We love Pancakes…

I, however, do not love the less than nutritional value they provide.  I’ve been thinking of a way to come up with a protein packed pancake to allow more intake of this yummy, easy breakfast.  Also, one with less or no whole wheat flour since our little Sophie seems not to be digesting it very well. (For those of you who don’t know, it is practically impossible to clean a bottom that is caked in moist, undigested, whole wheat flour with baby wipes, ugh.)  So for easier clean-up for me and a healthier pancake for my family I have created the ultimate Pancake.  (I’m still perfecting it, but the possibilities are endless!)

Tamara’s Triple P Pancakes (Triple P standing for Pleasant, Protein Packed(: )

1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats ground to flour consistency(I did this in my VitaMix blender, but I think a regular blender or food processor could do the job.)

1/2 Cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sweetener (I used brown sugar)

1 Cup soured milk, buttermilk, plain yogurt, or cottage cheese (whatever you have on hand, I used yogurt)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon oil

1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.  Blend all wet ingredients in separate bowl.   Pour egg mixture into flour mixture.  Blend well, but don’t beat, you still want lumps or you’ll get a tough pancake.  Heat skillet or pan to low to medium heat.  For four large pancakes use a 1/2 measuring cup to pour batter.  For eight medium pancakes use a 1/4 measuring cup.  For a dozen or more mini pancakes use a tablespoon. (Big hit with the little ones!).  If using a non-stick skillet just pour batter in pan, if not, spray with cooking spray or use a little butter.  (If you use yogurt or cottage cheese, you’ll have to “spread” the batter in the pan, it’s pretty thick.)  Flip pancakes when bubbles begin to burst on the surface.  Cook briefly on other side, till browned and done in the middle.  

Top pancakes with whatever you want.  Fresh fruit and sugar-free jams sound healthy and yummy, but we usually stick with the traditional toppings, butter and Pure Maple Syrup. Lately we’ve gotten into a using a sprinkle of powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mmmmm. 

Oooh, I have not tried this yet, but a friend of mine gave me a great way to make Maple Cream.  Apparently you strain yogurt in a cheesecloth or  paper towel over night.  Discard the liquid part and use the cream and mix it with Pure Maple Syrup (to your taste). (I think I got that right, I’ll have to ask her again to be sure.)  Use for Pancakes, Waffles, or French Toast or anything you want!  Sounds lovely and has more of a nutritional punch than just butter and syrup.

Here is the approximate nutritional value.  I’m not in the habit of counting calories, I just use, to the best of my ability, my God-given mechanism (whatever it is) that says, ”I’m full.”  So I did not include the calorie count.  But here’s the others; one pancake if making 4, includes 9.5 grams Fat, 12.5 grams Protein, and 32 grams Carbs.  Seems like the Carbs is a bit high, but maybe Sis will know better?  I forget the ratio that’s best.  Anyway….

We had these for breakfast this morning and everyone loved them.  We each had one of the four that I made and let me tell you, that is the first time I have ever had just one pancake and felt comfortably full and satisfied.  Hubby was not here for these pancakes.  I will have to slowly convert him.  He is used to and quite fond of the airy, tasteless, foam-cakes. (Okay, I have to admit, sometimes an IHOP all white flour pancake, slathered in Butter Pecan Syrup is really good, but….)

Oh yes, when we have them in our freezer, we always add blueberries to our pancakes.  Sadly, I did not stock up this year, we miss our blueberry pancakes.

Would love to know what you think if you try these. 

 

Whole Wheat Tortilla Recipe

Here is the recipe for the tortillas I make.  I’m tellin’ ya, if you make these 2 or 3 times you’ll never buy store-bought again.  They’re awesome and pretty easy.  And, without fail, I always think of my dear friend Laura when I make these.  She is the one who gave me this recipe.

Whole Wheat Tortillas (from memory, coz I make ‘em so much)

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons oil

1-1 1/4 cup water

In a large bowl combine flour and salt.  Using two knives in a criss-cross motion or a pastry blender, cut in oil until resembles course crumbs.  Add water and mix with a wooden spoon until combined, add more water if too dry.  Knead dough in bowl.  Divide and form dough into 12 balls.  Let rest 15 minutes.  Roll out dough balls on a well floured surface, turning once or twice.  Heat skillet or griddle to med-high to high.  Cook tortillas on first side until bubbles start to form, flip and cook briefly(10-30 seconds) on the other side.

Here are some side notes:

 -Don’t use any more than 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  More than that, and your tortillas will be dry and crackly.  I always use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat to 2 1/2 cups white flour.   Just remember the more whole wheat you use, the more water you’ll need.  

 -If you want to be authentic use lard instead of oil.  I mostly use olive oil.  I can’t tell the difference between that and cooking oil.

-I like using warm water.  It seems to mix better and also makes rolling out the tortillas a littler easier. 

-Dividing the dough into 12 balls makes nice, big, round tortillas.  Make them smaller if you want smaller tortillas.

-Get a work out and use your stomach muscles when rolling them out!

-It’s nice to have one person rolling out the tortillas while another person cooks.  I almost never have this luxury, but on occasion I do manage to have 2 skillets going at once (only when I’m in a real hurry, and you probably need some practice at rolling them out first, I’m pretty quick these days!) 

-I always make a double batch and just freeze the extra dough balls in a freezer bag.  Thaw them in the refrigerator or on the counter top (in a pinch, I thaw them in the microwave).  Just cook the same as before.

-Lastly, always eat one warm, just off the griddle, and share it with your children if you have them.  This just reminds you that there is nothing better than a fresh, homemade tortilla.

  Oh, and I’ve never done this, but a friend suggested using sun-dried tomato paste diluted in the water as a variation.  The possibilities are endless really, but I just can’t bring myself to make any other than plain, they’re just so darn good.

 Enjoy!

 

Large Intestines

I just had to record what the children were playing yesterday.  They were upstairs playing quite loudly then I heard them no more.  Time to check things out. 

They were both huddled over Chloe’s Doodle Pro while Chloe drew a picture.

Mama:  What are you guys playing?

Chloe: (Matter-of-factly) We’re looking at the large intestine.

Gabe:  We’re showing people what their large intestine looks like so they know what’s wrong with it and stuff.

I wish I had my new camera ready to go so I could take a picture of their drawing.   There really was resemblence to the large and small intestine.  But, 3 and 4 year old drawings tend to look like that anyway.

Speaking of new camera.  It is here and I am so thrilled with it.  I haven’t got the software set up to transfer pictures yet, but soon I hope. 

Lastly, I bought our first store-bought tomatoes yesterday.  I had no idea that it would be such a shock to go from garden fresh to store-bought.  I’m gonna miss my tomatoes.  Just more reason to look forward to Spring.

 

Natural Healing

So I am on my journey to learn all I can know about natural healing.   It is truly fascinating stuff.

Gabe is going in next month to see the Ear Nose Throat Specialist because he’s had fluid in his ears for the last 8 months or so.  With roughly 6 or 7 ear infections.  I hate the thought of the little guy getting tubes in his ears, but his hearing is really bad.  Yesterday the noon fire alarm went off and I said, “There goes the fire alarm, can you hear that Gabe?”  He shook his head with a confusing look, like, “hear what?” 

So, I’ve been searching into all I can about getting his ears to drain on there own and the only concrete thing that I have come up with is Chiropractics.  Hubby absolutely refuses.  I’m not too hip on the idea either, but I’m the type that would want to give it a try before surgery.  I’m also taking away his precious milk.  I’ve done enough research to find out that dairy can cause a lot of mucous and that often times we crave what we are allergic to.  He loves the stuff and is quite sad that he can no longer drink it.  I just want to see for a few weeks if anything changes.  I did get him some special milk, it’s ‘his special milk’ and even though it doesn’t taste like milk, he is excited that he gets his very own carton of special milk.  It’s the vanilla flavored Soy milk and he drinks it, but he likes it cold where as he likes regular milk warm.  Chloe won’t touch the stuff.

I thought I’d check in, but now I’m on to continue my health journey.

 

Too much sugar

I am determined to eat well and exercise today.  I’ve done okay, just okay, with exercise lately, but my eating has really gotten off.  I’m still eating healthy, nourishing food, but it’s laced with sweets and goodies!  Oh, I wish I had not gotten my sweet tooth from my dad!

I knew that if I posted my weakness here that I would think a little harder before I gave into another treat.  I don’t want to come back here, hanging my head, saying that I had two pieces of chocolate cake, 4 cookies, a bag full of chips, a hand full of left over Easter candy, and a heaping bowl of vanilla ice cream smothered in chocolate syrup!  (Why do I have this stuff in my house!?)  Believe me, I’ve had days like this, well, maybe not a bag full of chips, instead it would have been a couple of candy bars!!

Okay, so here’s the plan.  I will have a breakfast of oatmeal and a protein shake, maybe a piece of fruit.  Immediately after breakfast, I’ll head outside with the kids for a speed walk.  Sophie in the Ergo, Gabe and Chloe in the buggie.  (I did this with Chloe in the stroller the other day, it was a heck of a workout.  I’ll be adding about about 50 more pounds,  I hope I can make it.)   Hope to come back later and post of my success!

Off we go!

 

Drinking Plastic

Could it be that I have always drank milk that tastes like plastic and just not known it? We live less than 5 minutes away from Deepwater Farms and I have been getting our Raw Organic milk there in glass containers for about a month straight now. A couple of days ago, J got some milk from our corner store because I hadn’t gotten the chance to get to the farm. I sat down to have a PB and J sandwich with a nice tall glass of milk and all I tasted was plastic. So much so that I could not finish my glass. It really was very gross. I thought to myself that either we just got a very strong tasting plastic jug of milk or that my taste buds were quite use to the real thing and all I could taste was plastic.
I want to get another store bought milk just to confirm my suspicions.
I suppose it’s just another good reason to buy the good stuff, there’s no turning back for me now. Even if we buy store bought milk, it might have to be the kind they sell in glass containers, it really is disgusting to be drinking plastic.