Spelt Pancakes

Almost every Saturday and Sunday morning my kids ask me for pancakes.  Truth be told, I am so sick and tired of making them that I try to invent something new every weekend just to avoid making the same old thing.  But after a little bit of complaining (from me, not the kids) I usually cave and make them.  I don't eat them myself because I don't function well on a high carb breakfast.  If I eat carbs for breakfast I just feel like going back to bed so I stick to my trusted protein smoothie variations seven days a week.  I also have an intolerance to eggs and the recipe calls for an egg so I really wouldn't feel well if I ate them.  My husband and kids love them though so they must be good.

My six year old daughter took these pictures, by the way :) That's the size of pancake she eats!!!

Spelt Pancakes

1 3/4 cups spelt flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup vanilla rice milk (or soy or almond)
6 tsp olive oil
3 tsp maple syrup
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh blueberries, mashed banana or chocolate chips (optional)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Blend wet ingredients in blender on a low speed until all ingredients are blended together.  Mix wet ingredients into dry.  Fold in blueberries, bananas, or chocolate chips if desired.  Poor a few tablespoons of batter into greased frying pan and flip when golden. Top with pure maple syrup and/or fresh fruit and enjoy.

P.S. I use the teaspoon to measure the olive oil because if you use the same spoon and follow with the maple syrup the syrup will not stick to the spoon.  The oil will make it slip right out.  Makes the measurement more accurate and clean up much easier :)

Raw Vegan Chocolate Pudding

I got this recipe from a girl named Elke Kasanda http://energychef.com/.  She came to do a presentation on raw food at my school one day and this is what she made.  There was only enough for each of us to try a little bite.  It was like heaven when I put it in my mouth.  How could something this healthy taste this rich and yummy?  It was like Heaven.  I had to get the recipe to make more because one bite wasn't going to cut it.  Everyone at the workshop agreed that it was decadent.  She could have made 10 batches and we still would have licked the plates at the end to get every last bite.

This recipe is so healthy I have even let my kids eat it for breakfast!  It's full of good fats to keep them full until snack time and these same healthy fats provide them with brain food.  Of course, it's more of a treat but I can assure you it's way healthier than every single one of the conventional breakfast cereals marketed as kids breakfast food.  Reese's peanut butter puffs???  C'mon!

Anyway, here it is:

Raw Vegan Chocolate Pudding

8 Medjool dates pitted and soaked in filtered water for at least 30 minutes
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 medium sized avocadoes
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup filtered water


Place all ingredients in food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.  Serve and enjoy.