Perfect Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

It's fall, an pumpkin spice is every where! Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin doughnuts... But what about something you can make at home, that the whole family will enjoy? That fresh baked pumpkin smell fills the house when you grill up these homemade pumpkin pancakes. And the bonus? They'll get your day off to a healthy start packed with the protein and carbs you need to be at your best.  

Here's what you're looking at for ingredients:

Wet: 

 -3/4 c. Pumpkin Purée

 -6 Egg Whites 

 -1/8 c. Unsweetened Cashew Milk 

 -1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract

Dry ingredients: 

 -2/3 c. Oat Flour 

 -1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology

 -1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

 - 1 tsp. Cinnamon

 -1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

This recipe calls for Oat Flour. I didn't have any on hand, but what I did have were these organic quick-cook steel cut oats I love by Bob's Red Mill. I took one cup of oats and pulsed it in my Vitamix until it had the powdery consistency of flour. Whalah! Oat flour. Why would I use this instead of regular flour? For starters, it's gluten free, if you're into that. But also, oats are a heart healthy whole grain, with fiber to move you along. ;)

The way to make these is so simple, my 5 year old daughter helped me throw them together. I preheated my stove to a little below medium (a 4 out of 10), and lightly sprayed my pan with nonstick olive oil. Grab your nearest spoon, fork, or child, and stir the dry ingredients together. Next, mix the wet. Then combine. That's it! I told you these were simple! 

Next, pour the batter! After about 2 minutes (the key is to wait until you see the edges begin to "lift" from the pan), you flip and wait 2 more minutes. Then repeat. 

We decided to have a little fun at Olivia's request, and drizzle some dark chocolate on top of our stack of pancakes. You could do the same, add some walnuts, or even a tablespoon of maple syrup to add a little sweetness. If you really love that pumpkin flavor, go ahead and add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the mix to kick the pumpkin up a notch. 

Will you try these out? Share with a friend! Don't forget to subscribe to never miss a recipe, or Pin it for later! Who doesn't need a great healthy whole grain breakfast for the whole family this fall?

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Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings

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Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
Www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness
Www.facebook.com/FitMomAmanda

Take Time to be Surprised

Sunday! Yay! Sunday! Its been a long hard week for me this week at work. Difficult. Made it hard to stay on top of my daily goals at home each morning when I felt completely beat up from the night before at work. Last night at 11:30 pm, a hospice patient put on his call light for maybe the 100th time during the shift. In my head, I groaned silently- and I'm ashamed to admit, in my head, I was thinking, "Seriously? What NOW?"

So when I answer his light, he asks me if I have time to sit with him and if I have a pen and paper. Honestly, I didn't have time. I was behind on my charting, busy running from room to room, and still had last rounds to do. But when looked at him, he had tears in his eyes. So I said I would get the paper. I hurried off and then ran back, thinking I would quickly jot down whatever it was he didn't want to forget before morning came. So he said, "I'd like to write a letter of commendation to your commanding officer." Mind. Blown.

So as I reflect this morning on the week that has gone by, I write this with a tear in my eye. We don't always know what's coming. But damned if I didn't get completely and utterly humbled by this frail man, this sick and dying man, this strong and capable soldier. Sometimes, when you think you have it all figured out, when you think you already know what's coming around the corner, you may just get surprised.


Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Spice it up! Healthy Thai Red Curry Chicken Recipe

Want a healthy, 21 Day Fix-approved, clean and delicious dinner recipe for your family to spice up your ordinary dinner? Check out this Thai Red Curry Chicken and veggies I whipped up this week. You'll feel like a gourmet chef, and I promise you, it's not as hard as it sounds!

What you'll need:

• 1 lb. protein (I recommend chicken or shrimp)
• Red Thai Curry Paste
• 1 Can Lite Coconut Milk
• Vegetables of your Choice (I used 2 red bell peppers, 1 cup mushrooms, 1 chopped onion, and 4 cups green beans)
• 1 T. Sesame oil (or oil of your choice)

The first thing to do is figure out what carb (yellow) you'll be serving your curry over, if any. You are welcome to serve it alone, although for a more filling hearty dinner, you'll want a bed of rice noodles, brown rice, or even as I did, a hearty wild-rice quinoa blend such as my personal favorite, Tru-Roots organic and non-GMO blend from Costco. One cup of dry mix cooks into four large servings, or about 8 yellows. It will feed a family of four a nice serving of two yellows each.  

Cook whichever side you chose up first-- I started my rice/quinoa blend in a pot before anything else, as it needed 25 minutes to cook on low. Once that started, I moved to the next step. 

If you have a wok, you can use that, although I just chose a large pan/pot. I put one tablespoon of Sesame oil in to heat on medium-low, although you may substitute your favorite healthy oil. I added 4 tablespoons of red curry paste and stirred it up with a rubber spatula occasionally, letting it mix together and simmer about three minutes. then I added the protein and upped the temperature to medium. Pictured is chicken, although in the live Pericope Broadcast I did (which you can view HERE!). I filmed it simultaneously doing chicken in one pot and shrimp in the other. I have to say the shrimp was by far my favorite! 

I cut about 1 pound of chicken into bite size pieces, which also lessens the cooking time. Keep an eye on your chicken- the cooking time is about ten minutes total (you'll want that cooked thoroughly to avoid food-borne illness), or with the shrimp, about 3-4 minutes a side (until the shrimp are opaque). The curry will cover the protein like a glaze, adding a great kick and flavor to your meat. 

While the protein is cooking, it's time to prep whatever veggies you choose. This is literally what I call a "kitchen-sink" recipe, because you can throw in whatever suits your fancy-- everything but the kitchen sink! If you want more traditional, veggies such as Bok Choy, bamboo shoots, and yellow and green squash or zucchini are great choices, as well as pea snaps. 

I made this particular recipe with some produce I wanted to use up: green beans, red peppers, mushrooms, and some leftover herb salad mix. Get creative! Don't be afraid to experiment with new items or use up old favorites. 

When your protein is done, you are going to want to dump ALL the veggies in the pan-- you'll see now why I recommended a large cooking pot or wok. Stir it all together, letting the veggies sautée with your curry mix about two minutes. Not too long- you don't want to overcooked that protein and make it chewy. 

At this point, you add your coconut milk. This is where the curry becomes the BOMB. Pour 14 ounces (or an entire can) of coconut milk in and let it all cook together into amazing goodness. I use an organic, "light" coconut milk, which has about 60% less fat than the regular version, although using regular will make your sauce even creamier. The sauce will take on a pinkish color as the red curry and white coconut milk mingle. The flavor will infuse into all the ingredients, and what's left is the most phenomenal aroma in your kitchen and a mouthwatering, healthy meal. Serve it over a bed of rice or whichever size you choose, and enjoy! 

To make this recipe 21 Day Fix friendly, you're going to use your yellow container to portion two servings of rice/noodles. Then, top with 1/4 of the total curry mixture. It will count as 2 red ❤️❤️, 2 yellow💛💛, 2 green 💚💚, one blue 💙 and one teaspoon. Enjoy!

➡️Check out my Team Driven fitness for coaching opportunities and work with me on my team! If you watch the entire video, you will be entered to win our monthly drawing of the fitness program of your choice (P90x, Insanity, etc!), up to $120!  Watch the video here! 

As always, if you need help, support, encouragement, or tips with your health and fitness, please reach out to me. I have a passion for helping others not only on their emotional and physical journeys, but financial as well. You can find me  on:

➡️ Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness

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➡️Email me any time at amandanoddings@automaticceo.com

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As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda