Sunday, February 22, 2015

Grain free pancakes (and grain free "flour" mix)- recipe

Grain Free Pancakes

"flour mix"
1 cup chia seeds
2 cups almond (or other nut) meal
3 cups ground flax meal
1 1/2 cups date sugar (or other dried sweetener)

Pancakes
Dry:
1 1/2 cups flour mix
1 cup tapioca starch/sweet potato starch 50/50 mix (any starch should work)
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Wet:
3 eggs, whisked smooth
1 cup milk

Directions:
Mix wet into dry.  Stir well.  Let sit a couple minutes.

Heat skillet with plenty of oil/butter/fat.  Once hot, pour in mix by about 1/2 cup at a time.  Turn heat to medium high (these take longer to cook than regular pancakes and will burn faster, so lower heat for longer time does the trick).

Once bubbles break through the pancake, it is time to turn them.  Flip them and cook another minute or two.

Pour in a bit more oil and do the next batch.

I had mine with some butter and honey.  Tasted delicious.  My son, who is not grain-free, also was willing to eat them and said "not too bad mom".  :)

Saturday, February 21, 2015

When you are broken...

When you are broken, you can choose to hide the flaws through masks of makeup or layers of clothing or pounds of extra weight.

When you are broken, you can choose to withdraw from your life, protecting the injury from any additional trauma... hiding so that nothing increases the pain.

When you are broken, you can choose to accept that form and shape may have changed, that work will be required in the present and the future, and then practice the art of Kintsugi.

Sometimes it is important to know that things can be stronger at the mended places than ever they were when surfaces were unmarred and the illusion of perfection existed.


Grain-Free Chicken Nuggets

Homemade chicken nuggets. 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken chunked into bite sized cubes. Soak those in 3 eggs blended smooth with 5 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1 teaspoon salt...puree until foamy and smooth. Dump over chicken. Marinate two hours or more. 

Dump in 3-4 cups bread crumbs - I use my grain free bread (recipe located here) pulsed in blender until consistency of Panko crumbs.

Stir until all coated. Turn out onto a greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until crispy and baked through.


Monday, February 16, 2015

Casserole - beans, taters, chicken, cheese - super easy

Delicious one dish meal -
4 cups baked potatoes (peeled, chunked),
1 cup shredded cooked chicken,
4 ounces mozzarella cheese - cut into small bits
4 ounces mild cheddar cheese - cut into small bits,
1 can (1 1/2 cups) beans (drained of any broth) - any type will do, but I used black beans/kidney beans/pinto beans mixed.

Mix all a glass casserole dish (cake pan sized).  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.



Sunday, February 8, 2015

Books on how to make and do things - homesteading, food preservation, yarn crafts

Here are some of the books on how to make and do things that I am currently reading.  If you have read them, what do you think?

Home Crafts

The Weekend Homesteader

The Ultimate Guide to Homesteading

The Homesteading Handbook: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More (The Handbook Series)

he Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual of Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills

Canning:
Canning and Preserving for Beginners: The Essential Canning Recipes and Canning Supplies Guide

Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food (Back to Basics Cooking)


Yarn Crafts
A to Z of Crochet: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet

How to Crochet: The Definitive Crochet Course, Complete With Step-By-Step Techniques, Stitch Libraries, and Projects for Your Home and Family

Getting Started Crochet (Getting Started series)

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting


I will let you know what I think of each of them when I have completed reading each set.

Do you have any other suggestions?