Pancakes for Chaz

This boy is so clever. He wants everything to resemble dessert, pizza, or hot dogs. He is very particular about his food and is willful enough to not eat anything until it's just right. I'm convinced he would starve to death and wail right through to the end that it has to have chocolate chips or he will not, not, not eat it! Before we realized exactly what we were working with (he is currently operating with a diagnosis that may soon include Asperger's), we used to insist that Chaz eat what we were eating or go whine elsewhere, as it is very rude and ungrateful to balk at food that someone worked hard to prepare. Now we take a different approach. We let Chaz know what the options are and how he might be able to modify them to better suit his tastes. He has choices, but not free reign over meals. It works, most of the time. This morning I offered French toast or pancakes. He asked for waffles. Very funny. So we compromised with pancakes, "the kind with tiny chocolate chips." I've mentioned in other posts that I am a fan of Enjoy Life brand chips. They're gluten-, dairy-, soy-, and nut-free. I happened to be out of eggs this morning, so it's a good thing he didn't ask for French Toast! Oops. They came out nicely, anyhow! See? They're like little chocolate chip cookies, which is great during the summer when most of us avoid turning on the oven.

I like this recipe because I've modified it with a little cocoa powder and maple syrup in the batter to make chocolate pancakes. I've even added fruit pulp from the time I made homemade soda (not much of a success, but I'll keep trying!) for a little vitamin and fiber addition. Here is the basic recipe, with the optional little additions I made for Chaz. (He's not a fan of soggy bread, so I put some sweetener in there. Added bonus: molasses is a good source of iron! Great for my picky guy.)

Sprouted Flour Pancakes

1 cup sprouted whole wheat (or spelt) flour
2 tsp baking powder (I use aluminum free, they get a bit fluffier.)
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
1 cup milk (we use raw dairy in everything, today I had buttermilk on hand)
2 Tbs applesauce (or 1 egg, I was out and egg day isn't until Monday! If you use an egg, you will need some melted butter or coconut oil.)
Coconut oil for skillet
Optional:
1 Tbs blackstrap molasses
handful of chocolate chips or blueberries (sister likes blueberries)

Whisk together dry ingredients, add all wet (and optional ingredients), whisk until just combined. Heat skillet on low and melt 1 Tbs coconut oil. Drop batter into skillet to make little cakes about 4" in diameter. (You could probably use an ice cream scoop, but I just use a spoon.) Allow to cook on one side until bubbles form and edges are dry. Flip pancakes; they are finished when both sides are golden brown.


These are mine, instead of chocolate chips I put in a Tbs of raw cacao in about a cup of basic batter and topped with homemade ricotta and strawberry syrup. Yum!

Good Morning My Lovelies!

Don't you just love that moment when you are exactly one mile into your run (and one mile away from home) when you realize you have horrendous pain in your feet because you should have replaced those running shoes about a hundred miles ago? Well, I love it even more when that moment is compounded by a sudden and simultaneous radio app crash which causes me to slow down and get lapped by someone at least ten years my senior. Let's not mention the fact that I was wheezing like I had never run before in my life. Embarrassing. Honestly, I'm content with a twelve-minute mile. I'd prefer ten, but I can be satisfied with twelve. This was not a twelve-minute-mile kind of day.

Enough of my whining. You really want to know what I'm eating, don't you? I mean, active people have to eat, right?! Who am I kidding? I eat when I'm not active. I just enjoy the process of creativity and actually sitting still and enjoying the moment while I savor my food. Needless to say, I often eat after my children. Ha! Anyhow, on the menu for breakfast today is one of my personal favorites: steak, eggs, and toast. (I will post my favorite sourdough recipe when the weather permits. For now, we've been enjoying Charlie's Best Bread.) The best part of the meal, for me, is the coffee. I was recently introduced to cold brewed coffee and find that I tolerate it much better than traditional brewed. The acid content is much lower and the caffeine seems to be a bit lower, as well. I simply pour 2 Tbs. coffee grounds per cup of coffee, which is about how I brew regular coffee. I blame my dad for this practice. He got me started on truck stop coffee when I was 8. I'm 99% sure it was (mostly) decaf back then, but when you're taking a little girl fishing that early in the morning, you have to get her moving with a donut or pancakes and coffee. A little cream and sugar didn't hurt. Nowadays, I prefer my cream raw or of the coconut variety, and my sugar comes in the form of pure maple syrup. Add a little ice and you're good to go! When I'm feeling really special, I whisk some raw cacao into my maple syrup before adding to the coffee. It blends better, in my opinion. Oh, and when I'm feeling extra special, I make coffee ice cubes and have a blended drink with whipped raw or coconut cream on top. (See coconut whipped cream instructions below.) I'm feeling pretty average today, especially after that run. I did happen to notice Mom's amazing gluten-free cookies on the counter. I also might have mentioned to my son that these were healthy enough for breakfast (just in the summer!). Hmm...

As tasty as that looks, I'm hungry. Time to make some steak and eggs! 

Here is how to make whipped coconut cream:
If you don't have a can of coconut cream, you can put a can of coconut milk in the fridge. The cream will firm up on the top and the liquid can be poured off and used in smoothies or curry soup. Add maple syrup to taste and then whip with your hand blender or a whisk (if you have that kind of endurance, rock on!) until fluffy and holds its shape. Enjoy!