Chocolate Pancakes

Pancakes are a hot commodity in our home. As in, "eat it while its hot before Darius does!" That boy is a pancake destroyer! With pancakes being on our regular breakfast menu I find myself reinventing the wheel a bit, simply to shake up the mundane. We have a wide variety of recipes now ranging from pumpkin, coconut, vanilla, and now chocolate. If you reach for the big blue bag of pancake mix at grocery stores you may reconsider when you see how easy and super inexpensive! it is to make your own from scratch; homemade pancakes taste about a bagillion times better! Oh, and did I mention that you can make these in your free time [or just a double batch at breakfast,] freeze them, and then have toaster pancakes another day? Pure laziness genius at its best!

 

Chocolate Pancakes

and original recipe by me!

1/3 c. unprocessed cocoa powder

1/2 c. hemp protein powder

1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats

2 c. fresh ground whole wheat flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp vanilla

1/3 c. naturally creamed honey

2tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 c. coconut milk [in a carton, not a can]

1 c. water

Mix all of the ingredients together it's really that simple! while heating up a pancake griddle [I heat mine to about 300-350*F]. Once griddle is hot, and ingredients are combined, use 1/4c scoop to ladle batter onto the grill. Cook until bubbles start to form on surface [about three minutes,] then flip pancakes and cook for an additional one to two minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

I like to enjoy my pancakes with natural peanut butter [meaning, when you look at the ingredients list all it says is 'peanuts'], hemp hearts, and a touch of 100% pure maple syrup with apple slices on the side. Sooo good!

 



Smile, and a Laugh, and a Hug for You!

My Aunt Heather is a bold, happy, wonderful woman. No matter what challenges she is facing in her life, or the battles you may be waging, she always brings a smile and makes others smile too. Being one of the oldest grand kids on my Dad's side, I have known Heather since before she married my Uncle Rich. I remember travelling home from Grandpa and Grandma's house one weekend, the three of us arriving late to the ferry terminal and having to sleep in the car until the next departure. I remember wearing a horrendous peach dress to their wedding, a wedding in which Heather wore a equally horrendous puffy sleeved white dress [am I dating you a bit too much? ha ha] I also remember a very sad day when I arrived home from the hospital having miscarried at 16 weeks pregnant, and there waiting for me were flowers from my Aunt Heather telling me she loves me, cares for me, and is always there to talk. Aunt Heather is thoughtful, kind, and tender. And today is Aunt Heather's birthday! Because she is always doing for others [right now she is half way through school to become a Nurse, raising five kids sixteen and younger, a loving wife, and so much more!] Darius and I decided it was time to venture into the kitchen and create a recipe in her Honor. We came up with something that is perfectly Heather - sweet, nurturing, and so good you'll crave more! Since we live fourteen hours apart she'll need to whip up a batch to try them [sorry Heather!] but trust me, it will be well worth her, and your, time! Happy Birthday Aunt Heather - may this be a year of dreams coming true!

Heather's Chocolate Cupcake-y Muffins

1 heaping cup zucchini, finely grated
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 banana mashed [mash until there are no chunks so you don't get any banana bites in the finished product]
1 1/4c cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Mix the wet ingredients in your stand mixer, or in a bowl with a spatula. Once thoroughly incorporated, mix in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until there are no lumps. Then pour in the nuts and chocolate and stir to combine. Pour mix by the 1/4 cup full into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350*F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let stand on cooling racks until completely cool before enjoying as they need to set up or they'll be very soft and gooey.

Happy Birthday Aunt Heather! Enjoy!

Morning Glory

Around our home, there is one request that I receive more than," can you make some cookies today?" As we snuggle in bed, I ask Darius what he'd like for breakfast, and almost every morning his reply is,"um, how bout some pancakes?" Said so sweetly, and with such a hopeful smile, I have a hard time refusing the request. And so, more often than not, I make pancakes, and everyone is happy - including me because I know these pancakes are healthy for my little men! I shun away from packaged goods, and that includes when it comes to making breakfast for my kiddos. Which is the reason why I developed a pancake recipe that incorporates vegetables, natural plant proteins, and health fats. Make a batch of these for your family, and you can relax when they ask for a little syrup [as long as it's 100% pure maple syrup that is.]

Pumpkin Pancakes

an original recipe created by me!

 2 c. almond milk
1/2 c. water
1 c. pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 c. stone ground whole wheat flour
1 c. raw frozen cashews [not salted]
1/4 c. chia seeds
1/4 c. hemp hearts
3 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat your pancake grill to 300*F. Put the cashews in a blender, and blend until a fine powder [having the cashews frozen ensures that they turn into a powder when blended, instead of turning into cashew butter.] Next, in a stand mixer, add all the ingredients, including the ground cashews, and blend together. Remember to use a spatula to clear off the sides of the bowl a few times while blending. Once all the ingredients are nicely blended, use a 1/4c. measuring cup and scoop batter onto the hot pancake grill. Make your pancakes nice and round, and remember to flatten them with the back of your spatula when you flip them so that they are not too thick [this will ensure that they cook all the way through.] Watch your pancakes so you know when to flip them, but I find that 3-5 minutes is the magic number per side. Yield approximately 18 pancakes

Once your pancakes are off the grill enjoy them with 100% maple syrup as my little Darius does, or with cut up fresh fruit on them as I do [I also love them with natural peanut butter spread on top of them!] If you have left overs [as we do every time I make them] freeze them for a quick toaster breakfast in mornings to come!

Enjoy!

Black and Green

Burgers have been a big part of my little families diet for... well a long time. As we've made the transition to a plant based diet, our lack of burgers has been the hardest part on my boys (harder than switching up our milk, cutting out yogurt - everything.) So, when I made these burgers, I served them with much trepidation. To my shock - and extremely pleasure - my boys love these! Darius told me they're the best burgers he's ever had, and my amazing Husband proudly told my brother that they were in fact veggie burgers, and not made of meat. If you're ready to dive into a burger that will lower your cholesterol - instead of the very popular alternative - give these a whirl. Oh, and don't be scared of the green color - when they're baked, they turn brown!

Blackbean and Greens Burger 

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

5 cups chopped greens (such as kale, swisschard, spinach)

1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

2 cloves fresh pressed garlic

1 can black beans (19 oz), drained, rinsed and shaken dry (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup old fashioned oats 

3 tsp parsley

3 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In frying pan, toast sunflower seeds over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes; transfer to food processor.

2.In same frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil medium heat; saute greens, chopped onion, garlic and salt and pepper to season, stirring occasionally, until greens are bright and soft, about 5 minutes. Add to food processor.

3. Combine. Mix in oats and parsley. Add more oats if mixture looks too wet. Form mixture into patties. Cover burgers with plastic wrap and cool in fridge for at least 30 minutes*.

4.Preheat oven to 350°F. Place burgers on a lightly greased sheet pan (or use a non-stick baking pad) and bake 15 minutes. Flip burgers and bake another 10 minutes until firm and lightly crispy.

5.Top burger with garnishes and serve on toasted buns.

* letting the burgers set in the fridge is EXTREMELY important. The longer the burgers set, the better they'll hold together.

 

We ate these burgers with cabbage salad, guacamole, grainy mustard, sprouts, and spinach. So delicious! Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking of these...they'll definitely be on the menu for next week!

 

Have you tried out a new recipe lately?

Summer Stew

On long car rides we sing songs. Top of our lungs, way off key, and full of joy! One of these songs is "Purple Stew." I was shocked to find out that this song is not in everyones repertoires, so if you are unfamiliar with it please YouTube it - it's entertaining and really easy to memorize. Anyways, I decided to try my hand at making a real purple stew, thinking Sweet Darius would think it was funny. He didn't. In fact he was afraid to even try it. Fail. However, everyone else tried it, loved it, and ate it all up. The idea comes from my Mother In Law, which in and of itself should tell you its worth trying. Ready?

 Purple Summer Stew


Ingredients


lots of garden fresh veggies (I used potatoes, carrots, green beans, onions, and zucchini)
black bean flour
water
salt and pepper to taste


Chop all the vegetables into chunks. Place in a stock pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let cook on a low boil for about twenty minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Shake black bean flour and water in a shaker cup until blended, then add to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


Even if the picture doesn't entice you (I admit, it doesn't look as appealing in photo) give this stew a chance - it is completely delicious and absolutely nutritious!    

Have you ever been inspired to try something based on a song or story? I often find myself thinking through a recipe based on children's songs...maybe it's all the children's songs I sing ha!