Essentials: Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix (Review)

I love Sunday mornings. Especially summer mornings. A short stack of buttermilk pancakes with fresh June strawberries and I'm a happy girl. When I was at Trader Joe's Saturday night picking up ingredients for Caprese sandwiches, I was excited to see that they were carrying a new protein pancakes mix. I picked up a box of Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancakes Mix (just add water!) along with a container of organic strawberries for breakfast on Sunday mornings.

I was setting the bar low on these. I've tried protein pancakes in the past, and typically the chalky taste and texture make it hard for me to get past the first bite. As I whipped up a batch of these pancakes yesterday morning, I actually had a back-up plan of scrambled eggs ready to roll if these were inedible.

The instructions called to mix the pancakes with just water. Instead, I added half water/half fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest. With ingredients that included whole wheat flour and whole grain oat flour, the wet mixture was brown and had the look of high fiber bread. I sliced the strawberries and put them aside.

In a nonstick pan on low-medium heat, I added a little butter for taste and then the mixture in small puddles. As they bubbled, I added strawberries to the little mounds. (If you don't want your pancakes to turn blue when adding blueberries or pink when adding other berries,  add the berries to the top of each bubbling pancake while the first side cooks.)  I flipped them over and they were surprisingly golden and fluffy. Just a couple of minutes more and the pancakes were ready.  I had Trader Joe's maple syrup on the table but we didn't even need it.  The strawberries added the perfect sweetness.One bite and we were hooked. There was no chalky/protein aftertaste. They were the best pancakes I've ever made. They even passed the husband and toddler test.

Our house pancakes mix used to be Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Pancake & Waffle Mix but it's now this one from Trader Joe's. Not only are these pancakes restaurant quality but each serving has 1 gram of fat, 0 cholesterol, 3 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar and 10 grams of protein.

I'm looking forward to trying these with lemon zest + fresh blueberries and in the fall, substituting the water with spiced apple cider.

Trader Joe's Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix is $3.49 a box.

Happygirl Essentials: Beekman 1802 Goat Milk Soap

On a farm in New York, there lives a herd of goats.  And on that farm, there are two men who came to care for these goats and went on to create the lifestyle brand, Beekman 1802.

This week I received a box of Beekman 1802 love. Tucked into this box were six ultra-creamy goat milk soaps in scents like Ylang Ylang & Tuberose, Meadow Lark and Arcadia (clematis, jasmine and almond) and a jar of whipped body cream sinks into your skin like, well, milk. Waverly loves the scent so much she keeps burying her little face into my neck

This morning I used the Meadow Lark soap for the first time. When I got out of the shower, my skin felt soft and I smelled delicious. (I took the soap wrapper and put it in my lingerie drawer.) I'm looking forward to trying the others scents. I already have my eye on Hello Sunshine After the Sun Bar.

I also love the story of Beekman 1802. Josh Kilmer-Purcell (advertising executive and NY Times Bestselling author)  and his partner, Brent Ridge (physician and former  Vice President of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia) left New York City after they both lost their jobs within a month of each other in 2008 to live on historic Beekman 1802 Farm, which they had purchased the year prior as a getaway from the city. They started thinking about their steps. After taking in a neighbor's herd of goats they learned how to produce goat's milk soap and cheese. Today, Josh and Brent run Beekman 1802 and they work with farmers and artisans to market locally made goods to enhance your life.

I love the product, the packaging, the scents and the story.  I also love that the bars are made free of sulfates, parabens and artificial fragrances. I'm inspired by people who have been through a downturn in life and made it into something positive. I'm looking forward to gifting Beekman 1802 to friends. I hope they'll feel as happy as I did when I saw this little goat staring back at me.

photo courtesy of Beekman 1802

the happygirl essentials: On running shoes

Sometimes I don't realize how much I wear something until one day when I take it off and Waverly confiscates it and puts it on. Her current obsession (and mine) are my On Cloudsurfer running shoes.

I have a history with running shoes. When I started to be serious about losing weight and increasing my fitness,  I bought some running shoes based on how cute they were and ended up injuring myself. So, I found a nutritionist, trainer, doctor, physical therapist and podiatrist who could work together to help me reach my fitness goals safely. During our first appointment, the podiatrist recommended two styles, the Mizuno Wave Rider  and Brooks Gylcerin. I bought both pairs and switched off between the two. They were great for my particular foot concerns but I didn't love them. I was still happy to take them off.

I wanted a pair of running shoes that I loved, that would make me want to go farther, go longer, go happier.

My choice: On Cloudsurfer in Ink/Jade

Recently,  I was reading Runner's World and discovered On running shoes, a Zurich-based company born from the minds of a professional three-time world duathlon champion and his like-minded friends. The more I learned about the company, the more I appreciated the high tech background of these shoes. Plus, the reviews were stellar. I took a chance and ordered a pair.  On the day they arrived, I wore them all day running errands, thinking I would need to break them in. At the end of the day, I didn't want to take them off. They were super lightweight and they fit every part of my foot as if an engineer had created them just for me. The support is firm, the push-off bouncy and the landing is soft. The back cuff is perfectly cushioned and hits my ankle in just the right spot. There were no blisters even while I was wearing no-show socks.

For the past few weeks, I have been wearing these shoes almost every day. I still like my preppy black ballet flats but not only do these help me lead an active day with Waverly by my side, but when I do venture out for some miles pushing her jogging stroller, I'm focused on the sunshine and the fact that me and my girl are enjoying an active day together, not how much my feet hurt. I like the message that this sends to her and I love these On running shoes. They're now an essential part of my life (and L's now too!) Now, if only they made them Waverly sized!

The Happygirl Essentials: The Yeti Tumbler

I have this habit of making a coffee and sipping on it all day. Sometimes, I'll microwave it for 30 seconds and sometimes I'll just drink it cold.  I'm just not the kind of person to chug down a mug of coffee. For me, it's a languid thing. I sip and I work. Coffee or orange-flavored tea is comforting. When I drive, I like to have a coffee with me, as well. This must be a carry over from when I lived in Massachusetts and it was basically an unofficial rule that you had to drink Dunkin' Donuts if you were driving.

In the past, I've tried the supermarket hot drink tumblers and even the ones from the coffee shops but still I hadn't found one that kept my drinks hot. Within an hour, my tumbler drink was mildly warm.

So, when I was in Whole Foods last week, I saw this Yeti mug and I knew that this was going to be exactly what would be the answer to my non-intentional cold coffee. Yes, the price ($34.99) is steep, but the Yeti will keep your hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for at least 5-6 hours. (I bought the Rambler 30 ounce Tumbler in seafoam. Available at Yeti.com.)

On Monday, I made a coffee at 8:15am and by 2pm it was still hot, not piping hot, but definitely pleasantly warm. Yesterday, I made an iced water with fresh squeezed lime juice at 7am and it was still cold (with ice!) by 4pm.  The 18/8 stainless steel tumblers are puncture and rust resistant as well as dishwasher safe.

I love The Yeti Ranbler. It lives up to it's hype and it's an essential.