Our favorite fluffy pancakes & whole wheat too!!

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Denise

It’s taken quite a bit of tweaking, but I finally have a fluffy pancake recipe we love!  This particular day the girls wanted blueberries, so I used the Cascadian Farms organic mixed berries we buy at Costco which is a mixture of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

I made these a week ago and am finally getting around to sharing it with you all.  Still prepping for our trip to North Carolina….we leave in 2 days!!  Am I ready yet?  Packed?  Not quite.  But I can’t resist blogging and sharing another recipe. These are pancakes I’ve created….they taste like buttermilk pancakes, fluffy and light….but of course they are made with my freshly ground whole wheat flour!  Are you tired of hearing about that yet? 

Well it will be a reoccuring theme here, because there is absolutely NO nutrtional value in white all-purpose flour!  Zilch!  It is stripped bare of any vitamins and minerals, and to add insult to injury…..they BLEACH it!!  Wah!!!  Crazy,I tell you!  And when eating pancakes made with white flour…I am hungry an hour or two later.  Not so with these whole grain beauties! 

Okay….back to these scrumptious pancakes…..

I make them on my newly acquired electric skillet ….which I LOVE and don’t know how I ever lived without!!  Gone are the days I had to make pancakes using 2-3 skillets and rotating batter in and out.  Now I can make 8 – 10 pancakes in one fell swoop!  By the time I flip them and clean up my mess, it’s time for the second batch and I’m DONE!!  AMAZING invention!  All thanks to my dear mother-in-law…..it was one of my Christmas gifts this last year.  She has an incredible knack for gift giving…..I always get something I never thought I needed.  Then it revolutionizes my life. 

Which reminds me that I still haven’t shared about my 3 amazing birthday gifts….which will all help with my food blogging endeavour!!  Sorry to keep you waiting. 

Back to the pancakes……stacked and ready to be eaten….

 
Denise’s Fluffy Pancakes

Mix by hand:

1 cup flour (freshly ground, organic whole wheat)
1 cup organic oats (freshly ground in my coffee bean grinder to make oat flour)
4 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
2 T sugar (I use honey granules)
1/2 tsp sea salt (if you double recipe, do NOT double the salt)
2 eggs (farm fresh, free range)
1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk (I use 1 cup Cascadian Fresh whole milk plain yogurt, plus 1/2 cup water)

1 stk melted butter (when I’ve tried to cut this back a bit it does affect the recipe)

This made about 16 pancakes.  Because they are whole grain, they are VERY filling!!  I can only eat 2 in one sitting.  Therefore I only double this recipe if I want extra leftovers.  This amount gives my 3 girls and I two mornings of pancakes.  Or one if it is the weekend with daddy home *wink*

For some reason if I double the recipe it seems to affect the outcome.  So if I am making a double batch, I just mix it in two different bowls.  Any thoughts on this?  Does this happen to anyone else?

When mixing, stir until just blended.  Do not overblend pancake or muffin batter as it makes them tough.  Let batter stand about 5 minutes and it thickens up nicely.  This helps with a FLUFFY pancake which as you can tell is important to me!  Do not add water for easy stirring (ask me how I know?) as this will ensure you will NOT have a fluffy pancake, but a runny, flat pancake!! 

I grease my skillet with butter, and I use a ladle to put the perfect amount of batter for each pancake.  I ladle about 3/4 of the ladle full.

If you are adding berries, fold them in at the end.  I usually make this without berries.  We eat this with PURE maple syrup and REAL butter.  SO GOOD!!!  Let me know what you think.  As a new food blogger, I can’t wait to interact with you all….so give me some feedback! You might also like to try these low carb cream cheese pancakes or my sweet potato pancakes.

TIDBIT ~ I just discovered a very easy way to bookmark my recipes for later usage.  Easier than even saving as a favorite.  Most bloggers know of this feature…but for those of you that don’t, check out Delicious.  It has made things SO easy for me.  It’s FREE!  And this way I won’t have to print everything up….just print the recipes that are “keepers.” 

If you enjoyed this post, won’t you consider sharing it with others? Handy share and “Facebook recommend” buttons are below. It really makes my day when you pass things along! To make sure you don’t miss a post or recipe you can either follow Creative Kitchen on Facebook or subscribe by Email in the sidebar. Thanks for reading….I love having company in the kitchen!

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Gingersnaps, Fall and my grain mill

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Denise

Living in Florida we always have to wait a couple extra months for Fall!  A bummer for me since it is my FAVORITE season, but I don’t let that stop me.  I’ve already started baking more, because Fall always invokes those feelings in me. 

A bonus this year is that we are leaving in 5 days to head to the mountains of North Carolina to visit family and vacation!!  I’m very excited that I will get a true “taste” of Fall, and I will be sure to blog my food and travel adventures while I’m away.  I love getting that peek into other bloggers lives, and can’t wait to share mine. 

The past week I’ve been baking a lot with ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  I’ve made 3 different types of muffins, cookies and pancakes.  I have a lot to share with you all, but have been short on time.  Between all my regular going-ons, I have been trying to prep for a trip, think ahead, plan ahead and do the things that need done before I leave, as well as laundry and packing.

Throw in my 3 girls that still need my attention, homeschooling, my hubby and my part-time job….and well, you get the picture!  A lot going on.  I can’t wait to get on the road!  I love to travel, love getting away and will LOVE the COOLER weather.  It rarely drops below 80 before I’m in bed at night. 

A few days ago I made gingersnap cookies.  These are well received (as all cookies are with kids), and I couldn’t wait for the taste.  I adapted them to make them healthier with my freshly ground whole wheat flour and honey granules instead of sugar.  During Christmas I usually make my cookies with all-purpose white flour since it’s a special time of year, and I never wanted to take away from the taste or mess with a good thing. 

Surprisingly I’ve discovered that you can’t tell the difference.  REALLY!!!

I am SO happy that even cookies and brownies taste good with freshly ground flour whole wheat flour.  I really believe it has something to do with it being “freshly ground” and the type of wheat berries I grind which are “soft” and “white wheat” instead of  “red wheat.”  They are still WHOLE WHEAT.

But it tastes nothing like whole wheat I’ve bought in the store.  Though I don’t mind whole wheat flavor, I mill my own grain for the nutritional value it provides to my family! 

I’ll share sometime about the grain mill I use.  I think most people would be surprised at how easy it is to GRIND your own wheat.  In my mind it always conjured up women cranking a big wheel and putting out a lot of effort.  That image is far from the truth.  I simply press a button on a $250 device ~ my much treasured electric grain mill!

And I’m rewarded with organic whole wheat flour packed with vitamins and nutrients!  Which I used to make these cookies…..

Gingersnaps….with a BITE
2 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup softened or melted butter
1 cup honey granules (or substitute with brown sugar)
1 free range egg
1/4 cup molasses
Blend all ingredients.  I use my cobalt blue Kitchen Aid mixer…another of my favorites.  This Christmas present revolutionized my baking!!  Cover and chill 1 hour.  I was in a hurry so I put it in the freezer for 25 minutes which worked well. 
Heat oven to 375.  Shape dough into round walnut-sized balls.  I was able to fit 15 of them on my 10 x 15 baking sheet.  Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.  Cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet, and then lift off gently and finish cooling on wire rack.  Makes 4 dozen cookies. 
I’m happy to answer any questions about my grain mill, where I buy my wheat and things of that nature if anyone is interested.  It really is so easy and my baked goods are so delicious!  I can even feel good giving these cookies to my 20 month old.  She loves them!

If you enjoyed this post, won’t you consider sharing it with others? Handy share and “Facebook recommend” buttons are below. It really makes my day when you pass things along! To make sure you don’t miss a post or recipe you can either follow Creative Kitchen on Facebook or subscribe by Email in the sidebar. Thanks for reading….I love having company in the kitchen!

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Very refreshing!

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Denise

My main beverage of choice is always water.  Cold, filtered water.  Sometimes with ice.  Sometimes room temperature.  But always water.  It is the only thing that quenches my thirst.  On the nights I’m at work, I get incredibly thirsty and feel I can’t drink enough water. 

Just last week I started squeezing lemon wedges in my water.  For some reason this has never appealed to me before.  Now I find it so refreshing and delicious.  And the colder the water, the better!  I find I’m now craving it at home and started doing this……

Yeah…I know, this is nothing new or earth-shattering, but I know it’s good for you.  It refreshes me, and there are so many health benefits to it as well such as aiding in weight loss, controlling high blood pressure, helping with various stomach ailments, glowing skin and many more.
Never thought I’d want to do it though without adding sugar or some type of sweetener, but it doesn’t need it in the least.  Try one!!  Let me know what you think!  I know I’ll be adding lemons to my grocery list from now on. 
Can’t wait to share later about a new kitchen gadget I got for my birthday!  I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but I’m excited to try it out!
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Fish Tacos

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Denise
 

Fish Tacos are one of our favorites around here.  I find them very easy to make,
but they really do taste amazing!!
I use 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.  I use safflower oil.  I make my own taco seasoning….it’s cheaper and healthier.  I use cayenne pepper instead
of the crushed red peppers,
but not a full 1/4 tsp…only a dash.

I love the Mahi Mahi we buy from Costco. It is frozen, but it is wild caught, and comes at a good price ~ 3 lbs for 15.99, vacuum sealed.  It tastes great and not at all fishy.  I am not into “fishy” or strong flavored fish.  This is a very mild fish; a great starter fish. 

After thawing, I cut into small cubes of fish and stir with lemon and lime juices, 1 tablespoon oil and taco seasoning.  It doesn’t have to be fully thawed.  As you cut them into smaller pieces, they thaw faster.

You could marinate this, but I cook it right away and it is VERY flavorful.  Transfer fish into a skillet coated with olive oil. 

These are the ingredients to top your tacos with.  Add anything you think you’d want.  I’ve just recently started using organic baby spinach instead of lettuce.  Healthier and tastes great!  I buy organic corn tortilla shells at Whole Foods.  $2.69 so not much difference in price from the genetically modified ones.  I use minimal cheese.  We like the Mexican rotel instead of salsa.  LOVE the Daisy sour cream, the only ingredient is Grade A cultured cream!!  And I get a good deal at Costco….the whole big tub (3 lbs) is only $3.79!

The end result…..YUM!  This is my plate tonight.

Even our girls like them.  I always thought Fish Tacos sounded strange, but give them a try!  They are not what you’d expect.  And since they don’t taste like fish, it is a great dish for those new to prepearing fish.  They are a lighter, healthier alternative for those wanting something mexican or spicy.  I don’t find the above seasoning recipe too spicy.  I would classify it is “medium.”

Would love to hear what others do with their fish tacos, or let me know what you think if you try them.  One time I added freshly ground whole wheat flour in with the seasonings so that they had a more breaded texture.  They turned out awesome, but more of a “fried” or heavy flavor.  Still tasty!! 
If you liked this recipe consider sharing it with a friend. “Facebook Recommendation” button just below for a handy way to share with others. Thanks!!

Mahimahi on Foodista
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Chai Tea with Nutella

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Denise

Yesterday while drinking my afternoon chai tea I wondered how it would taste with some Nutella mixed in.  It was good, but needed a bit more.  I only used 1/2 tablespoon.  Next time I would use at least a full tablespoon or a bit more.  It melted in really well, but I needed to keep stirring it every so often. 

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