Breakfast of champions.

This smoothie is one of my favorite things to have for breakfast before work. It's easy to make, tastes like dessert and is healthy for you (it's also one of the only ways I'll eat bananas because I hate them). I usually have this around 5:45 AM and won't start to get hungry again until around 9:00 AM, so it's pretty filling. Besides, who wouldn't want to start their day off with chocolate and peanut butter?

1-2 very ripe bananas

1 heaping T ground flax seeds/flax meal

1 level T cocoa powder

1/4 C peanut butter (go for natural! I use Adams and the ingredient label reads: peanuts. The cheaper and more processed the peanut butter = the less healthy your smoothie is)

1 C soymilk

Combine together in a blender (I use Esther's Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth.

Some days I add more flax, more peanut butter, less milk, more bananas, etc; It's also extra rich if you use Silk's dark chocolate almond milk.

The infamous pancakes.

I make these pancakes every Sunday and freeze them individually for a quick, healthy breakfast during the week. I also make them for everyone I know and have had several people ask for the recipe. So ladies and gentlemen, I give you so-good-they-can't-be-healthy-but-really-are-not-that-bad pancakes (modified from Vegan with a Vengeance):

1-1/4 C whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 T ground flax seeds (also called "flax meal")
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 T olive oil
1/3 C water
1 C soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
handful of chopped walnuts

Sift dry ingredients together in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and stir until JUST mixed (leave lumps!). Set bowl aside in fridge for at least 10 minutes so the gluten will activate and give you nice fuffy pancakes and not hockey pucks.

Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat (4-5ish on my stove). I use a small chunk of Earth Balance margarine to grease the pan but I've also used a tiny bit of olive or canola oil or just plain old generic nonstick spray. Work with what you got. Pour about 1/3 C of batter in a circle and cook until bubbles spring up all over the top. Then flip and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Eat.

I've made these a zillion ways using different flavored milks (pumpkin spice, nog, chai tea concentrate). I've also used different extracts like rum, almond, black walnut etc and different nuts and seeds. Go wild and make the pancakes of your dreams.