up UP and a-waffle!

Last post we ventured into the wonder that was Kodiak Pancake Mix but did i mention that the word mixes box also mentioned the word..... waffle? NO!? Well it did, which gave me the gung ho attitude of "Have iron will waffle". I immediately dove into the boxes littering my living room from my recent move and pulled out the waffle iron that I had not used since the the 'marsh-madness', note to self: marshmallows melt away into nothing when you cook them and WILL stick to the waffle maker.

That being said I also found a nice can of pumpkin puree next to the iron and thought... 'why not turn my waffles up to eleven?' Eleven, thy name is pumpkin waffle. Prepare the mix, add the nutmeg, cloves, little cinnamon sugar and the pumpkin and you have a disc full or flavor and beta carotene. So not only are you doing something awesome for your pallete but also for our overall health, kicking cancer in the face once and for all!

The taste, while awesome, was almost overlooked by the texture. When I crave waffles one of the first things i think of is a crunchy exterior which was lacking in todays concoction. I could not tell if it was due to the surprise ingredient or the fact that the mix was previously prepared, but much like a eunich watching hostel... there was a lack of firmness (yeah, i went there). The flavor, texture and overall joy of having some waffles ended up being triumphant, however, and a happy ending ensued. Next waffle will contain the addition of a little melted butter in hopes to crisp it up so definitely look forward to that one.

Speaking of happy endings (get your mind out of the gutter) it is time to unveil the second aspect of the 'PanClayke' blog, the passion of movie watching. This week out move excursion brought us to the latest brain-child of disney and pixar, Up! Not since Walter Matthau has an elderly man brought so much joy, and brought out an unlikely hero. The story is about a man who nurtures a childhood dream of being an explorer and shared said dream with his wife, Ellie. These two definitely win the award of cutest elderly movie couple since 'The Notebook', and also the most endearing. I am so elated that pixar is keeping the animated movie a staple in the cinematic world by not just regergetating the same 'fluff' over and over again, like a fat kid who found the hidden stash of Marshmallow Peeps. In this bloggers opinion Pixar has yet do make a mistake when it comes to movies (knock on wood) and has me looking forward to what theyre going to come up with in the future. This hopeful looking ahead was amped up even more when i remembered the sequel to 'The Incredibles' is still out there to look forward to. Until then though, Up will raise your mood much like it raises the home of the main character. There were definiely baloons tied to my ankles when i walked out of the theater (metaphorically), which floated me home to my computer which brings us to the present. In other words, whether it be by car or a boat or flying house... go and see this movie! Maybe even make it better and sneak in a few eggos for snacking (FULL CIRCLE!).

Until next time, this is PanClayke reminding you the regulat butter is both better tasting and better for you.

Manly Mix... and only mix.

Todays adventure is brought to you by Kodiak Cake Mix, a quick look at the website will give some explanation to the todays title. When it comes to buying complete pancake mixes one is normally swamped by women (Jemima, Ms. Butterworth, etc), so imagine the 'joygasm' that ensues when a pancake mix featuring a snarling kodiak bear on the box showed up on the shelf. I didnt stand a chance, This mix was in my cart before you could say Dutch Baby.



Note: The mix is a bit hard to find, being that it is a bit out of the box (see what i did there) and not viewed as a 'staple' like the more attractive cousin Bisquick. I found mine at Central Market, but im sire you could get it at Whole Foods not to mention ordering online.

So, first things first, whats different with this guy other than the super manly box bear? Well, the first thing is that all the ingredients are natural. Wheat and oat flour, milk solids, its the closest thing to scratch pancake making I have found in the store (That is until I pick up a new box of Sodium Bicarbonate). Then, there is the ease of cooking. Since its a complete mix all it needs is a little moisture. equal parts dry mix and cold water and you have a breakfast fit for a king sans the king size effort.

Now, to the nitty gritty. Tasting these bad boys was truly a treat. Light and fluffy as buttermilk pancakes, with the earthy texture that sticks to your ribs in a subtle way that makes you feel like your not just eating a plate full of sweetened air. I am a huge fan of air, but not as a main course. Now, there is a bit of the Whole Wheat 'tang' which anyone who has ever had to use one slice of white and wheat bread on the same sandwich can explain if your not sure what I mean (note: when making a fried bologna sandwich... make sure you have adequate bread before you fry the meat). However, despite the taste reminding you that we are eating moderately healthy, the smooth and light texture keep thoughts of 'health food' as the last thing on your mind (expecially once the syrup comes into play). There is also a lot left in the box so you get the bang for your buck at about six 4'' pancakes for every cup of mix, which is definitely important nowadays. The mix is also pretty versitile. As a matter of fact im looking forward to incorporating some fun spices, fresh fruit, maybe even some bacon and just make an all in one breakfast... but lets cross that bridge when we get there.

In the end the Kodiak Cake Mix yeild a good tasting Pancake with ease, and leaves you feeling full and a little more like a mountain man. In fact, this was the manliest i felt all day in spite of watching 'P.S. I Love You' as i was eating said pancakes. Lets just say the pancakes were the highlight of the film for me. Therefore, the mix is highly recommended in terms of taste and movie saing and while it may be a bit pricey and hard to find, it is definitely a nice treat for the pancake enthusiast.

Until our next adventure this is PanClayke reminding you to nuke your syrup for 30 seconds.

A Thousand Miles...

... starts with a single step.
I have been telling people about this blog for some time now, it seems not a day goes by where the phrase "Have I told you about my blog" came out of my mouth. After a while people started getting annoyed, they didnt say anything but i can tell. That just made me want to buckle down more since i obviously have some awesome people supporting me to the point of putting up with my constant reiteration. But, onto more important matters... The Pancake!

So, its obvious these are for breakfast, but i think we should think out of the box. Look at the omelette, having recently lived on a weekly food budget of like $20 i can tell you how great a dinner an omelette can be, not to mention its cousin the fritatta (ole!). There were even some times where pancakes for dinner came into play and people would look at me like i was a sicko for a bit then in awe that i wasnt in a sugar coma from the night before. It was either that or some comments about my Peter Pan syndrome (which does exist but is beside the point). So i figured why not BE the change, go from pancakes to MAN-cakes, share stories with the world about inspirations for certain recipes and show the other aspiring cooks out there what certain ingredients can do rahter than be at the mercy of the ever-imposing spice isle. Maybe even take a shot at the thin line between sweet and savory. Crazy? Crazy like a fox!

Thats only part of what begins out tale together, the second half comes from the panic that ensued after graduating with a degree in theater arts and living in the real world with no set path to follow anymore. With this panic came the question "What do i want to do now?" The answer came over a pancake dinner where one of the most amazing phrases i have in my arsenal came about. "I dont know what I want to do, but I want to express myself." Well, I dont know exactly what I want to do either, but I know I want to: Sing, make people laugh, be superman and make pancakes. Vague? Vague like a fox!

So where does that leave us? In Miami, living out of boxes and being the newest member of LA Fitness. My apologies for the lack of pancake+photo, but stay tuned. Pancakes are sexy and were bringing sexyback.