Berry Apple Bread Cake

It's time to use up some of those lingering fresh apples in a gluten-free treat. I love making a gluten-free bread or cake that will last for the week to take as a snack or add to a meal. It is not that hard to make and then you have it around or you can freeze it for a busy week. I am starting to think that the apples want to be eaten because they are the only one's left out of the buckets I had bought weeks ago to make applesauce. I cannot believe that it is going to be November next week. I have to eat these apples! The squash and pumpkin can sit around in the pantry for weeks it is kept in a cooler location. So I don't feel bad for them them sit around, but the apples..... ok, I justified myself enough to bake some cake. Here we go...

Berry Apple Bread Cake Recipe:

1 1/2 cups of a ground nut flour. I used a mixture of almond meal and hazelnut meal

1 1/2 cups of Bob Red Mill's Gluten-Free Baking Mix flour (or other gluten-free flour mix) 

1 cup of sucant (dehydrated sugar cane) Or agave nectar works as well, just use 1/2 cup

1 TB of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1/4 cup of organic palm oil shortening

1/4 cup of coconut oil, or other light baking oil

1 TB of pure vanilla

1/2 ts. of ground nutmeg

1 ts. of ground cinnamon

1 cup of non-dairy milk, I used coconut milk "beverage"

juice of one lemon squeezed into the milk above in a separate bowl to let curdle for a minute

3 small farm fresh eggs (or an egg substitute)

2 cups of diced apples

1 cup of frozen blueberries, or if you have fresh....

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then add in the wet slowly. Add the mix/lemon juice mixture last and mix well. Let the baking powder and soda do it's thing and you will start to see bubbles. Fold in the diced apples and berries and then pour into a 9x13 Pyrex baking pan or a 12x12 circle baking pan. Whatever works for you.  Make sure you oil the pan just a bit so as to not let the cake stick. Then add the final touch... the crumble. Fork together the following ingredients and sprinkle all over the cake.

Crumble:

3 TB of sucant

3 TB of gluten-free flour mix

2 TB of ghee (or coconut oil or palm shortening)

Then put in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes to an hour. Check at 50 minutes to see if it is baking well, and check with a pic if there is gooeyness. Make up too an hour if it needs to bake in the middle still. 

Let it cool just a bit before slicing. Then..... Enjoy! Hmmm, some apples, gluten-free goodness you cannot deny. A bite for you...

Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts

I bet you could guess what family the brussel sprouts come from... cabbage of course. They look like little heads of cabbage or lettuce growing on a stalk. Quite interesting looking actually. They are a great fall veggie, but they can be long lived throughout the harvest season. At first looks of it you might think, "There is a reason I do not like this vegetable!" It is weird looking and it kinda smells different too.Well, don't let that scare you away. You should know that the nutritional intake of vitamins, fiber and folate acid will help your DNA fight against disease. It is a powerful source of detoxifying enzymes that will keep you clean and strong against disease. So, even if you are a bit skeptical, they may be worth a try, right? So, I have a simple recipe to try that might help you change you mind as well. It's pretty good I must say myself. 

First of all you will have to cut or pull the sprouts from the stalk and rinse and soak them in clean water to make sure you get out all the dirt or slugs :), which won't kill ya. 

Once they are rinsed and clean you can put them in a big pot with a little water to lightly steam them for about 10 minutes under boiling water. Or if you have a veggie steamer that works well too. Once the sprouts are lightly cooked you will get them out of the steamer and put them in a large frying pan or wok. Then combine the following ingredients as you stir the sprouts on a medium heat. You can take a knife and cut the sprouts if some are pretty big or you want to have them more bite sized.

Brussel Sprouts Recipe:

1 TB of olive oil or walnut oil

1 lemon squeeze for juice

dash of cinnamon

dash of cardamon

a few dashes of sea salt

a few dashes of cracked pepper

toss in some dried cranberries and raw walnuts ( if you cannot eat walnuts, try almond slices)

After you have let the flavors cook over the brussel sprouts, it is time to serve. Do not saute more than 5-6 minutes because it will start to get soggy or burned. Serve right away as a great side to either a piece of meat or some quinoa or rice. You could make a stir fry with these sproats and add a few more veggies with a few cups of brown rice. It would be clean, simple and fresh. Your body doesn't ask for more. Just not really less. You will be surprised at the sweet and bitter taste of the sprouts, and I bet you may even like them. Kids seem to think they are funny enough to try and eat, and if you want to make it a finger food, then go for it by all means. I hope you try it and let me know what you think. Enjoy! 

If you are going to turn in a  recipe for the Fall recipe Contest you have 4 more days. 

Butternut Squash Vegetable Chili (Vegan)

It's been raining for 5 days straight now... and it's cold! Perhaps a pot of chili may just help warm our bones and keep our spirits high. Warm, full of flavor chili will make you really enjoy the cool weather more because you wouldn't want to be devouring a bowl of warm goodness if it was 70 degrees. It is one of the ways to truly appreciate fall. I personally like to use seasonal vegetables in my chili, and with the abundance of squash in my kitchen, I thought, why not?Squash, yes, I have much to use, much to enjoy. If you want to try and use up some of that pre-cooked diced squash from the previous post, then this is a great way to use it. So another dish with the beloved fall ingredient. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Vegetable Chili:

1 large yellow onion, diced and chopped

3 diced garlic coves

2 TB of olive oil

2 -28 oz of diced or whole canned tomatoes blended in a blender or food processor until smooth or of a consistency that you would prefer. I use organic canned tomatoes.

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of sliced carrots

1 cup of diced green pepper

2 small red chili peppers

1 small diced zucchini or another veggie of choice

3 14oz cans of "chili" beans or one can of each black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans.

(you can use dry, cooked beans as well, about 1 cup of each variety above)

3 TB of chili powder

1 TB of cumin

1 ts. of ground ginger

1 ts. of ground nutmeg

1 ts of ground cinnamon

2 cups of pre-cooked butternut squash that has been bite-sized cubed for eating

Saute the onions and the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes in a large 5 qt. pot, and then toss if the blended tomatoes and broth along with the following vegetables. Add the spices and the beans and cook for about 30 minutes on a high heat. Add the diced squash here and cook for another 30 minutes until all the flavors and veggies have mixed well and it's smells reach all corners of your kitchen and your home. I love that smell of bubbling chili.

Serve warm or freeze half and save for healthy packed lunches for the week. It makes a large pot so make sure to find way to eat (or freeze) as much as you can.

Some of my favorite vegan toppings to chili instead of cheese, sour cream and crackers:

-diced avocado

-fresh chopped cilantro, with a squeeze of lime or lemon

-crunched organic tortilla chips

-spoonful of brown rice over top or underneath

-a large slice of some homemade gluten-free cornbread

Let me know of any other great chili ideas or toppings. I would love to hear of more.

Enjoy and have a warm and cozy weekend friends!

Buttercup Squash Quinoa Salad (vegan)

Squash tastes so much better than how it sounds. The word makes you feel or think that it is something that shouldn't taste as good. O but it is a divine autumn food. If you have never baked a squash and found yummy ways to eat it then I dare you to try this simple and 'fall in a bowl' recipe. Cranberries, walnuts and squash mixed with the perfect blend of herbs and quinoa. It will keep you coming back to the bowl, that I can guarantee.

A few recipes ago I made some butternut squash pasta sauce but I didn't really give a detailed explanation of how to bake a squash. So I will do that now... First of all, there are many different kinds of winter squash. Winter squash just means that it has a thinker shell-like skin that will last throughout the later fall and winter. Unlike summer squash like zucchini or yellow summer squash that needs to be eaten much more quickly. The squash below is called a buttercup squash...very similar to the butternut squash flavor but a tad bit sweeter.

It kind of looks like a pumpkin doesn't it?! It is beautifully colored a bright orange and is a bit lighter in weight than the average pie pumpkin of it's size. This is a great squash to get started with if you have not baked a squash in your own oven before.

Directions on how to bake a winter squash:

Cut open the squash and clean out the seeds. I usually cut the squash into 4-6 smaller pieces for a large squash, (or 2-3 pieces for an acorn squash) with the skin still left on it. I lay the pieces on a cookie baking sheet and bake on a high heat of 400 degrees for about 1 hour to 1 and a half hours. If you want to slow cook on a 250 degree heat then you will need to bake for at least 3 hours, or until it is soft enough to cut through without needed to use the blade. After it is baked enough to slice into I pull from the oven and let cool down to room temperature.

Depending on how much it makes, (the last squash I cooked made about 10 cups of cooked squash) so I put all of what I am not going to use in air tight containers in the fridge to use for squash pasta sauce or to add to a soup or another recipe. For the following recipe, after you peal off the skin will need to dice the large pieces into bite-sized pieces. This will be the hardest part and it doesn't take more than 5 minutes. It is that easy. Now time to mix it all together...

Buttercup Squash Quinoa Salad Recipe:

1 medium yellow onion or 3 small shallots

1 TB of olive oil

1 cup of dried quinoa

2 cups of pure water

1 TB of wheat-free tamari sauce

2 cups of diced pre-baked buttercup squash (butternut or other winter squash works too)

1 cup of finely chopped fresh kale (spinach or another fresh greens if you don't have any kale)

2-3 TB of balsamic vinegar

1-2 TB of olive oil

1 TB of pure maple syrup

1/2 cup of dried cranberries

1/2 cup of toasted walnuts

1/2 cup of freshly chopped parsley (I love the fresh herb so I usually add more than 1/2 cup)

sea salt

fresh cracked pepper

Start with sauteing the onions in a little bit of olive oil in a medium pot. Then add the 1 cup of dry quinoa and toast up for a few minutes before adding the water. After 2-3 minutes add 2 cups of pure water an 1 TB of the wheat-free tamari sauce. Cook until a boil, and then turn heat to a simmer and let cook for about 15-20 minutes until there is no water left and there are air holes in the pot of cooked quinoa. Set aside and let cool down a bit.

In another frying pan, add 1 TB of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and place the cubed/diced pre-baked squash in the pan to warm up and fry. After a few minutes of toasting the squash add the kale and let it wilt just a bit.

After a few minutes of cooking, in a large mixing bowl add the cooled quinoa mix, and the butternut squash and kale mix. Toss in the vinegar, maple syrup and toasted walnuts and cranberries. Toss a few times and add in the chopped parsley and mix through. Make sure all parts are equally stirred ad then pour into a serving bowl. This salad could be served warm or cold. It is like Thanksgiving in a bowl, or well at least 'fall in a bowl'. It is served as a great side to almost any meal.

I hope you enjoy this dish with a relaxing get together with friends, or at home nice and cozy with someone you love. I will keep the squash recipes coming, because if you start loving the taste and baking more then you will have a lot of cooked squash on your hands to use up. That is the nice thing about winter squash...you can make it last far into the end of autumn and into the winter months. It will keep you warm way into the cold nights and hint of snow that may be coming... Enjoy!!!

Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan)

It was a long week. Too many things to do. What do I need? A good cookie to cheer me up. Just because I can't eat gluten shouldn't mean I need to forget about cookies. Cookies...how could I ever live without a good cookie?! Impossible. If you are a gluten-free person and you think you had to forget about ever indulging in a warm cookie from the oven with a glass of hot chocolate or coconut milk to cheer you up.... think again. This recipe will change you, these cookies will make you think differently. There is more hope for tomorrow. Don't loose sight of better health with keeping up with the gluten-free diet, but to cheat.... no never, but to indulge in a little treat....yes, you must!

A good cookie will make you forget the problems at hand. Sit down and enjoy a minute to savor the great things in life. There is so much to be thankful for. There is so much to not fret over. A good cookie can make you feel like you are normal, like you belong. A good cookie makes a rainy day pass, and a long week subside. So don't pass life by hoping for something else... just live, hope, and make some cookies.

Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe:

1 cup of sweet sorghum flour

1 cup of nut meal/flour (I used almonds that I grind up in my coffee grinder. Or you can use hazelnuts as well)

3 TB of dark cocoa powder or raw chocolate powder

1 ts. of baking powder

1/2 ts. of sea salt

2/3 cup of sucant (dehydrated sugar cane)

1/3 cup of agave nectar

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil

1/4 cup of coconut milk (or a tad more...enough to have sticky mixture)

1 TB of pure vanilla extract

1 cup of dark chocolate chips, or allergen-free chocolate chips

1 cup of dried cranberries, or you could also use cherries

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add in the oil and the liquids. Mix very well for a few minutes and you want to make sure that the batter is very sticky. It is different than "regular" cookie batters because you want it to be a little more wet and sticky so that it will not be too dry. After mixing pour in the chocolate chips and the dried cranberries and mix well again. To spoon out on the baking sheet make sure you lay some parchment paper down so that they do not stick, and then spoon out large teaspoon sized balls on the pan. Spread them out just a bit so that they can bake evenly. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes and then pull them from the oven to cool for about 10 minutes before moving from the pan. This recipe will make 24 cookies.  They are so yummy when warm, but hold their textures and yumminess for days. 

Well friends, you know how I will be relaxing this weekend. With some tea, cookies from the oven, and with some dear friends to share my treats. Enjoy!!!

Curried Split Pea Spinach Soup

It's soup season. I love a good hearty soup that will last for a few days to continue to warm up and enjoy. It has been un-seasonal cold this October in Michigan. Well, at least I think so. It seems like one day it was 70 degrees and then the next was 30 degrees. It's cold! So hot soup it is. It's nice and easy too. Life has gotten very busy with the fall schedule and life moving so fast...it is nice to slow down to a big bowl of some steamin' goodness. Today, I tried a new ingredient... yellow split peas. It is best if you soak these overnight to release the phytic acid and break them down so they are easier to digest. Soaking is a great thing to get in a habit of doing especially if you want to repair or build-up your digestive track. Soak and then rinse when you are ready to use the next day. Try them... they are full of hearty flavor and add great nutrients to a simple vegetable soup. If you have more questions on how to soak or what to soak... let me know and we can talk more in detail about that. Let's get to cookin'...

Curried Split-Pea and Spinach Soup Recipe:
1 large onion chopped and diced
2 TB of olive oil, or ghee (I used a little of both)
4 chopped cloves of garlic
2 heaping cups of chopped carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups pure water
1 1/4 cup of pre-soaked yellow spit-peas
1/4 cup of small gluten-free pasta of choice
3 cups of fresh finely chopped spinach
1 ts. of ground turmeric
1 ts. of ground ginger
1 ts. of ground coriander
1 ts. of curry powder
1 ts. of ground cumin
1/2 ts. of ground nutmeg
a few dashes of of cayenne pepper
sea salt and ground pepper to taste


Chop the large onion is small pieces and saute in a large 5 qt. pot with some olive oil and ghee. After a few minutes toss in the chopped garlic and let that cook for a minute and then pour in the broth and the water. Stir around a bit and then add the soaked split peas. I soak them in pure water overnight, or for 8 hours and rinse them thoroughly after soaking. So dump the peas in, along with all the ground spices and let them cook by themselves from 50 minutes to 1 hour. Until the peas have broken down and made the broth thicker. Then add the carrots, and gluten-free pasta and let cook for another 15 minutes or so. Add in the spinach last with some added salt and pepper and then serve warm.

I love the smell of this soup, probably because I love Indian food. It fills your lungs with aroma and your kitchen with warmth. Is there a better way to bring warmth and cheer to a gloomy fall day?! This soup is a meal by itself, or you could serve with a raw salad with a light dressing and maybe some gluten-free cornbread on the side with an autumn flair (recipe to come).

This recipe makes a huge pot of soup, so you may want to share it with some friends or neighbors. I haven't tried to freeze this soup yet, but I think it would freeze great in an airtight container. It would be great to only have to defrost and re-heat this soup to eat on a busy week day after work.
But for now... just stay warm with a spicy and hearty soup. Much peace and health to you today!

10 Tips for Living Gluten-Free on a Budget

The greatest excuse I have heard for buying healthy food is that it is so expensive. My response usually is asking if you want to pay for it now or later in medical bills, but in all seriousness...food gets expensive. I always like to think about how I can save here and there on fresh food. I know I do spend a tad more on food some weeks, but it doesn't come without a sacrifice in other areas of life. But regardless on what your budget looks like, some people ask me how I do it. I will share with you some tips to how to shop, buy and eat gluten-free on a budget. These days everyone is looking for a good deal, and I am not proposing a "good deal" but integrating some ideas about food so that you can eat fresh and healthy on a budget.

1. Eat what is available in-season

If you are a consistent reader of this blog you know how much I go on and on about eating seasonally. Well, part of the reason is because when you eat what is ripe and available it tends to be cheaper. Not even taking into account the health benefits, when you eat what is ripe it usually is lighter on the wallet. Some examples of this: Buy from your farmer's market the four for a dollar zucchini when they are available in August, buy many and freeze and store. Or, buy fruit while it is in season and freeze or can and I bet you will save more money in the long run. So consider what food is available to you in season and see if there is a bargain to be won. Also, bying local, or at the farmer's market near you may in fact save you time and money compared to going to the large grocery store and being offered too many options. Eating in-season, locally is a great way to eat.

2. Buy in bulk
This tip is usually thought as going to huge Costco store and bulking up. Well, I don't go to Costco even though I know there are some benefits, but this tip suggests you know what you buy on a regular basis and stock up when it is on sale at your local grocer. I can buy bulk beans, rice, gluten-free whole grain flours and almost any grain or seed from my local health food store. Also when you can find organic canned goods that last in the pantry like beans, tomatoes and other items then buy as much as you can and stock up. It will save your weekly budget so much if you don't have to regularly buy items that you will use weekly. Of course you have to fork out a bit of cash up front, but it saves more in the end. I am not against Costco either but choices are limited if you are looking for whole grains and whole foods.

3. Eat more vegetables, and less meat.
Let's face it, meat can be very expensive...especially if you are buying for many people a few times per week. So experiment with eating less meat and more vegan and vegetarian dishes. Rice and veggie stir-fry's do not have to be the same every night and you can eat for cheaper without getting stinging on the nutrients. Maybe decide to buy meat once a week and then it will be a celebration feast, perhaps on the weekend or something. Then the rest of the week you can make more simpler meals that consist of grains and veggies. Think of even potatoes... you can buy a few for a few dollars and it can make a whole meal for cheap. Besides the fact that it is filling, versatile and nutritious.

4. Plan out your meals
When you plan out your meals with what you have available in your pantry and what you would need to buy to prepare those meals, you put more thought into what to spend money on each week. Also, it will help you decide what you can make that will carry over into other meals...like left over veggies in soups and stews. Or a bean salad being later whipped into a dip. You can get more creative when you have it planned out and know what you need to make it happen. Meal planning may take more time when you first get started, but it will take less time the more you do because you get really good at it. The key to saving money here is to stick to your meals and lists and not buy other stuff that you will just have laying around.

5. Eat breakfast for supper

I can't tell you how many times I have eating a scrambled egg and veggie dish for dinner and saved my pennies for other things. Farm fresh eggs are 2-3 dollars a dozen and that means you can make a meal out of eggs and veggies for two for under 5 dollars. To be honest, I probably do a meal like this once a week to save on money here and there. If you eat that with some whole grain gluten-free pancakes, or gluten-free bread then you have a whole and balanced meal. It doesn't have to be rocket science to create a cheaper meal that is healthy. And I love breakfast!

6. Make it at home, forget about the packaged goods

When you get rid of the habit of buying packaged snacks and you are able to make snacks from home, you end up saving more money and they are probably healthier as well. Think about how you can make your own trail mixes, granola, and nut bars. If you make your own hummus, salsa and salads from home you will get way more for your money. Check out some of my homemade recipes on hummus, salsa, and dressings. Sometimes you are just paying too much to enjoy simplicity. But if you can find tricks to make it more simpler to make batched of hummus, pesto and salsa, then can it or freeze it and it will last longer for the same price. And you made it for goodness sakes!

7. Soups, Stews, and Stir-fry's

Throwing together spare veggies, grains and broth can save you money and time. Especially if you are a crock-pot user. A little broth, veggies and rice can go a long way in a crock pot. Making a big pot of chili, soup or a simple vegetable broth can last you all week if you so desire. You end up not spending as much as you would on store-bought lunches if you bring homemade soup everyday. Get creative and decide to make a big pot every week of a new kind. I don't think that will get old during the winter months, but in the summer....maybe. That is when I like to enjoy as much sauteed veggies as possible. You can get peppers, summer squash, and other seasonal veggies for cheap (or from your own garden), and to stir-fry with some herbs and rice, now that is an inexpensive and delicious dinner for sure.

8. Leftovers are good...
I guess I am blessed because I actually love leftovers. I think eating leftover dinner's for lunch the next day is absolutely the best way to live :) Well, not always if you have the same meal for a week straight, but seriously... if you make a meal, then just plan on making more so that you can eat it a day longer. You will save time and money on this one, and you can decide to avoid more packaged and "convenient" food. When you are making a big meal, think about how you can re-invent another emal witht he leftovers. It will save and you won't be compromising your health.

9. Gluten-Free Pasta is my best friend

When gluten-free pasta is on sale I buys tons. Why? Well, because pasta is so easy to find ways to eat it at least once or twice a week. Pesto, squash pasta, marinara... and it is so versatile and delish. I think I can love eating gluten-free because of the great invention of brown rice pasta. Yes. It is a beautiful thing. Gluten-free pasta is much more expensive than regular, yes, but if you can buy it on sale and stock up... you will save. But also if you think of it as the main price of your meal with the sauce or veggies being the side, you can still make a meal for two under 5 or 10 dollars. Don't ever feel bad for eating gluten-free pasta as often as you do... it is your best friend.

10. Trash the Junk Food

If you stop buying soda pop, candy, chips, packaged snacks, and anything else that has junk in it, then you will automatically save lots of money! You may think that because that stuff is on "sale" ever week that you can save money, but seriously.... it's not that good. You can spend or save that extra money for gluten-free goodies. Once you eliminate those no-needed food items it seems to even out the food budget if you are spending a little more on organic or healthier foods. Bottom line...it takes time to transition out of the Standard American Diet (SAD) but in the end if you can cut out the junk and add in the good you will see it doesn't have to break the bank.

Those are my 10 tips. I try to keep life as simple as possible and also find the simple joys of making life healthier. If you have any other tips or ideas, I would love to hear from you...

Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes (gluten and dairy free)

Pancakes are not just for breakfast. They are for dinner, dessert and for having more fun in life. I have mounds of apples in my kitchen and have been finding ways to add them to everything. The great thing about eating in season is that you truly get to enjoy what is available and take advantage of all it's uses. Like apples. I have made apple sauce, apple crisp, apple salad, apple chicken dishes, and the list could go on. Apples have great benefits this time of year as well. They are a great fruit to add some sweet or sour to almost any dish. They are very versatile and are one of the easiest fruits to store in a cool place for a long time. So why not buy 40 pounds like I did :)

Some of the health benefits to apples is the ability to help cleanse and reboot our large intestines and lungs. This time of year is a great season to work on some fall detoxing to get your body ready for the winter months and hibernation. I have been trying to be more conscious of what I am eating now to really let my body do it's natural thing is getting ready for winter and shredding some of the summer toxin build up. The two main organs to focus on cleansing this time of year are your lungs and large intestines. The lungs because with the seasonal temperature and atmosphere changes there is the tendency to catch colds and have allergy issues with a build up of mucus. So it is a beautiful thing that God has given us the apple in season to help us cleanse and build up our immunities. Apples have a great dose of fiber and vitamins so to also clean and strengthen the large intestines and colon. You really can't go wrong with the apple unless you have issues digesting the apple raw because of the fructose levels or the acidic levels that enable fermentation. In this case, the best way to eat and apples is when they are cooked slightly or baked to help make it easier on digestion. So don't feel like the best and only way to eat apples is raw, that is just not true for all cases. Either way, I dare you to experiment with the apple this fall season and really try and find more uses than usual and enjoy every second of it.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes Recipe:

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

1/2 cup of ground hazelnut meal (or almond flour)

1/4 cup of white rice flour (or sorghum flour would work)

1 TB of baking powder

3 TB of sucant (dehydrated sugar cane)

1 TB of agave nectar or raw honey

1 ts of lemon juice

1 farm fresh free-range egg

3 TB of light olive oil or coconut oil (use a baking oil)

1 cup of non-dairy milk ( I used coconut milk)

1 TB of ground cinnamon

1/2 ts of sea salt

1 ts of pure vanilla

2 cups of freshly diced apples

Whip up all the ingredients above except the apples. Then when your batter is truly mixed add in the apples and let sit a minute for everything to mix. Use a large frying pan with a little oil or ghee on the bottom to fry up 2-3 cakes in a pan. Make sure to spread out the batter to create a circle that is not higher in the middle or outside. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. The best way to know that the first side is cooked is when you see bubbles on the other batter side. Then flip and let cook and flip again until you feel like it is cooked all the way through... if you press down with a spatula and there is some raw batter seeping out, then you know you need a few more minutes.

This recipe makes about 12 medium pancakes, so feel free to double or triple depending on the crowd. I made these for dinner and they were positively delish with a little fresh Michigan maple syrup.

If you are worried about the sugar or calories in the maple syrup, then try agave nectar. But, if you are looking for a traditional sweetener that has been in Michigan for years I suggest some local fresh maple syrup to do the job on your fresh pancakes. Just a touch, not too much. You will love it. Pair this with some scrambled eggs or a veggie stir-fry with eggs and you will not be missing a thing. Enjoy friends!