My Bestest Breakfast!

Who doesn't like waffles or pancakes of some sort? 

My family loves them, especially Ty & Aurora. If you are looking for something quick, easy, and a whole lot healthier than Bisquick...look no further!

Cinnamon Waffles ~ Perfect to top

 with butter and maple syrup... heavenly.

I came across this great recipe in Sheryl Shenefelt's, C.N. book "The Guide to Healthy Eating". What a fantastic book by the way Click here to read more about the book or purchase it.

Here are the basic ingredients. I did drift from the recipe just a bit - but basically because I used what I had on hand. 

2 cups whole grain Spelt flour

* I used some of the sprouted whole wheat flour we now carry in our bulk foods.

1 2/3 cups whole yogurt (plain)

* I used Thomas Organic Creamery's Vanilla yogurt (one of my fav's, plus we also carry that as well).

3 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut oil - melted

* I have made it with both coconut and sesame.

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1-2 tablespoons filtered water

Combine spelt flour and yogurt and let soak over night (I did this the first time but figured since I was using the sprouted flour it wasn't necessary the next time around, plus I wanted to make several batches for the freezer).

 After everything is all mixed in, they are ready to cook.

I believe my favorite part of making the waffles is putting them in a big ziplock bag and freezing them. Then in the morning instead of fussing over breakfast, I can take them out and pop them in the toaster. 

What a quick and easy breakfast for my family. Knowing what we put in our bodies is so important and being able to make something that tastes this good is even better.

If you are looking for an alternative to eggs, cereal and oatmeal - try these out. You won't be disappointed. 

*Super happy to be able to get most of these ingredients directly from my mom. If I didn't work for her, I would be getting home delivery for sure!

 

Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

I must be on a pork craze or something. Everything that I have been making for my blog turns out to be pork. Coming soon will be, Breaded Pork Chops, Melt in Your Mouth Pork Loin Roast, Pork Tenderloin, Fresh and Smoked Hams... the list seems to be endless. I do know a lot of people who do not eat pork. I can eat it knowing where it came from (John Henry's Meats,  of course), what it was fed (mixed grains such as corn and oats - even some nice alfalfa hay not old food from a restaurant or any soy, which puts my mind at ease) and how it was treated (humanely and able to enjoy many days out rutting around outside). So my conscience is clear and I feed my family pork on a regular basis. 

While I was pregnant with my daughter Aurora, I could hardly stand the taste of poultry. We pretty much lived on beef and pork for 9 months. I am so glad to be back to eating chicken again but have so many recipes to share from those days. I hope you enjoy them.

Pulled pork in the slow cooker is super easy and relatively fast. Other than letting the pork cook on low during the day you can have the rest done in about 5-10 mins. 

Below you will see my pork roast - pulled pork is best made out of the pork shoulder (this is also called the pork butt or boston butt, the words are used interchangeably but they refer to the bone in shoulder part of the pig) . This cut of meat is bone in and is nicely marbled with fat. Cooking it with the bone adds a lot of flavor and the fat marbling gives you moist and juicy pulled pork.


I typically season my pork butt with Lemon Pepper, garlic powder (if you had fresh garlic that would be even better.  I didn't have any on hand so I used the powder) Salt and 1 Med to Lg Onion - sliced.

 Place half of the sliced onions into the bottom of the crock pot with a little bit of water and seasonings.

 Put in your roast and remaining onions and apply seasonings liberally.

 Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hrs depending on the size of the roast you purchased. Wait a minimum of 6 hours before removing the lid to check it. I have read that every time you remove the crock pot lid you need to add 20 mins to your cooking time because it loses so much heat. I have found this to be mostly correct - in my earlier cooking days I was checking the roast every hour and it took forever to finally get done.

 You will know when the pork roast is done by sticking a fork in it. If you twist the fork and all the meat starts to fall apart it is ready to go. My husband hates onions but the roast will not taste anywhere near as wonderful if I didn't include them in the cooking part. So I scrap them off, shred the meat - basically pull it apart with a fork and remove the bone. Then I add some barbeque sauce to taste. Bring on the buns and lets have a picnic, some raw veggies and some homemade dip makes this meal a winner for my family.