Banana Flax-Jacks with Blackberry-Lavender Compote

These pancakes will become your new favorite for all the right reasons. They are so simple to make because they start with a mix you’ve made ahead of time, with added flax and yogurt for a boost of protein that keeps you rocking and rolling. These are also delicious with maple syrup, but Blackberry-Lavender Compote adds a new twist, with blackberry, lemon, and lavender super foods.

Makes 10 to 12 (4-inch) pancakes; serves 4 • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 20 minutes

HOMEMADE PANCAKE AND WAFFLE MIX

6  cups all-purpose flour

11/2  teaspoons baking soda

1  tablespoon baking powder

1  tablespoon salt

3  tablespoons sugar

BANANA FLAX-JACKS

1  large egg, beaten

1  tablespoon grapeseed oil or canola oil

1  tablespoon honey

1/4  cup nonfat Greek yogurt, such as Fage

3/4  cup almond milk, rice milk, or skim milk

1  ripe banana, mashed

1  cup pancake and waffle mix

1/4  cup golden milled flaxseed

1/4  teaspoon salt

2  cups Blackberry-Lavender Compote (see here)

1. For the mix, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. You should have about 61/2 cups. The mix will keep for several months stored in an airtight container.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, honey, yogurt, milk, and banana. Whisk in the pancake mix, milled flaxseed, and salt until smooth.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour the batter into the hot skillet. Cook until small bubbles start to appear on the surface, then flip and cook for 1 minute longer. Keep the pancakes warm in a covered dish as you make them. Serve warm with the compote.

Calories 109 • Total Fat 5g • Saturated Fat 1g • Carbohydrates 14g • Protein 4g • Dietary Fiber 1g • Sodium 229mg

PROFESSOR POSITIVE

Be grateful for what you have.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to remember all of the good things going for us, especially when times are hard. When this happens to you, take a note from author Robert Emmons in his book Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. Every night before you go to bed, write about three things that you are grateful for. These can be the “big things” like your family or “small things” like your favorite new song. Research has shown that doing this allows individuals to sleep better, experience less pain, and have more positive feelings. Give it a try tonight.

 

DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?

Sex. You knew we’d get around to it sooner or later.

 

“Sexual problems are among the most common and least talked about side effects of breast cancer treatment,” according to researcher Susan R. Davis, MD, PhD, Monash University Medical School, in Monash, Australia, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in January 2011, “About 70% of the women in our study were experiencing a meaningful loss of desire and sexual function a full two years after diagnosis.”

Use of aromatase inhibitors almost always results in extreme vaginal dryness related to estrogen depletion. As a result, sex can be extremely painful.

“Every woman who is put on these drugs should be told it is highly likely they will experience symptoms related to menopause, including vaginal dryness, but that isn’t always happening,” Davis says. “And women may be reluctant to talk about the issue with their oncologist.”

Talk to your oncologist or nurse about recommending the appropriate treatment if you are experiencing any of these side effects to help you get your sex life back in the swing, too.