Weekends Away and a Breakfast Prep Recipe: Pancake Bake

We have a place in a campground on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This has always been our little escape from reality. We crab, and fish, and lay around by the pool. Often times, there is quite a bit of adult beverages consumed.

Part of my deal with my husband is that we go every other weekend, so I can keep up with my Sunday Meeting WW Workshops. I am a workshop girl, and I need a bi-weekly reaffirmation with my squad. It allows me to learn, and vent, and grow as a person.

We are heading down this weekend, and I am doing my very best to plan our meals so we don't succumb to the siren song of junk food and Corona. Not that Corona won't be at the party. I mean, c'mon. But, too many Coronas lead to a slippery slope.

Planning our weekend menu is hard. Because of my previous gastric bypass, I am gluten free and dairy free, and my husband is not. So I try to make plans for things we can both have. Lunches and dinners are easy - salads, sandwiches, and lots of seafood.

Breakfasts are harder though. When we go, he likes to have convenient frozen breakfasts that he can throw in the microwave, so we pick up some breakfast bowls for him. But a lot of time, they have ingredients my stomach cannot handle. To prepare this time, I made myself a gluten free Pancake Breakfast Bake. It is yummy, but enough that I have a few breakfasts left over for early next week.

Here is the quick, easy recipe. I used Strawberries, but blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas or apples would be just as delicious.

Strawberry Pancake Bake

• 2c Gluten Free Baking Mix (I use Live G Free from Aldis)

• 1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/2c water

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp applesauce

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1c strawberries halved or chopped

Preheat oven to 425.

Spray an 8x11 baking pan with non stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine baking mix, almond milk, water, egg, applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until just combined. The mixture will have a few lumps. That's ok. You do not want to overmix it.

Spread the mix in the pan, and then lay the strawberries on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 6 servings at 5 Smart Points Per Serving.