Healthy Waffles

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know I regularly grind Wheat Montana Prairie Gold Whole Wheat Flour (non-GMO), as well as use local raw honey, local fresh eggs (friends and neighbors), and as much fresh produce from the garden as possible.  I prefer cooking from scratch so spend much time in the kitchen and garden.

Lately we have been experimenting with using raw milk from a local farm, Organic Valley Sour Cream,  White Mountain Organic Yogurt (whole milk probiotic), Organic Valley Cheese and Cabot Lactose Free Cheese.  We are enjoying the results.  YUM!

For years and years I have made waffles for breakfast.  I go through waffle irons.  When you have a husband who does physical work you have to feed him well.  This almost keeps him to lunch time.

Here is the recipe we use:

1 cup fresh ground Wheat Montana Prairie Gold flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Rumford Baking Powder (no aluminum)
1 scant cup raw milk
1 farm fresh egg
1 tablespoon raw local honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put about 3/4 cup in the large waffle iron and cook.  Serve with real butter and maple syrup.  In this case I put them in the Demarle teddy bear mold and baked at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

I was raised on raw milk plus dad and mom raised their own beef.  So I've always had a relatively healthy diet.  But there were many years in between you could not get raw milk unless you kept your own milk cow which we chose not to do.

Huckleberry Coffee Cake

In a month or so the huckleberry season will be on in North Idaho and we are going so need to use up the frozen huckleberries from last year.

This photo is from the last time we went picking 4 years ago.  Usually we purchase directly from pickers.

Tonight I sat down with an old cookbook put together by some local ladies...one without pictures so I don't usually pick it up anymore; and I found a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Streusel.  Huckleberries can be substituted for blueberries...this should be good.

By the time I substituted this and that so I could make it without going to the store it barely resembles the original.  I was especially trying to avoid using milk. 

So here is the final recipe.

Streusel Topping:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup whole wheat fresh ground flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons soft butter (not margarine)
zest of one large lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (vietnamese)

Combine the above ingredients and fold in:

1/2 cup frozen huckleberries

Coffee Cake:

4 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup raw turninado sugar (next time do a 1/2 cup)
zest of two lemons
juice of one lemon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat fresh ground flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups frozen huckleberries

Place the Demarle At Home Sunflower Mold on a Medium Perforated Tray (or use a 9 x13 well greased).

In a medium bowl stir butter, sugar and lemon zest.  Add lemon juice, cream and egg and stir until smooth.  In another bowl mix flour, baking poder and salt.  Combine dry and wet ingredients, then fold in frozen huckleberries.  The mixture is thick.  Spoon batter into the mold and sprinkle with the topping.

Bake until golden brown about 50 minutes and then check for doneness at your altitude.  Serves 8.

A note about using this sunflower mold:  The streusel will be on the bottom once you turn it out onto a serving plate.  If that matters, don't use this mold.  Use one with a flat bottom (and turn it twice) or use a 9 x 13 baking dish.

This is what it looked like before I turned it out:

During dinner my husband said this is food fit for a king.  He liked it and had another portion before bed.

Demarle Inventory Now Available

Demarle is made of inert sand and is safe at all temperatures.  No grease is needed.  The food releases easily.  Clean up is also easy.  The product goes in the oven up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit.  Hand wash.

Demarle Inventory as of 7-1-14:

View many You Tube videos of the Demarle products in use.  It's fascinating to me and I hope to you too.

Three sizes of tartlett trays.  The medium size is out of my inventory.

Mini Tartlet Tray has 30 shapes :  $ 66.98 each

Large Tartlet tray has 12 shapes:  $66.98 each.

The prices I've put on this blog post include taxes and shipping which I have already paid.

Floral Cooling Rack, 15" diameter.  Pretty enough to use as a display.  $29.35
This is not the Demarle Product that first won my heart but now that I constantly use it I like it so much...don't just pass it by without notice.

Silform Bread Tray.  $66.98.  Silform Trays are for bread baking.  You get the crispy crusts using this product.  This tray is similar to what is used by the Subway franchises.  Makes up to 4 loaves at once. Sold but available for reorder.

From my kitchen several years ago:

Next is the Mini Boat Tartlet Tray.  This is about a two bite size and perfect for potluck appetizers.  Imagine a toothpick holding a flag/sail for whatever season it might be.  $66.98.  Sold but available for reorder.

Brownies for the Superbowl made by my sister:

Fluted Square Mold.  9.5" square  2.5 Quart Capacity.   Turn an ordinary casserole into a real presentation.  $45.81

 

 Whenever you bake with Demarle products the forms need to first be placed on a tray before filling.  Make the mistake of filling a mold first and then trying to transfer to a tray and you won't likely do it again.

Perforated Baking Sheet, Medium:  $30.52 each.  The photo shows all three sizes,but I only have the middle size in stock as it is the most practical size and fits the Flexipat and Silform Trays also the molds as in the photo just above.  Sold what I have in inventory.  Can order more.

Silpat, Medium  $21.12 each.

These are great for baking cookies and catching drips beneath Demarle Molds during baking.  This makes clean up of the Perforated Baking Sheet easier.  I also find these ideal for using in the freezer to pre-freeze fruit before putting in a ziploc.  Last but not least, they are great for roasting veggies.

Next is the Imagination Tray.  It has 12 spaces.  They can be made into snowmen or bugs.  $66.98 each.

 

Spoon Appetizer Tray has 18 spoon shapes and 10 decorative dot shapes.  $66.98.

 

Think about a cheese cake dessert here...  Oh the sky is the limit.  Your talent will be admired.  The spoon tray needs a specific cutter shape: $21.12 each

 

This flower tray has 6 large 4 ounce shapes.   Would be great for mini birthday cakes or large breakfast muffins.    Also they are great for freezing 1/2 cup portions of leftovers. $66.98

Sunflower Mold. Capacity 2.5 quarts.  About the same as an 8 x 12 casserole dish and oh so much more fun.  $45.81

Muffin Tray, 12 shapes, 4 ounce capacity.  $66.98 Sold but available for reorder.

 Mini Muffin Tray, 20 shapes, 1 2/3 ounce capacity.  $66.98

Fluted Round Mold, 10.5"  2 quart.  This is great for many things.  Roasts, veggies, pies, tarts.  Deeper 1 7/8" sides hold in the liquids.  I keep one just like this in the travel trailer because that oven is smaller.  Use it with the small perforated tray for RV roasting.  Recently made roasted beets in this.  Yummy! $43.46 each.

Oven Fries

For supper last night I used most of a 10 lb bag of Yukon Gold Potatoes to make oven fries.

I have enough done ahead now for about three meals.

For one meal serving four people I peeled and sliced 4 potatoes, placed in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup grapeseed oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.  Tossed this and spread out in a Pampered Chef clay jelly roll baker.  Baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  This particular time I quadrupled the recipe and baked several pans full.  This is one of the reasons I am so happy to have a double oven.  The large batch baking happens in half the time.

Unbaked and tossed with oil and salt.

Sugar Snap Peas Fresh From The Garden

This is an attempt at a selfie shot bringing in an unexpected bounty from the pea patch.  You know the color the peas should be so you can see the photo wasn't what it would be if someone was holding the camera instead of a load of peas and getting the lighting right.  A timed photo does not work so well because of the auto focus while keeping my load together (didn't succeed).  Plus I was having a lot of trouble getting any photo at all because of the lighting and time of day combined with the load.

Years ago my room mate Esther shared a wonderful pasta recipe using snap peas.  I would have made it yesterday except I didn't want to go to the store for ham.  I will share the recipe with you soon because I can see more of these crispy morsels are in my future.

Instead I sauted them in grapeseed oil and sea salt.  Yummy!

The abundance in the pea patch is a first for me.  For years I've planted these and gotten a few at best and none at worst.  This has been an exceptional year for crops in this area.  I've noticed it everywhere I look.  Also, these were planted in March instead of April which is a big deal here because of the heat.

Alkaline Water, Filter Out Floride, Heavy Metals

Today one of our customers called to order new filters for their Tyent Alkaline Water Machine.  This customer had been researching fluoride put in city water systems. He told me fluoride binds itself to the molecular structure of water and never goes away unless it is put through an extreme water purification system.

The Tyent Ultra filters out about 50% (to 9/10ths parts per million) fluoride.  If you use their T-Pure filters (3 filters) they can remove 95% or down to 2/10ths parts per million fluoride and heavy metals.  Even so the calcium and magnesium minerals remain in your water which is a good thing.
For more information on these pre-filters: Tyent pre-filter

The EPA allows 4 parts per million floride in water systems.  Most municipalities add 1.8 parts floride per million.

Testing our well water PH levels from the Tyent.  Drink the one on the left.  The middle and the right are great for removing pesticides from food. soak your fruits and veggies in those two.

 Above:  Alkaline water

Below:  Acid water for cleaning comes out the drain hose.

One year ago I became a Tyent Dealer and we began drinking alkaline water.  My personal experience has been that I feel stronger ( I am thinking I am getting as much done as I did in my 20's and 30's), have noticeable improvement in mental clarity and have not been sick since.

Click this link to view my favorite video of how blood looks under a microscope after drinking Tyent alkaline water.

What happens to blood after drinking Tyent water.

Orange or Tangelo Muffins From Scratch

A few weeks ago the Music Boosters group at school was having their annual fundraiser of selling citrus.  We got a box of tangelos and a box of grapefruit.  They are quite good, and we are eating them right along, but they need used up faster than we can eat them.

So this morning I experimented with a recipe given to me by my grown up daughter.  I'll give you the original recipe then I'll post today's experiment at the end.

Delicious Tangelos

Tangelo Muffins made in the Demarle At Home Butterfly tray:

Next is the original recipe I started with . . . (It's a family favorite).  My daughter who claims she isn't creative designed the decorative recipe card.  Ha!  Not creative?  She will eventually get it that she is creative and just hasn't recognized it yet.

Then the adaptions based somewhat on items I needed to use up (egg whites) or just because I like less sugar and more healthful (part fresh ground Prairie Gold whole wheat flour).

Orange or Tangelo Muffins

LIGHT AND FLUFFY!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6 egg whites beaten to a stiff peak

1 cup butter softened, no substitutes

¾ cup raw  sugar, could reduce to 2/3 cup

2 teaspoons tangelo zest, wash them first

6 Tablespoons tangelo juice, fresh squeezed

Note: this recipe would work great with any citrus fruit

1 cup fresh ground Wheat Montana Prairie Gold whole wheat, variety is important for light fluffiness

2 teaspoons baking powder without aluminum

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat egg whites.

Cream softened butter, sugar, tangelo zest and juice.

Combine dry ingredients then add to butter/sugar/tangelo mixture.

Fold in egg whites.

Divide into Demarle At Home tray.  I used the butterfly tray and baked for 14 minutes and also the teddy bear tray and baked for 17 minutes.

Added a few days later.

These didn't last long.  By the time the children got home from school that day they were history.  A success and they want more if you please mother...