PoohanPiglet Pancakes

"Ive been finding things in the Forest," said Tigger importantly. "I've found a pooh and a piglet and an eeyore, but I can't find any breakfast." -- The House at Pooh Corner.

That first morning in the forest, O, will tell you, Tigger tried honey, thistle, and finally settled on extract of malt being his favorite thing to eat. We'll spare you Tigger's experience and side with Pooh, who likes honey best.

We have been practically living in the 100 Acer Woods lately as we cannot wait to dive under the covers at night read A. A. Milne's classics. Here's a pancake tribute to one of our family's all-time favorite books and one of the sweetest friendship ever- Pooh & Piglet.

PoohanPiglet Pancakes with Honey-fruity syrup
adapted from "The Pooh Cook Book" by Virginia Ellison
serves 4

Ingredients

1+ c oat flour (we added extra flour because we like thick pancakes)
1 t baking soda 

1⁄2 t sea salt
1T local honey
1 c sour cream or milk or half of each
2 local eggs
2 T butter
1⁄2c wild blueberries

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Whisk honey, sour cream, milk, and eggs until smooth. Add the melted butter.

Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth.

Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the batter onto a hot greased griddle. Bubbles should appear in less than a minute. When the pancake bubbles all over, flip it over & brown the underside. Serve with extra blueberries and honey-fruity syrup.

Honey-fruity Syrup

1/2 c honey

1 banana

1/2 t cinnamon

Mash a banana and place in a small pot. Cover with honey. Sprinkle cinnamon. Heat on low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We think even Tigger would like these!

Images from piglet pic and  tigger pic.

Tropics Meet MV (gluten-free)

THANKS TO THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE FOR TWEETING OUR LAST BLOG POST!

Speaking of Rainforests, coconuts are getting some pretty awesome press lately. The benefits of coconut water, oil, milk, sugar, flakes and flour seem as endless as its forms.

During our recent trip to a family reunion in Hopetown, Bahamas, we hunted and gathered the almighty coconut with a local friend . . .

Now that we're back in the snow, let's all jump aboard the coconut train by frying up these coconut- amaranth flapjacks. We could practically feel the tropical sunshine as the sweet smell of coconut filled our kitchen.

.

Tropics Meet MV (gluten-free)

adapted from Green Kitchen Stories
serves 4-6
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3 bananas
1 c coconut milk
1 c cooked amaranth or kañiwa
1 c unsweetened coconut flakes
2 T pure maple syrup

1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t cinnamon
a pinch of cardamom
coconut oil

amaranth on left

Mash the bananas and mix in a bowl together with all the other ingredients.

Fry the pancakes on both sides in coconut oil on medium heat. They cooked slowly. Handle with care: they have a tendency to fall apart.

So, what is up with the amaranth and where does "MV" (Martha's Vineyard) come in?

Amaranth is an ancient grain. And, like coconut, its health benefits seem infinite. For starters, it's high in protein, lowers cholesterol, contains lysine, calcium, antioxidants and so much more,
We discovered amaranth last fall during "mommy & me" workshops at The Farm Institute and soon began adding it to our morning porridge and baked goods. O is photographed here picking his own at Ghost Island Farm.
Amaranth is available in dried form near the farro, quinoa, barley, etc. at most grocery stores.

Never thought I'd see the world through pancakes, but this mother-son blogging journey keeps getting more and more fun!

"Snowy Morning" Coconut-White Chocolate Pancakes

We are embracing this snowy February morning by adding tasty white ingredients to our flapjacks: unsweetened coconut, raw milk and white chocolate chips.

Drizzled with maple syrup, these pancakes warmed us right up. They may taste like coconut cake but still pack nutritional value.*

"Snowy Morning" Coconut-White Chocolate Pancakes
serves 4

2 T flaxseeds
3/4 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 t sea salt
1 T sugar (coconut, Rapadura or date recommended)
1 1/2+ cups milk*
1 farm egg
3 T butter, melted
1/2 cup (or less) white chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut



In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds, flours, baking powder, salt, sugar and coconut. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; stir gently.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Drop in white chocolate chips. Flip when bubbling throughout and cook another minute or two. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and toasted coconut.

*Even though our ground is frozen, we are still enjoying a local ingredient-of-the-week: RAW MILK! Ours is from the The Grey Barn. Besides the fact that raw milk is delicious, here are some reasons why we love it so much . . .

According to Rebecca Brown, Biological Farming Consultant, and founder of Safe Space Institute,"raw milk is a complete, immune-boosting, health-promoting food that has built-in safety mechanisms and much more nutrition than pasteurized milk. Fresh milk also offers greater economic return for many farmers."

Real Milk also makes the following selling points:
"Raw milk is the ONLY food that has extensive built-in safety mechanisms and numerous components to create a healthy immune system.

BENEFITS IN EARLY HUMAN STUDIES: In early studies involving humans, raw milk was shown to be superior to pasteurized in protecting against infection, diarrhea, rickets, tooth decay and TB; and children receiving had better growth than those receiving pasteurized milk (Real Milk Powerpoint, slides 54-56, 58).

THE MILK CURE: In the early 1900s, the Mayo Clinic administered the “Milk Cure,” which consisted in drinking 4-5 quarts of raw milk per day, obtaining favorable results for a range of illnesses including cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems and chronic fatigue; these results are not obtained using pasteurized milk.

photo courtesy of  The Grey Barn

DANGERS OF PASTEURIZED MILK: Many studies have linked consumption of pasteurized milk with lactose intolerance, allergies, asthma, frequent ear infections, gastro-Intestinal problems, diabetes, auto-Immune disease, attention deficit disorder and constipation. During a period of rapid population growth, the market for fluid pasteurized milk has declined at 1% per year for the past 20 years. Fewer and fewer consumers can tolerate pasteurized (and ultrapasteurized) milk (Don’t Drink Your Milk, Frank Oski, MD, 1983).
POSITIVE TESTIMONIALS: Hundreds of testimonials involving reversal of failure to thrive in infants; allergies, asthma and behavior problems in children; and digestive disorders, arthritis, osteoporosis and even cancer in adults (Testimonials, Michigan-Raw Milk Health Testimonials-PDF)."

Have you discovered yet how delicious hot chocolate tastes when made with local, raw milk??

A Green Valentine's Day: Strawberry Chocolate Pancakes

It's always in the back of our minds. Sustainable living. A cause we all want to support.

But how to spread eco-love over Valentine's Day when the ground is frozen and a blizzard of imported roses and neon pink candies surround us?!

Relax, friends, the answer to many questions . . . lies in a warm pancake breakfast!



Our festive Strawberry Chocolate pancakes will delight singletons, couples and families, alike. And, Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, Tea and Coffee help make this pancake recipe one to really feel good about.

A bowl of Dole pineapple (also Rainforest Alliance Certified) is the perfect snack while you flip.




Bonus Points! We also managed to score these local berries through our farm share.

IGI Greenhouse

Strawberry plants



                                                                                                                  photo courtsey of IGI

A Green Valentine's Day
Strawberry Chocolate Pancakes
serves 4
1 c whole wheat pastry flour (or your fave flour)
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T coconut sugar (or your fave sugar)
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
½ t sea salt
2 c chopped strawberries
2 c buttermilk
1 egg
3 t melted, unsalted butter
oil or butter for cooking



In a large bowl, sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chopped berries, buttermilk, egg and butter. Combine with dry ingredients and stir gently.
Preheat griddle over medium. Grease with oil or butter and pour 1/4 cup serving. Cook until bubbling (about 3 minutes); then, flip. Cook for another minute or 2. Wrap stack with foil and cover with clean dish towel while you finish the process.
Serve with pure maple syrup, butter, and fresh berries. The pancakes are perfection but if you really looove chocolate, add some extra cocoa powder to the mix or shaved Rainforest Alliance Certified Chocolate on top.




Aren't you feeling all 'green and cozy' by now?
Enjoy every bite your flapjacks- remember no two are like! O shared this realization with me this very morning.



Happy Valentine's Day from Mount Driveway!

Sweet-Beet Valentine's Day Pancakes

Happy Valentine-making! 

Here's a treat for you and your sweethearts  . . .

Sweet-Beet Valentine's Day Pancakes

adapted from Super Healthy Kids

serves 4

Start with a few beets.

Wrap beets in foil. Cook at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until fork tender. 

Let cool and peel off skins & stems. Cut into chunks.

Add a splash of water and puree beets in food processor or blender.

Measure 1/3 cup pureed beets. (Leftovers can be used in the cake recipe below or eaten at dinner.)

Add to wet ingredients in your standby pancake mix (suggested recipe below but store mixes also work!).

Our Standby Pancake Mix
serves 4

3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 c spelt flour
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 t sea salt
1 1/4 c whole milk
1 farm egg
3 T melted Kerrygold butter
1 T pure maple syrup
1 t pure vanilla

Mix first 4 (dry) ingredients in medium bowl. Mix remaining ingredients with beet puree in separate medium bowl. Combine ingredients and stir gently. Preheat griddle, pour pancakes, flip and EAT!

These Sweet-beet pancakes turned out so delicious, we're finally inpsired to try this cake recipe from our much-loved Green Market Baking Book! We promise you can't taste the beets!

Saaaa-weet! Squash Pancakes

Sliding over ice patches to collect our winter farm share has been fun!
We'll spare you the celery green pancakes, though. Instead, we've roasted a local squash that's been chillin' in our basement.

The boys were ccccrrrraaazzzyyyy for these flapjacks. Roasted butternut squash is already second to candy- see what happens when we add a little butter & syrup . . .

Saaaa-weet! Squash Pancakes
adapted from The Roasted Root
serves 4

Ingredients
2/3 c roasted butternut squash, mashed (great use of leftovers!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/4 c unsweetened milk of choice
2 t pure maple syrup
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 c flour of choice (we used 1/2 oat flour)
1 t baking powder
¼ t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t allspice


"Make room for me!"

For serving:
Plain yogurt
Chopped walnuts

pure maple syrup
butter

Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butternut squash, egg, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract (wet ingredients).
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice (dry ingredients).
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and gently stir to combine until any lumps are out.
Heat a large skillet over medium with enough oil to coat the surface.
Pour a scant 1/4 cup of pancake batter on the hot skillet and cook about 2 minutes, until the sides have firmed up and air bubbles rise to the surface. Flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve pancakes with yogurt, maple syrup, chopped nuts, and/or butter.

Just think of what's possible when you start the day with a stack of
Saaaa-weet Squash flapjacks . . .

Christmas Morning French Toast

Fall on Martha's Vineyard has really grown on us.

Our indoor farmer's market is partially to blame. 

There's a crackling fire, live music, hot soup and these fresh baguettes . . . 

Perfect timing. O had just decided he wanted to mix things up by blogging French Toast. Here's a recipe that would be great on any holiday morning. We found these sweet, juicy local apples on the way home so we tossed them in, too.



Christmas Morning French Toast
serves 6
adapted from The Pioneer Woman (she has great step-by-step photos but ours is healthier & better portioned)

FOR THE FRENCH TOAST:
1/2 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
4 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1/3 c honey/sugar/maple syrup
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 T flaxseeds (optional)
we added 1 1/2 chunked, unpeeled apples



FOR THE TOPPING:
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
pinch sea salt
pinch nutmeg (optional)
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan. (Great job for a child!)



In a medium sized bowl mix together eggs, milk, sugar, flaxseeds, vanilla & apples (if using). Pour evenly over the bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours or overnight.



In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and cut them into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebble- cover and refrigerate.

The next morning . . .  roll out of bed and preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture. You choose whether to go back to bed or brew coffee.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Big hit! It's on the Make-Again list!