Easy Homemade Raw Buckwheat Granola

If you didn't know, boxed cereals are really worth pennies and they are sold for about $4-$5 a box.  What a rip off.  Well, we used to had them, but now it has been about two years that we have not even tasted it.  Of course, if we did, it's not a big deal, but honestly, we don't miss it.  Sometimes, when we see them at the grocery store, we wanted to try some but we don't care for them much.   Mom explained to us  the process of making dry boxed cereal and the many reasons why we prefer not to buy them.

Instead, we have enjoyed homemade granola, raw buckwheat cereal and homemade corn flakes (We will share recipe soon).  To make anything with seeds, nuts and grains, don't forget to sprout them first, here is why.

You will need:

2  -1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats

1/4 cup sprouted and dehydrated sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sprouted and dehydrated pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated and chopped almonds

1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated chopped walnuts or pecans

3 TBLP coconut oil

4 TBLS sorghum, maple syrup or raw honey

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup of dried fruit of your choice.  We used raisins and cranberries here.

Mix them all up and dehydrate (118 degrees for about 4 hours).



We like it on our homemade yogurt,  homemade ice cream, or homemade frozen yogurt, or also just by itself as a snack when we're out.

 

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Healthy Coconut Lemon Curd Bars

Healthy Coconut Lemon Curd Bars with the Little Homemakers In Training

Girls love to make things in the kitchen. Danielle & Destiny (and the rest of the family) have a sweet tooth. We like making healthy desserts that don't make you feel guilty or sick after you eat them. These coconut lemon curd bars are very yummy and so good for you too. They are also easy to make with the help of Mom or an older sister who will need to stir the mixture.

This recipe is gluten, dairy and grain free. We sprouted our almonds before hand for better digestion and nutrient absorption, but you can skip this step and they will turn out fine too.

FOR THE CURD:

3 large eggs
1/4 -1/3 cup of honey
Grated zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or butter).

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the first three ingredients until light colored. Add the the coconut oil, breaking it into small clumps as you drop it into the pot for even melting. Then add the lemon juice.

Cook, whisking over medium heat until the coconut oil is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and you start to see a few bubbles popping at the surface. Remove from heat, and scrape into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Strain the curd, gently stirring if needed.

Refrigerate for several hours to thicken. It can also be saved in the refrigerator for about a week.


FOR THE CRUST 

2 cups of raw almonds (sprouted)
1/4 cup honey (May use more if desired. We use sorghum)
1/2 cup of melted virgin coconut oil
2-4 teaspoons lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the almonds in a food processor. We use the vitamix. Grind them into a medium fine “flour”. You don’t want to turn it into a nut paste, so don’t over do it. There will still be little chunks here and there. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined. Evenly spread the nut batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Place in the middle of the hot oven. It will take between 15 to 18 minutes to cook. It may puff up as it cooks, that's ok. Cool completely, then spread one recipes of lemon curd on top. Let set in the refrigerator for at least several hours.

We can't resist to let it sit in the refrigerator until it's completely solid. But you supposed to. We take a piece and leave the rest for the next day.

Yum!! Have fun doing them:)

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Sprouted Whole Grain Matzah For Passover

We had our Passover Ceder beautifully this year with one more member of the Family, Liberty Joy.  We enjoy making Matzah together for Feast of Unleavened Bread.  The kids love to get their hands into anything that feels like dough.  Then, they help make little balls, roll them and someone else pokes them and stripes them.  Quite an assembly line.  By the end of the seven days we were all so matzah-out that we were glad it's once a year.  This time I found creative ideas make use of out big batch of matzah

You will need:

~ 4 Cups of freshly milled sprouted(Hard Red Wheat, einkorn or Spelt)
~ 2 tsp salt
~ 4 large eggs
~ 6 Tbl spoons Honey
~ 6 Tbl Olive Oil
~ 5 Tbl spoons water

Instructions:

Before Mixing - preheat oven to 400 degrees farienghit and prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.

If doing two cooking sheets rotate top to bottom half way during cooking for even baking.

Mix the two dry ingredients together with a fork or whisk.

Mix all wet ingredients together untill well blended.

Combine wet mixture into dry mixture - mixing until able to 'knead' by hand.

Form into 12-14 eaqual size dough balls.

Roll out, place on cookie sheet(s), then prick and stripe with fork.

Bake approximately 10 minutes, depending how hot your oven gets.  Keep checking because unfortunately, I just left my first batch and they burnt.
If using two cookie sheets bake 5 minutes, switch top and bottom sheets and bake 4 more minutes.

It's time to get creative with matzo.  Here are some ideas:
~ Spread honey, butter and cinnamon spread on top

~ Cream Cheese and berry syrup
~ Spread on Peanut butter and top with apple or banana slices
~ Make your usual turkey sandwich

~toast then to use them as crackers

~Matzah pizza

~Matzah chilaquiles

Have Fun with your little people.  They would love making these.  They are not too messy.

 

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3 Tier Whole Grain Soaked Birthday Cake

This is definitely a family favorite birthday cake that I will be making for our birthdays from now on.  It is very healthy.  So we even have it for breakfast the next day with a kefir shake and, of course, they can have seconds.  Why not, birthdays are once a year.  Well, for us is now six times a year.

This cake turned out to be 3 tier only because I don't have those round cake pans.  If you know me, I am always improvising in the kitchen and substituting ingredients for the ones I have handy.  This time I didn't have 1 1/4 cups of honey, so I mixed it with maple syrup  and who knows, maybe next time I will use sorghum instead.  So feel free to substitute as well and be creative!

You will need:

4 cups freshly ground or sprouted flour.  (I use soft white whole wheat berries for cakes and muffins)
2 cups kefir.  You can substitute for buttermilk.

Mix these two ingredients and leave soaking for 12-24 hours.  The longer it soaks the better in disarming those phytates and it will help with the rising.

the next morning
1 cup butter. I use grass fed butter.
1 1/4 cups honey, maple syrup or sorghum
1/4 cup whole cane sugar.  I use coconut sugar.

2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons sea salt
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, pastured is best
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter pans and prepare them, in this case I used three glass pie pans, by cutting out a round piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan.

• I used my blender to cream butter, honey, and coconut sugar until light and fluffy.


• Mix soaked flour and creamed butter


• Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing to combine.  Add eggs and yolks, and vanilla, mixing to combine.


• Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pans


• Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown, fragrant, and set in the middle.  Time will depend on using 3 pans, two or one whole cake.


• For filling, here is a deliscious buttercream.  This can also be used to cover the cake.  But since my kids really like chocolate I made some too.  See recipe for the chocolate spread here.

Golden Honey-Vanilla Buttercream

1 1/2 cups butter, softened3/4 cup set raw honey

2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch unrefined salt
natural yellow food coloring (optional)

1. I use my vitamix to beat the butter and honey together until light and fluffy.


2. Add vanilla, salt, and coloring, and beat again until fluffy.


3. Use immediately to frost the cake layers and all around it.


4. Decorate and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving!


5. To serve, take the cake out of the fridge and cut while it is still chilled.  This helps the fluffy honey icing keep it’s shape, as well as the crumbly, buttery cake.

Fun variations is to add cut up fresh strawberries or bananas in between the layers with the butter cream.

It was a very special birthday celebration.  I am so blessed!

 

 

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Healing Honey Spread For Waffles When A Cold Is Around

I had planned to make waffles today for breakfast without usual toppings.  Regularly, I would use what we have in hand like strawberry syrup or mixed berry syrup, yogurt, whipping cream, maple syrup, flaxseed sprinkles, the variations are endless.  But when I heard everyone sniffling this morning, I decided to make a healing honey butter spread for the cold their immune systems re fighting.  It was very delicious as we spread it over our chocolate waffles.  My toddler would have three servings of the spread to one serving of waffle.  Yes, a little too much.  But again, when you know what's in it,  it doesn't hurt you.  It is more a matter of teaching him some table manners.

Cinnamon and Honey

The combination of cinnamon and honey has been used ever since the times of Noah or before.  Who knows if Adam and Eve used them together!  I'm sure they got sick.  Cinnamon's essential oils and raw honey's enzymes which produces hydrogen peroxide make up the two "anti-microbial" foods with the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Both are used as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties.

This is a recipe you must try.  It is irresistibly good on pancakes, waffles, toasts and biscuits.

 

 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup soft butter

• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

• ½ cup cream honey

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese or heavy whipping cream (optional)

Directions:

• Blend ingredients in a bowl and beat well until mixture is smooth and creamy.

• Spread it on piping hot toasted bread or biscuits.

• This recipe makes more than enough to serve 10 persons. An all time favorite for the family!

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Soaked Date and Almond Bread with Chocolate Frosting

It is my daughter's birthday and she loves chocolate.  So we made this delicious chocolate frosting.  My two year old went around wanting to eat everybody's frosting.  I didn't mind because I know what's in it.  The bread was filling, nutritious, sweet and everyone can have seconds too.  Although it requires some soaking time (12-24 hours), it is really  very simple.  Allowing a longer period of soaking time will make the bread rise better.  We enjoy it with raw milk or mexican hot chocolate.  The next day, we had left overs for breakfast with a kefir shake.

The day before:

Soak 3 cups of freshly ground flour (spelt, whole wheat or kamut) 12-24 hours with

2 cups of buttermilk, kefir or youghrt

Ingredients:

3 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 to 1/2  cup maple syrup, sorghum or honey

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup dates in pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  After the soaking time, blend in remaining ingredients.  Pour into a well-buttered baking pan.  Bake it for 1 hour to 1 1/1 hours or until done.  Mine cooks sometimes for 50 minutes, depending on your oven and outside temperature.

Chocolate Frosting

In a small sauce pan, combine:

1 cup peanut butter

2 ounces of cocoa (powder or bar)

4 Tablespoons of sweetener (coconut palm sugar, rapadura, sucanat, sorghum, maple syrup or honey)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Under very low heat, combine all ingredients, except for cream.  Stir until all ingredients are melted and well combined.  Add heavy whipping cream and stir it in.  It is done.  Spread it over your baked bread and enjoy!

 

 

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Mixed Berries Syrup for Waffles and Pancakes

This delicious and easy to make syrup is really versatile.  Besides being great for waffles and pancakes, you can use it to pour some over oatmeal, sweet biscuits, salads, ice cream, add to shakes and pour over muffins.  So on Saturday when I make it for our waffles/pancakes, I make enough to last me the whole week.  By the end of the week, you will notice that it has jelled.  So you can use it as a spread over toast with butter too.

You will need:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

half a lemon juice

sweetener of choice (I have used, honey, stevia, sorghum and maple syrup before).

Instructions:

Put berries in a pot and simmer until enough juice is let out.  Do not cook them.  Put all ingredients in a blender.  I like my Vitamix because it will break down the raspberries and strawberries seeds very well.

Serve warm.  Put the rest in jar for use during the week.

 

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No-Bake Healthy Granola Bars

 

I like to have these handy to grab a healthy powerful snack to-go or to serve with a morning shake when I'm running late in the mornings. This is a real treat for my children.  They absolutely loved them!

I make these with soaked and dehydrated oats, seeds and nuts.  the soaking and sprouting process will ensure better digestion and more nutrient absorption.

Ingredients

3 cups soaked and dehydrated rolled oats
1 cup soaked and dehydrated sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cups soaked and dehydrated peanuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, crushed
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (you can substitute for Rapadura)
2/3 cup raw honey or sorghum
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt or any other wholesome salt
3/4 - 1 cup of dried fruit.  My favorite are date pieces

Directions

1. Toast the oats, sunflower seeds, and nuts in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly browned.

2. Melt your choice sugar, honey or sorghum, butter, vanilla, and salt over medium heat until well melted and bubbly.  The longer you simmer this mixture the stiffer the bars.  The less time you simmer it, the more chewy.

3. Mix oats and sunflower seeds and the hot mixture together in a bowl. Add in dried fruit. Stir well to make sure it is well coated.

4. Press into a glass 9×13 pan lined with wax or parchment paper.  Place another piece of waxed paper over the mixture and press mixture into the pan.
5. Cut after the bars are cooled, but still slightly warm. I cut them right in the pan and then wrap them up individually in wax paper.


Be Creative:

You can use many variations.  For me it is usually what I have at home.  Different nuts, dried fruit shredded coconut, chocolate chips and so on.

*Nourishing Notes

• Use only unrefined sugars like honey and whole cane sugar (sucanat or rapadura)


• Make sure the nuts and seeds are properly soaked and dehydrated for better digestion and more nutrient absorption.


• When using dried fruit, make sure it’s ‘no sugar added’.


• Consume sparingly as these are rich in sugars.

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Tried and True Easy Sourdough Starter

 

Search no more!  Finally an easy and successful sourdough starter.  Believes me I tried several times to no avail.  I regretted wasting my flour and yeast and money buying grapes pineapple juice and so forth.  This was my last intent, I had not done it because it seemed too easy.  I have this one going on for about seven months and it is still live and healthy.  It also survived about two months of hibernation while we moved and while our baby was born.  I use it about once a week.  So it will sit in the refrigerator for most of the time, unless I have some spear time to make muffins or chocolate chip cookies, yum!

You will need:

Rye flour

Water

Directions:

Mix 1-2 cups of  freshly ground flour with the same amount of water.  Cover with a kitchen towel and set it in a warm place.  This will allow it to catch the natural yeast around your kitchen.  The next day mix one cup of flour with one cup of water.  Do the same for the next  seven days.  After a few days, the starter will start to bubble and smell like beer.  This is a good sign.  After 7 days, it is ready to use.

Starter Maintenance :

1. Always use plastic or wooden spoon to mix.  Use a plastic, glass or ceramic container as metal does not do well with the starter.

2. Feed your starter daily with equal amounts of flour and water.  Always mix in less than the amount of starter you begin with..

3. If not using it, you can store in the refrigerator tightly covered for about 6 months.

4.  When you are ready to use it again, take it out of the refrigerator, feed it and let it sit in a warm place for 6-12 hours before using.  You will know it is ready when it is bubbly.

Why Sourdough?

Soaking flour with starter will disarm the phytates contained in most grains.   I  even put a tablespoon of starter when I soak brown rice.

What are some of your favorite sourdough recipes?

 

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Homemade Sugar-Free Whipped Cream

This has got to be the easiest thing you do homemade in your kitchen.  My daughter makes it in 10 seconds. I know because she is good at timing it To follow my instructions.  The secret is that it s not made from scratch.  Otherwise, we would have to go milk the cow and separate the cream from the milk.  But we cheat on this one and buy some organic heavy whipped cream.  After having this you will want to toss that stuff the sell you at the store full of preservatives and anemic elements.  Have you read what's in it?  Don't get fooled by the " organic" or "non GMO " label.  

Directions:

You need 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, stevia to taste and about 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Pour all in the blender and whip for about 10 seconds and done!  Yes! It is that quick.  You will hear the blender spinning with no more cream to whip.  That means it is ready.  If you let it go a little bit longer, it will start to condense.

Enjoy!  We like it on our waffles, shortcakes, pancakes, hot chocolate and my little one likes it just like that as he wipes the container with his fingers!

 

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