Molly's Recipes: Easy & Delicious Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes are often written off as something that you just cannot make without eggs and milk. When the occasional recipe for vegan pancakes does pop up, most people automatically assume that they will either taste bad or be way too convoluted to make. However, this recipe disproves all of these assumptions big time! Not only are these pancakes fluffy, yummy and ridiculously easy to make, they're also inexpensive too. So give em a try and let me know what you think in the comments.

Ingredients:
-1 and 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
-2 tablespoons water
-1/2 cup milk alternative (I use almond milk)
-1 cup Bisquick original pancake mix

1. Start by mixing the egg replacer and water together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat until thoroughly combined.

2. Add the Bisquick pancake mix and milk alternative to the egg and water mixture and stir well, until all ingredients are combined.

3. Place a frying pan over medium heat. After the pan has heated up, pour 1/2 cup portions of the batter onto the frying pan. Cook pancakes for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

4. Serve while hot, and make sure to pour some pure maple syrup on top to make them even yummier!

Serves: 1-2

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Notes: using 1/2 cup scoops of batter will make 3 large pancakes. You can opt to instead use 1/4 cup scoops to make 6 small pancakes which will serve two people instead of one. You can also double this recipe to make pancakes for a larger group of people.
This recipe is also one that you can make tons of additions to. Just a few ideas include mixing cinnamon into the pancake batter before cooking, adding blueberries or chocolate chips, or making a fruit compote to serve on top of your finished pancakes.

Book Review: Every Last Word

One of my recent reads was the young adult novel Every Last Word, written by Tamara Ireland Stone. This book offers a unique perspective into the life of Sam, a teenager living with Obsessive Compulsion Disorder. She deftly navigates both the secretive inner world of her mental illness and the external world of her friends and high school, finding solace in her passion for swimming. Upon meeting Caroline, a new girl at her school, Sam is introduced to a group of teens who are not only supportive but push Sam to reveal more of herself. She gradually begins to grow away from her old friends, but when a reality comes to light Sam begins to question just how deep her OCD has affected her.
There is a lot that this book gets right, the first being that it features a complex and relatable protagonist. Sam is quite fragile in many ways, but her inner strength still manages to radiate from the pages of Every Last Word. Many of the other characters, namely Sue, AJ and Hailey, are also wonderfully developed and play unique rolls in Sam's life. This novel is also well-written, and the author does a great job of incorporating poetry into the fabric of the narrative. A final positive element about Every Last Word is just how well it manages to dive into the essence of someone's mind who is dealing with OCD. This book doesn't make Sam out to be a victim of an illness, but rather makes her seem like a normal and relateable human being just like anybody else.
Where this book falls just a bit short for me personally was creating an emotional attachment to the characters. Although I thought that Sam was very well-developed and complex, I still didn't have much stake in her journey throughout the plot. I didn't feel for her at all, nor did I feel any sort of emotional attachment to any of the other characters. Another element that didn't work was the plot twist towards the end, as I was expecting it from early on in the book. Lastly, I found the character of Caroline to be a bit bizarre. I liked that she represented Sam's strength and positive traits, but how Caroline was developed and introduced to the reader just didn't sit quite right.
Overall, Every Last Word is a well-written young adult novel that certainly delivers on creating a relatable and likeable protagonist, an intriguingly unique storyline, and it gives great insight into the inner world of suffering from OCD. However, it still falls somewhat flat in a few areas and perhaps doesn't quite reach its full potential. Overall, if you are looking for a new book to read that has equal parts real-life issues, romance, tenderness, and humor then this might just be a book that I would recommend you give a try.
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Genre: Drama/Mental illness/YA

Pages: 355

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

How Photography Has Changed

Making pictures in both an authentic and creative way is truly an impressive art. As a photographer I often feel that this amazing form of communication and self-expression is slowly being lost to the modern world that is completely saturated with visual content on a 24 hour basis.
There is absolutely no denying the fact that many incredible steps have been taken in the world of photography since its inception. I am extremely grateful that I can pursue my passion for making pictures without the need of a darkroom, bottles of chemicals, and regular purchases of film to fulfill my impulses. I have the ultimate luxury of making essentially as many photos as I want and within a couple minutes viewing them all on a screen in front of me. I can manipulate and edit to my heart's desire, and I know that Ctrl-Z will always be there for me if I screw up, rendering my original image undamaged. I have had only a minimal level of experience working with film, but still experienced enough problems to know that I should be thankful for the photographical modernities that exist in today's world.
But I also sometimes ask my self, what has been lost? Making photography easier and accessible to a wider audience has rendered it less of an art, and the handful of people out there who are truly passionate and gifted simply need to work that much harder to become known in the photographic world. There is also the problem with image overload, as websites and apps like Instagram and Flickr have made photos become things that nearly everyone interacts with on a daily basis. As more people start seeing images constantly, there is less appreciation for just how much time, thought, and passion went into making that photo.
So maybe next time we're all scrolling through our Instagram feeds, we should take a few moments to really look at each photo we're viewing. Why was the image taken in the first place, and what is it trying to communicate? What do you feel when you're looking at it? Photographs are amazing works of art that communicate myriad emotions, beliefs, cultures, and people from all corners of the globe. Just because there are more than ever before doesn't mean they should be any less valued.

Album Review: Full Circle

The three-member band HAELOS has just recently entered my musical world, thanks to the recommended section on YouTube. As I got listening to more and more of their songs, I realized that I wanted to review their debut album Full Circle here on my blog. Managing to blend a beautiful contradiction of angelic and powerful sounds in their music, HAELOS has created a standout debut album that many listeners will eagerly consume.
Overall Full Circle is laden with masterful instrumentals and vocals, and honestly there is very little to critique about it. Perhaps the only area where the album falls just slightly short of its potential is the repetitious nature of many of the tracks. This results in a slightly insipid sound throughout the entire album, marginally dulling its brilliance.
With this being said, the album Full Circle is highly effective in just about every other aspect of its delivery. The vocals in particular are just enough in the sense that they are powerfully conveyed and filled with meaning, but do not detract from the instrumentals at all. There is also a strong sense of calmness that this album gives the listener, and it provides the perfect soundtrack to listen to while falling asleep or on a late night road trip.
The sound that HAELOS has produced with Full Circle is truly distinctive, making the album stand out from the uniformity of most mainstream music today. If you are looking for a musical artist that delivers on both amazing music and uniqueness then I would highly recommend giving this album a listen.
Artist: HAELOS

Genre: Dark euphoria/Alternative

Number of Songs: 11

Release Date: March 18, 2016

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Molly's Music: Entry 4

So here is yet another blog post detailing my current favorite songs. Maybe it will help you find some new artists to check out. Enjoy the jams, and let me know in the comments what you've been listening to lately.

AlunaGeorge - I Remember:
This upbeat track combines pop and electronic musical elements to create a very catchy earworm. Between its smooth vocals and artistic lyrics, it is certainly worth a listen.


Haelos - Dust:
I recently discovered the band Haelos and love the sound that they create with their music. Their song "Dust" features paradoxically subtle yet extremely powerful vocals, layered magically with a unique blend of instrumental notes.


The xx - Fiction:
I've actually known about this song for a while now, and I'll be honest and say that at first I didn't really care for it. However, for some reason beyond my understanding I've been drawn into the unique sound that The xx manages to create with their music.


Chelsea Lankes - Paralyzed:
The last song on my recent favorites list, Paralyzed is a discovery I made just a few days ago. It's just a good blend of ethereal vocals and a catchy melody that results in a great track to listen to.