Gluten Free Pancakes

Recently I went gluten free for a few months as part of an elimination diet type cleanse thing. I even went without grains for part of that time not because I think they are not healthy but because I wanted to see if I had any sensitivities to any of them. The only big thing I noticed without them was feeling a bit bound up if you know what I mean.

I still have not added back wheat yet, it has been a slow process and I'm trying to listen to my body. I have added back non-gluten grains and some Spelt but only in sprouted or sourdough form.

Anyway as I was adding back other grains I wanted to try some gluten free pancakes. Most of the ones we tried where not good at all and really soggy in the middle and just......yuck. But then I tried using the almond pulp from making almond milk and this is what I came up with. I don't think they are as good as our regular pancake recipe but they are pretty tasty and if you are wanting a gluten free pancake it's the best one I've tried yet!

Gluten Free Pancakes

1 cup almond meal (I just use all the leftover almond pulp from making this almond milk)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup oats
3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Real Salt
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 heaping cup coconut oil, melted
2 free range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup


In medium size bowl add the first 8 ingredients. In separate bowl, whip up eggs and add then whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry until just combined add more water if needed for desired batter thickness. Heat up slightly oiled griddle or frying pan. Using a ladle pour batter onto the griddle. Be sure to cook well on each side at not too hot of temperature to be sure they cook in the center. Serve hot with favorite pancake toppings.

Note: You could try these with egg replacer but I have found that when you are not working with gluten to help hold things together egg replacer just doesn't give it quite a sturdy enough texture. More mushy and crumbly at the same time if that makes any sense.

My Weekly Meal Plan

We got some much needed rain last week along with plenty of wind (not sure about the need level there). It got pretty cold this weekend which is why we always wait until after the 20th of May to plant anything that can't take frost because around here we can get a late frost.

A photo posted by Tammie simplehealthytasty.com (@simplehealthytasty) on Apr 25, 2015 at 5:52pm PDT

Because of the rain outside, Ryan did a little gardening indoors. I'm trying to learn more about Instagram since Missy has her own phone now and doesn't take mine. But I'm not very familiar with it. If you can't see the picture you can find it on Instagram here.

We have been surprised at how well our seeds have germinated. The seeds we have are easily over 5 years old....probably closer to 8 and we seem to be getting nearly 100% germination with most things.

On Saturday we went and celebrated my Grandpa's baby Sister's 99th Birthday. On her 90th birthday someone asked her if she would make it to 100 and she told them to not say such negative things. This birthday when asked.....she said that she probably will.

She is a funny and spunky lady and I sure love her. Sometimes she says that she is sure Charles (her deceased husband) must have a girlfriend up in Heaven because she is taking so long to get there. I'm confident though that he's just "Waiting on Her (a Woman)".

Missy and Kenzi came over for dinner last night. It's so fun to see how excited all the kids are to see them whenever they come. It has been an adjustment but I think it has been good for all of us. Change can be hard but I see growth happening in all of us. Fun times!

My Weekly Meal Plan

Monday:
Mushroom Stroganoff

Tuesday:
Tacos

Wednesday:
Sweet and Spicy Cabbage

Thursday:
Baked Potato Bar

Friday:
Loaded Veggie Nacho Soup

Saturday:
Leftovers

Sunday:
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taco Packets

Mint Chip Ice Cream

Not sure why this recipe took me so long to perfect but it was worth it! Way back in the day when Ryan and I first started dating, I thought it was pretty cool that his Mom always made sure there was ice cream in their freezer. One day she asked me what my favorite kind was and I remember telling her mint chip.

Now I'm not sure why I told her that because really most any kind of ice cream I liked. Back then I think I would have even ate that blue bubble gum kind with gum balls in it. (Does anyone else remember that and do they still have it? YUCK!) I think it must have been before cookie dough ice cream though so mint chip probably was my favorite at that time.

Anyway a few months ago I was thinking if that was my favorite way back then....how come I haven't come up with a heathified recipe for it yet? Well I have been working on that recipe ever since and it took me quite a few tries. I wanted it to be just the right texture and flavor. And honestly I wanted to make it honey sweetened but not too sweet.

I also added quite a bit of vanilla because I didn't want an overly strong mint flavor. I also think next time I make it I will use my version of Magic Shell (leaving out the peanut butter) and drizzle is through the ice cream for the "chips" instead. I think that will be really good and Ryan agrees. ;)

Note that you can make it in an ice cream maker or not. Most of the times I tried the recipe I didn't use my ice cream maker. It will work well either way. I hope you enjoy this recipe I worked really hard on it.

Mint Chip Ice Cream

1 cup raw cashews soaked in
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
2 cans coconut milk
1 small handful spinach
1/2 teaspoon Real Salt
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
5-8 drops peppermint essential oil
1/2 teaspoon guar gum (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup carob chips (may coarsely chop)

Soak cashews in water for at least 2 hours or more. To your blender add the cashews WITH the water, the coconut oil, and honey. Blend until smooth. Add the coconut milk, spinach, salt, vanilla, peppermint and guar gum. Blend on low until smooth for not more then 2 minutes. (If you blend too long or too fast the coconut milk will separate so be aware.) As soon as it is well blended pour it into a cake pan with a lid (I like my glass pyrex one for this) and put into the freezer.....Set your timer for one hour then stir in the carob chips. Then let finish freezing at least another hour or more. After frozen solid you will want to sit it out for about 20 minutes before scooping it up and serving.

You can also freeze this in an ice cream freezer just follow directions for your ice cream maker. ENJOY!

How to make your own Curry Powder

I don't think I had curry anything as a kid growing up but at
some point in my adult life Ryan and I both decided that we really like curry. It doesn't matter what kind of curry, we think Indian Curries are fabulous (on my list of recipes to perfect) we also just love Thai Curry.

There are a number of recipes here with curry powder:

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
Curried Lentils over Rice
Curried Cauliflower with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Cauliflower and Curry Soup
Curry Dip

Although I was able to find some pretty decent curry powders to buy that contained all good ingredients......I had to order it I couldn't just go pick it up at the store. One day I was in the middle of making dinner and realized I was out of Curry Powder.....I don't know how I let that happen I buy most everything in bulk and rotate through and don't very often totally run out.

But I did.....it was okay though because I had been thinking about trying to make my own anyway. So I quickly put together a small batch so I could finish making dinner. I was so surprised that it smelled and tasted very much like the powder we liked so well.

Homemade Curry Powder

12 parts turmeric
2 parts Real Salt
6 parts Sucanat
6 parts cumin
3 parts coriander
2 parts white pepper
1 part cayenne
1 part mustard
1 part paprika
1 part ginger
1/4 part fennel
1/2 part allspice
1/2 part garlic

Combine all ingredients and combine well. You can choose how big you want 1 part to be depending on how much you want to make. I usually use a Tablespoon to 1/4 cup. For example is you use a Tablespoon then just put Tablespoon in place of part(s) in the recipe. Simple as that!

Dry Shampoo and Face Powder in One

I discovered this by accident one day.  You see Missy and I had both seen face powder made with cornstarch and coco powder and other spices and thought we would try our own version. So we made up a small batch and tried to made a pretty good match to our skin tone.

We both really liked it but since I only wear make up once in a while I didn't notice when it was missing from my bathroom. On day I was having one of those days where my hair didn't really need washing but for some reason it had a little extra oil at the roots so I thought a dry shampoo would come in handy.

Then I remembered the face powder but I couldn't find it.....I asked Missy where it was and she came up with a nearly empty container from her room. There was just enough to try it out. So I took a powder brush and rubbed it in at the roots then brushed through it.

I was quite happy with the results the powder absorb any greasy look my roots had and even though it was a bit lighter then my hair color I actually liked that it seemed to kind of give some natural looking highlights to my hair and guess what else........it seemed to hide the grey that has been starting to accumulate! ;)

I made a note to self that when and if the grey gets out of hand this may be a better option then trying to color it.  Either way though it works great as dry shampoo and/or face powder.

Dry Shampoo & Face Powder In One

Arrowroot Powder
Carob and/or Cocoa Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

In a jar add some arrowroot powder (I used about 1 cup you can use less if you aren't sure how you will like it) then just add a few Tablespoons of Carob or Cocoa powder until you feel it is almost you skin and/or hair color (to add highlights and help hide gray keep it a few shades lighter then you hair color if you are blonde maybe you could try spices with more yellow tones not sure how it would work though)

Then add a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg to get just the color you want. If using on your skin don't overdo the cinnamon (not more than a teaspoon or 2) or it may kind of create a burning sensation when applied to the skin.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas!

If you're like me you are always wondering what to get for Mom for Mother's day!  I'm mean really what do you give the Woman who gave you life and raised you and kept herself from strangling you as a teenager!  Well hopefully this post can help you with a few ideas and at least get the wheels turning.

Being a Mother now myself, I do know that Mom really did mean it when she said the only thing she wanted was for me to be good and be the best person I could be!  But if you want something you can wrap..... stick around! ;)

What Mother doesn't want soft, beautiful, wonderful smelling skin! 
How about we start with recipe. I make this recipe as soon as I run out of the last batch!
It's wonderful.

I adapted the recipe from the book, Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health.....which would make a nice gift itself by the way!  You can put them in any little jar make it cute.  And don't worry the recipe will make enough for you to keep some for yourself too!

Nature's Perfect Skin Cream

2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe vera gel
Essential oils of choice
3/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 ounce beeswax (about 4 Tablespoons of the pastilles)

Combine the water, aloe and essential oils in a glass measuring cup, let sit until room temperature.  In a double boiler over low heat melt the beeswax, coconut and almond oil together, mix well.  Pour oils into blender jar, let sit until about room temperature.  When oils are about room temperature, turn on blender and slowly start to pour in the water mixture.  Speed up blender and be sure it mixes well.  You may have to stop the blender and stir with a spoon and then pulse the blender a few times.  It should blend and incorporate well.  Water and oil can sometimes be tricky to mix but if you follow these instructions and have a fairly high speed blender it should work really good!  Mine whipped up perfect the first try!  There are a few pictures below to help you out too!

This is what the oil mixture looks like at almost room temperature.

This is me slowly adding the water mixture while the blender is spinning fast!

See how beautiful the cream turned out! 

To be sure not to waste any we wiped out the blender and all had super soft skin! ;)

What Mother wouldn't love that!

The cream would be a wonderful gift by itself or you could add some of these other things a make a very fun gift basket or box!

Fizzy Bath Bombs
Herbal Infused Oil and/or Lip Balm
Hard Lotion Bars


Labels?  You betcha! 

See how good I am to you all! ;)

We even made the gift box ourselves!  Fun huh, you can find the instructions we used here!

My Weekly Meal Plan

Last week was full of weeding, cleaning up the yard, getting the water turned on, fixing any leaks, a funeral, a scout camp, some homemaking and lots of sunshine and a snowstorm in between.

Ryan worked really hard in the yard and got it ready to get our wall finished and to put some gravel down by the driveway. We hope to put cement one day but for now gravel should help with the mud and weeds. I spent some time weeding my flower/herb bed and Matt got the sprinklers turned on and any broken pipes fixed. There wasn't too much to fix mainly just a dripper to one of our apple trees that Ryan had stepped on and broke when he was tilling the garden.

I was able to preserve some lemons this weekend! I follow a recipe from the Lacto-Fermenting course that is part of Traditional Cooking School. It was super easy and I'm excited to see how they turn out. They need to set for about a month then they will be ready to use. The cool thing is that they keep this way for a really long time. A great way to use up the abundance of lemons that I had!

My cousin Mike passed away last week after a very long fight with Huntington's Disease. It was a beautiful service.

 It was so nice to see and visit with so many loved ones. This is me with my Sisters, my dear cousin and he beautiful daughters.

Me with my Sisters and more cousins! I only wish I had been able to stay longer and catch up a bit more with the many wonderful people I just don't see often enough.

My Weekly Meal Plan

Monday:
Lentil Soup

Tuesday:
Chimmys

Wednesday:
Hawaiian Haystacks 

Thursday:
Nachos Supreme My Way

Friday:
Artichoke Tomato Alfredo

Saturday:
Leftovers

Sunday:
Mongolian BBQ

I Stop and Ask Myself these Three Things

No worries the meal plan is coming later today but of course I had to let you know that The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is available starting now until next Monday the 27th.

You know I have been a homemaker now for almost 20 years.....crazy huh! What's even more crazy is that I figured by the time I had 20 years experience I would be a pro. But that was a while back.... somewhere along the way I started to realize that I was probably never going to measure up.

You see I didn't realize it at the time but I had created some pretty unrealistic expectations for myself add to that a pretty good dose of PMS (that I didn't really understand at the time) and the life I had always dreamed of having seemed so far from my grasp.

Or was it? Looking back I don't even like to think about all the time I spent and still sometimes spend in burn-out, overwhelm, mommy guilt mode. I think though with practice I'm better at not letting it happen so often and not too long ago I had the realization that I have been living the life of my dreams. This is exactly what I wanted when I was a little girl and still just what I want today!

Here is what I'm learning to do:

When I start to head down that path of if only, comparing, worrying what others are thinking and just plain busyness cause I said yes to one too many things. I stop and ask myself these three things:

1. Is what I am thinking true or am I just playing the automatic records in my head? (for example "My husband works so much because he doesn't like being at home." I had to stare that one down years ago and can you imagine my relief when I discovered it simply was. NOT. true.)
   
2. Will this matter tomorrow? (so many things just really don't matter when you give them another 24 hours....we probably shouldn't waste our time and energy on them....so that would rule out, "Hurry we are going to be late!" It aint gonna matter tomorrow probably better save that energy for what will matter tomorrow.)
   
3. What does doing my best look like today? (I have been learning to get more real with myself and others, especially my husband and kids and let them know the days that my Super Woman cape needs to be hanging up. So often we as women expect to have the same energy each day and get as much done today as yesterday.....I think we need to drop that. We forget that we have cycles...some days we may churn through that to-do list and then other days it may seem overwhelming just to smile.....I say if the best you got for today is a smile consider it a productive day and don't beat yourself up about it.  And yeah I'm well aware that there may even be days where you don't even have that much.)

I guess this is just my way of saying I've been there....I'm still there......I understand and I truly want to help. It's so easy to get caught up in all the mundane that we forget to "Sharpen the Saw" as Steven Covey would say.

That's why when I was asked to be a part of The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle again I was thrilled. I love to expose myself to others who are right there in the trenches too...... Wives, Mothers, and Homemakers, learning from their experiences and struggles. I feel a little less alone and become so inspired and motivated. Honestly I also get a little overwhelmed by all that there is but I have learned to just pick and choose and find what benefits me right now in my season. (*More about that below!) My focus this year has been on the organization, de-cluttering and purging resources because.....well right now that's what I need a bit of help with. ;)

I really feel like there is some excellent stuff in here I have had a month now to look a lot of it over and I think there is something for every kind of homemaker. INCLUDING LOTS OF HEALTHY RECIPES AND MENU PLANS! 

With proven, simple, and effective tools that really give you a boost as a homemaker – help, inspiration, tips, encouragement, resources at your fingertips…...the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is just for you.

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What’s in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle?

The first step in putting together this collection was to find the critical homemaking skills that you need to transform your house into a home.
Here they are:

• Cleaning… create a healthy, toxin-free home
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• Devotionals and Faith… take a break from the daily grind to renew yourself
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• Cooking & Meal Planning… serve easier, tastier meals in less time
• Holidays & Special Events… brighten up old family traditions and create new
• Homeschooling… homeschool with grace and ease
• Marriage… heat up your marriage
• Motherhood… find peace, balance & joy in mothering
• Organizing… conquer the clutter and simplify your life
• Pregnancy & Babies… enjoy a healthy pregnancy and prepare to nurture your baby
• Health & Wellness… soothe aches & pains with natural remedies
• Working from Home… hone your talents, live your passions and earn money to help your family

… a complete library of 99 eBooks and eCourses to help you nurture the beauty and productivity in your home and family relationships.

This sale is now over if you would like to be notified of future sales that are similar click here subscribe to the newsletter.

*Are there too many books in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle?

Let me ask you a question.
Have you ever taken your family out for a buffet dinner… and then been disappointed when you couldn’t eat every single morsel on display?
Of course not!
Think of this as the Ultimate Buffet of Inspiration for Homemakers.
Just relax, enjoy, and start anywhere you like. Come back to the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle “buffet” as many times as you like. It’s all here for you.

For a short time, the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle… a complete library of:

• 76 eBooks
• 6 eCourses
• 1 audio download
• 2 online conferences, and
• 14 printable packs

…99 carefully selected resources designed to help you nurture the beauty and productivity in your home and family relationships… is only $29.97. (A total value of $984.74.)
That breaks down to 30 cents per book.

Your 30-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If for any reason, you decide that the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is not for you, then please send an email to customerservice@Ultimate-Bundles.com and we will refund 100% of your investment. No questions asked.

Don’t Forget the Bonuses…

Of course, no Ultimate Homemaking Bundle would be complete without the generous, inspiring gifts donated by companies that understand homemakers like you. Every gift is yours to keep and enjoy.

• Choose 1 FREE Online Class from Craftsy (Select from 24 of Their Most Popular Classes – Up to $60 Value)
• 1 FREE Kids Discovery Box from Green Kid Crafts ($19.95 Value)
• FREE $15 Credit to Hope Ink PLUS 2 FREE 8×10 Art Prints ($71 Value)
• FREE 90-Day “Good Deal” Subscription to She Plans Dinner ($15 Value)
• Choose 1 FREE Stylish Spring Scarf from Deborah & Co. ($20 Value)
• FREE $80 Healthy Moving Class Credit ($80 Value)
• FREE 90-Day Pro Membership to ListPlanIt ($30 Value)
• FREE 65 Tyndale Rewards Points to Be Used for a FREE Book or Towards Any Book of Your Choice ($15 Value)

Now It’s Your Turn

I think Laura Ingalls Wilder said it best…

“Just as a little thread of gold, running through a fabric, brightens the whole garment, so women’s work at home, while only the doing of little things, is just like the golden gleam of sunlight that runs through and brightens the whole fabric of civilization.”

The proven, simple, and effective skills you need to transform your house into a home are all waiting for you in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.

This is your chance to get all the love, support, guidance and inspiration you need to nurture the beauty and productivity in your home and family relationships with proven, simple, and effective tools that really give you a boost as a homemaker.

But time is running out! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle will only be available from 8:00 a.m. EST on Monday, April 20 until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, April 27.

After that, the shopping cart closes and the deeply discounted price is gone. Act now!


This sale is now over if you would like to be notified of future sales that are similar click here subscribe to the newsletter.


Best wishes and happy homemaking!

Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

Disclosure: This post is contains affiliate links. It helps inspire you and pays for my hobby. Thank you so much for your support!

Mint Chip Adventures

So I have been determined for over a month now to make the perfect mint chip ice cream. I have gotten so close I can taste it.....quite literally! But it has been a little discouraging because so far the first try has been my best. I have tried at least 5 times.

The last time I made it I think it would have been really good but I wanted it perfectly smooth and made the mistake of over blending it and the coconut milk separated so it ended up super grainy. Funny thing is I knew better I have had coconut milk do that to me before. Out of frustration I said to the fam, "You are probably all getting sick of this ice cream." To which Ryan piped up and said, "Nope!" while Missy was shaking her head yes.....although she was grabbing the blender to scrape and lick it clean. ;)

In case you were wondering when it comes to ice cream so much of it is about the smooth creamy texture....I froze it anyway hoping for the best and just as I thought it was terrible it tasted good but the texture made the flavor irrelevant. The kids even called it the nasty texture ice cream.

So I took the frozen "ice cream" and put it in the blender with some Almond Milk and made milk shakes. Let's just say they got drank right up without a complaint. I'm going to try it out again this weekend and hopefully by next week I will have a super yummy recipe to share!

A Quick Update

So there was enough pictures and things to post that I wanted to do it separate from the meal plan post. I did intend to post it before now but......oh well at least I am getting to it. ;)

Missy made The move and I just have to say it was a very simple move I think it took us all of 40 minutes to complete. I'm sure glad she didn't move too far away.

Having my oldest move out has been pretty hard for me but at the same time I'm surprised at how well I'm doing. I think the fact that she comes over for lunch most days helps A LOT!!! I won't mention the fact that I have yet to go into her old bedroom because I'm still in denial.

I'm just taking the whole reality of it slow it will all hit me soon enough and hopefully by then I will have already adjusted just a bit. Changes will keep coming I know and I just pray that I can handle it all with grace....did I mention I'm not good at change?

We got to spend Easter weekend with some dear friends. They had our traditional Passover meal with us....good times!

We worked in the garden some last week and even got a few seeds planted outside. Mostly greens and peas we need to be getting some beets and carrots in soon. When I saw Charly with the pitch fork I couldn't help but have them pose for a picture. ;)

We all go up early and saw the moon some of us managed to go back to sleep for a bit others like the little kids where too excited to sleep. They where sure exhausted after a fun weekend.

The older kids went with our friends to St. George to a horse show that their daughter was in. So there where just a couple of kids to hunt Easter eggs but a good time was had by all. It was a wonderful, inspiring, spirit filled weekend.



Along with all the fun family time I have been having some serious Spring fever set in. For me that means purging, cleaning and focusing a bit more on the order in my home so it takes less of my time and we can actually spend more time outside. If that makes any sense. Have a great weekend.

My Weekly Meal Plan

There was much that went on last week and lots of pictures taken that I need to post but I am quite a bit behind and slow as usual today....but instead of waiting to post my meal plan just because I don't want to take the time to post the update and pictures I will do the update later this week and post the meal plan now so I wont be quite so far behind.

I hope everyone is having a great spring time with hopefully less wind then we are having today. ;) And I hope you all had a lovely Easter "see" you later this week!

My Weekly Meal Plan

Monday:
Curried Cauliflower with Sweet Potato and Black Beans

Tuesday:
Baked Potato Bar

Wednesday:
Split Pea Soup

Thursday:
Mushroom Stroganoff

Friday:
Taco Sundays

Saturday:
Leftovers

Sunday:
Lentil Sloppy Joes