Life changing!

On the first day of spring last year I began a 14-day spring cleanse with a group of other folks that wanted to start the season by cleaning out after a winter of rich, warm foods and lots of caffeine to combat the dark days. It wasn't anything drastic--just a few weeks without animal products, sugar (of any kind), caffeine, or alcohol and a few days of just juice and raw fruits and veggies in the middle of it.

It was a fun challenge and a way to reset my "cravings" for what my body needed instead of what I really just wanted. I got really into all of the fun foods that I could whip up during that time--like a cold quinoa salad, green soups, and more. The removal of coffee, tea, and honey from my diet for two weeks were the most difficult. I was pretty grumpy. I never realized how much I "reward"myself on a daily basis with hot drinks and snacks. By the end, I felt great and was happy to return to a life of bedtime chai with milk and honey, morning lattes, tasty beers while making dinner, and sour cream.

Anyway, as the start of spring approached this year, I figured I'd spring clean once again. I began with a really tasty Cream of Asparagus Soup (with oats instead of cream) and a raw kale salad that I could eat everyday for the next 20 years. But, you know what, I was soooo tired....sooo out of it. Quitting caffeine cold turkey hurt. More than that, I just wasn't into it. So, I quit and resolved to just continue to put more good stuff into my body. Here comes the "life changing" part....

Soon after I quite my cleanse, I discovered something new and delicious:

CARROT CAKE PANCAKES! If you don't already know it, carrot cake is my most favorite dessert and pancakes are among my top five favorite foods. In fact, one of my closest friendships was built on a mutual love of carrot cake, pancakes, and the understanding that we could never split an order of either on the same plate.
Anyway, when I came across a carrot cake pancake recipe on smitten kitchen, I thought the mystery of the universe what about to unfold in front of me. I was not disappointed and you won't be either. These cakes are life changing! Do it now. For dinner. For breakfast. For dessert. Forever.