Whole Grain Pumpkin Flax Pancakes

I made a large batch and saved a bunch for later. Here's what I did to make about 32-33 5-inch pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk


• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour


• 1 2/3 cups almond flour


• 3 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt


• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


• 1 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1 teaspoon allspice


• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten


• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I use sucanat)


• 2 tbsp. coconut oil (olive oil is okay too but not quite as nutrient-dense)


• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract


• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I made my own by following the directions listed as part of this recipe)


• 1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (use the coffee grinder)


• 1/4 cup whole flaxseeds

Preparation:

• Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.


• Whisk whole wheat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl.


• Stir eggs, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin puree into the oat mixture.


• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix gently until just moistened. Fold in ground flaxseed and whole flaxseed.


• Cook as pancakes or waffles. Works equally well with both.


• Top with coconut oil and real maple syrup for a tasty finish! Almond butter seems like it would also be delicious.

Salsa Recipe

It's about that time.... Time to make the first batch of SALSA this year. And this year I get to eat it! Last year, I had all these awesome tomatoes that were transformed into yummy salsa. I spent quite a few hours making it. I burned my hands on the peppers because I forgot to get rubber gloves every time I went to the store. I chopped and chopped, boiled, chopped some more, stirred, poured... and then STARED at the salsa... SO wanting to eat it but realizing that Claire would literally revolt if I did. Considering the fact that it would be unfair to my newborn to indulge, I tasted just one bite per batch, and that was it. Well, this year will not be the same! I will likely eat it by the jar-full! Okay, that's extreme. That would also be punishment of a different kind. The point is that I'm excited about this batch of salsa. I think the tomatoes are perfectly ripe, and it's going to be AWESOME!

For those of you who'd like to try to make it also, it's actually fairly easy. I started with the "Chunky Salsa" recipe from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book and adapted it as I saw fit. It makes about 5 or 6 pints of salsa.

Here's what you need:

• 7 pounds ripe tomatoes (20 medium--or any grouping that comes to the equivalent). Some folks say Romas are the way to go. I found last year that it didn't matter what kind of tomatoes they were as long as they were homegrown and ripe from the garden.
• 10 fresh Anaheim or poblano chile peppers, seeded and chopped (abt. 3 cups) I use Anaheim peppers, mostly green with hints of red. I only seed about half of them... partly because I don't want to take the time and partly because the seeds help add spice and flavor, so I don't want to throw them out.
• 3 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped. I only seed about half of these peppers as well. If you like your salsa extra-spicy, you can substitute serrano peppers for jalapenos.
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped. I did actually seed this well, because it was easy and fast.
• 1 cup chopped white or yellow onions (1 large)
• 2 cups chopped green onions (the whole onion except the tips and end of the bulb)--I found that the green onions from my garden were really lots better than the onions from the store
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 of a 6 oz. can (1/3 cup) tomato paste [I use organic tomato paste]
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)--I went for fairly large cloves, so if you have only small ones, add more than 5
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Rubber gloves for chopping those peppers... they really will burn your skin off

Now here's what you do:

• Seed, core, and coarsely chop tomatoes. I actually wasn't too concerned about the seeding part. I did get the tough core out, and I scraped away the seeds that were easy to reach, but I didn't have time to worry about all of them, and it worked out just fine. You'll have about 14 cups of tomatoes.
• Place tomatoes in a large colander. Let drain 30 minutes.
• Dump drained tomatoes into a large heavy stainless-steel stock pot or cast iron kettle. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add all peppers, onions, cilantro, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Return mixture to boiling. Then reduce heat.
• Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Can or freeze as necessary... if you have any that lasts that long! FYI--This salsa does not last as long in the refrigerator as store-bought salsa... because there are no preservatives.

Now, what are YOUR favorite recipes for garden-fresh tomatoes?

Hummus Recipe

I had some requests for the hummus recipe I use. I don't technically use a recipe and kind of change up each batch just a little bit for variety, but this is the general idea of what I do to make 11 cups of hummus:

Ingredients...

1. 32 oz. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2. 1-2 cups lemon or lime juice (divided)
3. 1 cup olive oil (divided)
4. 4-5 peeled and sliced garlic cloves
5. Seasoning Options: sea salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder, cilantro, chipotle chile pepper, or anything else you like

Night Before...

1. Sort (pick out anything from the bag of beans that isn't a bean--I don't usually find anything) and rinse 32 oz. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
2. Dump the beans in a large stockpot and add water until the beans are covered by 1-2 inches of water.
3. Bring the mix to a boil.
4. As soon as the water has boiled, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it soak overnight.

Cooking...

1. Drain the beans and cover with fresh water two inches above top of beans.
2. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beans are starting to soften up a bit (though not squishy), adding water as necessary to keep beans covered. You'll notice the skins peeling off the beans. I pick some of these out as they float to the top, but don't waste time trying to get them all out.

Blending and Seasoning (repeat these steps until you've used up all your beans)...

1. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans into your blender until the blender is half full (to about the 24 oz marker).
2. Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup lemon juice
3. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil
4. Add 1 peeled and sliced/grated garlic clove
5. Ladle out cooking water from the stock pot and add to the blender until it comes almost to the height of the beans in the blender.
6. Blend on highest setting until smooth, adding cooking water in small amounts to keep the blender from burning up and to thin the beans. If you get it too thin, just add more beans from the pot. You'll get the hang of it after a couple tries.
7. Transfer the contents of the blender into a mixing bowl and add seasonings to taste. The great thing is that you can make up five or six different varieties with one pot of beans. The following are some sample combinations I like (these are all estimates, because I just kind of throw things in):

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt; 2 tsp. McCormick's Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt; 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile pepper; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 1/2 tsp. garlic powder; 1 or 2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

You can freeze hummus in glass or plastic containers or Ziploc freezer bags. To use after freezing, just defrost in the fridge and dig in when it's not frozen anymore. Easy enough.

Let me know if you have any improvements or if you find any great seasoning combos!

The Pot Pie Recipe

Here it is!

Ingredients:
14 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup water, and another 1/3 cup water
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups quartered medium mushrooms (I don't use these)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 refrigerated unbaked piecrusts (for 9-inch pie)
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (If you use a glass or dark metal pie pan, may need to decrease heat to 400 degrees)

2. Combine broth, 4 oz. water, carrots and potatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms (optional) and onion; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth mixture and peas.

4. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup water into the flour until smooth. Then whisk it into vegetable mixture. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil.

5. Grease pie pan and line it with one of the pie crusts.

6. Stir chicken into the vegetable mix. Then transfer it all into the baking dish. Just heap it all in there. It doesn't need to lay flat.

7. Lay the second pie crust over the top. The edges of the top crust should overlap the lower crust. Tuck it around the top of the bottom crust (inside the pan) and pinch it around the edges... so that it creates a seal around the filling.

8. Cut some fun or pretty shape out of the top using a knife or cookie cutter.

9. Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

*You may want to add salt and pepper, but I tend to just allow each person to doctor his/her own food.

I don't have the photo on this computer, but if you want to see what it's supposed to look like, click here.

(FYI--I got the basic idea from a sample recipe my grandma gave me from Easy to Bake, Easy to Make and made several changes.)

Happy Faces and Homemade Goodness

What a day! This morning I was able to go to Panera for ALMOST TWO HOURS BY MYSELF! I ate a whole grain bagel and read my Bible the entire time. Well, I didn't eat the bagel the entire time, but I did read my Bible the entire time. I popped my earplugs in and was able to focus really well. I finished 1 Kings. I just joined up with a couple other moms for a Thursday morning kid swap, so I was able to take Ladan to a friend's house. Since Gabe was sick, Chet stayed home with him. Normally Chet comes home from his morning class and goes straight to bed, so this was a really big treat for me that I thought wasn't going to be possible because Gabe is sick. Yippee!!!!

When I got home, Ladan asked if he could have a piece of candy from our church Reformation Party. He picked a blue Starburst, and this is what it did to his mouth...

It was great! He thought it was hilarious! His blue mouth made his face happy for quite a few minutes. I'd say that there was enough dye in that one piece of candy to color enough icing for an entire cake.

Once the boys were in bed for their naps, I did a few things around the house. For dinner, I made a chicken pot pie... with a happy face cut out of the top (forget the boring scalloped circle recommended in the recipe)! It only takes about an hour to make this, and it's really good. It's also huge, so it lends itself well to leftovers. And apparently you can assemble it, wrap it well, and freeze it for future baking. I'll post the recipe in another entry just in case you're interested in trying it out.

Once I got dinner cleaned up, I started making some pumpkin bread out of that friendly pumpkin we brought home from the pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago. Although it took a while from start to finish, it was very easy and included long chunks of time to do other things. If you'd like to see the recipe, click here. I turned our pumpkin into one loaf of pumpkin bread and three cups of pumpkin puree that are in the freezer waiting to be turned into three loaves of bread sometime in the future!

As if all that wasn't enough homemade goodness for the day, I decided to attempt to make the ear infection drops suggested in a FABULOUS book I reference all the time--Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Infants & Children. (I just realized that there is actually an adult version of this book when I went to copy the link. I'm going to add it to my Amazon wish list immediately! I've been using the kid version even for myself, and it's been great, but this will most certainly be even better for we old folks.)

Anyway, back to the ear infection and drops. I can't be sure if Gabe has an ear infection. I haven't taken him to the doctor, because even if I take him, all they'll do is give him an antibiotic. All I know is that he sure has been crabby for almost a week, has hardly eaten, and today he started pulling on his ears. He's got a pretty wet cough, so I wouldn't be surprised at all by an ear infection.

I know there are varying opinions on antibiotics for this type of thing, but in short, I don't like them much and will avoid them if at all possible. I talked to a nurse who works at Children's Hospital in St. Louis once, and she told me that they don't even administer antibiotics there unless there is danger of death. She was shocked when I told her that so many of our friends' kids are continually put on antibiotics for ear infections. Sure, ear infections are painful and irritating, but there has to be a better way in most of these cases to help kids get through it that doesn't diminish their resistance to future infection. Well, I think I found at least one helpful solution today!

In Smart Medicine, they suggest making some simple ear drops. You put about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a small pot on the stove. Then peel a fresh garlic clove and cut it into about three or four pieces (the book doesn't say you have to cut it, but I did so the garlic would get out into the oil faster). I heated the oil and garlic on medium for about 5 minutes, removed it from the heat, and let it cool until it was still a bit warmer than body temperature but not too hot. You then suck up a bit of the oil in a medicine dropper, lay your kid on his/her side, and drop one or two drops into their ear canal.

We did this in both of Gabe's ears, and while he absolutely hated the process of being held down, after about 10 or 15 minutes, he was up and running around like himself and had a great time until he went to bed an hour and a half later! Apparently, garlic has antibacterial properties and works to heal ear (and other) infections. And the warm oil mixed with the garlic helps to relieve pressure and pain. It was awesome! We'll definitely be doing this once or twice a day until this thing is gone completely.

So I sent him to bed with a bit of Olbas Oil on his shirt, the humidifier on normal setting, and a HAPPY FACE on the front of his head for the first time in almost a week! Praise the Lord!

Chet even had a happy face before he left for work. He was able to write half a paper in the chunk of time after dinner until he left. Great work! He's still got a TON to do between now and next Monday, but he's on a roll!

Oh, and I made some hummus from scratch earlier this week, which turned out to be 1/4 of the cost of buying it in the store. I'm on fire! Too bad I don't have a photo of my happy face tonight!