Blog Fail (not to be confused with Fail Blog)

Donde Esta Panclayke? <---- the question on the minds of young children everywhere. Seriously, i got asked that by a nice nino yesterday in the frozen food section and it was sad. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was because....

SYRUP FAIL!!!

This is actually a lot more saddening than people would think. I have actually had this bottle of syrup since i lived in Austin. It's been in two different time zones! No wonder i felt smarter everytime I sopped up the sugar-wonder with the last cakey bite. Oh wait, thats not smart..... thats the rumbling in my stomach from eating syrup that im pretty sure was off (wasn't brave enough to check the label). So, the cakening has been put on hold for a bit until i can replenish my supply, not to say i have not been thinking about new combos that psyche the hellz out of me. A few hints, you ask? Well..... ok. (inhale) almondjoysupercitruskewlimechocolatepretzelpizzapizzanewmixescrepeoreochickenparmesan!

(exhale). Ok..... glad i got that one out in the open. Just wanted to let you know i didnt forget about you guys and am literally jotting own a new idea almost daily. If it wouldnt make me feel too glutonous i would have a pan-party every morning... then again, i dont want to get sick of them so im thinking twice a week is good for now. Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder.

So, just so i can leave a 'proper-ish' post for all you wonderfullz... its time for a product review!

Hodgson Mill Oat Bran:

Think of oatmeal with the texture of grits. Only this bad boy cooks SO MUCH QUICKER than oatmeal, like im talking two to three minutes overall. After than its just a matter of prepping the fruit, nuts and other crush-ins. Couple that with the health benefits of whole grains and enough fiber to help you drop it like its hot and you have a bonafide winner in the breakfast realm. Also a winner if your sick of chewing so early in the morning, i gotta have something soft as my jaw laggs in the morning. (i had crispy toast once and almost choked cause chewing was hard and i got impatient). Not only that but there is a recipe on the box to make some p-cakes!!! Im giving this guy a 8.5/10

And the inaugeral creation..... BBC (blueberry coffee) Oatbran! Im also thinking of calling this one the 'Antioxi-dance' but i didn't want to get too whimsical my first time playing with the new kid in town.

So, again, apologies for the pancake-hiatus... but hopefully you make your way out to try some Oatbran... or a new breakfast in general. Switching up the norm is a recipe for a real exciting day. Until next time, this is Panclayke telling you to make more coffee than you need the day before so you can use it to cook your oats in.

2 dogs, 1 blogs

Welcome back fellow cake-eaters! Many a wonderful thing has been going down as of late... starting off with a new savory cake as promised. Now, coming from the success of hamburger pancakes i was thinking about another portable/fast food-ish item that reminds me of being a kid again. I thought french fries for a bit, but then realized i could kill those two birds with one stone. So... it took some pantry digging and a little extra prep but we now have the wonder of...

CORN DOG PANCAKES!!!

Starting off simply enough, we use a cornmeal/four mixture (you have to do it this way otherwise the cakes will be too mealy since corn has no gluten in it). Add a little garlic powder and sch-moked paprika into the mix and set that aside.

^You Put WHAT in There?^

Yeah, Tofu hot dogs. Im not sure how they make you more intelligent but i certainly felt more vegan... and consequently a but gassy. However, i dont think the name "Fart Dogs" went off well in the focus group so smart was chosen. A good change. Anyhoo... slice down a dog and brown it in a pan to make sure theyre cooked (remember that little extra prep i mentioned).

Then its time to get your fry on! Just make a pancake like you normally would a blueberry p-cake, use your imagination that the dog is a bloob. However, imagination goes out the window when taste comes into play... especially when paired with the old red and yellow (which, in this case mean go, go GO!) Does anyone else remember getting sickened by green and purple ketchup? Ew. But... bottom line... these pancakes were awesome and were right on the money with regard to tasting like a corn dog. All i can say is make sure you add more corn meal than flour so you still get that cornish texture that we all know and love, and remember to add onion AND garlic powder into the batter (or just some onions sauteed with the dogs).

Well folks... there you have it. Another day, another treat and another reason to possibly buy some pepto. Tune in next time for another wonderful creation (most likely sweet) and some gentle musings along the way.

Also... here at pan-clay-ke we want to hear from you, the readers. Are there any cakes you have joked about while intoxicated one night, or maybe a food you grew up on that would only add to this wonderful confort food? Feel free to leave your comments and/or shoot an email.

So, until next time, this is pan-clay-ke remding you that yellow and red can sometimes mean 'GO'.

Housewives.... thank me later.

Since the 'New Vegan-nning" I have noticed how hard it has been to do some things involving food, one big example is going out to eat. This was supremely illustrated during a recent outing to a certain international house that may or may not have served pancakes. Now, you would think this blogger would think he had made a pilgrimage to Pancake Mecca... however, there is NOTHING on the menu that is vegan (other than fruit and some oatmeal). Thus, the sadness came into play along with a culinary boner that only pancake making would satisfy. So, after a quick ingredient gathering and an account of what i had happening in the fridge... we end up at the latest installment of.....

"You put WHAT in there?!"

What is that? Well, obviously its spinach... but in a pancake? F YES!!! Upon hearing this some said it couldnt be done, or yours truly was met with a glare saying "really?". However, i was inspired by the first to eat an oyster. I mean, how tasty are oysters and how GROSS are they. I pictured all the friends of the oyster man snickering and pointing, calling him 'snot-sucker' and making him feel bad. Oyster man... this is for you!
Being a HUGE fan of braised greens i knew that you had to cook down the spinach before i could use it, so a quick steam then into the blender. Also, i like the subtle spice of nutmeg and cinnamon on my greens and those are both found in the greatest spice known to man (as seen above... i could put that stuff under my pillow. Why, i have no idea). Anyhoo, added the spice and a little maple syrup and blend we did. After mixing the spinach juice into the dry ingredients you gotta let it set. The spinach is still a little hot from the cooking so the gluten needs to relax before we go to town. Perfect opportunity to heat the pan, brew some coffee and start the first verse to American Pie.

Three pours, two flips and one prayer later and your eyes are fixated on a fluffy mountain that Sir Edmund and Tenzing would have blown a spinach-y, pancake-y load all over. (Whoa... two phallic references in one post <--- win!). Seriously though, these were fluffy beyond all reason, and tasted AMAZING with the addition of the pumpkin spice and the syrup added pre-blend. A little maple syrup on top and some banana action on the side (and a little sliced on top, eventually) made it even better. The only suggestions i make for my next batch of these beauties is to add a little more pumpkin spice (like 1tbsp rather than 2tsp) and serve with some sweetened Tofutti cream cheese (if theres time).

Ready for the kicker? Theres like a cup of spinach in there! Why is that important you ask? Well:

Spinach has
a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when
fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and
omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid (Vitamin B9), and this vitamin was first purified from
spinach. To benefit from the folate in spinach, it is better to steam it than to boil it. Boiling spinach
for four minutes can halve the level of folate.

Thank you wikipedia, and i assure you... you could give these to a child who is a picky eater and they would look up at you with a look that irradiated "Thank you". Isnt that worth the extra time? I sure think so. Indeed, i know so. Not only that, but these prove that pancakes are not these sugar-laden junk foods that are currently being served at a certain international house. Indeed, this weekend opt for making some "Popeye-cakes" rather than succumbing to the upside down pineapple or the butterscotch truffle pancakes, your body will thank you for it.

Well, readers. Another day, another wonderful batch of sweet vegan p-cake love. Tune in next week for a new SAVORY p-cake and possibly more musings and product reviews in between. Until next time, this is Pan-Clay-ke reminding you to steam the spinach and lie to your kids about why theyre green.

I do not want to go to the radio station tomorrow morning. I didnt sleep too well this weekend so i am not looking forward to waking up in like three hours. Although i do like the people i work with over there and it is nice to have a reason to awaken in the morning.

That being said... this post it going to be both short and sweet (ironically enough, much lik a pancake) so i can get my sleep on and catch a DVR'd episode of Ruby. Not gonna lie, it a guilty pleasure. That... and Evanesence.

No children, its not a kidney or a donkey liver. This is the Dragon fruit.

"You put WHAT in there?"

Dragon fruit is either a dark red (as seen above) or a white fruit that is native to, i believe, hawaii. FULL of good antioxidants and pretty low in calories (so if your thinking of health... get some!) Taste wise, however, it was nothing really special. Picture a kiwi texture with the sweetness of breadfruit. Now, ive never had breadfruit but i hear that its not sweet and kind of bland... thats the dragonfruit for you. However, lack of sweetness and blod color ws certainly enough to overshadow the lack of sweetness (i guess this is what mr. maple invented his syrup for). In the end these bad boys lended a wonderful color to the pancakes and actually got a little sweeter when they hit the hot pan. What is it about burning fruit that makes it taste better? All i know is i also pannini pressed a PB&J this weekend and the burned J has surpassed the burned cheese on the grilled cheese as my favorite sandwich runoff. so i guess were at...

1. Burned Jelly
2. Charred Cheese
3. Ketchup
4. Tofu Salad (formerly egg/tuna before i switched to becomming a vegan

Final thoughts? Glad i tried it, will most likley not go there again and will stick wit bananas. Although, i did feel better with the added antioxidants in my system. I guess that means its time to try Kiwifruit pancakes!

Also, Dragon fruit is apparently good for the old sex drive. Git her Mr. Sun!!! TWO SCOOPS OF RAISINS MAKES EVERY MORNING GOOD (thats what she said). Tune in next time for greencake, or pan-wi. I gotta work on the name.

A Gain, A Loss, and a Wicked Cross

Everyone talks about 'brinner' and why shouldnt they? Breakfast for dinner is amazing and anyone who says otherwise is lying to you so they can have all the brinner for themselves. Whic is uncool since there is so much to go around.

However, what about Dinfast? Could there be such a thing? It seems to be there is a lacking of dinner for breakfast lately (or hardly at all). This troubld me upon further reflection since dinner is another communal meal that i feel is getting traded for a quick drive thru choice, or a lasagna that just came from a box. Before I go on let me make it clear that I do love the stouffers lasagna and have many a time shaken hands with the hamburger helper, and loved it! I just think current times could stand a couple times a week where dinner got exciting and brought the family together again. That being said, this pan-clay-ke went as far as making a brinner that could double as a dinfast...

First were going to have to dice some onions and peppers and sweat them for a bit. After their softer throw in a little bit of some boca crumbles (or some ground meat for the non-vegan). Mix in a little garlic powder and some s+p (salt and pepper), and this is what your gonna end up with.

Ok, ill be the first to admit that this is not the most attractive meal in the world but stay with me. For our purposes think of the mess over there as a plate of blueberries before you add them into the pancake which has a batter much like this one...

Its a standard pancake batter, vegan style of course, consisting of: Wheat Flour, water, baking powder and... wait for it.... black pepper and garlic powder. What?!?!!?!

"You Put WHAT in there?!"

It lends the cakes a wonderful savory sensation (one.... sa-vor-y sensation!) and creates a wonderful bed for the meat mixture. That being said... its time to put some chilluns to bed.

OH MAN. Picture my excitement at this point. I was like Dr. Frankenstein right before the lightning struck. Coupled with the smells of the meat and the thrill of doing something new by the seat of my pants was a natural high. Some jump out of plane, I make pancakes! But here is the rub, what about the syrup? We gotta put some sort of syrup on the pancake and in no way was i going to make these bad boys ride the maple train. I know i was pushing the batter matrix as much as humanly possible already so there was no way im going to add a......... KETCHUP AND MUSTARD!!!! Simple to the point of being retarted! What makes a burger more perfec than a healthy shot of K&M? That being said i was still a little apprehensive so.....

On the side it is. And after a few cautious dips and a lot of water swigs and pallet cleansing the order goes: ketchup, mustard, pickle (if available) and ham-cake (see what i did there?) If you are not making these then you are making your tummy sad and doing yourself a disservice. Not only that but this is also a wonderful thing to make for the kiddies in order to make them eat some more veggies. No worries.... its gonna be our little secret.

So, time for a man-fession. There was one more reason why i got the inspiration to combine these who dishes into this plate of wonder and that was a heartfelt goodbye to an old friend...

Gandalf the white.... driving off towards that salvage yard in the sky thanks to Obama and the Cash for Clunkers program. I do not have pics of the new car yet but they will be up soon. Also, this is about Gandalf so one thing at a time.

Gandalf and i went through a year of High School, our years of college, six trips across the country, a hearty spooning while camping, off roading, rocking our downtown, a run from the poice, nightly fast food runs and a crash into a fence by my loving little sister. He was where i could rehearse my audition pieces before i entered the building and was always there to help me move (the markings of a TRUE friend if i do say so myself). Not to mention, i heard of Gandalf being referred to as myself if i were a car. When i thought about all this i wanted to cook a special dinner for myself to kind of highlight all the wonder that was our relationship and i couldnt think of anything better than pancakes. Then i was remembering the 'pre-gan' days where him and i would drive down to the wendys and grab up some dollar menu. Thus... hamburger pancakes. We all miss you gandalf... this cakes for you.

So true believers... thats all there is for now. A little emotion and alot of good memories. Thank you for reading and... until next time, this is PanClayKe reminding you to never be afraid to put ketchup on anything!

Short, Sweet and........ Stewie?

So, i igured out something about myself today. A couple things actually.....
1) I am no longer allowed to read books in the pool. My copy of 'Becomming Vegan' is still hanging over the towel rack. And right when i was getting to the chapter on Phytochemicals. DAMN IT!
2) When i dont have something constantly in the back of my head I tend to let them go along the wayside. Not forgotten, but put on hiatus. This is a challenge for me in the Blog-Sphere considering there are aily experiences and things that i always follow with the phrase... Im totally goin to put that on my blog." And, while i did make some delish pancakes today i decided to save the post for another time (will explain why later) and instead... kick back in the sun and put on a little amibient Family Guy.

Why is this important? Guess what the first episode that came up was?

You can say that again.....