Once a Mom Always a Mom!

I woke up early today at 5 a.m. My adult son Chris was coming for a short visit on his way back to the Chicago airport and I wanted to get breakfast started for him.

I started the turkey sausage simmering while I prepared the whole wheat pancake batter. While I know that many folks today are now eating gluten free, we made the decision to continue to eat wheat. We were trained by the CHIPS program (Coronary Heath Improvement Program out of Loma Linda Heath Center in Loma Linda, California). And until there becomes a specific reason for us to eliminate wheat from our diet, we will continue as I believe we need the fiber and the nutrition in our diet. I just make sure we are eating the highest quality wheat we can buy and that is the Bob’s Red Mill brand. This wheat is organic and certified GMO free.

After trying many pancake recipes over the years, I think these are the best whole wheat pancakes I have ever eaten. This recipe uses Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) and I believe that makes all the difference in the overall taste. I use almond milk because Gene is lactose intolerant. I think this recipe is simply delicious, hearty and healthy enough to stick to the ribs, one of our highest requirements for fuel for the day’s work.

Sweet bell peppers what a riot of color!

Our afternoon was spent bringing tender house plants into the house, chopping up and freezing a large bowl of colorful sweet peppers I purchased from our local farm market @3 for $1.00. In the winter months peppers here sell for $2.99  each for green and $3.99 for colored peppers. Every year I freeze many of them and by mid-winter I always run out. I love having them chopped and ready to grab from the freezer to add to soups, omelettes, casseroles and stews.

I finished up the preparations for the potato and ham soup and popped that into the crock pot for our lunch. We ate the soup with my favorite herbal flatbread. This tasty flatbread recipe can be found here: https://smallhousebigskyhomestead.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/cooking-by-the…at-of-my-pants/

The hard floors got a good sweeping this morning as well.

This time I year I often work in the house in the cool of the morning and then work outside int e garden and the yard during the sunny and warmer part of the day.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (that actually taste good) Yield: Serves 2-3 Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. vinegar* (white wine or apple cider)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• Butter for greasing the griddle
• Directions:

1. Combine the milk and vinegar and let the mixture curdle while you mix together the other ingredients.
2. In a big bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and the curdled milk, until it looks fairly homogenous and smooth. Whisk this wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir the two together until just barely mixed. You want any visible loose flour to be stirred in, but there should still be plenty of lumps. If you stir out the lumps, the pancakes will likely be tough.
4. Preheat a nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F and grease the surface with butter. Add small scoops of pancake batter and use the cookie scooper to gently smooth the scoop into a flatter circle. Cook for a few minutes, until you start to see little bubbles forming on the surface. Flip the pancakes with a turner and cook for a few minutes on the other side, until you peek underneath and see that the bottom is golden brown. Serve with butter and real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Notes*You can substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, or you can sub buttermilk for the milk + vinegar if that’s what you have. Recipe adapted from Who Wants

Small House homesteader, Donna