Yummy for the Tummy

My kids love sweets, unfortunately for them they have a big, bad, mean mom who doesn't let them indulge in their sweet tooth as they please. In fact, I make it a point to try to avoid any un-necessary sweeteners in foods and can notice a difference in my kids listening and attitude habits based on what they eat. However, I don't want to be a total fun hater so I try to make yummy, nutritious treats for them whenever I can. This post will share with you my family's 3 favorite dessert/treat recipes that you or your kids can enjoy while also being healthy!

Banana Softserve

Homemade Softserve

1-2 Frozen peeled bananas
2-3 Tbs of milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Dash of salt
Couple dashes of cinnamon
1 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup/Honey
Additional Flavors to your liking

This recipe is perfect for a summer treat. My kids go crazy for it and I can whip it up in no time! It's can be made dairy free and in different flavors. When I have bananas that are going to go bad I peel them and throw them into a ziplock in the freezer. When I want to make ice cream I take a couple of frozen bananas and throw them into a blender or Babycook. Add some milk (almond, hemp, coconut, etc.) vanilla
extract, maple syrup or    honey, salt and cinnamon. Then it's time to
puree. It's so easy and comes out the perfect consistency of softserve. You can substitute the cinnamon for cocoa powder, or you can add frozen fruit, even peanut butter and jelly. I can't wait to experiment with numerous other flavors this summer!


Chocolate Mousse

1-2 Avocados
1 Tbs Cocoa Powder
2 Tbs Honey/Pure Maple Syrup

This creamy, chocolatey dessert is equally as yummy as it is healthy. The main ingredient here is avocado. Sounds weird I know, but trust me on this. It's sure to get even the pickiest eater to get some of they green superfood without even knowing it! Again, in a blender or Babycook add avocados, cocoa powder and maple syrup or honey. Blend until completely mixed and viola! You've got yourself a dose of healthy fats and vitamins disguised as a delectable treat.

Fluffy Sourdough Cookies

1.5 cups flour  

Sourdough Cookies

1.5 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Fresh Sourdough Starter
1 tablespoons water

I am constantly looking for new recipes to use my sourdough starters. Eating Sourdough provides lots of vitamins and minerals, help to maintain a healthy GI tract and help the body to absorb nutrients. I have been making my own Sourdough starters for a few months now and I love how easy it is. I still have yet to perfect the art of making a Sourdough loaf, but I am growing my confidence and hope to master it soon and make a post about it. This recipe is only for about 12 medium sized cookies so if you want more you can double (or triple) the recipe. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a bowl cream together the sugar, egg, butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and mix together with the wet ingredients. Drop the dough in balls onto a cookie sheet and cook for 12 minutes. They were so soft and fluffy and my husband and kids loved them! Next time I will try substituting the sugar for honey or maple syrup and see how it turns out as I always like to find natural alternative to sugar. These  will definitely make another appearance in the near future!

I love having easy, nutritious and super yummy recipes on hand so that I can try to indulge in our cravings without filling up on empty, useless calories. At least with these recipes I can know that they are free of yucky ingredients and provide dietary benefits. 

I would love for you to share your favorite healthy treat/dessert recipes!

Sleep Like a Baby?

Whoever invented the term sleep like a baby obviously never had one! Usually babies are pretty good sleepers the first several weeks after birth, they will sleep anywhere, anytime no matter what is going on. But as the babies begin to get older they tend to be very particular about where or how they sleep which can be very trying for parents. Usually they will do whatever they can to get the baby to fall asleep, including driving around in the car until the child finally passes out or co sleeping into the school years.

Many crunchy mamas are very much into co-sleeping. I feel to each his own, but for me and my husband we preferred to put the kids in there own bed once they were around 6 months old. We wanted to train them to sleep in their own room allowing us our private time and reserving sleeping in our bed for rare occasions (sick babies or if they are really scared). This post is to share some of the sleep training tricks that have worked for us and have helped us to have some alone time once the kids go to bed.

The most important thing to do is to try to establish a routine. Kids love routine, it just might not seem like it at first. Over the years I have observed that when we stay pretty close to schedule the kids are in better behaved, not as whiney and fussy. But when we are on vacation or just off schedule it's Crazytown! Our schedule has been the same for about the past 3 1/2 years. We have dinner, then a little playtime/story time, then it's time for the bath with my secret sleepy potion, brush our teeth, and then we end with some songs and then down for bed. The sleepy time potion I use is an essential oils combination of Chamomile and Lavender. I put a few drops in the tub and when they were babies I had some in a spray bottle that I would spray on the sheets at bedtime to help calm and soothe my little ones.  (You can buy a blend from my online store HERE)

Sleep training is not easy and many parents despise letting the baby cry it out. It was hard for me at first because I felt so sad, as if I was abandoning my child. Or at least that they would think I was abandoning them. The first day or so I would would take awhile with A LOT of crying. I would go in every 20 minutes or so to comfort them, let them know that Mama was there, sing a song and then put them back down. They need to get used to being by themselves and that is a big adjustment. After all, they started in your womb and then paired with the few months of co-sleeping, they are used to being near the mom and dad. It takes time and patience but I promise you it gets better each day. After about a week or so they should be comfortable settling into their routine and it will all be downhill from there.

From my experience with two children I have noticed that anytime I have to try something new, whether it be sleep training, potty training or weening from bottle/pacifier it usually takes about a week or so for the hard part to be over. With patience and time it gets so much easier and the unbearable part is over before you know it. Just remain consistent and understand why you are doing what you are doing. Just because your child is crying and unhappy for a short period does not mean that you are neglecting or causing your child psychological damage. I personally think that it teaches many important life lessons and preparation for how to deal with changes in the future that are important to ones growth and development.

I would love to hear any stories, information or helpful tips about sleep training or handling any other milestone changes with children!

Got Kale?!

Kale, the yummy super food veggie! Kale packs more nutrition per bite than anything else you can eat! The first time I had Kale I was in my mid-twenties. I couldn't believe I had never had it before, although I'm not sure my less healthy version of myself in my younger age wouldn't have appreciated it as much as I do now. I cook with kale weekly either picking up a bunch at a local Farmer's Market or Coop or even getting some baby kale greens from my garden. This post is devoted to my love of Kale and some yummy recipes that my family loves!

Kale Soup:

Potatoes (cubed)
Vegetable (or chicken) broth
Carrots (diced)
Garlic (chopped)
Onions (sauteed)
Kale (chopped)
White Beans (pre-soaked)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Turn a large pot on medium heat and add some olive oil. Sautee up the garlic and onions for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add chicken broth, veggies and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let pot come to a boil and then turn to a simmer and cover. Let the soup simmer for 45 minutes to an hour and add kale to soup for the last 20 minutes. Serve with a crusty loaf of sourdough bread and if you are feeling really ambitious, you can CLICK HERE for a super easy recipe to make some homemade butter while the soup is cooking!

Kale and Spinach Balls:   

Homegrown Garden Greens

Frozen Kale
Frozen Spinach
Egg
Breadcrumbs
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Powder
Shredded Parmesan

Defrost Kale and Spinach. Preheat oven to 350-F degrees. In a bowl mix greens, add egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix all ingredients together by hand. Roll the mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the balls start to brown a little. Serve immediately or can save in tupperware in fridge to be consumed within a couple days as a side or a snack. These reheat well and my kids love them. It's a great way for them to eat their veggies!

Kale Salad:

The base of this salad is chopped kale (ribbed optional, I happen to like the ribs!) you can add lots of yummy additives. I've tried all kind so you can pick and choose based on your likes so please experiment! Bell peppers, goji berries, pepitas, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, carrots, green onions, cranberries, avocado- you name it! Throw it all in there for a yummy power packed side, or go big and have it as a meal itself. Now the trick to a good kale salad is to let the dressing sit and marinade for about 10 minutes. Most salads will begin to wilt after sitting dressed for too long, but kale is thick and hearty. Tossing it and allowing it to sit for a few minutes allows the flavors to marry. I usually make a homemade dressing with whatever I have on hand. CLICK HERE to checkout some of my homemade dressing recipes which are a much healthier, and cost effective alternative to store bought dressings.

Fermented Probiotic Salsa Verde

A few posts back I wrote about my Homemade Salsa Verde that has become a family favorite. As I have been continuing my goal of making everything homemade and healthy I decided to try a fermented version of the yummy salsa to add a health boost. It turned out amazing and so easy!!

All you need to do is make the tomatillo sauce following THIS recipe. Once you do that you blend in some whey (CLICK HERE to learn how to make your own). Put it on the counter, cover with a secured paper towel and let it sit for 2-4 days. Then you can put a sealed top and put in the fridge. That's it! So easy and full of probiotic benefits!

Salsa Verde is good on chicken, fish or any Mexican dish The sauce is great for enchiladas, but if that is the case you can skip the fermentation process since the heat from cooking will just kill all the good bacteria. Below is the recipes of the meal we ate with my new fermented condiment. The menu is super healthy and gluten free that I put together for one of our dinner during the Spring Real Food Challenge.

A Fermented Feast!

• Turkey Tacos
• Mexican Quinoa
• Homemade Guacamole
• Sauerkraut Coleslaw

Tacos:

I make these bad boys about once a week. My family loves it! You can use any ground meat that you choose. I typically use turkey but you can do beef or even bison! For tortillas it is best to try to get organic corn (since 90% of corn is GMO). I like to add lots and lots of veggies to my tacos too then I usually have leftover meat to make things like spaghetti, lasagna or even taco salad. Chop some garlic, onion and carrots to add to the meat. Place a pan on med heat with a little olive oil. Add veggies and sautee for a couple minutes before adding the meat. Brown the meat adding salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and maybe a bit of cayanne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it) and cook the meat. I like to garnish my tacos with some cheese, chopped cilantro and chopped red onions. Oh and don't forget the salsa!

In a separate pan heat up some oil (I prefer coconut or sunflower) and cook up the taco shells. Placing on a paper towel to cool.

Mexican Quinoa:

Pre-soak Quinoa in water for a couple of hours. Drain an then cook quinoa according to package. Add chopped garlic and chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, paprika and cumin. Add some lime zest and some lime juice.

Guacamole:

Scoop out avocado and place in a bowl saving at least one pit. Add chopped garlic, lime juice and some salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Add the pit to keep from browning and put in fridge.


Sauerkraut coleslaw:

Making your own sauerkraut is easy CLICK HERE (but takes about a week to ferment so plan accordingly). In a bowl add sauerkraut with some of the liquid, you can add chopped red onion, garlic and cilantro. Add some lime zest and lime juice, salt and pepper and a dash of cumin. Mix and let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours.

This meal was so simple, so healthy and so delicious! I can't wait to make it again. I would love for you to try your own fermented salsa and tell us how it was!

An Attitude of Gratitude

 "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." - Marcel Proust

So many of my posts recently have been about food and homesteading. If you have been following me regularly you know that I am always busy trying something new! Between my homesteading passion, family life and work things have been so hectic I have hardly had time to keep up with blogging these past couple of weeks. I have so many projects in the work especially on the business front. I appreciate everyone's love and support and promise to make more time for blogging and writing articles which has unfortunately fallen to the wayside in the recent months.

Many people are aware that Google Reader is ending on July 1st. I myself worried because I wanted to find an easy way to continue to follow my favorite blogs for inspiration and motivation. I found BlogLovin and I just have to say I love this site! So I wanted to share to anyone and everyone who wants to follow me, and find a bunch of other cool blogs! Click Here to sign up to follow my blog.

I have so many great things in the works and can not wait to share them with everyone! I love being able to reach a large audience and share information on how to improve everyday life even in the smallest ways. Again, Thanks so much for all your comments and emails! It means the world to me!

Join Our Spring Real Food Challenge!

Do you think you can eat only real food for 7 days straight?

To some of you this might sound nearly impossible and some of you may be thinking – I already do.  This challenge is designed to help those of you who really want to live the real food lifestyle but might need a little guidance to get started. This challenge is also for all of you who have already figured it out, but you have fallen off the bandwagon. Sometimes life gets hectic and our diets seem to suffer. It's never too late to get back into the healthy food routine!

So, What is the 7 Day Real Food Challenge?

There is a big group of us following this challenge. Everyone who joins this challenge is making a pact to eat only real food for 7 days – specifically on April 21st - 27th. Already there are 28 bloggers who have committed to this challenge and are here as a support team for everyone who joins us.

Here is your support team:
Todd Dosenberry from Primal Toad
Amanda from Natural Living Mama
Erin Odom from The Humbled Homemaker
Janey McKeever from Consistantly Sporadic
Jaime Reid from Jaime Reids Kitchen
Anne Simpson from Authentic Simplicity
Laura Broach from Mama Making Changes
Mike Lamitola from MikeLamitola.com
Alix from Blessed in Homemaking
Stacy Karen from A Delightful Home
Nina Nelson from Shalom Mama
Melissa Joulwan from Well Fed
Kimball Young from Heavy on Wholesome
Laura Prevost from Head over heels in Health
Victoria Moore from Yogi Mami
Carol Lovett from Ditch the Wheat
Katie Stanley from Nourishing Simplicity
Jami Leigh from Young Wifes Guide
Andrea from Homemade for Elle
Sarah Warren from Unorthadox Momma
Amanda Anderson from Chef Amanda Anderson.com
Sara Roylance from Sara Roylance.com
Sara Shay from Your Thriving family
Jennifer from Hybrid Rasta Mama
Marillyn Beard from Just Making Noise
Nichi from My Healthy Beginning
 Michelle Elnycky from The Crooked House Blog

So for those of you who think this might be way too hard to do – you have all these experts here to back you up and help you meet the challenge. It’s not only these bloggers that will be doing the challenge but many of our readers will be following along. We will have a special Facebook group for discussions about the challenge and a place to reach out to everyone for help and support. There are two ways you can participate in the challenge:

Option # 1 (Free)

Join us and make the commitment to eat only real food for 7 days starting on April 21 – April 27, 2013.  You will receive:

• An e-guidebook on “What is Real Food?”
• A chance to win one of our fabulous real food prizes

To enter this challenge for free click here

Option # 2 ($29)

If you want to get really serious about this challenge and take full advantage of the support you can get from this group – this is for you. Making a big lifestyle change can be difficult on your own but with a huge group of people doing it along with you it is a lot easier – and a lot more fun!  As a member of this challenge you will receive:

• An e-guidebook on “What is Real Food?”
• A full real food Paleo meal plan for 7 days – three meals a day and snacks
• Recipes for all of the items in the meal plan (37 Delicious recipes!!)
• A shopping list to help you prepare for the challenge
• Tips on how to prepare your kitchen for this event
• Membership to our private Facebook group which is a place to reach out for help and ask questions
• A chance to win one of our fabulous real food prizes - worth over $600+

PLUS these fabulous Bonuses (worth over $237+) for everyone who buys this package...

• A copy of "Your Grocery Budget Toolbox eBook" ($7.99 value). This eBook is the perfect guide for anyone new to eating healthy,  learn how to save time and money with a few simple strategies. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• A copy of Health Coach, Mike Lamitola's music album, "Fitting Out," ($7.00 value). Mike's music is inspired by real life experiences, dreams and some very random thoughts. Follow Mike on Facebook
• A 20% discount to Natural Living Mama's Product shop.  Natural Living Mamma offers herbal body and skin care, salves, and teas made from only natural ingredients.  Click here to visit her shop or follow her on Facebook
• A copy of The Holistic Mama's Audio Class,"How to Eat Real Food on a Budget" ($29.00 value) Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• A copy of "What to Eat and Why: Healthy Nutrition for Preconception, Pregnancy and Postpartum" audio program (Value $197.00)  by Nichi Kuechle from My Healthy Beginning. Follow Nichi on Facebook and Twitter

The meal plan for this challenge is a Paleo menu! This means that all the recipes are grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. If you have ever thought about trying the Paleo / Primal diet and thought it was too hard this is the perfect chance to try it out. All of these done for you planning items and the built in support are designed to make this challenge much less of a challenge to complete. What do you think – are you ready to take the 7 Day Real Food Challenge?

Click here to join us and get the plan, recipes, and support now!

The plan and recipes require basic kitchen tools. A good set of knives is the best thing you can splurge on in my opinion - even better you may win some in the giveaways that go along with this challenge! Speaking of giveaways...Don’t forget about all of the fabulous prizes from our amazing sponsors!! We are giving away $600 worth of products! The Giveaways (over $600+ value)...
Ergo Chef Knife Company, makers of ergonomically-designed professional chef knives, is giving one participant of our challenge their Pro-Series 7” Santoku knife, Come Apart Kitchen Shears and a 9” & 12” Duo Tongs (Retail value $132) Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Taza Chocolate company, makers of traditional stone ground Mexican Chocolate, is giving one of our participants a package of their salted almond discs, their chipotle chili discs, a jar of chocolate covered hazelnuts and their 87% chocolate bar. Taza chocolate has a direct trade cacao program that cultivates face-to-face relationships with farmers. (Retail value $ 30.47) Follow them on Facebook and Twitter

Kaya Foods, superfoods for delicious living, is giving one participant 5 bags of their delicious Kale and Veggie Chips, great for healthy snacking and a few $1.00 coupons (Retail value $ 10) Follow them on Facebook  

  Yogi Tea, products inspired by Ayurveda  is giving one participant of our challenge 4 boxes of a variety of our top selling teas and a Yogi tea mug. (Retail value $40)Yogi tea is committed to providing healthy, natural teas that are accessible to as many people as possible. Follow them on Facebook.  

Applegate, Organic & Natural Meats, is giving away a gift pack of products. (Retail value $ 25) Applegate meats are free of anti-biotics, growth hormones, nitrates, artificial ingredients and fillers which makes them far surpass the quality of conventional sliced sandwich meats. When buying Applegate products you can be confident you are eating a high quality product. Follow them on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter  

Trilight Health, makers of fast-acting, great tasting liquid herbal supplements, is giving one participant a $50 gift certificate to order products on their website! For over 20 years now, TriLight Health have supplied their customers nationwide with their high quality line of liquid herbal products. They specialize in great tasting, alcohol and sugar free, liquid herbal formulas for pregnancy, children, and the family. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter  

Eco Lunch Gear, eco friendly reusable lunch gear, is giving one participant a a reusable sandwich wrap (Retail value $10.50). Eco Lunch Gear was started by a Mom who saw a need for an alternative to plastic and aluminum foil, her products can be washed and reused over and over to save money and our environment. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  

Erin Odom from The Humbled Homemaker and creator of Real Food, Real Easy the eBook is giving one participant a copy of her eBook to help you continue with your Real Food journey (Retail value $$9.95) Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

 

 Health Coach, Mike Lamitola, is giving one participant free entry to his Tele-seminar on Cravings. Do you have a sugar habit you've been trying to beat? In this tele-seminar, Mike will explain how. (Retail value $25.00) Follow Mike on Facebook and Twitter    

Alix from Blessed In Homemaking offers organic and all natural body care products, gentle baby care products, herbal products, crocheted items, and more, for your healthy lifestyle in her Etsy Shop. She is giving two participants a one ounce bag of loose chamomile tea (Retail value $8.00) Follow her on Facebook

 

Stacy Karen from A Delightful Home is giving one participant of this challenge a copy of her eBook, Simple Scrubs to Make and Give. Start making your own scrubs at home for yourself and others (Retail value $3.99) Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

 

Nina Nelson of Shalom Mama, is giving one participant of the challenge a healing balm and lavender mint lip balm from her etsy shop (Retail value $19.50) Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

 

Melissa Joulwan from The Clothes Make the Girl, is giving one participant a copy of her Paleo eBook called Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Like to Eat (Retail value $14.95). This is a great resource for anyone interested in Paleo diet, whether you are just getting started or you are just looking for some new recipes to try. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Health Coach, Laura Prevost is giving 10 lucky participants one of her Dynamite Coaching sessions. If you are looking for some support around breaking a bad habit, or getting yourself motivated, Laura will work through it with you in this session (Retail value $20.00/session) Follow Laura on Facebook or Twitter

Jami from Young Wife's Guide, is giving one participant a copy of her eBook, Apartment Gardening, which is a great resource for getting started growing food in small spaces (Retail value $2.99) Follow Jami on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

 

Jennifer from Hybrid Rasta Mama has also offered to give away two copies of her eBook, Cooking with Coconut Oil (Retail value $19.95). The 68 recipes in this eBook are all simple to make and the ingredients in the recipes are all readily available. This eBook is a great way to start getting more coconut oil in your diet to get all the amazing health benefits. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

A 15% discount to Blessed in Homemaking Etsy shop. Blessed In Homemaking offers organic and all natural body care products, gentle baby care products, herbal products, crocheted items, and more, for your healthy lifestyle. Follow on Facebook

You will have the chance to win all of these prizes by joining is the challenge with either Option # 1 or Option # 2 detailed above!

Do you have questions about this event? Please feel free to comment on this post with any questions or concerns.

Sourdough Starter

"What in the heck is that on the counter?" is usually a question I hear weekly from my husband. This time it was in reference to the jars of goopy stuff in mason jars with paper towels fastened on the top. AKA my sourdough starters. Sourdough bread has been my favorite since I was a little girl. Only until my recent homesteading obsession did I learn that you can actually make your own starter at home, and very easily! Of course I had to do it. While I am still working on mastering the art of homemade bread I did discover a yummy pancake recipe using the starter. This post will share with you just how easy it is to make your own sourdough starter and also include a pancake recipe your family will love!

What you need:

Glass Mason Jar
Unbleached Flour

Unsweetened Pineapple Juice (or non-chlorinated water)

Now while I said the process was easy, it does take time. It can take up to a week for the starter to come alive so don't get discouraged. Basically all you have to do is put 1/4 cup of flour in a jar and 1/4 cup of  liquid. Pineapple juice works well because the acids and the sugars help to feed and initiate the yeast to come alive. Leave your starter out at room temperature and feed it once a day. I set an alarm because otherwise I will most likely forget since the sourdough can't remind me like my real babies or fur baby do when they are hungry!  All you need do is add the flour and liquid and stir up until there is no more dry flour and cover. You may begin to see bubbles in the mixture after 3 days, but my first time I didn't till about day 5. It takes about a week for the starter to get going. The warmer the temperature, the faster it comes alive. The mixture will rise after each feeding so depending on how much starter you have on hand, you may need to transfer to a bigger container.  The best thing to do is to get the starter up and running with pineapple juice and you can always switch to water later on. That is what I usually do. After about a week you will begin to smell the sourdough and the mixture will be bubbly and beautiful! (well maybe goopy looking, but I think it's a beautiful sight!) If the starter doesn't look very active you can also add a bit of unfiltered apple cider vinegar to help regulate the PH levels. I actually add a bit of the ACV to the mixture every couple of days and have had great success. If you don't feel like feeding your starter every day you can refrigerate it and I've read it can last up to 30 days without needing to be fed. So far I've made a whole wheat flour starter and a rye starter and had good luck with both.

So now that you have this jar full of goopy goodness, what do you do with it? Well, I tried to make a loaf of bread, that turned out to be a big bust. I was so distraught. How am I supposed to be a homesteading goddess when I can't even make a loaf of bread! Then I heard from others that it's actually harder than most people think. So I will have to try again. I did stumble upon a great Sourdough Starter Pancake Recipe from What's Cooking America. It was delicious and the kids loved it!

2 cups of starter (room temperature)
2 tsp of sugar
1 egg
4 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1Tbs warm water

Mix together the first 5 ingredients. Warm up the pan or pancake griddle and right before you are about to cook you mix the warm water and baking soda and then add to the pancakes and it will begin to bubble and fluff up. These were so light and yummy. My daughter kept screaming "THESE ARE THE BEST PANCAKES I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!" and my son kept asking for more. I have also made them adding bananas and another time with leftover fruit pulp from juicing. The results were equally as amazing. I can't wait to experiment with other Sourdough Starter recipes. I promise, if they turn out great, I will post them!

We would love to hear your stories if you have experienced making your own sourdough starter, and of course any recipes you have!