Hi Everyone,
I am so excited for today! I can’t believe I have been blogging for one year!! It has been the most wonderful journey!! I have learned so much and I have gained so many new Friends. I finally found something that I love to do and I look so forward to doing it everyday.
One year ago today my post was for my first ever Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes and since then I have gone pancake crazy! So for a tribute to my first post, I have made for you a HUGE Whole Wheat Yogurt Apple Pancake.
Boy how times have changed from a traditional pancake to all of my new creations. Here is the only picture I took of my very first pancake ever! This makes me think of how my blog has changed through the year.
Today’s pancake couldn’t be more simple. I blended all the ingredients in my blender, tossed some apples in cinnamon and brown sugar, put it all together in a springform pan and baked for 12 minutes. It’s light, healthy, chock full of apples and oh so sweet. This tastes more like a dessert then a healthy pancake. Matter in fact I saved a slice for dessert and had some frozen yogurt with it. It reminds me of apple pie and is perfect for the fall.
This pancake kind of resembles my blogging life the past year. I had to flip the pancake onto a plate, which I almost lost, but it ended up coming out perfect in the end. What does that have to do with blogging? Well, back in February I decided to go from a wordpress.com platform to self hosting and that was a nightmare. I did it all myself (I am not techy at all), I spent days trying to fix my blog. I had lots of coffee and yogurt that weekend! I cried, I swore and I almost gave up blogging forever. But the determination in me, made me push through. After switching over, I lost my e-mail subscribers, which made me cry and I’m not a crier. I had 30 subscribers, to me that was a lot and a big deal. I didn’t want to let my readers down. I felt horrible and so sad. But I got most of you back and I want to thank you for sticking with me through the rough times. It is you that makes me blog everyday and create fun recipes.
I have to say it was really fun making one big pancake!! It’s amazing how may different ways you can cook pancakes. This pancake would be so perfect for a special occasion or for feeding a large family. I decided to make this a four serving dish because it is so filling. I served it with veggie omelets and sausage. One slice was perfect, and I think it will please any apple lover in your life. This is one I’ll be making again!!
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Since I have been blogging for a year, I have had a lot of wonderful things happen for me. The change came for me when I joined the Christmas Cookie Swap, it was the first time I felt part of a group. I met such wonderful people and yes I still think of those White Chocolate Raspberry Bars that Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake! Darn those bars!! 🙂 Then after that, Foodbuzz became my Publisher, and that was such a big deal for me, especially when I made the top 9. Then I was asked to create all the Nutritional information in the new Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook, Easy Lunch Boxes, which will be coming out I think this Friday, even though they didn’t put my name in the book, I know it was me that did all the stats and I am very proud of that!! Oh and I almost forgot I won 2nd place in the Trader Joe’s Cooking with Quinoa contest. I made the Chocolate Quinoa Bake. Wow it’s been quite a year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings! Hopefully it will bring me more pancake recipes!! 🙂
- Apple Topping:
- 1 cup apple, cored, pealed, sliced (135 grams)
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- ½ tsp, lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- Batter:
- ⅓ cup non-fat greek yogurt
- 2 Egg whites
- 2 tbsp. coconut milk or regular milk
- ½-tsp vanilla extract
- ½-tsp baking soda
- ⅓-cup white whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp stevia or sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp.cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Spray springform pan or cake pan with cooking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again with cooking spray; set aside
- In a small bowl, add apple slices, brown sugar, lemon juice and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Toss until all the apples are coated; set a side.
- In a blender add greek yogurt, egg whites, coconut milk and vanilla extract, pulse until combined. Add flour, baking soda, stevia, cinnamon and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Arrange apples to the bottom of the prepared pan and top with pancake batter, spread batter to cover the apples.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until top is slightly firm and puffy. Carefully un-clip the sides of the springform pan and take a plate and invert the pancake onto the plate. Peel off the parchment paper. The apples will be on top. Serve warm with powdered sugar or maple syrup.
I want to thank you for supporting me and welcoming me into the food blogging community! Because of you, my readers, I look forward to cooking and baking everyday and writing my posts for you! I haven’t missed a day in over a year!! So as my way of saying thank you I am giving away an e-gift card for $50.00 for Williams and Sonoma.
To win this $50.00 gift card all you have to do is tell me what your favorite pancake is or link up one of your favorite breakfast recipes. After all, breakfast is my favorite meal! That’s it! I’m not going to ask to pin, facebook or twitter my giveaway. I want to show you how much I appreciate you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
I will pick a winner on Friday and announce it on Saturdays post!
Toodles,
Jennifer
P.S. No one offered me anything to do this giveaway. I am paying for this myself as a tribute to one year of blogging.
