MoCCO Day 2: Pancakes

At the beginning of this year, I made a budget for the first time in my 27 years of life. I don't always stick to it, but it definitely helps me make more rational spending decisions. So rational, in fact, that I've paid off over $15,000 in debt since January. This is a food/craft blog, not a personal finance site, but in case anyone is looking for ways to save money or get out of debt (aren't we all?), I strongly recommend checking out the Spending Fast. I didn't go on a 'fast', but I did go on a 'diet'. And like all diets, I get off track and binge occasionally, but it's generally been good. And if you're not using it already, Mint is magnificent. I understand the privacy concerns some people have, but I figure my information is all over the internet already.

The point of all of that was to say that I keep track of two categories of dining spending: "restaurants" (meals with other people, which can be at fast food restaurants, but there's a social element) and "fast food" (prepared food I buy out of laziness/gluttony, whether it's sitting at a restaurant by myself or buying chips from the vending machine). I spend about $100 per month on fast food, which isn't terrible, but it really should be closer to zero. So as part of MoCCO (Month of Cupboard Clean Out), I'm also trying to avoid buying convenience food.

Here's how MoCCO Day 2 went:

Breakfast: oatmeal w/raisins

Lunch: (veg) tuna salad sandwich

Snack: grapes

Dinner: blueberry pancakes (see below)

I never realized before how incredibly inexpensive pancakes are to make, or how pantry-friendly. I'm always nervous making them though, because I invariably overmix the batter and undercook the pancakes. Today I vowed to be more conscious. I made my go-to recipe, Perfect Pancakes from Vegan Brunch.

I left the batter really, really lumpy, and guess what? It was fine! My pancakes weren't gummy and the giant lumps of flour magically disappeared while they cooked. I added a ton of (frozen) blueberries, then topped them with Earth Balance and the Blis vanilla maple syrup my sister got me for my birthday.

Even if I knew how to use my camera and this picture wasn't taken at night under fluorescent overhead lights, I don't think these would look appealing with the slimy syrup and melted margarine. But let me tell you, they were AMAZING! Who knew that cupboard clean out month could be so delicious?