Waffles, Healthy, Yummy Style

Waffles for Breakfast!

READY!! After 10-12 Minutes

READY for your Favorite Toppings. ie. Fruit Sauce, Honey, Maple Syrup...

I love waffles. That could be due to my disasterous failures at making healthy pancakes.

I have tried many times to make Healthy pancakes (Ones without eggs and white flour). Poor John he tries to eat them,,, but I don't think that even the birds would eat my failures. Anyway, the opposite is true about my waffles. Although they have had their horrible failures when I lifted the lid before the timer went off at 10-12 minutes. Then you have to clean your waffle iron. It's a tedious job and the family or hubby or guests don't get waffles for breakfast. Another MUST for waffles is to make sure you put some form of nuts or Olive oil in them. If this is left out... They won't come out of your waffle iron. I've tried and had failure as well. So now I will give you my ingredients and you can have fun making them. Get up a little early so that you aren't tempted to lift the lid on your waffle iron because you have many to make and want them to hurry. It's also nice to make them ahead when you have the time and all you need to do is put them in the toaster or covered with foil in a baking dish in the oven for heating. Oh, and when the waffle iron has cooled and you are ready to put it away. DO NOT WASH It!!! If you have done this, you may want to brush oil on it and then heat it to High and close the lid down. Let it heat for about 5 minutes. It should then be ok to use and will not stick the next time you want to use it. (Hopefully) :)

Recipe:

Place the following in the blender:

6 whole Dates

1/4 cup Cornmeal

2 cups Whole Oats

1/2 tsp. Salt

3/4 cup Soaked dry Garbanzo's (ie. Chick Peas)

4 cups Water

2 TB Olive Oil or 1/4 cup Cashews (A Must)

Blend until smooth

Pour into your hot Waffle Iron and set your timer for 10 Min. If, when trying to lift the lid, it doesn't want to lift, then set the timer for 2 more minutes.

There you have it. I hope that you will enjoy these. I always take the ones we don't eat and put them in plastic bags into the fridge. If you aren't going to use them in a week, (Which doesn't happen here often) then they can be frozen.

You can experiment with some of the ingredients. I was thinking that one could put some pumpkin in the mixture. Add your pumpkin pie spices to it. And put some Maple syrup in it. Great for a light evening meal too!

That would be great for Thanksgiving or Christmas buffets... Think I'll try it next time.

Adding Blueberries or Raisens, Carob Chips could also make it interesting. Let me know how you do..

Hugs, Jan

Garbanzo's~Chic Pea's/ Hummus-Differant Ways to Use

Since leaving the world of Cheese, Eggs and Milk, I have tried to find different ways to satisfy my desire for especially Cheese. Well, I think I have found it. And if you can't make it from scratch, you can buy it very readily in the stores now. Already made for you in many different flavours. It's HUMMUS!

But I will tell you, that it is a great sandwich spread, Taco filling, along with your Pinto beans, And a great dip for Veggies and one of my favorites; Spread it on your Pizza crust.

First of all I will show you my process of making the Hummus;

Hummus:

I pressure cook my dry Garbanzo's. After the knocker starts knocking I cook them for about an hour and a half.

Then: I place the following into my Food Processor:

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds (I like them lightly roasted)

3/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Blend until Smooth

Then add to the Above Mixture:

1/4 Fresh Red Pepper

or Hot Red Pepper (Make sure you take all the seeds out)

Blend

Then add the following:

4-5 Cups of Garbanzo Beans

1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

You may taste it and adjust the lemon juice according to your liking.

Now you have the Hummus that you can use for a dip or on top of your Pizza Crust.

I always make two Pizza Crusts when I'm making my bread. So there is always one on hand.)

Pizza:

Spread the crust with the Hummus. Then add your favorite Tomato Paste. Place it in the oven. Bake it until it is warm. While you are doing this;

Saute in 1TB of Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil or just plain water; the following:

Chopped Onions

Sliced Olives

Chopped Peppers

Sliced Mushrooms

Gluten steak slivers (Recipe is on my blog for the Gluten Steaks)

Or Sliced Firm Tofu

Broccoli

You may add anything that you normally like to put on a Pizza

After the above items are soft, then you can take the Pizza out of the oven and place the sauteed Veggies on top of it.

It's ready to enjoy and serve.

I hope you will enjoy the Hummus on your Pizza. It gives me the Cheese Element that I have a craving for.

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Over at Rawk Out Blog, Sharon had a great recipe for Raw Dehydrated Corn Tortillas. She has Step by Step instructions on how to make them.

( You may find some other great Raw Food Recipes on there as well)

I just finished a batch of them this morning. I love them!! Pulled out my dehydrator and put the little circles of the batter onto, Parchment paper and put them in the Dehydrator. Had it running most of the afternoon and over night. It should take about 16 hrs. These are great for dipping into the Hummus. And these chips have NO FAT and are so good for you! Next time I'm making a double batch. These will be gone in no time. These are great for dipping into your freshly made Hummus! Sooo Goood!

Hope you want to try them too!

(With of course, the Hummus you have made above!)

So Much for the Squash and Pumpkins in our Garden this year...

Do the Best with what you got......No eating them, but can display them. LOL
At this time of the year it is fun to bring in the root veggies from the garden. Carrots, Potatoes, and the Squash and Pumpkins. All the rewards of watering ,weeding etc.... are finally coming to an end.

I was feeling pretty sad that our weather/rain/ crazy Summer, didn't give us any Pumpkins or Squash this year... But... John said that we did have something.... Look at the cuties :) Atleast I can put them in an arrangement. So for the best that they could do this year, we still have some green little guys that I could put in my Milk Glass dishes. They say: Make lemonade out of Lemons. I'm making arrangements out of flopped squash. LOL Where there is a will there is a way. Don't think I would want to try to eat them though. Can you imagine the bitterness....

Hugs, CJO

Gluten Steaks- "Jan's Style" For your Holiday Entrees

Thought I would post my recipe for my Gluten steaks. Around the Holiday Season one tends to make a little more entrees and special meals more than any other time of the year.

I like to use my steaks for Tacos, Spaghetti "Meat Balls", Wraps, Stir Fry's, or just by themselves. Blend them in the blender a couple at a time and make your own Vega Burger and use anywhere you would use meat.


Basic Recipe

Jan's Gluten Recipe


This is just for a 2 quart pan- about 15-20 steaks

Gluten Flour 3 cups
Soy Flour ¾ cups
Water 2 3/4 cups

Mix all of the above together and knead for about 3 minutes (I find that the texture an firmness of your dough will be the texture of your steak after it is done.
If it seems to soft you may add a little more flour into it as you are kneeding it to make it firmer.) Having your hands wet while working the dough seems to make it a little easier to work with. The dough really sticks to your hands. Don't panic. LOL Just put your hands under warm running water and work it off.

Then divide the dough into 2 pieces

Wet the bread board and your hands

Roll out into long logs and slice the pieces off with a sharp knife and then you take the pieces and press them down with the palm of your hand on a bread board until flattened and then drop them into the following cold broth.

You can use Chicken McKay's Yellow seasoning for the light steaks and
also they have a Beef flavoring too... You just flavor the water that you boil the steaks in and taste to
see if it's not too salty.... until you have the right flavor... Or you can use the following recipe that I use.

Note: the flavor of your broth will be the flavor of your steaks.

The Broth I use is below:

Broth:
Pan 3/4 full of water and then 1 cup of Soy sauce or 3/4 cup of Dr. Bragg's Liquid Amino's ( the amino's seem to be more salty than the Soy Sauce) or Tamari,

2 Tb of Onion Salt
Optional: add some chopped Onion and Celery

(Note: Taste the broth for saltiness or flavour... You can add more to it as you like...
The steaks take the flavor and saltiness of the broth)

Or: you can add the following into your water for a broth as well:
the above mentioned seasonings-Chicken McKay seasoning or the Beef style.

1/drop the little round pieces of gluten steaks into the broth
2/Set the heat to medium and put a lid on them for about 10 minutes....(Watch because if they
are in too small of a pan, they want to boil over)
3. Take the lid off and they will be puffed up.
4. Continue to cook them for 30-45 min. longer.(the puffiness turns to a firm steak, and a good texture) They will then be a nice texture for steaks, or Grind a
couple in the blender at a time and then you have burger.... For Spaghetti, Lasagna, burgers, pocket breads and stir fry, Your favorite Roasts..... The list goes on...

For steaks,,,,, I fry them.... But you can also bake them.... shake the steaks in a flower mixture of :
flour, onion powder and salt to taste. I fry them in a small amount of Olive Oil, but they can be baked as well.

Place on Pam Sprayed cookie sheets and turn after it is brown and to the other side.
The broth can be thickened with cornstarch or flour for gravy to pour over the steaks.

Life Is What Happens While You’re Waiting for the Grand Moments....(that never happen?)

Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter.....

Just got off the phone with a friend that I hadn't heard her voice in years. Was great to talk and catch up on our lives. Her encouragement to continue with my blog, is the results of this new entry.

When one is waiting for direction in life, it seems like the world is standing still. But all along the things around you keep progressing forward. A person needs to do something. So I look around me and I see that the garden produce still needs something to be done with it. The house needs some Fall cleaning, the summer clothes need to be put away and the boots and sweaters need to come down on the lower shelves. One thing for sure is that God is there to give me strengh for each day. I can still have my morning times with God that carry me throughout the day. I can still try and touch another heart with joy. I can be cheerful and happy to lend a helping hand wherever I am called. I can try to make this day a better day than yesterday.

As the world around me is changing it colors and the feeling of a definate crispness in the air is starting to break upon me; I pray that I will grasp the newness of this time and make it the best Fall Season of my life.

The above pictures are the Spring, Summer and Fall, Winter as they contrast around me.

Wonder what the future has in store? All is well, when God is in control!!

Just for Today

'All we have to do with is this one day. Today we must be faithful to our trust. Today we must love God with all the heart and our neighbor as ourselves. Today we must resist the temptations of the enemy, and through the grace of Christ obtain the victory. Thus we will watch and wait for Christs Second Coming. Each day we should live as if we knew this would be our last day on earth. If we knew that Christ would come tomorrow, would we not crowd into today all the kind words, all the unselfish deeds, that we could? We should be patient and gentle, and intensely in earnest, doing all in our power to win souls for Christ." HP 355

Isn't this what life is really about, in the world that is in a constant change?

Hugs, and Prayers, CJO

Macaroon Healthy Cookies- Made for Hubby for Father's Day

Thought I would share with you the recipe for my Macaroon Cookies. I made these for John for Father's day. We are still eating on them. Put them in the freezer. They taste good frozen too!


Coconut Macaroons- Healthy Style

Liquids:
1/2 cup Soy Milk of choice

3/4 cup Honey or raw Cane sugar or Pure Maple syrup >Mix with a whip until smooth


Dry Ingredients:
4 cups sugar free shredded Coconut

1/4 tp. Salt

6 Tb. Cornstarch > Mix together

2 tp. Baking powder (Non aluminum)

1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or Unbleached White flour

Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Form into little balls with your hands- About Walnut size

(note: if you use the Raw Sugar instead of the honey or Maple syrup- leave out 1/4 cup of the flour and have 3/4 cup of Soy Milk.)

Preheat oven to 375' and bake for 15-20 min. until slightly golden.

After they are cooled. Lay out a piece of waxed paper. Heat your Vegan Carob chips in your microwave. Mine took about 4 1/2 minutes.

Dip the Macaroon half way into the smooth Carob.
Lay onto your waxed paper until the the Carob is set.

Happy Macaroon Cookie Making!

Bread Making Day- Funny Story

Today was my day to make bread. So I was mixing the bread with my hands. Had the phone tucked under my ear, held between my chin and shoulder. Can you see the picture? I'm talking with my mom on the phone and I'm thinking that this is great. I can talk with her and get the bread mixed all at the same time. All of a sudden, the phone pops out of my chin and lands in the dough. Mom's still talking, but I need to tell her I can't hear her because the phone is in the dough. I grab the phone with my doughy hands and get it up to my ear. Now I have dough in my hair and all over my jacket.... Told her I'd call her back. She said she would call me... back in 10 min. Well what a scene that was. Finally got the phone and myself cleaned up and finished kneading the bread. The bread is now in the oven. The smells coming out of the Pantry are awesome. Can you smell it??

Anyway, I thought I would post the recipe for my basic bread recipe. I usually make 7 loaves and have one dough left to make either a pizza crust, rolls or a round bread that I can doctor up for having with Spaghetti or? I have to hurry, for the bread will be ready to take out of the oven in 5 minutes.

Basic Brown Bread Recipe.


16 Cups Whole Grain Flour
3 TB Fast Active Yeast
2 ½ TB Sea Salt
¼ Cup Honey, or ½ Cup Raw Sugar, or ½ Cup Maple Syrup
1/8 Cup Olive Oil

Mix together the above

Then add into the middle of this flour mixture:
8 Cups of warm water.

Mix lightly with your hand the liquid and the flour. When it begins to be harder to mix with your hand, then begin to knead the dry ingredients into the center of the ball. Once the ball gets sticky, I add more dry ingredients around it, with a cup of flour. I keep kneading this into the big ball, until it forms the consistency that I like. Usually your hand doesn’t stick to the big ball and it pulls away from the pan.

I then take the ball of dough out and set it on the counter. I scrape the bowl that I was using to knead the dough in, with the lid of a canning jar. I then toss the scrapings. Line the bowl with margarine and set the dough back into it. Let it rise for an hour in a warm room. Any over-rising will cause your bread to be yeasty tasting.

When the dough has grown to a little more than the bowl size. I take it out and place it on the counter. I cut the dough in 8 sections. I have a small little scale and I make my loaves about a pound and a half each. I always have a little loaf left over. I make some roles or a little loaf out if it.

I punch down each loaf to make sure all of the air is out of it. Place them in Margarine greased bread pans and let them rise for an hour. ( Your bread won’t stick to the pans when you use margarine instead of oil!!

When the bread has risen about an inch higher than the pan, I place them in a pre-heated oven of 325’ I bake them for an hour.


Hope you're have a great day too.
Hugs,
Jan

If Dogs could talk??

Just thought I would share with our a picture of our granddaughter, Dottie. She loves animals!! That is putting it mildly. Her dad finally had to stop her from going around barking at us. She even had the caucked head as she was doing it. Anyway, they went to a friends place and they had dogs and if this dog could talk, I wonder what they would be saying to each other. I just love this picture. I think it's ok for a grandmother to think her grandkids are pretty special....

Hugs, Jan

Yellow Iris- My Sunshine,When It's Cloudy.

It's been so long since I last posted on my Blog, that I was wandering if I could remember my password. LOL It has been a very rainy Spring and early Summer here this year. Still in need of heating the house, but not wanting to go down and start the wood furnace. So I just put on an extra layer of clothes.

I wanted to share with you a few pictures of our Iris's. Many days that it has been raining and cloudy, these beauties just burst out their color and it's almost like the sun is shining. Last evening the sun finally came out and John got out the camera and took these pictures. With the Sun finally shinning and the beauty of the Yellow Iris's; it was almost too much for my eyes.LOL. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the view.

Hugs, Jan