Popeye Pancakes

Zucchini muffins, kale pizzas, pea smoothies . . . it seems like people are adding greens to 

everything these days-  So why not add spinach to our pancakes? 

Popeye Pancakes

a typical batch of your favorite pancake mix (box or scratch)

1/2 c. pureed spinach (3 c. loose spinach)

1/4 c. applesauce

1/4 c. dry oatmeal

Slip the spinach & oats in with your regular batter.

Sizzle.

Savor.

Mid-way through his stack of Popeyes, O staged this photo just for you.

The oatmeal and spinach give these Popeye Pancakes just enough texture. The applesauce makes them moist with a hint of sweetness. If you're unsure of how the spinach will go over, you could add more applesauce than spinach the first time you make these.



Popeye would be proud . . . "It's O-ey the-sailor-man! Toot! Toot!"
(Look for boat pancakes coming this summer!)

We hope you enjoy this Memorial Day weekend as you feel the rush of summer coming in.
To celebrate, we made these healthy, yummy patriotic pops. (Cheaters can use canned coconut milk, but you will miss the awe-inspiring moment of cracking open a Thai coconut, sticking a straw inside and slurping the elixir of life.)

Please join us in saluting our troops over the weekend!

P.S. A BIG thanks to our friend, Jorinda, for sharing this fine family pancake recipe!

Who Needs Flour? Grain-Free Banana Pancakes

So happy to see you, Month of May! 

We are weeks away from making strawberry flapjacks with our very own berries!

Until then, we're sticking with bananas.

If you've ever thought of cutting back on carbs, this grain-free recipe would be a delicious place to start. These naturally sweetened flapjacks are light, moist and satisfying. 

You may not even need syrup!

Who Needs Flour? Grain-Free Banana Pancakes
adapted from Homemade Mommy: Keeping Real Food in a Fake Food World
serves 4
4 eggs
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 c. almond butter (we subbed sunbutter per O's allergy)
4 T your choice milk or kefir
2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
pinch salt
2 t pure vanilla extract
organic coconut oil, butter or olive oil for cooking

Mush up banana and almond butter together thoroughly until smooth consistency. Add eggs and mix. Add milk and the rest of the ingredients.

Your batter should be more liquid-y than usual. If it's too thick, add more milk.
Heat greased griddle and pour in the batter. Pancakes are thin and cook quickly.

Reid, who is always skeptical of me making things too healthy, is looking forward to making this new breakfast treat again! I am scheming to use a version of this recipe but with butternut squash in the fall.


PS We've made some milestones. Over 1,000 blog views and over a dozen recipes. Which have been your favorite pancakes so far?

Make-Mom-Proud Kale Pancakes

It's Mother's Day! 

Eat your greens :)

Make-Mom-Proud Kale Pancakes
Ready? It's an easy one this week.
Choose your favorite pancake recipe or boxed mix.
Add 1/2 c. pureed kale (2 c. loose, stems removed) and 2 mashed bananas.
We also like to add 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract to every batch of pancakes we made. Soaking the mix (without the bananas) overnight makes the kale softer.

A little sweet, a little crunch. You barely notice the kale. A nice change-up. And rich with potassium, Vitamin B6, Manganese, fiber, iron, Vitamin A, calcium, beta carotene and more.

Happy Mother's Day to every mommy-to-be, mommy, grammy, auntie and nanny out there!! Wishing you foot rubs, homemade cards and breakfast in bed.

Here's the card I received from O.

I have many treasured memories of sleepovers at my Grandmother's, although I don't remember 

any pancakes the next morning. 

Breakfasts with Grandma Dottie featured the Entemann's Pop'ems-of-the-season and 

cheese-y scrambled eggs with her own backyard tomatoes. 

The best part?

Leftover New York pizza. Your choice: cold or hot. 

Once my belly was full, we'd walk to the Bellerose Library. Then, read 

books underneath an oak tree in her driveway where we could feel a cool breeze. 

I can still see us girls: sipping our homemade lemonade 

from her sweaty, old-fashioned Coca-Cola glasses.

Grandma Rosie was the sugar-gramma, saying "yes!" to ice cream for breakfast and handing me a $2 bill each time we visited. She was ever smiling, even after a sleepover when I'd kept her up at night like, "a mess of monkeys" in bed. Still sleepy or not, the following morning we'd visit her her neighborhood friends, like Hilda and Billy, sometimes splashing about in their above-ground pools. Moving around "just like gypsies," she'd giggle.  

 And a Very Happy Mother's Day to My Own Mother!

 Here is a tiny poem to thank you for the warm weeknight dinners you prepared after teaching all day.

At 6:00 each night,

as dependable as a church bell,

we'd
fill glasses, say grace, pass salt.

For twenty sacred minutes,
around our oval dining table sat Dad, Kerry, Karyn, Trisha, you & I.
Sharing reports about soccer practices, math tests and band concerts

giggling and griping
devouring lasagnas, chicken divan and beef tacos.

YOU had it all lined up.

Thank you, Mom, for filling our tummies and hearts
each night at 6:00.

Spring's Here! Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

We no longer have to "think spring"- signs of it are everywhere . . . here are some photos from our recent visit to the Grey Barn & Farm.

Did you know asparagus stalks grow about 2 inches a day?

To quote e.e. cummings, "the little calf [horse] is newlY

Born)

These ducks are only 7 weeks old.

Spring's come to our house, too . . .

O has been tending his seedlings which include: radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, rosemary, chives and basil.

Carrots won't be growing until early summer. But, they still are an icon of spring, along with chicks and bunnies. And so, in the deliciously hopeful spirit of springtime, we bring you these  treaty Carrot Cake Pancakes (slightly adapted from the amazing blog: Vegan Richa).

Yes, a few more steps in this recipe than usual, but we think these wholesome, hearty little cakes are well worth it. Shortcuts could include using your favorite boxed mix and making most of the recipe the night before. The ingredient list isn't so exotic- we had almost everything we needed right here and just improvised with the rest, using our go-to plain dairy yogurt, etc.

Spring's Here! Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes with Yogurt Coconut Cream frosting
serves 2+ grown-ups ( makes 4-5 pancakes)

Allergen Information: free of dairy, egg, soy, yeast. can be made gluten-free.
Ingredients:
1 loaded cup chopped carrots or 1 loaded cup shredded/grated carrots
1/4 cup raw walnuts (O's allergic to nuts so we used pumpkin seeds)
1/2 tsp oil (we recommend healthful Grapeseed oil. Trader Joe's carries it.)
1 Tbsp ground raw sugar or any finely ground sweetener
1/4 tsp each of each of cinnamon, ginger, clove powder
a pinch of nutmeg



Pancake Batter:
1 1/4 cup pancake mix (You could use Vegan Richa's multigrain pancake mix or gluten-free pancake mix)
1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger powder
a generous pinch of clove and nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp maple.syrup
1/3 cup almond milk (we used hemp milk)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice


Yogurt Coconut Cream Frosting:
1/4 cup non dairy yogurt (could use vegan cream cheese)
1/3 cup coconut cream (the thick cream that settles on the top of the can after refrigerating for a few hours) or cashew cream
1 Tbsp coconut oil, softened
1/4 cup ground raw sugar or other sweetener of choice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp or more lemon juice
1/2 tsp cider vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar because it was handy)


Method:
Grate the carrots, or pulse in a blender/food processor to a coarse shred. Pulse the walnuts to small pieces. We used our Cuisinart food processor (total 1.25 cups of grated carrots and chopped walnuts).
In a pan, add oil and heat at medium. Add the carrot walnut mixture and roast for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and spices.

 Mix and cook for another 4 minutes. Reserve a Tbsp of the mixture to top the pancakes.


In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients of the pancake mix. Add the spices and mix. Add all the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine. Add more water if needed. Keep the batter thicker than usual so it can hold a lot of carrots.
Add the carrot walnut mixture and mix to combine.
Make 4-5 pancakes. Heat a pan on medium heat. Drizzle a few drops of oil. when the pan is hot, Spread the batter to form same size circles. The batter will be thicker than usual pancake batter, so use a spoon to
shape.

Cook 4-6 minutes each side.

Make the frosting: Combine everything under frosting in a bowl. Taste and adjust sour and sugar. Spread a Tablespoon or more frosting between the pancakes to bring out the sweetness.
Drizzle the frosting on the stacked pancakes or apply evenly with a spatula. Keeps well in fridge overnight.

Sprinkle the roasted carrot walnut mixture on top and serve.

Serve pancakes as is with maple syrup, with this yogurt cream frosting, or your favorite cream cheese frosting.


Yum! Yum! Just two of these kept me full for hours.These would make a great Mother's Day treat. We're thinking next time soaked raisins would be a nice addition. Just be sure to double the recipe or have breakfast fruit/meat on the side if you're feeding 4.

How many signs of spring will you see today?





Bonus-full text of e.e. cumming's poem

the little horse is newlY

Born)he knows nothing,and feels
everything;all around whom is

perfectly a strange
ness(Of sun
light and of fragrance and of

Singing)is ev
erywhere(a welcom
ing dream:is amazing)
a worlD.and in

this world lies:smoothbeautifuL
ly folded;a(brea
thing a gro

Wing)silence,who;
is:somE

oNe.

--e. e. cummings

My Best Friend's Favorite Pancakes

Everything is Oscar, Oscar, Oscar at our house.
Who would you like to share these muffins with?
Who is nice to you at preschool?
Who helps you build in the block area?

It only seems fitting that our Sunday morning is starting with Oscar's favorite pancake recipe. It originated from The Joy of Cooking, but Oscar's mom has incoporated her own healthy touches.


My Best Friend's Favorite Pancakes
serves 4
Mix:
3/4 c oat flour (or your favorite flour. oat flour offers dietary fiber & protein)
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
3 T sugar (we like Rapadura)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder
1 T ground flaxseed meal
a shake of cinnamon and ginger (we used fresh ginger since we had leftovers from last night's dinner party)

Combine with:
2 slightly beaten eggs
3 T melted butter
1-1 1/4 c milk

You know it's Sunday morning when . . .

These are a great go-to pancake. Easy to make and they taste just like a pancake should. Owen comment for today's pancakes is, "they taste fresh and clean."


Here's a shot of Oscar & O in the igloo they made with Reid last winter . . .

Fun Fact! O's dad and Oscar's dad were best friends in elementary school-- sleepovers every Friday night to watch the Dukes of Hazard!

Here's to best friends and tasty pancakes!

Fun with Sourdough

You mean there's bugs in here?

Yes! Meet the invisible world of yeast and bacteria!

I had never baked my own bread before O came along. During his toddlerhood, when he and I had nothing but time, we began experimenting in the kitchen. Before I knew it, a friend of the family (Carol Kenney) offered to teach me about baking with sourdough. Carol first wooed our family by delivering loaf after loaf of flavorful sourdough bread. Her long-lasting, hearty loaves seemed to complement every meal we made- whether it was eggs, soup or pasta. We could not get enough. And, we didn't even realize how healthful it was!

Under Carol's tutelage, we keep learning more about sourdough. This morning, we used "sourdough starter" to make pancakes. If you don't have a "sourdough starter" connection, you can make your own sourdough starter or order a packaged sourdough starter mix.

Sourdough Pancakes
adapted from http://whatscookingamerica.net/
serves 4
1 C sourdough starter, room temperature
1 C whole wheat flour
1 T honey or sugar
1 egg
2 T melted butter or organic coconut oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 C milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 T warm water

The day before, feed the sourdough starter with flour and water. Watch it grow.

Mix Sourdough Starter with all ingredients except baking soda/water.

Using an electric mixer helps since starter can be gloppy/tough. Heat your griddle. Fold in baking soda/water just before cooking.

Our sourdough pancakes were gorgeous tasting-- light and melting in our mouths. 

Why sourdough?
Besides being delicious, sourdough is practically a superfood. Some health benefits of cooking with sourdough include:
-enabling the body to absorb its vital minerals like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.
-a slowed rate at which carbohydrates enter the bloodsteam, helping to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes. note: If you want to dramatically reduce the blood sugar effect of pancakes, you could allow the ingredients (before adding the baking soda) overnight.
-through its fermentation, nutrients like B12 arise.

Much more about on this on our guru-friend, Carol Kenney's website, Pathways For Health.

To learn even more about sourdough, please visit Carol's friend, Ellen Arian's gorgeous new sourdough-instructional blog.

We have also used our sourdough starter to make . . .

Sourdough Blueberry Breakfast Bread

Despite being made with whole wheat flour and date sugar, O 

got confused about the name and kept calling it candy cake!
Who am I to correct him?

Our First-Ever Loaf of Sourdough Bread

Carol says, "No matter how it looks, it always tastes amazing." We agree!

The Light of April Pancakes

Along with some of our favorite birds, the sunlight is returning!

Red-winged Blackbird 

2 Osprey in their nest

rub a dub, dub, dub: 3 Eastern Bluebirds

Incredible avian photography provided by Lanny McDowell

Celebrate the lightness of April with us as we create these simple "Light and Fluffy Pancakes."

The Light of April (Light & Fluffy) Pancakes
adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
serves 3-4
1 C milk
4 eggs, separated
1 C all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
softed butter or neutral oil

Beat milk and egg yolks. Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff but not dry.

Combine dry ingredients and milk-yolk mixture, stirring to blend. Gently fold into the beaten egg whites; they should remain somewhat distinct in the batter.

Preheat griddle and add oil/butter. As you ladle batter onto the griddle, be sure each pancake has some egg whites. Serve, or hold in a 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes.

(custom backdrop created by O)

If you like spongecake, you will love these! If you prefer a richer pancake, maybe we suggest . . . adding melted butter to the batter?

I am trying to learn more about the birds around us. Want to join me? A friend and mentor, Saskia Vanderhoop of Sassafras Nature-based Education suggests taking a free mini bird course at http://birdlanguage.com.