Poor Ol' Grandad...

Final thoughts on Grandpa's were that the food is definitely good... and we ordered wayyy to many things. The danish were good (cheese and lemon flavor) but make sure you dont fill up on them as they are light and addictive. The bacon is nothing really special, not thick but not thin (Bob Evans it Aint!). The Reuben was good, if the other lunch fare is similar then i need to come back for lunch, the corned beef didnt taste over salted and was defnitely slow cooked as it was coming apart very easily with each bite (ergo, fat was rendered out during the cooking). The Reuben's crust.... joyyyyy. I could have put that in a bag and eaten an entire one in front of the tv during a football game.

Onto the stars... the pancakes. Flavor-wise they were good and the blueberries were definitely fresh as they were giving the bloose (blueberry juice) to the rest of the plate. However, they were a little bit overcooked and, in turn, hard to cut into and a bit more chewy and less light than i would have liked. The French Toast was thick.... a little too thick. They followed the first rule of thumb by making sure the bread was stale... but since it was so thick there was a lot of needed 'soak time' which i could tell was not given. However, I let that go since we ordered so much of it! The crust was also a little tough to cut through... in the end it was good but not as soft as this foodie believes French Toast is supposed to taste. At least not the way THIS GUYS Grandpa makes it. And, last but not least, the waffle. To quote SNL: Jizz - in - my - pants! This was one of the best waffles i have had in such a long time. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and topped with the fresh, homemade whipped cream and strawberries. Heaven. I would not mind getting buried alive if my coffin was made from that waffle (may have to change the name of the blog to 'Cla-ffle'). Eh.... i'll think about it.

All in all, i will definitely be going back for some wonderful breakfast and some good service. Even though they were a little slow in keeping the coffee filled... i let it go since we were in the back of the place kind of hidden and that our waitess was a sweetie.

Also, if you stop by the bakery on the way out (provided your not too full) try the cinnamon stick and cheese danish. Honestly, do it now and thank me later... then we can both go to the gym and hit the treadmill with a belly full of sugar-love.

Grandpa's Bakery and Restaurant : 4/5

Well ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. Tune in next time for updates on Feeding South Florida and the results of the Ice Cream Challenge! Until then this is PanClayke reminding you that old people, though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.

(ill be right back... DONT YOU GO DYING ON ME!)

MAZEL TOV

In honor of the first night of Hannukah I decided to go somewhere 'super-specsh' for lunch on the way home from work. Good thing i was hungry since it was a long work day, it wasn't supposed to be... but there were waitresses from a certain ,restaurant that shall remain nameless which were great at diverting our attention for awhile. Thennn, there was a press screening i had to make, i wont ruin the surprise but rest assured the movie was friggin awesome! Will tell more later. Until then...

Lo-HEIM!

Can you say Deli Heaven? I dont know what it is, but i think a Deli is one of my favorite restaurants, not only is the food a 'mish-mosh' of dishes ranging from sandwiches to bagels to fish to tounge... but there is also ALWAYS a breakfast menu happening and always something new. In a way, going to "Roasters and Toasters" was a little like getting married...

(^Can you say legit home-y-ness?^)

Back to the matrimony...

Something Old: Buttermilk Pancakes! Anyplace that has pancakes available at 4 in the afternoon is someplace where I want to be. Especially when they are made from REAL ingredients and not that "just add water" stuff that I refuse to HOP to. Honestly, they were light and fluffy while simultaneously being filling. However, the saltiness was a bit stronger than i would like, but i thing thats a characteristic of a restaurant that specializes in corned meats. Something New: POTATO PANCAKES! Thats what the little nuggets of love are keeping the pancake company. Seriously, i have not had latkes in forever and im pretty sure I will wait until im back in NY to have them again. The flavor was not bad but i prefer my latke to be more like a pancake as opposed to a chicken nugget. However, dunked in a little applesauce and anyone will be doing the "Yiddish Muppet"

Something borrowed: Turkey Sandwich. Why is this borrowed? No idea, perhaps because there was so much Turkey on this bad boy that only half could be comfortably enjoyed in one sitting. For realsies, if anyone ever wondered how the Hebrew people walked through the desert for so long i think the answer is the size of their portions... this thing fueled me until like ten at night (at what time i may or may not have had the other two pancakes that came with the order I got at the Deli). The Sandwich was served straight up on wheat so you could have the freedom to dress it as you wish (totes appreciated), the turkey was a bit dry... but nothing a little mustard and light mayo didnt fix.
Couple the good food with a great atmosphere and a great waitstaff = a great dining experience. However, the opinion of the waitstaff is speculative since i got my order to go... but the lady that took the order and got me my food was funny and laughed at my jokes... ergo, i love her. The only thing keeping me from going back right now... a bit to pricey for my current cash flow, aka - non existent. This made me the something Blue :(
Roasters and Toasters 3.5/5

Review - Original Pancake House

Sunday morning has always been a time for the family meal for yours truly. In fact, a memory came to mind this morning of my mother taking my sister and I to a 'Chinese' Buffet after church when we were young. Granted, it was more American than Chinese food, but the memories and the company were the real stars of the show... that, and this crispy dough thing with sugar on it. Funnel Cake anyone?

So, yesterday when my Pop-Cake reminded me that I would be the man of the house as he traveled to Orlando on business I had a couple flashes of sadness. Im not a daddy's-boy by any means... im a mama's boy through and through... but we DO have a weekend ritual of going to the movies and sneaking in our own food. *sigh* its the simple things.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, since we were going to miss out cinematic adventure I suggested the Sunday Brunch/Breakfast. Imagine my surprise when they not only agreed... but had the greatest suggestion of all time!

ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSEDad = Happy/awesome. Mom = Not as high as she appears (theres a lag on the camera)

Now, as with any breakfast place in America, the line at th door almost scared us back to the car. It was out the door and then some, but we were pleasantly surprised when the hostess sat us in 15 minutes! The waiter carried the torch with speedy service and a smile that would not quit. I also only saw the bottom of my coffee mug twice and those of you that know my coffee addiction know how amazing that is.

As per the menu, its pretty standard breakfast fare. Eggs, toast, REAL jelly, fresh home fries, sausage and PANCAKES. There were a lot of varieties too: buttermilk, wheat germ, buckwheat, sourdough, pumpkin and granola to name a few. There were also some more exotic dishes like breakfast burritos, waffles, blintzes and crepes filled with who-knows-what. Our table ended up with a full array of all the usual suspects.

Also, those of you familiar with Bob Evans will know what i mean when i say: "Thick, peppery bacon." Well; Thick-peppery-bacon was defintley one of the front runners this morning. Mom-cake ordered it and panclayke may have taken a piece (or five).

However, as good as the food/service/company were the TRUE reason people go to the Original Pancake House is the 'Pancakes from Around the World". They have brealfast fare hardly seen anywhere outside of Germany and Finland where these wonderous dishes were first served and consumed. Yours truly could not live with himself unless he hopped a plane to the Netherlands and had a little Apple Baby!

Have I mentioned im moving to the Netherlands and converting to Cannibalism? Honestly, all apple babies better start sleeping with one eye open!

So there are obviously a slew of reasons to get out to your Original Pancake House but are there any reasons why you should opt to stay home? Other than the ringing of the door as the new people came in (we were sitting RIGHT next to the entrance = irk!) and the crowding that rivaled a chinese orphanage there weren't really any to write home about. The food was fresh and the feeling of the restaurant just promoted a aura of happy... is there anything pancakes can't do.

Original Pancake House: 5/5 cakes

*note= the special pancakes and the omelettes ARE cooked to order! This makes the diner happy since they are actually cooking as opposed to re-hydrating their food. However, order a peice of toast or two for the wait to avoid the 'hanger pangs'

Till next time, this is Panclayke, reminding you that eggs are babies too... let the baby-slaughter begin!

Party, Pauly, Pancakes!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA YYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU GGGGGUUUUUYYYYYSSSSS! The Goonies friggin rock, no questions asked. However, this movie was not gracing my sights this weekend as I am making plans to hold a little marathon for myself. So far the Set-List contatins: House (season 5), Up!, Flight of the Conchords (Season 2), The Hurt Locker and The Taking of Pelham 123. Man... thank goodness i've already been to the gym this weekend.

LOOK-IT! The last time i had Egg-Nog was in Freshman Year of high school when a friend invited me to their annual Holiday get together and i had never tried it before. Have to say... i liked it. How much? Well, lets just say there was a quart of it that i choose to carry about the house like it was a mug of Grog and i was dining in the Halls of King Arthur! Sword and the Stone friggin Rocks, no questions asked. Anyhoo, even though IHOP already got to them before i had a time to make a batch... there was only one thing to do with the wonder of Silk Nog

IHOP can suck it!!!!

Just so you know, the little one with the bites taken out of it? Yeah, i like to see one of you get through making a batch of Nog-Cakes without nibbling on somehing. Plus you have to test the griddle so - "This just in... the pigeon brothers have been killed. Authorities have found the weapon to be a single stone."

How were they? Well, lets just say that if the Terminator tasted like these... it would have been a LOT easlier to eat.

So, yesterday was friday the 13th, it was also my mom's birthday. I would like to take a moment of silence to appreciate this coincidence.

So, to celebrate, the family drove down to Coral Gables and had the most delicious dining experience in the friggin universe! Hole in the wall restaurant with a grandma cooking in the back room? Negative. We went...
Yes, its a chain and you can find like three in every mall in America. But you know what... they know how to make some cheesecake! Possibly of the Banana-Nut variety and garnished with banana slices and real whipped cream which was eventually licked off the index finger of yours truly. More about this in a sec, first i must hum a song in the tune of 'joy'.

After dinner the fun continued and we saw
the one
the only

WEASEL!
We laughed, we cried, then we laughed some more! All in all it was one of the better birthdays i can remember celebrating with my mother. The worst? Definitely when I lost my glasses and we had to go to the mall and buy a new pair. Not to mention the mall was a ghost town since it was after daycare and the stores were closing. Happy Birthday Mommy!

Okay, so earlier in the post and the other day i made a couple additions to my diet that weren't vegan. Why put yourself through this/How could you do that!, you ask? Well, long-time readers have seen my need for balance and I feel that when i went vegan cold turkey it was in a place that was, for lack of a better word, not. Therefore, in light of Truth Week i decided to do some reflecting and decided that i did not switch to veganism for the right reasons. I chose to do it so i could set boundaries for myself, limit what i could and couldn't have. Take a certain amount of control over my life by what i do/do not eat. Sounds crazy, but this is the mindset of the dieter and it is where my mind has been for awhile now; which, ironically enough, is the farthest thing from healthy I know of. Therefore... i have decided to take a page out of Sarah and Holly's books and make peace with food. Choose NOT to define myself by whats on my plate but rather what is on/in my heart. My drive to help others and to simply live. Granted, I love eating natural and whole foods and will continue to do so because I truly do want to. But i will no longer set boundaries because they dont work. As of now people at work have been calling me the 'part time vegan' or the 'artist formerly known as vegan'... I would rather be referred to as Clay (panClayke for long).

Lastly, as just mentioned, I have a drive to help other and am working to help the Daily Bread Food Bank , and have discovered an awesome opportunity to raise money for them. Not only is there a donation button at the tippy-top-o-da-blog, but i am have recently become a featured publisher on Foodbuzz (you can see the badge above the donation button) and, in turn, get a little money from foodbuz for every click on the pages of my site. Basically, its the same thing that my Chocolate Covered Princess
, which i thought was a pretty good idea. What does this mean for you? Well, it means more: Rideos, pan-creations and general musings altogether. All in all, there is going to be more for you all and, in turn, more for those in need. So... Click Away true friends, click and smile.

Well ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. Tune in next week for more Pan-creations, and a Promised Rideo (I already know what the subject is). Until next time, this is PanClayke, reminding you that IHOP can suck it... Bud-dy.

Your Terminated F#@*ER!

First things first, i must apologize for my absence. Things have been busy, and this time... that is totes a good thing. the radio-time, the movies iv'e seen and the new people ive met have just gotten better and better. I definitley feel like the luckiest little girl at the ball (metaphorically speaking... i am very much a boy at the ball.) Sadly, though, there has been so much awesomeness happening recently that it cannot all fit in one post so im gonna put some highlights up for the moment and hit then make like Pat Benetar and hit you with my best shot.

First off, remember the Terminator?

FRIGGIN OWNED!!!

Yes, i am now the first person EVER to take down th biggest pancake breakfast in S. Florida. Granted, im pretty sure the agony of my tumbly was revenge enough for the Terminator, but such is the price of glory. Now granted, this is TOTES not vegan, in fact i think its the exact opposite... but that topic is going to delve into a whole other realm of things so i think im going to save that for the next post. Just, be forewarned, it will most likely be long-winded and highly introspective..... read at your own risk.

Also, another first on Panclayke... VIDEO REVIEWS. You see, there are a whole bunch of culinary wonders about S. Florida which i have yet to discover and feel deprived as a result. I mean, im talking places that even Guy Fieri forgot to visit when he was down here. Now THAT is messed up. Plus, i feel a bit boxed in cooking for myself all the time (especially since i can REALLY only make pancakes). Ergo, I decided to do my own little culinary findings and bring them to the masses. Let me know what you think and enjoy the first.... 'Rideo'!





Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, there you have it. Tune in next time for yet another pan-creation and perhaps another Rideo. I cant give too much away but i think there may be something about egg nog and a fun thing to do with oats. Until then, this is PanClayke reminding you that no dogs were harmed in the making of this 'Rideo'.

Consumption Junction..... what-your-function?

- would you like a.... ba-nana or berry?

Berry... Blue, that is.

Sadly my friends this is going to be another short-ski as I must embark from the casa soon. I also suspect i am a bit more tired than usual cause I have an 'aura' about me that I dont approve of. I mean, I showered and everything but there is still something. It got to the point where I needed to distract myself with some light cakerey... but could not bring myself to attempt the new cre-cake-tion I have recently been contemplating... more on that one later. Instead, today was the oldie but goodie..... Whole Wheat With Bloobs.

As i was flipping and happy about how these were turning out i asked myself why 'add-ins' are so popular in the cake world. Then i recalled an old phrase... 'variety is the spice of life'. Granted, there was cinnamon in the batter, but.... well, you catch my drift. And honestly, the textural variety that the bloobs give the pancake are perfect. Each one was like a mini explosion of anti-awesome-dants (i am so the wordsmith today!). Speaking of which... a new word was invented in between the 'yums' today.

Bloo-gasm: (n) the small explosion of flavor occuring when a blueberry is bitten into when used as an ingredient to employ a texural variation.

(i sent an Email to webster... im hopeful to hear something soon).

Okay y'all, i gotta make like a baby and head out. I apologize for the quickness and for being to verbose (...if I had a nickel). Tune in next time for a new feature, new pancake, and new attitude! Until then, this is PanClayke reminding you that the suffix -gasm makes any word ten times better.

Good, Better, Best!

-Good= Whip It! Now, if you thought Kitty Pride and Juno Maguff were tough then you haven't met Bliss Cavender. Just a small town girl, living in her lonely world, she took the midnight train (or station wagon) to Austin, TX to flex her woman guns in the Texas Roller Derby. Big deal, you say? Well, answer me this... have you ever seen an actual derby? Unles your from the pan-handle then the answer is probably no... i feel sorry for you. They should sell depends at the door with the way these women intimidate the crap out of you (literally). Hollywood has ruined a sport via film before (thank you Semi-Pro) but this one definitely did the derby some justice. Keeping the girls tough and feminine simultaneously. Not to mention a stellar cast. Please allow me to drop some names: Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Drew Barrymore (who also directs) and Juliette Lewis just to name a few. May be a bit female heavy... but this is no Waiting to Exhale. There is plenty of Testosterone to go around. Not to mention the message is one that really hits home for a lot of people. How many of us have felt trapped in a cage waiting for inspiration to get out? How many of us want to just "Be our own hero"? (*raises hand)

-Better= Zombieland keeps the testosterone flowing with a comedy that will also leave you a little startled. Granted, this bad boy was no Shaun of the Dead, but how many movies can say they are? I mean... other than Shaun of the Dead. Anyway, Woody Harrelson is indeed a natural born killer once again pumping out enough man juice to make Angela Landsbury want to pick up an Uzi and blow the head off a flesh eating zombie. Couple that with the comedic delivery of Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) and you have a recipe for an awesome movie-cake. And, lest we forget, our own Little Miss Sunshine Abigail Breslin who is proving time and time again that she will not only tug at your heartstrings but also wail in the Air Guitar of awesome! There is also one of the best cameos ever, but you have to see the movie to figure out that one. Speaking of Cameos... i have never left a movie theater wanting a twinkie more. Again... another reason to see the movie, and another idea for the most awesome pancake yet. While there were a couple times where the story gets a bit 'zombie movie commonplace' and there are also some scenes where Eisenberg makes me want to blow my own head off (THERE IS ONLY ONE MICHAEL CERA SIR... I APOLOGIZE!) this movie is still a must see for both the die hard and the occasional zombie fan.

Best!- GUESS WHO IS OUT OF THE PANCAKE RUT?! No.... not Alton Brown, seriously??? Bobby Flay?!?! You think Flay? I have finally cracked the matrix of making a vegan pancake that not only has a good amount of nutrition.... but is also tender and light. However, note that these will strick to your ribs.. I had the last batch about 4 hours ago and I am still feeling them. The trick is All.Purpose.Flour. Thats right... Regular old flour that i know you have a bag lurking in the pantry right now. See, ironically, while Whole Wheat flours are much healthier and are good for those seeking to keep a trim figure... they do go far in terms of keeping the pancake heavy (IRONIC!). Thus... no matter the level of aking powder the pancakes would come out dense and heavy. Now, this is not a bad thing at all... in fact i kind of like the Lumberjack sensation of wolfing down some flapjacks before work... but there are some times where Gelato is better than fro-yo and a muffin is better than a cookie. What am i saying? There is a time and a place for everything, yeah that's it. Now, dont get me wrong... there is no need to go balls to the wall when it comes to AP flour (i do still agree that it is almost totally devoid of all nutritional value). But, adding a bit to the batter (about 2 tbsp per 1/4C Whole Wheat Flour) will keep the batter from getting too heavy and results in the kin of panckes we remember Grandma making at 7am on christmas morning.

What was done with this new information/experiementation? Well, i give you....

Chicken Pot Pancakes!

A savory blend of Whole Wheat and All Purpose Flour bursting with the flavor of Black Pepper and swanson broth (who saw that one coming). These offerings are perfect for the savory breakfast and the perfect go-to dinner. Whether the diner hails from the Bible Belt or the 13 original colonies... they are sure to make these a new favorite.

Well, there you have it. Also be sure to check out the Rachel Ray show tomorrow morning as she tried to take the "Cake-Master" title. My apologies Rach... but your kung fu is not strong. Until next time, this is Panclayke reminding you that pancakes are, indeed, a little better when they are a bit refined (flour, that is.)

Zen, and the Art of Pancake

There is a reason my people love to cook so much, its very theraputic. There is something about making something out of nothing that can give a person a feeling of control in a world full of chaos. I think that is personifed extremely well by the cooking of the perfect pancake.

In my searches about the different cookbooks, recipe sites, youtube videos, 'secret' family recipes etc, etc... i have found no two identical recipes. One calls for more flour the other calls for a pinch of lemon zest the other says you cant do ANYTHING unless you have double acting baking powder. Who is right and who is wrong. THATS THE POINT! There is no such thing. Some people are used to thin crepe-y cakes and others NEED them to be a inch thick otherwise the nose goes up into the air and it doesnt matter if the cakes you made will give the eater the ability to fly... they will not eat them. These things are all in the eye of the beholder, the only through-line is that they have to taste good.

Speaking of tasting good, have you noticed how your grandmothers cooking always tastes amazing? No matter what meal it is very good, why? Because its made with so much happiness and love... because your grandma is so happy to see you. You give her balance by just being there. That beign said, when things are out of wack and there is a storm brewing behind closed doors a recipe will get screwed up really quickly. I can tell this because the last couple of days i have pretty much been throwing all the odds and ends into a bowl and seeing what happens... its been nice and satisfying each time. However, before and after the 'Terminator' challenge the homemade batches have been, or lack of a better word, sucky McSuckerson: mayor of suck town. Ive tried pre-making batters, using different liquids, i even ventured to WF yesterday and bought some new flours because i thought that might be it. Nothing is working and the last batch in particular has been thin, flacid and a bit too salty for my pallete. I actually went as far as to throw the cakes away this morning... which is UN-HEARD of. PanClayke does not throw anything away when it comes to food, He eats like a monkey (diet-wise and approach-wise). What could the problem be... i thinking its a lack of balance.

I dont know exactly what that means, but i do know that there is a 'secret ingredient' (opposing what Kung Fu Panda says). So, no more flour experiments and i not even gonna go near the electric skillets again because i barely had enough to pay off my 14.00 griddle pan. Its time to make love to the food again. Next up... is going to be a pancake made with love topped with the notion moving on from the past two instances. (It's the best thing to do right now, especially since its Hug a Carb Month.

And who doesn't want to hug it out with a stack o' these bad boys? Until next time, this is PanClayke reminding you that a life without balance is a lie.

Terminator.... I hardly know her.

The discovery and the challenge is presented.

This is what we were dealing with. People often ask why Mt. Everest was climbed, and the answer was "Because it is there". Well, its time to eat this bad boy... because its there!

There were still a couple more Dedications... the sheer volume of the cake necessitated more people i suppose.

Dear PanClayke... you know your in trouble when Dad and Grandma have both finished their meals and your still tucking into it. Also.... when grandma is worried your going to die.

-Yours truly was feeling strong and was seemed to have this in the bag. Then i realized what the preverbial ' wall' is, you know... the one that marathon runners talk about when they get to the last mile/half mile. For me, however, this came about 60% into the cake. Now keep in mind, not only was this 60% of a 24'' pancake that must have been an inch thick, but i had also chosen today as 'non-vegan day', giving myself the chance to see if i actualy prefer the taste of meat and dairy and went vegan only to jump on the bandwagon of the 'Skinny Bitch' hype. Believe me when i say... while it may have been a hype decision before... it is anything but now. Bite after bite just made me question every decision i had made within the last three hours. My stomach was hurting and I could barely speak above a whisper. I tried all the tricks i could think of (food combining, dipping the pancake bites in coffee, alternating between meats and carbs... however, not only was everything tasting the same after a while (salt, salt and more salt. Even the coffee tasted like salt!) but i questioned the reasons i was even still doing it. It was only for those waitresses in the restaurant and the readers in the blogsphere.

Now, know that i love you all (you know that right?) but even all the love in this little chefs heart couldn't bring him to take another bite this time around. I kid you not when i say that when i left I felt like the bottom of a shoe after one walks through a porno theater... sticky and weird. And apparently, I was not the only one...

Now, to be honest... i do not feel worthy to be called PanClayke at the moment. I know this was a task that is and will be attempted by the truly insane but that still does not stop me from feeling a sense of failure. However, im sure this will be gone once i get some fresh fruit in me (once this massive 'food baby' decides to be delivered).

Now, the final thoughts: Will i ever attempt the terminator again? Maybe in another year on non-vegan day. However, i know my body will start to remind me of how crappy i feel after taking in all the animal product and it might persuade me to do otherwise. However, i may just get on the horn with a vegan friendly diner and see if we can work something out.

Was going vegan the right desicsion? YES!!! My grandma kept telling me that my ody was not going to be able to handle it since i was used to eating so well (i opted to not listen since i am the quintiscential 'man'). But I would have to agree. After a while i noticed i was leaning more towards eating the potatos and sipping the water, even eyeing the left overs of my grandmas greek salad thinking about snagging a tomato. Evidently... it was my subconcious trying to get some actual nutrition in my body. Afterwards... i felt i could have taken it down and was actualy starting to get mad at my 'partners' for rushing me to get out of there. Then, i took a breath and asked myself why i 'wanted' to put my body through something like that? I think it was just because i really wanted one of the apples i picked up at WF yesterday, or maybe a banana fresh fron the freezer after being put in there 10 minutes ago. Uggh, i cant even think about that now though. For now it is time for a walk and then a morning wake up call to greet the radio listening masses.

Until next time this is PanClayke reminding you that there is, sometimes, too much of a good thing (Even pancakes). Tune in next time for the pancakes of the weekend and a review of Whip IT!

Vegan MOP!

Yeah, your right... like the instrument of cleaning. Not that i use one, in fact... the last time i attempted the 'swiffer' to clean up dried rum on the floor I ended up spreading it around more. Helpful hint... when cleaning alcohol up you cave to wash, soap, wash again, and dry. Its alot like washing the old coiffure, just with a mop and a bucket. Wait, its EXACTLY like washing the coif!

Hair trends aside, the 'strange' title has a double meaning. The first is to give glory to Neil Flynn! You may now him as the Janitor from Scrubs, he was also Lindsay Loan's dad in mean girls, sad that i know this. Guilty pleasure aside, the former is the reason why we honor him this day due to the abundance of Scrubs i have been lving up on recently... season 8 to be exact (SWAG!).

MOP is also serving as an abbreviation for Month Of Pancakes. Let me explain... october is vegan month of food... there, I did it. Numerous vegans in the Blogsphere are documenting the foods they eat and tips for new and aspiring vegans... however, due to my lack of experience in veganism i have opted to rebel out and focus on the wonder of Vegan pancakes. THEY CAN BE DONE! This may be interrupted breifly, more on this later, but a 99% is still an A. An A in Veganology, no wait... Veganomics (winner!). So, lets begin with...

ZUCHINNI PANCAKES!

(you put WHAT in there?)

See, i have a problem buying too many veggies when i go to the store. I dont really have a menu planned... but i know that I may want a veggie sangwich sometime during the week so i get some zuchinni. However, since produce is not as forgiving as meat, it tends to go bad before i can use it. Seriously... DONT USE IT! My toilet can vouch for this after what i dub as the 'radish inquisition'. So, since i cannot stand wasting food i decided to take a former Starbucks Favorite and MOP it!

Start with half a medium zuchinni and chop the buhjesus out of it and mix it with a little milk and sugar. Top it with Wheat Flour, baking soda, cinnamon+nutmeg, and a few chopped walnuts. Mix, pour, flip and VIOLA! You have a pancake fit for a wonderful cup of coffee! Just take a look at that. Veggies for breakast again! Remember These guys? OF course you do.

Now, the bad news. Normally I make the mix with Whole Wheat/chik pea flour or soy flour. Today... i was out of both. This is important because WW flour is heavier and, therefore, makes a more dense pancake when it is used by itself. That being said... the initial flavor was a bit offputting (and a little heavy on the nutmeg if i say so myself). I always forget that not every spice is as magestic as cinnamon. *gutteral moan* cinnamon *gutteral moan*. However, the heat from the skillet softened the zuchinni well and the Waluts provided a wonderful texture/flavor.

Lesson: Half the WW flour so its lighter, less nutmeg and toast the walnuts a but before putting them in with the dry goods. (MAN, am i critical or what?)

Lastly, as promised... what is going to interrupt the Vegan MOP? Well, let me answet your question with another. Can you click on this? IS it vegan, no... will I triumph in a pool of awesomeness? Tune in next time! Until then, this is PanClayke reminding you that guilty pleasures (pancakes and 'Mean Girls') are necessary from time to time.

Pie, or cake?

Okay, so I have been following that show "Man vs. Food" prety carefully since it first came out. The fact that this normal guy who has supposedly held 'every job in the kitchen' is getting paid to travel to these awesome places throughout the U.S. eating all this wonderful food and getting new T-Shirts along the way makes me both laugh and cringe at the same time. Laugh because.... well, a man going into a self induced food coma is funny. And cringe because I would be kicking those challenges in the face while being just as entertaining (if not more... i do sing as well you know). I think its safe to say the Adam Richman is my definition of an 'American Hero', someone who uses a niche (no matter how obscure) and uses it to educate as well as entertain...... sacrificing his body one dish at a time.

This led me to think, how could this humble cake-head solidify his status of heroism in such a way. Well, i like food.... i love Florida....and (though it may not look it) i can put away a whole lotta foodening. The answer? Pick up a fork and be your own hero!

This motivated me to jump on the interwebs and search out the challenges of Florida that i was yet to be familiar with. Two have popped up that are pretty local: one being seemingly daunting and the other being perrrrrrrfect for our purposed on this day.

Daunting- "Pizza Rustica"= a 24'' x 16'' pizza (that can be made vegan!) which takes four people to complete! I have already enlisted assistance from the pizza lovers/food movers in my circle and they are so down.

Perrrrrfect-"Shelby's Diner"= a 24'' pancake known as the 'terminator' covered with eggs, homefries, toast and bacon. A giant pancake! I would have to be insane not to do this.... but it is a solo challenge. Could one do it on their own? Also, this dish cannot be vegan friendly, which leads me to some serious decisions about the choice to make the switch (more to come on that later) However, if i need to... im going to whip out a giant sheet pan and make my own pancake "Uncle Buck" style.... cause im totally jonesing for a giant pancake right about now (I should snack before work tomorrow).

Well, the question then is: 'Cake or Pie', sweet or savory.... the eternal struggle. I pose this question to you and await the answer.

(*note; the picture at the top of the post is a 24'' pizza pie. Just to be used as a comparison. Compare it to something like........... a human baby. Scary, no?)

500 days of GIVEAWAY!!!

There was a lack of pancake happening this morning. Am i insane? No, but i am out of baking powder and there is NO way im gonna not have the lightness that the powder brings. So far the shopping list is

• Baking Powder
• vital wheat gluten
• 'naners
• Teddy Grahms (screw you for judging me!)

I was also thinking i was falling into a rut of oats and 'cakes and want to make sure that i dont get too much of a good thing. Add this to the nostalgia i was feeling after looking through some old facebook pics from Austin... and the only option was some 'Migas and homefries'. These were good enough to be wolfed down like there was someone keeping time. Winner, winner, migas dinner! Or breakfast... whatevs.

Anyway... the lack of sugar this morning got me craving something sweet and nothing could be sweeter than my future wife Zooey Deschanel. How could you not love her?! I mean, not only is she amazing on screen but she has eyes that gaze into the soul AND she sings Billie Holiday. Also gotta give some love to my boy Joseph-Gordon! I actually debated for a good hour the other day whether or not to buy 'Treasure Planet' on DVD the other day after seeing the movie on the Disney Channel. I choose to save the money i WOULD have spent and spend it at the big people movie theater.

Let me tell you... better late than never! There is a reason why this movie is still running so long after the original release. I mean, you have to love it when a movie sums up the next two hours of your life within the first 10 minutes. To quote the narrator: "It's the story of 'boy meets girl' but it isn't a love story". Take what you will from this and make your own assumptions. rest assured that there is awesome dialogue, killer soundtrack and a Dance Number. Not to mention a fantastic chemistry between the two lead roles and plotline that shows the different extremes of love as we see Joseph Gordon Levitt toggle between day one and five hundred with no concieveable pattern. Bottom line, i give it a 500/500 - definitely worth the eight dollars (Highway robbery I tell you!)

Okay... all Zooey's aside, im sure you all are wondering what the giveaway is all about. Well, let me answer your question with another question:

"How much do you love brownies?"

So, this one is mine but im talking 6 of these bad boys coming your way for freeee!!!!! How could I be so lucky you ask? Well, its as easy as one-two-three

1. Mention the giveaway on your facebook, blog, etc
2. Leave a comment with a link to where you mentioned it
3. Go see five hundred days of summer (this way you get to see an awesome film regardless!)

The winner will be announced a week from sunday (pancake day!) 9/27/2009. Wish you all the best of luck and look forward to read your comments. Until next time this is Panclayke reminding you that there may be 500 days of Summer, but everyday is Pancake Day!

Why Pancakes??? (part deux)

Many of you will remember the 'self-conversation' from a few days ago. The clifs notes version is an inner monologue which vindicates my decision to reside in the kingdom of Neverland for the rest of my life. Which is good, since i always wanted to live on a ranch anyway.

WHAT!?!?

I keed, I keed. Seriously, i like a natural immiturity. I mean, i dont think i could imagine living in a world without Ren and Stimpy or Salute your Shorts. I also dont think its a coincidence that some of the highest earning films of late have been Superhero moviesand Theme park attractions . I think its because, as children, we dont have a sense of 'needing' to do something. There are no deadlines, papers, TPS Reports, bills, jobs, etc. As children we do things out of instinct and, therefore, only do what were passionate about. Ergo... when we see something that rekindles memories of childhood in an adult fashion, we remeber that sense of passion and get the URGE to get out there and do it.

Which leads to the meat of the post... the cream in the oreo, if you will. Passion. Right now is when a lot of cake-lovers (self included) are searching through the wastes of the world trying to find what they are supposed to do with their lives. Im sure it comes from there being so many options out there in the world but thats another story (and another pancake). We search and search hoping that the 'hail mary' pass will land in the end zone. When it would seem we should be asking ourselves what our passions are. Then do THAT.

After extensive thought and 2 liters of mountain dew, I determined that I am no closer to finding out what said passion is that i was ten minutes ago. However, i then asked myself the same question in another way.... "What would you gladly pay someone to let you do?". (get your mind out of the gutter. Okay, one gutter thought-------- STOP!)

There were few things that popped up after this thought... things that ive pondered upon in the last few months and others that have permeated my life like vanilla extract in a pancake batter.

• Culinary School
• Guitar/german/voice lessons
• DVD's (like whoa)
• Membership to a gym
• An agent
• Community Theater (dont normally pay for this, but the lack of pay in present economy carries the same principle IMO)
• Working with children (same reason as community theater)
• A Good night out with friends

What does this tell me? At first glance I couldn't make heads nor tails, so I started to push a couple down the list. Culinary school and german lessons were the first to go, since I know how to cook already and have enough German books around to practice vocabulary when I need to. DVD's went down too and are not categorized in the 'special treat' category, the gym membership still stands and agent got coupled with community theater. Needless to say, this process went on for quite some time. Upon completion I realized that I would GLADLY pay to do something a little more 'widespread'... and that was make people smile.

Sounds whimsical, no? How could one make money doing this you may be asking, but i ust couldnt stop thinking about the face someone gives when you plop a big stack of flapjacks in front of them, or the look when you make someone laugh while performing on stage. Even when you can serenade someone who's dealt with screaming bosses and children all week... and even shouting in German for more ale when chatting with strangers at a bar. I dont know EXACTLY how im going to make a living on this aspirition but ill let you know when i get there.

So... that being said. Why Pancakes? Because i always smile at least once on pancake day no matter what... and love think that other people may be inspired to make a nice treat once in a while... and thus, smile.

*Mission Accomplished*

-What would you PAY someone to do? I say do that no matter what!

Tune in next time for a new creation inspired by an ollllllld favorite. What could it be? Come back and find out!

The Rabbit, the Pear and the SCARE!

OK... so all this went down in the span of like four hours, and that includes right now (so this stuff is REALLY fresh). First things first..

1. The Rabbit: HAPPY RABBIT RABBIT DAY!! What? Does anyone else not remember when Nickelodeon ,*cough (was good) cough cough* , used to have a theme devoted to everyday? One day would be potato chip day and the next would be walk on your hands day or something? Well, the first of every month was Rabbit Rabbit day and your supposed to ensure good luck for the month by saying Rabbit Rabbit before ANYTHING else that morning. I have never done it.... until today! Apparently waking up at four AM to go set up for the most awesomest radio show in south florida has its advantages. Here's to a lucky September!
2. The Pear:

... or is it? BEHOLD THE PRICKLY PEAR!

Those avid cake-ers that remember the Dragonfruit post will recall the bold red color that ensures an amazingly sweet flavor. The color is shared, but where the dragon was bland the prickle is grand! This fruit was sweet and similar to the flavor of a sweet kiwifruit. The only catch is that you have to peel it, chop it, mash it and strain it. This xtra effort is brought to you by course seeds which are random and hard to swallow, like a Paul Walker movie (FACED!).

Speaking of faced... it was happy to see me! And to answer your questions

• the pan is working awesome
• the Pear Puree was sweet and honestly should have been thickened and used as a syrup
• and the color due to Dark Chocolate powder!

I figured since it was a latin american fruit i would try and pair it with something remnant of a mole, however... there was not enough sweetness in the puree to combat the cocoa. So... these ended up tasting more like the wafers in an Oreo cookie which are AWESOME!!! (note: totally remaking these and sandwiching in some tofu ice cream = ice cream oreo!) All in all, im giving these 4.5/5 syrup bottles (<-- new rating system!)

And yes... i ate one with my hands. This... is MEDIEVAL TIIIIIIIIIIIIIMES!!!

3. The Scare: Well, those of you that know me well know how frugal I am. Other than impulse buys i hardly ever buy anything myself, especially since im between jobs right now. So, stopping at the store for something frivolous almost never happens. However, something got me wanting to try a new fruit so i stopped at on the way home. Im expecting to find a nice spice, maybe even a new marmalade... but the fruit jumped at me. AND it was cheaper so im thinking 'double score'! The only thing is that this decision took a lot longer than i thought, and i was sleepy, so i grabbed a soda and started to sip... and sip... and *gasp*. GONE?! Is this okay? Will they be mad. Moreover, is it stealing if i dont pay for it... technically its still in the store right. Well... this look of trepidation must have been plainer than i thought cause all of a sudden a heavy-set jamacian woman came out like a thief in the night and started grilling me about whether i was paying for that soda or not.

My response: "No. But im not taking it with me either... where's the Bathroom?"

Having never said the most unfunny thing ever, i was shocked to see her face... but then cowered in fear and told her that nothing would make me happier to pay. Then i helped her restock a box of Trix that fell off the shelf (im a wuss).

So.. there you have it. Another wonderful pancake to get us all through the week, a bad day at work and the occasional wild rodent. As always, feel free to make suggestions for future creations and message for the recipes. Until next time this is Panclayke reminding you that not all heavy people are jolly.

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'.

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.....