My mother-in-law gave us a huge bag of zucchini, squash, and cucumbers on Friday.  Guess what was for dinner that night?  Zucchini pancakes.  It is one of my summertime favorites!  Since you’ll probably be enjoying zucchini at some point this summer, especially if you have a garden, this might be a recipe your family will like

Zucchini Pancakes

2 c shredded zucchini

4 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c hard or soft white flour

2T (or more) Sucanat

1/2 tsp salt

3T oil

4 tsp baking powder

Shred zucchini and mix in a large bowl with eggs and vanilla.  Add everything except the baking powder and mix well.  Add baking powder and mix gently.  Batter will be like heavy whipping cream.

Preheat your griddle and use a small measuring cup to dip the batter to your skillet.  When it begins to bubble, it’s time to flip!

Topped with butter and syrup, these make a great breakfast-for-dinner.  These would also be great with some chocolate chips!

This time, I tried my hand at homemade maple syrup.   It was easy to do and is definitely cheaper than real maple syrup.  However, I LOVE maple syrup and it does have good, nutritional qualities to it.  So…I’m not sure yet if we’re switching over  for good.  For now, I have a little less than 32 oz. in my fridge waiting for us to use.

Homemade Maple Syrup

2c organic sucanat

2 c organic cane juice crystals

2 c water

1T maple extract (I used Frontier brand, I didn’t have a question about any ingredients.  I’m a stickler!)

1/2T (2 tsp) vanilla extract

Combine sugars and then water in a medium-size pot.  Stir on medium-high heat to dissolve sugar.  Add extracts and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 10 minutes.

I used it hot for our pancakes and then let it cool in the pot before I put it into a container in the fridge.  My family liked it, but it definitely tastes a little different than real maple syrup.

Did I mention, by the way, the great deal on organic maple syrup that I signed up for?  My second bottle arrives in July, I set the subscribe and save to deliver it every other month.  You might want to look into it if you use it as often as I do in your cooking.

Enjoy your  zucchini!  I’ll be posting my favorite zucchini recipes  throughout the summer, ’cause there’s lots!

Have you been looking for some ways to incorporate quinoa into your diet that your whole family will enjoy?  Today’s feature is a wonderful quinoa breakfast cereal recipe that has been a hit at my house for the past several months.  I don’t know about you, but hot breakfast cereals are a comfort food to me, and I could eat them all year round (and often times, do!).  Quinoa is packed with good nutrients that make this a hearty, nourishing breakfast you’ll feel good about serving your family.

As with most other grains, if you soak the quinoa overnight, it will be easier to digest and rich in enzymes that are released during the soaking process.  The recipe calls for one cup of cooked quinoa, so this is the part you want to soak.  After cooking it in the morning, you will add the remaining ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this quinoa breakfast cereal and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 c cooked quinoa (2/3 c quinoa and 1 1/3 c water with 1 T of yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk to soak overnight)

2 c milk

½ c chopped walnuts

½ c raisins

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

Maple syrup to taste

Directions:

1. Soak quinoa overnight and cook in the morning.
2. Combine milk with quinoa and cook until the liquid has been mostly absorbed.
3. Add remaining ingredients, serve into bowls and enjoy!

Do you enjoy breakfast for dinner? We do!  It’s a nice treat once in a while, especially when chocolate is involved.  We also enjoy it as brunch on Saturdays.  I actually made it for dinner recently when we had a guest and it went over very well.  Can you really go wrong with chocolate and pancakes?

I discovered this delectable recipe recently, and it was an instant hit.  I have modified it (just slightly) from the original recipe.  We love it topped with butter and real maple syrup!

You’ll reap more nutritional benefits when you soak some components of this recipe, so begin with these ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cups soft wheat berries
• 2 cups kefir, buttermilk or water with 2 Tbsp whey, lemon juice or vinegar

Pour the ingredients in your blender and blend for a few minutes. Leave at room temperature overnight or up to 24 hours.

In the morning, or when you are ready, add to the blender:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cocoa/cacao powder
• 1/3-1/2 cup Sucanat
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• dark chocolate chips

Oil & preheat your pan on medium heat.

Add and blend eggs, vanilla, sea salt & coconut oil. Make sure a vortex forms (if needed, add 1 tablespoon or more of water till batter is churning) before adding in cocoa powder, sucanat,  and blend till smooth. Finally, add baking soda and baking powder and blend in thoroughly but briefly.

Make your pancakes by simply pouring the batter from the blender onto your hot pan. Let it sit for a minute and then drop a small handful of chocolate chips on top. When you see bubbles on the top and the edges firming up… flip it over and cook it for a couple minutes.

Serve with real butter and real maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Are you looking for a scrambled eggs recipe that takes eating eggs to a new level?  These scrambled eggs are absolutely delicious! AND, it’s quick and easy to prepare.

Plain old scrambled eggs get boring so I love using this particular recipe.  It is now my husband’s absolute favorite way to eat eggs.  They have a savory flavor that goes wonderfully with fresh bread or muffins.  I have used this scrambled eggs recipe multiple times for guests and it is always a hit.

We eat a lot of eggs in our house!  Not only are they a great source of protein, but eggs are power-packed with many other vital nutrients.  You really can’t go wrong with adding eggs into your diet and they are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I have modified this recipe from Sue Gregg’s Recipes cookbook.  I like this lady!  J

Scrambled Eggs, Perfected!

4 eggs

¼ c plain, whole milk yogurt

¼ c parmesan cheese

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp thyme

¼ tsp dried mustard

½ of a red pepper, diced

½ of a green pepper, diced

1tomato, diced

1 green onion, diced

Any other veggies you want to add!

Directions:

1.  Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended.

2.  Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a large pan and then add your egg mixture.

3.  Let the eggs cook for a few minutes before you start “scrambling” them with your spoon or spatula.

4.  “Scramble” your eggs with a spoon or spatula until they are the consistency you prefer.

5.  Serve and enjoy!  We love these with some sort of bread and fruit.  Yum!

The only note I’d make is that the more veggies you add, the more herbs you should also add to really be able to enjoy the flavor they give to the scrambled eggs.

image courtesy of Nancy at Casual Cuisine

Are you skeptical that your kids will enjoy green smoothies?  Or that you will enjoy them?  It is a challenge to get enough greens into our diets (especially kids), so green smoothies are a great way to do it!  I have stockpiled several green smoothie recipes that we have incorporated into our diet on a regular basis.

My suggestion is to start out with a small amount of greens and increase them slowly as time goes on.  You will still enjoy the health benefits these green smoothie recipes have to offer if you are consuming smaller amounts of greens.  Of course, the more greens, the more benefits you’ll reap.

And, you don’t have to use only spinach every time.  Try rotating with kale, mustard greens, arugula, collards, beet greens, or chard.

Step One for any yummy green smoothie recipe to make ONE serving:

Add the following to your blender:

Water (1/2 c – 1c )

3c (or more) of greens

1 c Plain yogurt if desired OR milk (raw preferred)

Fresh juice of any type is yummy also! I’ve used orange, pineapple, and apple juices at different times

Blending these ingredients in the blender first is the secret to getting a wonderful consistency that will make everyone in your family lovers of green smoothies!

Step Two:

Add into the blender any combination of fruits or vegetables:

-1 banana, 1 ½ c frozen blueberries

-1 banana, 1 ½ c frozen strawberries

-1 banana, 1T peanut butter,  2T cocoa powder, 1 T coconut oil, 1T chia seeds

-1 Avocado , 1 Whole Peeled Orange, 1 Banana, 1 Stalk Celery, 1/2 Apple

-1 banana, 1 mango, 1T maple syrup, 1-2T cashews

-1 banana, ½ c frozen strawberries, ½ c frozen blueberries, ¼ c pineapple

-1 banana, ¼ c pumpkin, maple syrup or honey, cinnamon to taste

-leftover fruit salad (yum!)

The combinations for green smoothie recipes are endless, experiment with your favorite fruits!

Steps Three and Four:

Blend, pour into a fun glass or mug.

Step Five:

Enjoy your own green smoothie recipe and bask in all of the nutritional goodness going into your body!

Do you already drink green smoothies?  What is your favorite recipe?

Are you looking for a basic oatmeal recipe to serve for breakfast that incorporates several health benefits?  Soaking the oats, coconut oil, raw honey and unrefined sea salt are all components to this appetizing oatmeal recipe.  It is easy to learn how to prepare a basic oatmeal breakfast  in a manner that enables you to benefit from all of these nutrient dense products.  If you are wondering how to prepare oatmeal in a new way, try out my recipe below!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 cup of rolled oats (organic if possible)

2 cups of warm water

2 T of an acidic medium (plain yogurt, kefir, apple cider vinegar, etc…)

½ tsp sea salt

2T (or more) raw honey

1T virgin coconut oil

Directions:

The night before, warm two cups of water in a saucepan.  Add the oats and two tablespoons of yogurt or your preferred acidic medium.  Add the salt and stir to mix everything together.  Cover and let sit overnight.  In the morning, your oatmeal will take only a few minutes to prepare!  Cook until it’s at your desired consistency and add honey, coconut oil, and any other toppings of your choice!

This very basic oatmeal recipe is a staple in our house and both Tara and I could eat it daily for breakfast (and lunch and diner)!  Enjoy!