Grain Free Pancakes Using Coconut Flour

Let me first say I have a canister of coconut flour & I've tried a few different recipes using it and none have turned out well until today.  I have come to know that coconut flour is expensive, soaks up all the moisture so you have to add extra of that.  It also makes things 'crumbly.'  So if you have read, as I have on several pinterest boards & blogs, that it replaces regular flour in recipes that is just plain not true. 

Anyhow, being as I'm not one to let things go to waste I gave this recipe a try this morning & it is pretty good!

3 eggs (separated)

Add yolks to a bowl or blender

Add whites to separate bowl and set aside

To the yolks, add:

1 1/4 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or other oil)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp truvia (or pinch of stevia powder)

1/4 tsp salt

Blend then add:

1/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup ground flax

1 TBLS Baking Powder

Set aside.

Beat Egg whites for several minutes until stiff peaks form when removing betters.  (This step is optional but it is the secret for fluffy pancakes so I recommend it.)

Gently fold batter into egg whites, stirring g-e-n-t-l-y just until combined.

 

In the meantime, preheat your griddle to a medium heat.  You know it is ready when drops of water sizzle when they hit the pan.  You want to cook these slowly to make sure they are done on the inside.  

pulled pork, coleslaw, Texas toast, chips & dip

soft tacos & Spanish rice
smothered steak, mashed potatoes, salad
blackened tilapia, parsley potatoes, squash, cherry pie bars
oven bbq chicken thighs, roasted vegetables, rolls
pinto beans, rice, cornbread
egg casserole & sausage

More About Potatoes

I had a couple of questions about the potatoes we harvested Saturday.

Kind- New Red Potatoes

When to plant- It depends on your area but here in Louisiana Jan-Feb.  You can also re-plant right now but we usually just till up that ground and plant something else.

When to harvest? When the plants seem to wilt/ begin turning brown & dying off.

How many did we get?  We did weigh them and ended up with about 180 lbs.!!!

Storage- We dust them off somewhat and then put into bags.  Burlap & crawfish sacks work great and that's what we use. We then put them in our large pantry.  You want them kept cool-room temp and dark. The burlap helps with that.    If you have a root cellar or basement & live in a less humid climate you would store them there.  (I saw where you can take a plastic tote and drill some holes to allow air to flow through & then store like that.  Looks like a good idea but I've not tried that.)

I check the potatoes about once a week. Look for any fruit flies & sour smells. If you have that you will need to search out the culprit potatoes & remove them immediately.

DO NOT store in the bags any potatoes that are wet or cut. They will rot & cause the others around them to rot too.  You can set those potatoes aside and use them first. 

You can also dehydrate & can potatoes.

What do we  do with all of them?  Eat them.  LOL  There are so many things to do with potatoes: fried, boiled, mashed, potato pancakes, potato salad, scalloped, etc.

We did grow a lot of potatoes but if kept properly they will last our family a long time.

I saw yesterday at the grocery store a 2lb. bag of small red potatoes was selling for $6.99!  So this year we are saving big!!!

Potatoes

We harvested our potatoes today. 

We will store them & they should last us through winter.  :)

Gardening is a lot of work but it's worth it!

Homeschool Co-ops

We are members of a homeschool co-op.  The children of all ages meet 1x a week during school and attend 3 classes and also get a recess. We also have other field trips & activities throughout the year.
This has been such a blessing for us.  It has also been, at times, challenging.   Through it all it's been a great learning experience. 
A blessing because it's helped my daughter to come out of her shell.  She's more outgoing & engaging.  The main blessing is that she, and I have made some really great friendships.  That was really my goal going into this so it's been achieved.  :)
Challenging because just like anything in today's world there are good & bad influences. Gossiping, social media issues, etc. are all still present whether you are a homeschooler or not. 
I've prayed on it for a while now & have decided that the good far outweighs the bad so we will be continuing with the classes.
My daughter & I both really enjoy the fellowship & it gives us something to look forward to all week.
There are several choices for her age group for the coming school year.  I think the difficulty in that will just be having to choose her favorites.
All of the mom's are required to either teach or help. I will be teaching a cooking class to the older children. I'm very excited about this & have been looking up recipes this morning to try to decide which dishes to make.
If you are a homeschooler & have wondered if co-op classes are for you I encourage you to seek one out & give it a try.

Menu

I'll start my blog back up with our menu plan for the week. I will go back to doing this on Monday's after today.  :)

Sunday- We ate out at Chili's after church
Monday- BBQ chicken leg quarters, tossed salad w/homemade ranch dressing, stuffed jalapenos, & watermelon
Tuesday- Saucy turkey meatballs, roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, tomatoes, & mushrooms)
Wednesday- Spaghetti, green beans
Thursday-  Chicken & vegetable stir-fry, rice
Friday- Hamburger & cabbage pot
Saturday-  Soft tacos & Mexican rice

Take two...

There have been so many changes in our families lives the past few months that it's been difficult to find time to blog. Blogging & me have a strange relationship anyway. Sometimes I feel like I've got so much to say & share, and then other times I feel like it's no one's business about anything in my life & that most don't care anyway. 
With summer here & most of the 'issues' resolved or being resolved I think I will try again.