Whole Wheat Pancakes

What you'll need:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
1 cup AP flour
2 cups milk (I used 1% milk)
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS oil
2 TBS flax meal

Mix everything together and let sit for 3-4 minutes.  In the meantime, warm up your griddle.  Pour 1/2 cup of batter to make medium sized pancakes.  Makes 8 pancakes.

Each pancake has:

173 calories
3.3 gm fat
3 gm cholesterol
30 gm carbohydrates
3 gm dietary fiber
7 gm sugar
6 gm protein

A very healthy pancake :=)

Making your own homemade yogurt

This has to be one of the easiest things to make.  Took me awhile to figure out how easy it was and now I'll never go back to buying store bought yogurt.  There are many benefits to homemade yogurt.  The most important being that there are only 2 ingredients.  Store bought versions have a lot of gums and preservatives to give them a longer shelf life.

So how do you make homemade yogurt?  You'll need:

4 cups milk (preferably organic).  You can use whole or low fat milk.
1 tsp yogurt from previous batch (or store bought yogurt for 1st time)

Boil the milk.  Let it cool down to about 110 degrees F.  I usually just set the kitchen timer for about 25 minutes after the milk has boiled.  After it reaches 110 degrees F, transfer the milk to a glass container in which you will store the yogurt.  Add the 1 tsp of yogurt and mix well.  Then put the container in a warm place to incubate for about 7 hours.  Make sure your yogurt has set after 7 hours and then put in the fridge.  Easy breezy :=)

If your yogurt did not set, it could just need more incubation time.  Let it sit for another 2-3 hrs and check again.  If it still did not set, then it could be that your starter yogurt was not fresh and live.  The starter yogurt must have live cultures in it for it to work.  Hope this works out for you.

Organic Living

Over the last 30-40 years, the use of pesticides has gone up exponentially.  There are over 80,000 different pesticides used today.  These chemicals are causing havoc in our bodies and our environment.  They contain neurotoxins, excitotoxins and xeno-estrogens to name a few.  We don't want to be ingesting these chemicals into our bodies.  Best way to avoid them, of course, is to make sure you eat organic foods.  It's expensive....I know. Luckily, there is a list of the top "dirty" foods that you should always buy organic and a list of the top "clean" foods that you can get away with by buying conventionally.  

Dirty Dozen List (always buy organic)


1.  All berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc)
2. Apples
3. Peaches
4. All green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, chard, etc.)
5. Bell peppers
6. Cherries
7. Potatoes
8. Imported grapes
9. Pears
10. Nectarines
11. Celery
12. Zucchini and Cucumber


12 Least contaminated: (can buy conventionally)


1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Pineapples
4. Mango
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas (frozen)
7. Kiwi
8. Bananas
9. Cabbage
10. Broccoli
11. Papaya
12. Melons

Now we come to dairy.  You should only consume Organic dairy products which are hormone, steroid, antibiotic and pesticide free.  Furthermore, for organic milk, make sure you do not purchase the ultra-pasteurized type or UHT. Ultra-pasteurization completely destroys the integrity of the proteins in milk.  Why do companies make these type of milk?  Simple....longer shelf-life!  It is a completely dead product devoid of any nutrients.  And it's full of toxic chemicals.  Yuck!   Standard pasteurization destroys some of the enzymes but not enough to completely change the protein structure in milk.  So look for standard pasteurized milk at your local health food stores and be healthier :=)

Alternative Grains

Below is a list of grains that are gluten-free and make excellent alternatives to the typical wheat flours.


Amaranth- This ancient grain comes from the Aztecs. It is gluten free, extremely high in protein and iron, and is higher in nutrients than most other grains. It has a slightly distinctive taste, but can be substituted for flour in some recipes, and is often used in crackers and flatbreads.

Barley- Rich in potassium, sulfur, and phosphorus, barley contains very little gluten. It is great in soups, and the flour is nice for muffins, pancakes, etc. It also helps to stimulate the liver and lymphatic system, and helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

Buckwheat- Technically not a grain, this has a strong flavor and is usually used in small amounts in pancakes, or as Kasha in Eastern European foods. It is helpful for strong capillaries, healthy blood, and contains lots of vitamin E, calcium and the B vitamins. I also like to sprout it to make some amazing raw granola and treat bars. Gluten free.

Kamut- Although this grain is closely related to wheat, it is well tolerated by most people. It is very high in minerals and protein, and nutritionally superior to wheat. It makes excellent bread, pasta, and can be substituted for wheat in many recipes quite easily.

Millet- Some may use it as birdseed (literally!), but I consider it a champion of grains, as millet has the most complete protein of any grain except for quinoa and amaranth (but it is cheaper and easier to find!). Prized by the Hunza people, who were extraordinarily healthy, as well as by the Chinese. It is very alkaline, which helps to maintain a healthy pH balance in our body, and it is also gluten free. It is good for hot cereals, and the flour can be used in many recipes as well (though it must usually be used in combination with other flours). Also makes a great rice substitute.

Oats- Helps to stabilize blood sugar and sluggish thyroid glands. The protein is easily assimilated, and they are high in calcium, iodine, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E and many others. Excellent as a cereal, but also for pancakes, cookies, even a filler in meatloaf!

Quinoa (kee-no-ah)- This is my husband's favorite grain to eat with dinner. Nutty tasting, soft and so fast to cook, this grain makes a great rice substitute and is lovely in stews, soups, casseroles, etc. It is well tolerated by most with grain allergies, and is gluten free. Very good source of protein, B vitamins, iron and fiber.

Rye- This strong tasting grain also does well for those with allergies, though it does have some gluten. It is usually used in combination with other flours, and often in incredibly delicious breads (mmm, rye sourdough...). Very high in lysine, an important amino acid.

Spelt- This is my standard wheat alternative, and is actually related to wheat. It is an ancient grain, containing high fiber, protein and all 8 essential amino acids, as well as B vitamins. It substitutes 1:1 for wheat, and is very easy to use, with a pleasant and subtle taste.

Teff- Actually a grass, from Ethiopia. The seed is very small (smaller than millet or quinoa), and is commonly used to make flatbreads. It is gluten free, and has very high amounts of protein, calcium, iron and fiber.

How to get started with this step:

The best way is to just choose a grain that sounds interesting to you, add it to your grocery list (the more rare grains may have to be purchased from a health food store, or occasionally online depending where you live), and then try out one of these recipes below, or find one of you own!

Once you've successfully tried one and found a few ways to incorporate it into your diet, consider adding another in the same manner. I make a goal of serving my family as many different grains per week as possible, 3-4 at the very minimum. This helps us to get a wider range of nutrients, and not over-consume any one grain, plus we just love the variety!

Grain cooking chart

GRAIN	WATER (lightly salted)	COOKING TIME	YIELD
(1 cup dry)	(cups)	(minutes)	(cups)
Amaranth	2	25-30	2-21/2
Barley, whole/hulled	3	90	31/2-4
Barley, pearled	3	45	31/2-4
Buckwheat groats	2	15	2-21/2
Corn grits	3	20	31/2-4
Kamut	3	120	23/4
Millet	21/2	25	31/2-4
Oats, whole	3	60	3
Oats, rolled (oatmeal)	2	15	11/2-2
Quinoa	2	20	3-31/2
RICE:
Arborio*	21/2	30	2-21/2
Basmati, brown	2	45	31/2
Basmati, white	13/4	15	31/2
Brown, short-,
medium-, long-grain	2	45	21/2-3
Sushi	2	45	2
Sweet	11/2	45	2
Spelt	3	90-120	21/2
WHEAT:
Whole berries	3	90-120	21/2
Bulgur	2	15	21/2
Couscous	2	1	21/2-3

* Arborio rice must be stirred continually during cooking.

Whole Wheat Naan

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup warm water (divided)

1 tbs sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbs oil

2 tsp yeast

½ cup milk

2 tbs yogurt

Chopped oniion, mint, jalapeno, etc.  Any toppings you like.

Take ½ cup warm water and put yeast and sugar into it and keep aside for yeast to bloom for 5-10 mns.

Warm oven to 170 degrees for 10 minutes and then turn off.  Make sure to turn off.  :=)

In the meantime, mix everything else together.  After yeast has bloomed, then add yeast mixture to flour mixture.  Then use the rest of ½ cup water making sure to use only as much as needed to make soft dough.  Do not add too much or dough will be too soggy.

Rub a little oil around dough.  Keep dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap and keep in warmed oven for 1-1 1/2 hours for dough to rise.  It will double in bulk.

Take dough out of oven and turn oven to 550 degrees.

Punch dough down and make small golf ball sized balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap again and let rest for another 1/2 hour on counter top. It will again rise a little. After this time, roll out dough to make round or oval shapes. Add your toppings at this time and use rolling pin to push into dough. Place 2-3 at a time on baking sheet and cook in oven set to 550 degrees for 1-2 mns making sure to flip once top has brown spots.

Spread little olive oil on top of finsihed naan and enjoy!


This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law.