All finished

Before...

After...

The ribbons will tie around their waists. 

THE MOST DELICIOUS pancakes/waffles and a bit about soaking grains

This is our family favorite recipe taken from the Breakfasts with Blender Batter Baking from Sue Gregg's eating Better Cookbooks series.  

I have adapted her recipe for our large family and put my changes in brackets.

6-8 cups of flour {I use freshly ground Kamut grain - sometimes with freshly ground oat groats for a  Kamut/oat blend.}
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
6 cups buttermilk milk {I use raw goat's milk, when we have it}
1/2 cup oil {I use melted coconut oil}

Mix all together adding the melted coconut oil last.

• Her original recipe is 1/4 of this recipe. 
• Her original recipe uses raw brown rice or uncooked rolled oats - perfect for those who need it to be gluten free.   {It is adaptable to any grain or combination of grains.}
• Her original recipe uses olive oil.

She actually uses the blender to make up her batter, AND she also incorporates soaking her grain which releases phytates* and allows for much better absorption of all the great nutrients of these grains.
All you have to do is put the grain in the blender and add the buttermilk. Cover and let sit overnight. In the morning add the remaining ingredients to the blender and whirl away.  While blending you can add a bit more buttermilk if it needs some thinning.  {This method works well with her original recipe because it is only 1/4 the recipe!}

*The reason that soaking is so beneficial is because phytates or phytic acid in high fiber foods bind a certain portion of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc), preventing them from being absorbed by the body.  This is especially true of the calcium content of whole grain which, did you know, is four times that of white flour?   The nutrient binding of phytates can be minimized or eliminated by soaking the whole grain. 
The soaking process allows the grain enzymes to "predigest" the nutrient components of the grain to make them more available to the body.  
But phytates are not all bad, there is research to suggest that they play an important role is maintaining blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and as antioxidants, which work against cancer-causing free radicals in the body. 

So mix it up a bit {oh, bad pun}  Try to incorporate soaking your grains some of the time, and other times just use them as they are. 

Some things to keep in mind -

• unless you are going to mix everything in the blender {which will grind your grain} you will need to soak the whole grain FLOUR.
• 1-1/2 cups of grain = roughly 2-1/4 cups of flour {varies a little with the type of grain.}
• the soaking liquid must be an acid medium like buttermilk, kefir, whey, or milk with lemon juice added.

The Great Debate...

 

Waffles or pancakes? 

 

Which one are you?

Goldilocks and a shampoo review

This probably seems like a ridiculous post.   Over the last 4 - 6 months, I've been trying to find a shampoo and conditioner that I really like. 
You probably think all shampoos are alike except for some minor tweaks on scent and cost. 

Well, let me tell you!
 
I have used Aussie Shampoo {5.99/ 29 oz.} for a while. 
It works well and smells great and it's cheap. {Great for a houseful of heads.}
My hair was shiny and clean.  Maybe a little too clean. It seemed to strip my hair of all moisture.  On one of my trips to the salon for a haircut, I bought the high end conditioner they use.  {I never did buy both shampoo and conditioner because I just couldn't justify the cost for my vanity.}

It was Keune. I do so love Keune Conditioner.  I can easily comb out my hair when it is wet.  When dry, my hair looks healthy and shiny. It smells great too, but it's spendy.  {$20/ 6.8 oz.}
I did find it cheaper on line and bought some, but when it ran out, I figured I'd try some other products to see if I could find something I liked just as well for less money.

This one is too...

I tried Costco's Kirkland Moisture shampoo {12.99/ 33.8 oz.}
It claims to be just as good, if not better than salon shampoos.
Using the shampoo alone was a bear with respect to tangles.  The corresponding conditioner still didn't alleviate the tangles and it left my hair feeling heavy.
The scent was just average.

I realized that "Salon Formula" and higher price doesn't necessarily equate with better. 
Costco had coupons for Dove Intense Moisture Shampoo {6.99/ 40 oz.}  
This is even less expensive than Aussie .           
It left my hair feeling clean and soft, but I felt like I had "wild hair".  {Kind of frizzy and fly-away, not sleek and shiny.}
The scent is fresh - sort of like Dove soap.

Not really wanting the wild hair look and thinking it was due to it being very inexpensive shampoo, I thought Id give some more expensive shampoo a try again.   The shampoos for sale at the local Great Clips {where my boys go for their hair cuts} like Nexus, Big Sexy Hair, Crew, and Bed Head are considered "high end".

That one is too...

Costco carries Nexus Therapee shampoo. {16.99/ 44 oz.} and their price was the best.
It claims to be Salon Hair Care so I was expecting product results that you get from a salon. You know the feeling when you leave the salon and your hair looks and feels great - all soft, and sleek, and shiny.   Not so much.  Not soft, not shiny.

I wasn't thrilled with Nexus, but Costco also carries Bed Head Control Freak from time to time. {19.99/ 25.36 oz. for both shampoo and conditioner set}
I figured since it said, "controls frizz",  I would try it to see if it would tame my crazy hair.
After several uses, I could feel my hair just getting heavier and duller.  It lathered nicely, so it seemed like it was doing the job, but NO, my hair just felt greasy and dirty!

From all my trial and error - this is what it would seem.
Cheap shampoos clean, but often strip hair of oils. "Salon Shampoos" add a waxy coating. 
Real - from the salon - shampoos give great results, but cost a lot.

I'm probably the only one who didn't know that already, but in case you didn't either - there you go.

So I'm still looking for the one that is... just right.  ;-)