, but TWO or maybe THREE boxes of durians! New idea: durian pancake! Like Four Seasons style. My intention initially was fluffy pancakes with blackberries and strawberries but now, it's gonna be crepe style with thick chunky durian pulp! With all these going on, I can hardly focus on studying! Bad girl.