Whole
Spelt,
Lemon,
Ricotta Pancakes
and
I can’t even explain how excited I am to announce… I have
finally purchased a REAL camera! Please bear with me through
the process of figuring out how to use it. I have never even
operated a professional camera so this is a learning
experience for me all around. I can honestly say this is the
first picture I have ever taken with a real camera and while
it isn’t perfect, it is much better then the iPad photos I
have been using! I’m really excited to continue growing my
photography and feedback is much appreciated.
On to the pancakes… my husband actually had a dream that
someone from his past was baby-wearing and making lemon
ricotta pancakes at the same time. Seriously, I couldn’t make
this up if I tried! Sunday morning I woke up refreshed because
somehow I managed to sleep 12 hours after a really long day.
It was glorious! Making up for lost sleep usually equates to a
big breakfast here, and he mentioned the dream pancakes so I
looked around the web but couldn’t find a whole grain version.
I found this recipe on Cooking Classy and adapted it to a
whole grain version using whole wheat pastry flour and whole
spelt. I also made them a second time with whole wheat pastry
flour and oat flour, and I have to say I liked the spelt
better! I made a few other revisions to their recipe and they
turned out fabulous! They are super light, fluffy, and have
just a touch of lemon.
*I cook these in a cast iron skillet with about a tablespoon
of melted ghee. The key to the perfect pancakes in cast iron
is heating it correctly. Put the ghee or butter in your
skillet when you begin mixing your ingredients. Keep it on low
and let it get nice and warm. I turn it up to just under
medium when I begin cooking the pancakes. Low and slow is the
way to go! If your skillet is seasoned nicely you should not
have to add any more ghee to your pan after the first
tablespoon.
Unprocessed Lasagna Helper
Once upon a time I went to the grocery store and came home
with a LIVING basil plant by accident. I don’t do plants
because I live in an apartment with 3 kids and a husband and
well… boys love dirt! I’ve tried and tried to love on a plant
in my very own home but it never really seems to pan out the
way I was hoping.
Like the time my mother in law sent me a plant when my middle
son was born. I had such high hopes, I brought him home from
the hospital with the new baby and he was like a new member of
the family. We took him outside, we gave him a great home,
and he even moved all by itself! Planty was his name and I
have many fond memories of him brightening my day with his
wonderful natural presence.
Then one fateful day my baby grew into a toddler and started
tearing up my house. Little ol’ Planty never even saw the big
bad toddler coming. All of a sudden Planty was flipped upside
down all over the carpet, his dirt everywhere.
“What should we do with him?” I asked my husband, who kindly
suggested Planty be banished to the porch forever. As the days
grew shorter and the nights colder, Planty began to shrivel
like a poor ol’ fellow and one day…. I knew it was his time.
The plant I tried so hard to love on, was gone forever, his
leaves shriveled and yellow. RIP Planty!
Now, what is a mom of 3 boys to do with a basil plant that
will inevitably be ruined by one of them? For now Basil Man is
sitting in a mason jar on a window sill, unharmed by any
children. Here is sweet Basil Man now sitting pretty as a food
prop! Isn’t he beautiful!
Speaking of basil, nothing puts a smile on my face like the
smell of fresh basil. Why buy something in a box and miss out
on such a wonderful smell and taste? With this recipe you will
never have to miss that perfect fresh basil smell again. Just
like my Unprocessed Hamburger Helper recipe, this is the all
REAL ingredient version of a processed classic that contains
nothing but awful ingredients.
Speaking of ingredients it is time for me to go all ingredient
freak on you because this is important stuff, right? OF
COURSE! The boxed version of this includes partially
hydrogenated oils (trans fats), MSG, monoglycerides (potential
hidden trans fats), GMO cornstarch, hydrolyzed soy protein,
artificial colors, and a few other questionable ingredient.
For reals General Mills? Like are you trying to kill people or
are you trying to kill people?
Thankfully, we never have to turn to General Mills again for
this delicious dinner. It is SO SIMPLE and easy to make
yourself and the ingredients are quite obvious. Cheese,
buttermilk, basil, tomato, salt, spices, VIOLA! This is made
just like the old classic…. brown the beef, add the other
stuff (except the basil), bring to a boil, let simmer, enjoy
the goodness.
Unprocessed Hamburger Helper
See that? Yeah, right there. Real ingredients. Yep, it is
totally do-able and totally easy to make Homemade Hamburger
Helper with real ingredients and spare yourself some trans
fat, MSG, and chemical laden food dyes. Not to mention a bunch
of GMO’s and stuff that you can’t even pronounce. Why were we
ever eating that crap again?
Can you imagine all this time, Betty Crocker has been pulling
the wool over our little ol’ eyes and making us believe this
stuff is actually food? Yeah, those days are over. The power
of the internet has come to bite Betty in the butt, that is,
if Betty Crocker were even a real person!
Just like all the fake food items with the name Betty Crocker
on them in the grocery stores today, the name itself is fake
as well. True facts here people, the Betty Crocker you’ve been
imagining in your head for all these years is actually a
nobody. *Moment of silence for all the Betty lovers*
General Mills is actually behind the name Betty Crocker, and
ohhhhh aren’t they just the sneakiest little devils. Making
people think for all these years that if you wanted to be a
good at home cook you should buy their crappy food-like items
and feed them to your family. All the while, Betty isn’t even
a person and if she were you know she wouldn’t be eating that
crap because the Betty in my mind is a smart Betty!
My Betty wears a cute apron and is smiling to great everyone
at the door of her perfect home. Her children are well
behaved, her house is immaculate, and her husband is a real
hunk. She spends her time doing charity events, helping underprivileged children, and she was even a Girl Scout Leader when
her perfect daughter was a Brownie. Sound like anyone you
know? Of course not!
Now that the Betty Crocker is fake cat is out of the bag let’s
move on to discuss just how many disgusting ingredients
General Mills has managed to stuff into one box:
Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat)
MSG and Yeast Extract
Refined Grains
Fake food dyes
Caramel Coloring
Malodextrin
Added sugar
Sulfiting agents
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
A ton of sodiums that have weird names
I guess the ingredients speak for themselves. No, just no, is
all I have to say about that. I know, you know, we all know
this is garbage and nobody should be eating it, so why does it
have to taste so good??
The tasty goodness does not have to die like the Betty Crocker
we just put to rest. No, no! I will not let that happen! Fear
not, your fat days can now be complete with your very own
Hamburger Helper made with… wait for it… REAL STUFF. Real
stuff including milk, cheese, water, spices, whole wheat
noodles, and salt. Yes, that is it. Put your pantry staples
together and you have one of the creamiest meals your kids
will be begging for (just like I used to beg for that boxed
crap) every week.
Throw some cheese on that……
Vanilla-Almond
Pancakes
Freezer
If your mornings are super busy making breakfast ahead,
freezing it, and getting it out as needed is a great idea.
These pancakes are loaded with nutrients and oats, which will
give you lasting energy. I love knowing when I send my school
aged son off to school that he won’t be super hungry before
lunch time! If you don’t want to freeze this recipe I
recommend cutting it in half.
Another reason to make your own pancakes to freeze instead of
buying the store bought version are the ingredients. Here are
the ingredients from Kellog’s Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes:
The Red Flags
Soybean oil: Highly refined, unhealthy fats, GMO,
never a good option!
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Highly refined, GMO, will
likely give a spike of energy, and a crash!
Enrichment: The fact that they are enriching these means
they are not using a whole flour that still has natural
nutrients in tact. If you are consuming whole, unrefined
grains there is no need for enrichment. Our bodies are
also more efficient at processing naturally occuring
nutrients so that is always the best way to go.
Overall, the ingredient list is just in my opinion inferior.
They use the worst ingredients in each category, then go back
and enrich it. I know I don’t want to start my day with
unhealthy fats, gmo’s, and HFCS! Also, if you are thinking of
going the boxed mix route, some of those are even worse! Check
out this post for the reasons why.
*To freeze simply place in ziplock bags and store in freezer.