Today I have an important goal: try NOT to check things off my to-do list and instead actually enjoy the day off with my husband and dog. More specifically, I'd like to lay on the couch with both and try binge-watching a show (big goals, I know, but I never just "sit" or turn the TV on during the day) since I've actually never done that. I feel almost un-American.

Before we attempt to get through Netflix's Stranger Things, I made us breakfast inspired by the close of the holiday season: whole wheat gingerbread pancakes. This summer I shared a recipe for whole wheat sour cream berry pancakes served with a warm berry sauce, but this recipe has a slightly different foundation, uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for extra "fluff," and includes classic winter spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves.

And while most pancakes call for a bit of sugar to slightly sweeten the batter, I opted to forgo it knowing I'd be adding maple syrup to my pancakes which would make them sweet enough for me. (Side bar: I usually dislike syrup on my pancakes - I think it's too sweet and prefer my pancakes/waffles plain, sometimes with a bit of butter, fruit, and/or a fruit compote/sauce. But with this recipe I thought the maple syrup would enhance the gingerbread flavor I was aiming for, so I planned accordingly). I don't think you'll miss it at all, but if you want to add some sugar to the batter then I'd suggest 1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar in this case.

Ingredients

• Whole wheat flour, 1 cup
• Baking powder, 1 tsp
• Baking soda, 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon, 1.5 tsp
• Nutmeg, 1/4 tsp
• Ground cloves, 1/2 tsp
• Ground ginger, 1.25 tsp
• Salt, 1/2 tsp
• Unsalted butter, 1.5 Tbsp, melted
• Egg, 1
• Vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 individual container (can use fat-free, 2%, or full-fat; if you only have plain you can use that and add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract for flavoring)
• Almond milk, 1/2 cup (can use regular milk too)

Directions

1- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour ->salt). In a smaller bowl melt the butter in the microwave (do in 10-15 second increments), then add the egg, vanilla Greek yogurt, and milk; mix well.
2- Pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients and mix thoroughly but just until combined (do not over-mix). The batter will be thicker than typical pancake batter and that's okay.

3- Heat a skillet over medium heat and once warmed, quickly rub a stick of butter over it to lightly grease. Add the batter by the spoonful (again, this batter is thicker than usual so you can't easily ladle it on the pan). You should get a total of eight pancakes with this recipe, so spoon out about half the batter into four 3-4" pancake mounds.

4- Let them cook and wait to see little bubbles pop through the top of the pancakes before flipping. Then let the other side cook, but for a shorter period of time. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining four pancakes.

5- Serve up on plates, add syrup (and butter if you'd like) and enjoy!