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.