Fluffiest GF Coconut Pancakes--Without the Fluff!

I'm going to tell you how I really feel. I don't like the gluten-free craze. If you have celiac disease or a true allergy, then I understand, but I don't think that wheat in it's pure form is making everyone sick. Rather, I think refined, genetically modified wheat is what's making many ill, but if we could all stop eating that garbage, then I think we would find that good old humble whole wheat is not the culprit.  In going gluten-free, I think a lot of people are improving their health because this forces them to change their way of eating and thus consume less processed, chemical-laden foods, including refined, GM wheat.  But would we have the same outcomes if we all just cut out processed and genetically modified foods, increased our fruit and veggie intakes, and ate organic homemade whole wheat bread? We will probably never find out because the paleo diet appears to be taking over the world, just like its next of kin, the Atkins Diet, did before.

My allegiance to wheat now proclaimed, I will add that I make gluten-free meals and baked goods for my family not infrequently because I think that God has made all sorts of grains that are good for our bodies and that make for a more interesting palate of flavors and textures.  Wheat makes up much of our grain intake, but I want my family to also have a taste for the many wonderful grains given to us for our health and enjoyment.  So here is a GF pancake recipe I whipped up on a night of breakfast for dinner, with some coconut flour I had purchased out of curiosity. This recipe was inspired by Tessa's sweet potato muffins made with coconut flour--the first egg-free recipe I found using coconut four.  These pancakes are gum-free; frankly, I'm not sure how they hold together, but they sure did, and were adored by all. I think the combination of the chickpeas and coconut flour are what make for the magical fluffiness. As Abiline said, "We don't have a treat after dinner tonight because these pancakes are our treat!" As you can see from the picture, I also believe in chocolate chips.

1 cup roasted sweet potato flesh*
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups plain or vanilla non-dairy milk + 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
2 Tbsp. coconut cream (You could sub oil.)
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. hemp seeds (optional)
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your pancake griddle or frying pan over medium heat (about 275 on the griddle). Puree the sweet potato through hemp seeds in a food processor or blender until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until evenly moistened. The batter will be thick. Drop by 1/4 cup fulls on the preheated griddle and sprinkle with chocolate chips, if you like. After 2 or 3 minutes, check if they are firm enough on bottom to flip, then cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes more.

*To roast a sweet potato, preheat your oven to 400, line a baking pan with parchment paper, scrub the potato, and place it on the pan in the oven for about an hour. The cooked potato will be very soft and easily pierced with a fork and have golden juices bubbling from it. Do not try to steam or microwave your potato instead; to bring out the sweetness, it must be roasted.


My little helper...

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesday Healthy Vegan Fridays Whole Food Fridays. 

Breakfast Banana Split with Chocolate and Caramel Oatmeal Pudding

I love fancy breakfast. My husband is always telling the kids that they are totally spoiled for getting pancakes, waffles and french toast almost every week.  Of course I make breakfast for my kids because I love them, but my motives are also selfish, as I need something a bit more stunning than a bowl of cold cereal to transition me from grumpy woman wishing she were still in bed to mile-a-minute mom.

This particular breakfast indulgence came about as I sought for ways to use the leftover pulp from making oat milk for my homemade yogurt. I whipped up the thickest chocolate pudding the other day using the soaked oats, which of course tasted great with banana, which got me to thinking...Breakfast Banana Split!!!

The first step to making this dream a reality is to soak your oats overnight. Then your pudding will come together in about 15 minutes in the morning: a bit more work than a bowl of cereal, but well worth it. If you have extra time to devote to your toppings, this would taste great with my pumpkin caramel sauce on top. This recipe makes enough for 4 small (1/2 banana each) or 2 large (1 banana each) banana splits.

For the soaked oats:
2 cups rolled oats
filtered water to cover (I use about 4 cups.)

For the Chocolate Oatmeal Pudding:
1 cup soaked oatmeal  (1/2 of the soaked oats)
2 Tbsp. cacao powder
3 prunes
2 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 scoops stevia powder (I use Trader Joe's Organic brand.)
1 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter
1/3 cup black beans

For the Caramel Oatmeal Pudding:
1 cup soaked oatmeal
1 Tbsp. tahini
1/3 cup pitted medjool dates (3-4)
1/2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
1/4 cup chickpeas
1 Tbsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 scoops stevia powder
2 Tbsp. white chia seed meal (optional, but will make it thicker. You could use flaxmeal if you don't have a flax allergy like we do.)

To assemble the banana splits:
2 medium, ripe bananas

Optional Toppings:
non-dairy yogurt (I use homemade.)
hemp seeds
mini chocolate chips
sliced strawberries
pumpkin caramel sauce

1. Place the oats and water in a large bowl, cover, and soak in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, you can either a) drain the oats in a colander and proceed to make the pudding or b) make oat milk with the soaking water by blending the oats and the water and then straining out the oat pulp using a mesh sieve.
3. Make the chocolate oatmeal pudding by blending all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor until smooth. Empty the chocolate pudding into a bowl, clean out the blender or work bowl, and then combine all of the ingredients for the caramel oatmeal pudding and blend until smooth.
4. Assemble the banana splits by cutting your bananas in half lengthwise. (For four small splits, cut the bananas in half widthwise as well.) Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to dish up a scoop of each pudding over the bananas. Garnish with desired toppings.

Here's the other big news around here beyond fancy breakfast:

Emie is Walking!

And Sawyer and Abiline had a momentary truce.

This post is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesdays Healthy Vegan Friday Whole Food Fridays.  

Green Smoothie Pudding

This recipe is basically baby food grown up. Anyone who has made their own baby food knows that mashing banana and avocado together is an easy and almost foolproof baby pleaser.  And whenever it hasn't been, I have been happy to eat the leftovers--which led me to conclude that this winning combo must just not be for babies. And, indeed, the banana and avocado mash-up has grown with my kids. Whenever I make yogurt nowadays, Abiline always wants either purple (whipped with frozen blueberries) or green, which is how this pudding version of a green smoothie has developed over time. This pudding is great in a parfait with banana and granola, or you can go all out with the baby food idea and eat it with baby "puff" cereal on top, like Abbie likes it. Go ahead--regress! We do it all the time around here...

This recipe makes two generous or four dainty servings.

3/4 cup white beans, rinsed and drained, if canned
1 small, ripe avocado
1 medium, ripe banana
1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt (I use homemade.)
1/4 tsp. stevia powder (I use Trader Joe's organic.)
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar or 2-3 pitted medjool dates, to taste
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. spirulina powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup spinach leaves
2 Tbsp. hemps seeds
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1-3 Tbsp. rice or coconut milk

Combine all the ingredients (starting with 1 Tbsp. non-dairy milk) in a high-powdered blender or food processor and blend until totally smooth, adding additional milk if necessary to get the mixture moving enough to blend up. I have used both a blender and food processor successfully, but if you are using a food processor, I have had better results with using the coconut sugar over the dates.  If you want a n utterly smooth consistency, you've got to use the blender.

Some after dinner smiles from this evening. Happy tummies, happy kids...

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesdays Wellness Weekend Healthy Vegan Fridays

Build Your Own Breakfast Cookie

This past week I purchased carob chips for the first time in my life, as I was making a treat for a friend's dog and learned that chocolate is a no-no for pooches. I gave some of the chips to the kids on a whim, fully expecting that they would be promptly spat upon the table as my children dealt with the treachery of being given imitation chocolate. Imagine my surprise when they begged for more and continued to ask for carob chips every day since.  I was raised by a wonderful mother who was and is fiercely loyal to chocolate and all things sugar, who taught me at a young age that carob was an unpalatable chocolate imitation that only self-punishing "no-sugar moms" would eat. Who would have thought that I would so betray my roots and raise these carob-loving children and be feeding them sugar-free breakfast cookies. I hope my mother does not think of me as her own worst kitchen nightmare.

In my defense, I am not so pure as to be a "no-sugar mom," but I do always want my cookies to be healthier than everyone else in the family seems to prefer.  If I call my creations "breakfast cookies,"though, then everyone recognizes that they are not dessert cookies and is just happy that they are eating cookies for breakfast. I have seen a number of breakfast cookie recipes on various blogs, but they always seem to be more on the cookie side and less on the breakfast side to me. So, be warned: my idea of a breakfast cookie is like portable oatmeal, not a cookie that you eat for breakfast just because someone added flax seed and maple syrup to a Tollhouse cookie or some nonsense like that. Believe it or not, a breakfast-y treat like this can be tasty and kid-approved without any added sugar or oil.

Here is the basic formula, with some variations we have enjoyed. This makes 10-12 standard size cookies.

Basic Recipe
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. stevia powder
1/4 cup dried fruit (If the fruit is not particularly soft, soak it in boiling water for 10 mins. and then drain)
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin, cooked sweet potato, or other fresh fruit or a combination thereof
1 Tbsp. tahini or sunflower seed butter
optional add-ins: 2-3 Tbsp. additional dried fruit, carob chips, mini-chocolate chips, hemp or sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the quinoa, oats, stevia, salt, and cinnamon, if using,  to your food processor and pulse just until combined and oats are ground up some but not quite flour. Add your wet ingredients and buzz until combined. Your batter will be a bit thinner than regular cookies but thicker than muffin batter. Stir in any optional add-ins. Drop large spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottoms. Let cool on wire racks for 5-10 mins. before enjoying.

Apple-Sweet Potato Variation
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. stevia powder
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 mins. and drained
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup cooked sweet potato,
1 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. hemp seeds

Carob-Berry Variation 

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. stevia powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup prunes
1/2 cup blackberries and/or blueberries
1/4 cup applesauce or pumpkin
1 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter
2 Tbsp. carob powder
3 Tbsp. carob chips

My little cookie-munchers, loving life!

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesday Whole Food Fridays Wellness Weekend Healthy Vegan Fridays

Blackberry Muffin Sweet Potato Pudding Parfait

I love the Thanksgiving/Christmas season when Costco stocks those huge bags of organic sweet potatoes, which turn into so many wonderful sweet potato experiments. This particular sweet potato incarnation resulted when I decided that my nine-month old was tired of all of her baby food options, as she launched the "banana beet blueberry" mush pouch at me for the eighth time.  "What could I make..." I mused as I wiped pink goo off my baby-battered forehead,  "that would be new and delicious but still meet those high baby food standards (which should be all people-food standards, really) of not being sugar, fat, and salt-laden? She's never had a muffin, I suppose..."  So I pulled out all of the odds and ends in the fridge to make these surprisingly moist and just-sweet enough muffins. To entice my three-year-old to eat them, late last night I concocted this sweet potato "frosting," which I then decided would make for a delightful parfait!  I looked forward to this morning, when Emie devoured her muffin, Abiline took delicate frosting-laced nibbles of hers, and I indulged in breakfast pudding parfait.  All were satisfied.  For the time being.  Until I offer another muffin to Emie, and she launches it at my head.

 For the Blackberry Banana Muffins:

1 medium, ripe banana
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1/2 pouch banana-beet-blueberry baby food (or sub another 1/2 cup blackberries)
1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 cup coconut cream (from the top of the canned coconut milk)
scant 1/4 tsp. stevia powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup buckwheat flour

Preheat the oven to 350 and line muffin cups. I got 12 mini muffins and 6 regular-sized muffins out of this recipe.  In a food processor or blender, blend the banana, blackberries, baby food, rice milk, coconut cream, stevia, vanilla, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Add the oats and process again until totally ground up. Then add buckwheat flour and pulse just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins until the cups are about 2/3-3/4 full and bake in the preheated oven, about 14 minutes for mini muffins and 20-22 minutes for standard-sized muffins, turning the pans half-way through the baking time. Let cool on wire racks before eating. I think they tasted best after sitting overnight in the fridge. Enjoy frosted with sweet potato pudding, or crumble into a parfait glass, alternating layers with the pudding and blackberries and/or bananas.

For the Sweet Potato Pudding/Frosting:

1 large sweet potato
1 medium banana
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (I did not melt it.)
1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1. Bake the sweet potato at 400 degrees for about an hour, until very soft when poked with a fork. Remove the peel.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the sweet potato flesh, banana, vanilla, hemp seeds, coconut oil, and 1 Tbsp. maple syrup. Blend until totally smooth. Taste, and if you want it a tad sweeter, add some additional maple syrup.

Here is the adorable culprit of meal-time mayhem, along with her cronies:

If you are wondering what on earth my kids are doing in this picture, I must tell you that I was pretty tickled that afternoon when they decided that the most enchanting activity was to build with staples. They made a city, train tracks, and "the longest bench in the world," while I was left wondering why I had spent so much money on toys for Christmas. Move over Legos...

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesdays and Wellness Weekend.

Baby-Led-Weaning with Allergies: Ideas for ages 6-8 months

My first baby loved baby food.  It never occurred to me to give him "real" food until he was around a year old and refused to swallow another mouthful of puree.

My second child barely tolerated any mush; she just wanted what was on my plate.  But I was reluctant to just let her dive in because I was afraid that if I did not follow the rule of introducing one new food at a time with a five day wait rule, I would somehow make her allergies worse, or not be able to tell which ingredient she was having an allergic reaction to.  Her whole weaning process was a battle, since she wanted to explore foods way faster than I was willing to let her.

When my third baby reached that magical time around six months of age when she started grabbing for our food and clearly wanted to take part in meal time, I was filled with dread.  Already having two children with established food allergies, I have not had much hope of number three escaping that same fate.  I found myself agonizing, "Is there some way to go about introducing new foods that will help her to have less food allergies?" Some doctors have told me to introduce highly-allergenic foods early on in order to avoid allergies; others say to wait as long as possible. After letting Emie lick a spoonful of seemingly allergen-safe pancake batter and get a rash, I threw my hands up in the air and decided that she will probably have allergies no matter what I do.

I knew I didn't want to make freezer-fulls of baby food this time around or battle with my baby who wants to grab food off my plate. Could I do baby-led weaning with a child with such high food allergy potential?  I decided to go for it: avoid the top allergens--dairy, eggs, wheat, corn, nuts, peanuts, soy--but basically let her eat whatever we are eating rather than feed her mashed banana for a week, then avocado, etc.

We are about six weeks in to our allergy-friendly baby-led weaning adventure, and I wanted to share some things that I have found to be working so far, for other moms who may be facing this same challenge. Of course, I am not an authority on baby nutrition, so my approach is by no means a plan for all to follow, but I hope it will be helpful to those searching for ideas.

Fruits: Emelise has enjoyed sucking on the inside of banana peels, mango skins, and sucking the rest of the avocado off the skin. She has not had much luck holding the actual fruit--they're all too slippery. But at least she is getting a taste for them. She has had some success with holding large pear and apple slices and gnawing them. She loves kiwi and has managed to hold and devour them all on her own.

Yogurt: She has been loving her first tastes of homemade coconut-oat milk yogurt this week. I scoop it for her and then hand her the spoon for self-feeding.

Vegetables: She loves to suck on cooked broccoli trees and sweet potato. Green beans and carrots get sucked on for a few moments and then get thrown on the ground.

Smoothies: I have been making allergy-safe smoothies that Emie likes so much she will let me help her hold the cup:

Pumpkin-Pear Smoothie: Blend about 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, with 1/2 ripe pear, and enough rice, oat, or coconut milk to get it smoothed out.

Baby Green Smoothie: Blend a couple cubes of frozen mango, 1/2 small banana, a handful of fresh spinach, and a generous slice of avocado, along with enough coconut, rice, or oat milk to get it smooth.

Grains: Crunchy rice rolls are a big hit. Much easier to hold and gnaw on than those baby rice cakes sold for $3-$4 a bag. Trader Joe's just discontinued their vegan rice rolls, but I have found some on Amazon.

Baby Biscotti: I adapted this recipe for Banana Coconut Slices, subbing coconut oil and maple syrup, grinding the oats and coconut, and using a rice flour gluten-free blend I found at Costco.  I then sliced some of the bars into biscotti-sized chunks and baked them for 12 minutes on each side in a preheated 375 degree oven. They made great teething biscuits!

Buckwheat-oat pancakes:  Take your favorite vegan pancake recipe and sub the regular flour with 1/2 buckwheat flour and 1/2 oat flour. Crumble into small bits for baby to pick up.

Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast Cookies: I saw a recipe for something like this and liked the idea, although the egg whites, flax seed, and white flour were a no-no, so here is my version:

2 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
1/3 c. homemade coconut milk yogurt (You could sub banana, applesauce, or more pumpkin.)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
dash of salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, or plain old cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and form into about 12 little cakes. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 mins. Check them frequently, as you don't want them to get too crispy for baby.

These cookies are crumbly, which Emie liked because she could squish them and pick up tiny pieces to gum on.  If you want them firmer, then experiment around with adding some baby cereal or gluten-free flour. Admittedly, I ate most of these cookies, with Emie just doing small bites. At this stage, it seems that she only needs a few tablespoons of food over the course of the day to supplement her breastmilk feedings.

Oatmeal made from oat-milk pulp: When you make home-made oat milk (I describe the process simply in my yogurt post), the pulp is already processed finely for baby--just be sure to blend it long enough!  I thin it out a bit and add some applesauce, pumpkin, or smooshed banana. I find this to be the best way to make baby oatmeal: it's much cheaper than buying packaged baby food and is just as lump-free.

Protein: Just breastmilk at this stage! We are not doing nuts or soy, of course, and at this point I am still avoiding beans and seeds until between 10 and 12 months, as my other daughter had a reaction to lentils when I gave them to her early on.

I would love to hear your ideas and recipes you have found to work for your baby!

This post is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesday.

Inside-Out Sweet Potato Pie Fritters

There has been a lot of conflict at the dinner table lately. Anthony and I want the kids to eat; they simply don't want to. We are at an impasse. I try not to cry in frustration as they squirm as far away from their plates as possible, fall off the bench, giggle uncontrollably, make up nonsensical words, giggle again, laugh harder when we threaten and cajole.... It goes on and on and on.  I am trying to remember what Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in his "Good, Better, Best" talk: "What your children really want for dinner is you."  Me not screaming is what I assume he means.  So let's just minimize the conflict and have enjoyable family time, for goodness sake. Enough with the toddler rebellion! Bring on the pie for dinner!

Yes, these inside-out sweet potato pie fritters were actually eaten with gusto. Sawyer and Abiline usually like when I make the sweet potato pie from the Clean Foods cookbook, but the other night I did not have time to bake a pie before dinner, so I made these cheater patties on the quick and had an instant hit side-dish. Three cheers for a few moments of peace at the dinner table!

1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp.  + 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
*This made about six, three inch patties. You may want to the double the recipe if you want leftovers.

1. Cook the sweet potato until very tender in preheated 400 degree oven (takes 45-60 mins, usually, for me.) Let cool and peel off the skin.
2. Place the pumpkin seeds and 1/8 tsp. cinnamon in your food processor and pulse to form a crumbly meal.  Spread the seed crumbs onto a large plate.
3.  Clean out your food processor and then add the sweet potato, oats, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Puree until smooth.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop out large spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture, roll them in the pumpkin seed crumbs to coat (this may be a bit messy), and place in the skillet. Fry for 2-4 minutes on each side, just until the seeds are a bit toasty. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wellness Weekend and Healthy Vegan Friday.

This is the face of my best eater by far. If only everyone were so content eating the same thing day in and day out...

Lemon Poppyseed Secret Squash Quinoa Muffins

Today was not the happiest day in Mommyville: lots of hitting by one eldest child, some serious tantrum action by the second, and I'm starting to tire of the baby-weight from number three.  I don't feel like I accomplish much more than constant chastising on some days. Which is why I think I keep writing this blog even though I'm certainly never going to be blog-famous--it makes me feel like I did something productive. At least I managed to nourish these dear children that are nearly impossible to feed!

I have posted a squash lemon poppyseed bread before, but this new edition is more nutritionally dense with the addition of chickpeas and quinoa. They are low in sugar as well!  The kids ate them without complaint, and I felt like I had at least had one small victory this day...

 


1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. stevia powder
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup plain non-dairy milk
1/2 Tbsp. lemon extract
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 small yellow squash, finely grated
1/3 cup poppyseeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 muffin cups.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and stevia.
3. In a food processor or blender, blend together the quinoa, chickpeas, non-dairy milk, lemon extract, lemon zest and juice, coconut oil, and maple syrup until smooth.
4. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir just until completely combined. Fold in the poppy seeds and squash. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks before serving.

Here are some of our happier moments recently...

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday,  Whole Food Wednesday and Wellness Weekend.

Jelly Donut Pancakes

I had been dreaming about chocolate chocolate chip pancakes all night, but of course when I mentioned pancakes in the morning, Sawyer insisted on the white ones.  Bummer for me, until I thought up this yummy idea of putting jam on the inside and powdered sugar on the outside for a healthier take on the donut treat.  Sorry gluten-free folks--I made these with whole wheat flour because I live in gratitude daily that we actually aren't allergic to that, but you could certainly try subbing your favorite GF flour blend.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. preferred sweetener (I used evaporated cane juice.)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
A few Tbsp. jam of choice
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1.  In your food processor, combine flour, oats, seeds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until oats and sunflower seeds are completely ground up.
2. Add the coconut oil and buzz until crumbly. Then add the milk, sweetener, and vanilla and process just until smooth.
3. Heat your pancake griddle or frying pan over medium heat and drop large spoonfuls of batter onto the heated pan. Dollop about a tsp. of jam in the middle of each pancake and then cover up the jam with a bit more batter. Flip when bubbles form around the edges and cook for about 2 mins. more on the other side, until just lightly browned.
4. Let the pancakes cool for a few minutes so as to not melt the sugar. Spread powdered sugar onto a large plate and place pancakes one by one in the sugar, lightly coating each side. Serve warm--no butter or syrup needed!

We decided we were tired of the cold and pretended it was summer all morning. The kids even wore their bathing suits to the grocery store. Heck, I already get enough looks from people as it is with all the ruckus we make going up and down the aisles while struggling through crises of lost gum in hair, towers of bread and beans tumbling from the cart, wails of despair for unrequited cookie cravings, etc.--I figure I might as well give people something to really snigger about!

This recipe is shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Allergy-Free Wednesday.

Brownie Batter Breakfast Pudding

I have not posted any new recipes for a while because we have been out of town visiting my parents in Washington.  (It is not as easy to experiment in someone else's kitchen, especially when their pantry looks quite a bit different from yours.)  My parents are unapologetically dairy, meat, and refined flour eaters, but they are accepting of our diet. My mom was great about going to Trader Joe's and stocking up on whatever staples she could find for us. As we were winding up our visit, I wanted to eat up all the food she had purchased especially for us, as I knew my parents wouldn't eat it themselves.  There was about half of a can of leftover black beans in the fridge that I needed to make use of on our last day, and thus this breakfast pudding was born. If you love brownie batter but never dare to eat more than a spoonful or two because you don't want to make yourself sick, then this healthified version is a dream come true.  I made this pudding again today for my breakfast and topped it with some Grape-Nuts I had coated in tahini and brown rice syrup; it is also great with some extra sunflower seed butter swirled in.  For my kids' lunch today, I mixed the pudding with some yogurt and extra banana.  There were no complaints.
 

2/3 cup cooked black beans (rinsed and drained, if from a can)
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter
1/3 cup non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp. raisins
1/2 small, ripe banana
1 scoop stevia powder (1/32 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla or coconut extract
1/2 scoop vegan protein powder (optional)

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Top with granola and/or bananas, or swirl in some yogurt or sunflower seed butter. I love that it is filling, delicious, and has no refined sugars.

This post is linked to Breakfast Ideas Monday, Allergy-Friendly Friday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Your Green Resource, Wellness Weekend and Fit and Fabulous Fridays.   

 We forgot our camera on our trip, but, right before we left, Anthony took a picture of our Joy School graduate. Meanwhile, Abiline is studying bubble-blowing.

Veggie-ful Chickpea-Black Bean "Omelette"

This recipe was inspired by Ricki Heller's soy-free breakfast scramble and by the need to have a lunch on the table pronto when we get home from church on Sunday. You see, in my family we get what my sister calls "hangry"; we just don't deal well with life on an empty stomach.  Unfortunately, my children have inherited this emotional loss of control in the face of hunger.  So when we get home from church a little after noon, and I find that there is nothing resembling a meal in the fridge, making some protein-packed chocolate chocolate chip pancakes and this "chomelette," as my husband calls it, has saved me for the past few weeks from the my kids' fearsome hanger tantrums. Plus, my husband says it is "awesome." Quick, easy, AND delicious, as well as egg, dairy, soy, and nut free: this is a great go-to recipe for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

1 Tbsp. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup black bean flour (I prefer it with the black bean flour, but I also like it with all chickpea flour, as pictured above.)
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
Scant teaspoon of salt (a bit more than 3/4 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chile powder
1 cup plain non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1/4 cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed (optional, if no corn allergy--I just left this out of Sawyer's portion.)
1/2 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
To top: extra barbecue sauce, salsa--or leftover miracle rice sauce is great as well!

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder. Add the non-dairy milk, tahini, and barbecue sauce and mix to form a wet batter.  Twirl your pan about to make sure that the oil is evenly distributed, and then pour the batter evenly into the preheated pan. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it around the entire area of the pan.  Evenly distribute the pumpkin seeds, corn, spinach, tomato, and avocado over the "omelette" and let it cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on the bottom. With a spatula, quickly flip it over to the other side and cook the other side for about the same amount of time. Cut it into wedges and serve with your favorite sauce.

As you can see, the kids are much cuter with food in their tummies; no hangry faces here!

This recipe is linked to Fit and Fabulous Friday, Breakfast Ideas Monday, My Meatless Mondays,  Just Another Meatless Monday,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, and Wellness Weekend.     

Watermelon-Avocado Cooler

I have a horrible record when it comes to picking out watermelon. My dad gets it right almost every time. What is my problem? I think it has been years since I picked one that was spot-on delicious. Usually my watermelons are flavorless and/or mushy. So, what do we do after investing at least $5 in yet another watermelon disappointment?  I either choke down the whole thing myself, figuring I should pay the price for my own error, or I freeze chunks for smoothies. Yesterday I didn't have time to freeze the chunks of the latest bland watermelon purchase, so I blended them up with some ice and avocado.  Watermelon coolers like this are hardly my invention, but I thought the avocado was a nice, creamy twist and wanted to share it with any of you who, like me, need new ways to enjoy the inevitable insipid watermelon of the season. Cheers!

4 cups fresh watermelon chunks
1 medium avocado
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 cups ice
1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar, to taste

Blend everything until smooth and frosty. This makes 2-3 servings.

These are great after a hot day playing at the park!

This post is linked to Fit and Fabulous Fridays ,Breakfast Idea Mondays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays and Wellness Weekend.  

Chocolate Blackberry Buckwheat Cereal Crunch (Plus Pancakes!)

Yesterday was a Mothers' Day to remember. I was deep asleep, when Abiline woke up an hour earlier than usual (7 rather than 8) and chanted my name for 45 mins., refusing to go back to sleep. Then Sawyer woke up early, and there was no ignoring the unwelcome wake-up call any longer. At least we got to church almost on time because we started getting ready early—no thanks to me spilling Sawyer's juice all over my purse as soon as we got the kids in the stroller to head out. The highlight of the morning was coming down the stairs and seeing the beautiful picture of our family that Anthony drew me for my gift.

I taught the lesson in Relief Society at church today, and I am so grateful it went well. Abiline made me a beautiful necklace in Nursery, and in Primary Sawyer made me a paper-cut out vase with flowers on it saying that he is thankful I'm his mommy. Those hand-made gifts really are so precious to a mommy. Sawyer went up with the primary kids to sing the Mother's Day song during Sacrament meeting, but I had to stay with him, and he refused to sing because, he said, “I'm just not used to it yet, Mom.”  Pretty insightful. Then things went down hill when I walked the kids home from church by myself while Anthony went to a meeting, and Abiline decided to throw her biggest tantrum yet when we got home. I'm sure it was because she was “hangry,” but I couldn't get her to eat. After about a half an hour of her screaming, I thought I was going to lose my mind. Finally, I got her to take a bite and she started calming down right when Anthony came in the door. At least she let me take a nap for half an hour after lunch before waking up and serenading me with “Baaaaaby BaWOOOga!”

 We had a relaxed afternoon playing in the dirt at the middle school behind our house. Abiline did an awesome job on her dinner, scarfing down her lasagna. I was so close to getting her to bed on time; she was eating her “bababums” (vitamins) while I read her story, and all of a sudden she was choking on one. When we got it dislodged from her throat, her whole dinner came out along with the offending vitamin fragment. I am of course grateful beyond words that the vitamin came up and all was well, but it is always a bummer when a good dinner gets puked up. All in all, a Mother's Day to remember.  My favorite part of the day: Sawyer  coming up to me and saying, “Mommy, I think I am falling in love with you.”  I hope I never forget that moment.  I hope I can remember it next time not so pleasant words come out of his mouth.

As for my Mother's Day breakfast in bed--well, I am the type who makes her own Mother's Day breakfast and is perfectly happy with that because then I get to eat exactly what I want.  I made this chocolate blackberry buckwheat cereal on Saturday, and on Sunday I used some of it to make double chocolate blackberry pancakes.  As you can see, both desserts, I mean breakfasts, got Abiline's seal of approval.

 

For the Chocolate Blackberry Buckwheat Cereal:

2 1/2 cups raw buckwheat groats, or 1 1/4 c. buckwheat and 1 1/4 c. rolled oats

1 cup frozen blackberries

2 Tbsp. chocolate chips

1/4 c. cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spread the buckwheat (and oats, if using) on a cookie sheet and toast for 10 mins, stir, then toast for 10 mins. more. (Buckwheat alone will make for a much crunchier cereal. I make it with oatmeal sometimes to soften up the texture for my 22 month old daughter.)

2. While the buckwheat is toasting, microwave the blackberries and chocolate chips for about a minute, to defrost the berries and melt the chocolate chips. Add the berries and chocolate to your food processor, and add the cocoa powder, agave, and orange extract.  Buzz until berries are pureed and everything is well combined.

3. Remove the buckwheat from the oven and pour into a medium mixing bowl. Pour the chocolate blackberry mixture over the buckwheat and stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Let cool completely before eating. Be sure to store the cereal in the fridge.        

For the Double-Chocolate Blackberry Pancakes:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed

2 Tbsp. grapeseed or coconut oil 

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. buckwheat flour, oat flour, or 1/3 c. of each

1/3 c. cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate blackberry buckwheat cereal

1/3 c. chocolate chips, ground or whole

1/3 c. frozen blackberries, plus extra for garnish 

1. Preheat your pancake griddle at 325 or heat a frying pan over medium heat. Be sure to oil the griddle/ pan if it's not really non-stick.  In a food processor, puree the quinoa, milk, blackberries, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients from the food processor.  Stir until evenly combined and moistened.  Fold in the buckwheat cereal, chocolate chips, and frozen blackberries.

3. Pour the batter by 1/4 cup-fulls onto your heated cook surface and fry 2-3 minutes per side.  I loved them topped with extra berries and bananas; no syrup needed!

 This recipe is linked to Breakfast Ideas Mondays , My Meatless Mondays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Kids in the Kitchen and Wellness Weekend.

 

Peaches and Cream Sweet Potato Pudding and Waffles

 A few years ago, Anthony bought me a waffle-maker for Christmas.  The funny thing is, I actually don't like waffles that much--he does. But whoever those waffles were for, the sad thing was that no matter what I did, every waffle I made stuck to that iron. We had a number of meals in which we had plates piled high with waffle bits, with not a single whole waffle to be found among the rubble.  After a while, we just tossed that waffle-maker; no amount of waffle bits were worth the misery of the clean-up that thing required.

Anthony was disappointed, but I did not feel the loss too acutely until at age two Sawyer discovered that he loved Whole Foods' frozen mini waffles. At almost $3 a box, his mini-waffle obsession sent me on a new waffle-maker quest.  If any of you have been searching for a waffle iron lately, you may have noticed, like I did, that there is no waffle maker out there that doesn't have a bunch of negative reviews complaining, "No matter what I do, the waffles stick!"  Well, I didn't want another useless appliance, so I gave up.  Fast-forward to last Christmas when my sister gave me a Circus Animal Waffler that makes Belgian-style waffles.  And then my mother-in-law gave me another one that makes the waffles with the little holes!  These wafflers doesn't have stellar reviews online, and I don't know why because they have been great for us: the waffles don't stick, and the kids love the shapes.  I make a batch of waffles every week with our waffle-makers, store them in the freezer, and save a bundle of money over store-bought frozen waffles.  Plus I can make so many different kinds!

Until recently, I have been nervous about making up my own waffle recipe--afraid that if I strayed from the tried and true ones, the waffles would stick to the iron.  But I finally got brave enough a few nights ago and made the first batch of waffles that I--the waffle skeptic--love. They were born from this awesome peaches and cream sweet potato pudding that we were eating as a side to a baked barley casserole.  You could also use the batter to make great pancakes, I'm sure, if you don't have a waffle-maker. I recommend that you enjoy the sweet potatoes as a dinner side dish, and then make the waffles (or pancakes) the next day with extra peaches and cream sweet potatoes on top. Yum!  As an added bonus, these recipes are a great way to get extra fruits and vegetables into your kids.

For the Peaches and Cream Sweet Potato Pudding:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 generous cup frozen peaches, thawed
1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt (I used homemade.)
1 Tbsp. soy-free Earth Balance or coconut oil
1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup or agave nectar

1. To prep. the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 400. Scrub the potatoes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them in the pre-heated oven for about an hour, until very, very soft. When you put the sweet potatoes in the oven, put your frozen peaches in a bowl on the counter to thaw.

2. Let the  sweet potatoes cool. Then peel off the skins and put the flesh into your food processor work bowl. Add the thawed  peaches, yogurt, coconut oil, and 1 Tbsp. of sweetener and blend until smooth. Taste and add additional syrup if desired. You can eat this warm or cold, as a side dish, breakfast, or just for snack!
 
For the waffle/pancake batter:
3/4 cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup of peaches and cream sweet potato pudding
1/2 cup frozen peaches, thawed
1 cup barley flour (I'm sure you could sub. whole wheat pastry, spelt flour, or a GF mix.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. coconut sugar
1 -1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil

1. To make the waffles, preheat your waffle iron or skillet.  In your food processor, blend the pumpkin seeds and oatmeal until ground. Pour into a large mixing bowl and mix in the barley flour, salt, baking powder, and coconut sugar.
2. Clean out your food processor work bowl and puree the peaches. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the sweet potato pudding, peaches, oil, and 1 cup of milk. Stir just until combined. You want the batter to be thick, but easily spreadable on your waffle iron. If necessary, add additional milk.
3. Cook according to your waffle maker instructions, or fry up as pancakes in your skillet. These didn't even need butter and syrup on top; I just ate them straight out of hand.


Here is Sawyer having a grand time drawing some sort of monster--probably the Backson from Winnie the Pooh. He loves to draw, just like Daddy. 

This post is linked to Breakfast Ideas Mondays,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays , Whole Foods Wednesdays,  Happy lil ❤'s are baking and Wellness Weekend.