Homemade Syrup for Pancakes or Waffles

Ever wonder how hard it could be to make syrup? I did after realizing all the awful ingredients that commercial syrups contain, plus the price is outrageous! I searched old cookbooks and tweaked a little and came up with this one, hope you love it as much as we do!

Homemade Syrup

2 cups sucanat (or sugar)

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring (vanilla works too)

Combine everything in a saucepan and heat on low until the sugar is all melted. At this point the syrup will be thin but tastes good. If you like your syrup thicker and un-warmed, make it in advance and store it in the fridge in a canning jar or other glass jar with a lid. I usually make a double batch and it fits nicely in a quart jar.

Wasn't that easy? Now you never need to buy syrup and wonder whats in it again :)

Try our recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes or Waffles to go with your syrup!

Whole Wheat Pancakes or Waffles

This is a make ahead mix you can keep handy in the freezer for a quicker morning breakfast or a camping trip. Believe it or not we have to make the whole 6 batches to feed our family on one morning. There may or may not be any leftovers depending on how hungry they are that day. One batch makes about 10 pancakes, and they are pretty light and fluffy for being whole wheat. We have had guests not know the difference!

Whole Wheat Pancakes or Waffles

6 cups whole wheat flour

5 tablespoons aluminum free baking powder

4 teaspoons salt

8 tablespoons sucanat (or sugar)

If you plan to use this recipe while camping and will not have fresh milk available, add enough powdered milk to the dry mix to equal 6 cups of milk and add water instead of milk when you prepare it.

Keep your mix stored in an airtight container or in the freezer if you use fresh ground flour to keep it from going rancid.

To make pancakes or waffles add...

1 cup of mix

1 cup milk (or water if you added powdered milk to the mix)

1 egg

1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil

Stir till moistened, the batter will puff up after a couple of minutes.

Keep in mind that if you used the powdered milk and water your mix will be runnier but it will still taste great!

Cook as usual on an iron skillet, griddle, or in a waffle iron.

We like to add blueberries or chocolate chips to the tops of the pancakes as they cook before they are flipped. Berries or bits of chopped fruit could be added to the batter if you like. 

Also try our homemade syrup recipe!

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Bean Casserole

 Bean Casserole

 3 cans of different kinds of beans that you like

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt*

3/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon mustard

In a dutch oven saute the onion  in the oil. You can also use dehydrated onion with great results. Add the beans and all the other ingredients and stir. If the mixture is very thick add some water so it is the consistency of soup. 

Bake for an hour at 350 degrees OR heat on the stovetop until thick and thoroughly heated.

The picture above has pinto, kidney, garbanzo, great northern, and black beans. Use any combination of beans that you like. Double or triple the recipe as needed. 

You can also add meat to this recipe if you like, such as cooked ground beef or sliced polish sausage.

We like sprinkling shredded cheddar cheese on top of our bowls!

*If you use store bought canned beans you may not need to add any more salt. Taste first!

Oatmeal Muffins (with or without fruit)

Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sour milk*

1 cup whole white wheat flour

3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted

You can also add a cup of fruit, such as blueberries.

The muffins above are blueberry.

*To sour milk, put 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a one cup measuring cup. Add enough milk to fill the cup. Let sit 5 minutes, then combine the oats and the milk. Let this mixture soak while you combine the dry ingredients and melt the butter. Stir the beaten egg and butter into the oat mixture. Then add the dry ingredients all at once and stir just until moistened. Fold in the fruit.

Fill well greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen. You can double, triple, quadruple the recipe just fine, we do it all the time.

I use less butter when multiplying the recipe. 

Other fruits we have tried adding are chopped peaches, apples, rhubarb, mashed banana, raspberries, blackberries, fruit cocktail, etc. Be creative!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 and 1/4 cups whole white wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

a teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)

3/4 cup sugar 

1 cup butter (leave out to soften overnight)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 package chocolate chips of your choice

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the sugars, butter and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add the eggs and beat again. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts if using them. Drop spoonfulls of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I use parchment paper so there is less mess to clean up afterwards. I space them out and bake a dozen at a time. Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on how you like them. Bake less for soft chewy cookies, longer for crunchy ones.  This recipe made about 4 dozen cookies.

I prefer crunchy cookies myself, so these cookies were just the right texture I was wanting. They do not puff up, as you can see they are flat. Adding more flour may help, or using a bit less butter. Adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes. No one could tell there were made from whole wheat though, they were devoured quickly! I made a double batch when I made these.

Black Bean, Tomato, and Avocado Wraps

Black Bean, Tomato, and Avocado Wraps

2 cups cooked black beans

1 fresh tomato, chopped

1 ripe avocado, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or use fresh

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder, or use fresh

shredded cheese of your choice

Rinse the black beans thoroughly and let drain for a few minutes. Meanwhile chop up the tomato and avocado. Add seasonings and stir gently. Add the black beans. Let sit a few minutes so the flavors can blend. You can make this ahead and refrigerate if you prefer your wraps to be cold.

To make a wrap....

Heat an iron skillet on low for a few minutes. Warm a flour tortilla on both sides, then add a few spoonfuls of the bean mixture, sprinkle with cheese and then wrap like a burrito.

This makes a quick lunch or dinner, also great for meals on the go!

Makes 4 wraps, double or triple the recipe as needed.

We don't always have avocado on hand, they are just as yummy without them.

Once we didn't have tomatoes so we used sweet potatoes instead. I left out the seasonings, they were actually pretty great! The kids ate them up!

Make Ahead Cornbread Mix

Make Ahead Cornbread Mix

Ingredients for each bag...

2 cups corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
1 tablespoon sucanat or sugar

Layer these ingredients in a zip top baggie. You can use a regular or freezer bag. I like to make my mixes assembly line style.

To use the mix add....

 2 cups milk

2 eggs (beaten)

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter

Stir until moistened, do not over mix. 

Our family prefers the cornbread to made like pancakes. I make them on a hot griddle or iron skillet. Makes 15-20 corn cakes depending on how big you make them.

I store my mixes in the freezer because we grind our cornmeal and flour fresh, and don't want it to go rancid. If you use store bought  items you could also keep the mix in canning jars on the shelf. I dont recommend storing them in just a baggie on the shelf, bugs will invade!