Prudent and Practical

I hate the word diet.  There are multiple phrases that bother me.  ”Are you on a diet?” What diet are you on?” “I need to go on a diet.”  Someone asked me in January, “You look great!  What diet are you on?”  I froze because I wasn’t on a diet.  I wasn’t trying to do anything special.  So I said, “Um, just eating natural foods and fruits and veggies.”  That’s not a diet, it’s a way of life.  Since then, the coupon experiment has been in full swing and I’ve gained 10 pounds.  I’ve been thumbing through Nourishing Traditions again and slowly putting changes back into my life.  I’m ready to start eating well again!

With some things I go all out and jump right in, but food is a different story.  I ease my way into any changes I make with what I eat.  I also start with the fun stuff, aka dessert type foods and drinks.  Ironic, right?  I feel that if a more healthy or nutritious dessert or sweet recipe tastes good and makes me feel happy (and passes D’s approval), then I become brave enough to try the more interesting things.  So I started with pancakes from Nourishing Traditions.

This recipe needs to be started the night before to allow for the soaking of flour.

Author of NT, Sally Fallon, explains that all grains contain phytic acid in their outer layer.  The acid can combine with minerals in the intestinal tract and block their absorbtion, which can lead to mineral deficiencies and bone loss.  Soaking for as little as seven hours allows enzymes to break down and neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.

Pancakes

• 2 cups – ground spelt, kamut, or whole wheat flour.  So far I’ve only tried this recipe with spelt.
• 2 cups – an acidic liquid like buttermilk, kefir, yogurt (or 2 cups filtered water plus 2 tablespoons whey, lemon juice, or vinegar)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Yield is 16-20.  This recipe can successfully be halved.

Soak the flour in the acidic liquid in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

In the morning (or 12-24 hours later), stir in other ingredients and thin if needed with water

Cook on a hot, oiled pan

Easy and delicious! (My pretty pancakes ~ these turned out great, even though I have a tendency to burn things!)

The verdict:

These pancakes are fluffy and delicious.  D and I prefer the taste and texture of these pancakes to the boxed powders.  And although we both enjoy vegan pancakes, I think it’s safe to say we like these more!  We both like strawberries on the side with them.  D tops his with butter and maple syrup while I like mine with cashew butter and just a hint of syrup or honey.  Yum!  Even if the whole idea of soaking has you confused and it looks like a lot of work, it’s not.  And it’s totally worth trying!

Thanks for visiting!  If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages.  If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today!  You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

• Homemaker Monday’s @ 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven
• Mouthwatering Monday’s @ A Southern Fairytale
• Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
• Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered
• DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land
• Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed with Grace
• Tuesday’s at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
• Tackle it Tuesday @ 5 Minutes for Mom
• Works for Me Wednesday @ We Are THAT Family
• What’s Cooking Wednesdays @ Tales from the Fairy Blogmother
• Friday Feasts @ Mom Trends
• Foodie Fridays @ Designs by Gollum
• Food on Fridays @ Ann Kroeker’s blog
• Finer Things Friday @ The Finer Things in Life
• Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade