Savory lentil muffins

If you or your kids have a restricted diet and breads are a thing of the past, you have to try these simple-ingredient muffins!  These are a staple in our home.

Let me start by telling you what is NOT in them before we get to the ingredients.   No gluten, no casein, no eggs, this is a lower oxalate and Failsafe bread!!  

What IS in them?
-1 cup of red lentils (soak overnight, they will be more than one cup once soaked) 
-1 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp cream of tartar
-spice(s) of choice (I chose chives)

Put all of the ingredients into a blender, add water so that it is at about halfway up to the height of the lentils.   Blend, fill cupcake cups about 3/4 full and bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 8 muffins. Voila!

Salty Sweet White Chocolate bars

These bad boys are GFCFSF, egg-free, low oxalate and low salicylate!!

We made them on the saltier side, so I reduced the salt by half for this recipe, and if you like sweets, you may even want to increase the xylitol.  It was a unique flavor with the interesting balance of salt and white chocolate, like combining hot and sweet, a combination of flavors that seem to almost contradict each other, but in the end, prove to compliment each other nicely.



I imagine they would be really tasty with nut butter or sunflower seed butter too.

 

The face of pleasure!

Ingredients

• 2 rice cakes - crumbled
• 1 pear - peeled and shredded
• 1/3 C cocoa butter - melted gently
• 2 Tbs ground flaxseed
• 2 Tbs birch derived xylitol
• 1 Tbs sunflower lecithin
• 1 Tbs tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a small bowl, mix the crumbled rice cakes, shredded pear, ground flaxseed, xylitol and salt. 

In an even smaller bowl, whisk together the already melted cocoa butter, tapioca flour and lecithin.

Pour this mixture into the ingredients in the larger bowl and blend well so that all of the ingredients mingle evenly.

Press into a small casserole dish, size depending on how thick you want your bars to be.

Refrigerate until firm.  They will still be fairly soft and can fall apart, so I like the smaller square size which are better for kid size hands anyway.  =)

 Voila!

Another toothpaste recipe

I know, I have another toothpaste recipe in my blog, but if you are a biomed parent, you understand how your child's sensitivities can change like the wind!  It's very hard to find a preservative-free, GFCFSF, mint-free, flavor-free, low-salicylate, toothpaste that is also free of excitotoxins.  That is a mouthful, isn't it?  Literally, tehehe.

 I haven't had time to write about our latest dietary adventures, but I can tell you that my new toothpaste recipe is in direct relation to some things, ok a lot of things, we are trying to avoid.  I will refer to the original toothpaste post for all the reasons to avoid commercial toothpastes, toxins at their best, and YES they do get into your bloodstream via the blood vessels in you mouth.  You can read more about that here.  In the meantime, as a home-schooling, multi-chef-hat-wearing, uber-researching, no-time-for-me mommy, I am going to get on with this post.  =)

Ingredients
-1/2 C. water
-1/2 C. xylitol (birch sourced only)
-1/4 C. baking soda
-1/8 C. Redmond's sea salt (independently tested as being the lowest in heavy metals)
-1/4 tsp food grade hydrogen peroxide (optional)

I have to warn you that this recipe is very salty, so if you have an aversion to salt flavor, you could reduce the salt in the recipe, but it's very good for cleaning, mineralizing and offering a safe abrasion for scrubbing the surface of the teeth so I wouldn't remove it completely.  You could add flavorings, if you tolerate them, in the form of essential oils, but be aware that they are very high salicylate.

Heat all of the ingredients, except the hydrogen peroxide, just to the boiling point, then reduce to low.  Let this simmer until the liquid is all gone, stirring frequently.  It will take a while, so do something else rather than watching the pot, lol.  When it's fairly thick, like a paste, turn off the heat and let it cool.  If you are adding the hydrogen peroxide, add it here and then blend in a blender or the Magic Bullet which is just the right size for small recipes like this.  Your toothpaste will be less of a paste and more of a thin gel.

I like to keep ours in a glass dropper bottle.  After we use up a supplement, I clean it out with boiling water, take the dropper out and cut an X in the tip of the squeezy part of the dropper cap.  Shake well, turn it over and squeeze the dropper cap to dispense!  It works like a charm!  You could also use a nice little hand pump lid for the texture of this toothpaste.  A little goes a long way.

My teeth feel super smooth and clean after using this toothpaste, I have even grown to like the saltiness (I didn't at first), it makes my mouth feel clean! 

Coconut yogurt

I finally found the key to easy, thick and creamy coconut yogurt!!  Coconut cream!!

When you make your own yogurt, you avoid cross contamination issues, preservatives, refined sugars, food coloring and you can control the bacteria strains used.  For those who have kids with PANDAS or sensitivity to yeast, that is key to being able to have yogurt at all, because most yogurt is made with S. Thermophilus which is a strep strain that can flare PANDAS.

I used a dehydrator for this recipe, to incubate the yogurt at a consistent, low temperature, but you can use a yogurt maker or store the jar in an insulated cooler.


Homemade Coconut Yogurt

• 3  cartons of the coconut cream linked above.  If you can find another source, it just needs to be thick like heavy cream.
• 1/4 tsp non-dairy probiotic of choice (I used Custom Probiotics 12 strain)
• 1-2 Tbsp. honey OR maple syrup OR coconut nectar
• Candy thermometer (very important)
• Glass or ceramic containers with lids (do not use metal).  I use a Pyrex container and I place a small plate upside down on top of it while it incubates, then use the plastic lid during refrigeration.

1. Sterilize your yogurt containers, mixing spoons and other utensils with boiling water. This will keep bad bacteria from competing with the good bacteria.
2. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk to 170-185 degrees, then remove from heat. Bringing it to just boiling is ok, but watch it closely. (Do NOT microwave, which harmfully alters the chemical structure of the milk).
   Some say you don’t have to heat coconut milk very much, because it usually comes from sterile containers. However, if you have made your own coconut milk, make sure you’ve heated it to at least 180 degrees, or you risk of contamination with Burkholderia cocovenenans or other harmful bacteria.
3. Add maple syrup or honey and stir thoroughly. The sweetener provides food for the bacterial culture and will be mostly consumed by the time your yogurt is done. Without a natural form of sugar, coconut milk will not culture.
4. Cover (I just lay a clean kitchen towel over the top) and cool to 105-110 degrees. It is very important that you allow the temperature to drop so as not to kill the bacterial culture you are going to introduce. It takes a fair amount time to cool to 110, so go do something else in the house for a while.
5. Remove about 1/2 cup of cooled coconut milk, and add either 1/4 cup of plain coconut yogurt (from your previous batch) or 1/4 tsp. of your probiotic. (You should save 1/4 cup of your homemade yogurt as a starter for the next batch.) Stir well.
6. Thoroughly mix the inoculated batch back in with the remainder of the cooled coconut milk.
7. Pour cultured milk into any appropriately-sized, shallow glass or enamel containers, cover and let stand at 105-110 degrees for 8-24 hours, to a maximum of 29 hours. The longer you ferment the yogurt, the less sugar it will contain and the more sour it will taste. Check for taste at 8 hours, but note that if you want all the sugar to be fully consumed by the bacteria, you will need to ferment for at least 18 hours.
8. To keep the correct temperature for the culture, I use my Excalibur dehydrator set at about 105 degrees, and place the containers on the bottom, away from the heating element. You can also use a temperature-adjustable heating pad or crockpot, or put a 60-Watt bulb in your oven and leave the light on. No other heat is needed. Remember, too high a temperature will kill the bacterial culture; too low of a temperature will prevent proper fermentation. You will know you have done it right by the proper yogurt-sour smell and taste.
9. After 8–24 hours, remove from heat, stir to an even consistency and refrigerate.
10. Once fully cooled, you can stir in fresh fruit, vanilla, nuts, oats, or any other flavoring you desire.

Your yogurt should smell and taste sour—like yogurt. If you notice any “off” or foul odors, mold, or pink splotches on the surface, discard and try again, making certain all your implements are sterile, and that you’ve both well-heated your milk prior to culturing, and cultured at the correct temperature. Your yogurt might have separated with a cloudy liquid on the bottom. This is usually not a problem, as long as everything else smells and tastes OK. Just mix well and enjoy.

No bake pumpkin butter mousse

We were surprised with a crazy Noreaster snow storm that hit our state hard.  So when our friends lost their power for four days we had an impromptu family sleep over at my house, so we made the best of it and played with food, since her family is on the low oxalate diet too.  =)

This recipe was a total accident!  This is the kind of accident I would love to have more often!!  It turned out DIVINE.  This is reminiscent of a peanut butter pie and, if you have a good crust recipe (especially chocolate, although that is not low oxalate), it would make a great team.  We just filled custard bowls and topped with this easy whipped topping.  VERY rich and satisfying.  This would be a nice addition to Thanksgiving dinner.  Oh, and it's HEALTHY!

Ingredients
-1/4 C sunbutter
-1 C pumpkin puree
-1 banana
-1/2 C coconut nectar or honey
-1 Tbsp coconut flour (this is only necessary, if you don't have the gelatin mentioned below)
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-1 tsp vanilla extract

Note - If you would like a pumpkin pie consistency like the picture below, put two tablespoons of unflavored gelatin into a little sub milk, 1/4-1/2 a cup should be enough (we use camel milk) to soften for a few minutes before adding it to the above mixture.  You can literally flip this out of a mold onto a plate upside down to make a flan-like custard dessert!

Put all of the above ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, then pour into custard cups and refrigerate.  I made a crust with ground flax seed, coconut flour, ghee, coconut oil and a bit of sweetener and it made an awesome pie!!

The coconut cream topping is SO easy and SO tasty.

Ingredients
-1 container of refrigerated (or put into the freezer for about 20 minutes) coconut cream
-1/4 C powdered coconut sugar or xylitol which keeps it white like the picture ("powder" it by grinding in a clean coffee grinder until it is a powder)
-1 tsp vanilla

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and whip for a few minutes until light and fluffy.  I would recommend waiting until you are ready to serve the mouse, before making the whipped topping for best results.

Homemade toothpaste

I began making our toothpaste when I realized that during homeopathic use, mint will antidote the remedy.  It's very hard to find safe toothpaste without mint!

We have been avoiding dangerous ingredients for much longer, ingredients like sodium fluoride, triclosan, FD&C Blue Dye #1 and 2, sodium lauryl sulfate, and hydrated silica.  And don't think that because you don't swallow the toothpaste that you aren't ingesting it, you are, it's absorbed through the mucus membrane of your mouth which is one of the most sensitive to absorption.  This is why we take sublingual supplements to be dissolved in the mouth, it goes directly to the bloodstream from the mouth!  According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, the mucosa lining inside of the mouth has an absorption efficiency of over 90 percent. Because of this, these carcinogens get into your blood, your brain, and your cells in no time at all – especially when you consider most people use dental care products 2 to 3 times a day.

Each of the ingredients mentioned here could have a blog entry all of their own, but I am going to try to keep it simple....Here is a brief description of some of the dangers involved with each ingredient:

Fluoride - Fluoride destroys the brain (accumulates in the pineal gland), the bones, the organs and causes cancer.  It is used in rat and cockroach poisoning!  Did you know that most popular toothpastes contain enough fluoride in four ounces to kill a small child within 2 to 4 hours? (From “Fluoride Retained From Mouth Rinses and Dentifrices in Preschool Children.”)  It is also a little known fact that fluoride compounds were added to the drinking water of prisoners to keep them quiet and to hamper noncompliance with authority, both in Nazi prison camps during World War II and in the Soviet gulags in Siberia. (From The Cold War and the University)

Surprisingly, fluoride has never been approved by the FDA.  A 1990 study stated that fluoride has been shown to NOT reduce cavities and scientists are now linking fluoride to dental deformity, arthritis, allergic reactions and about 10,000 unnecessary deaths each year from cancer. (From “Fluoride an equivocal carcinogen. National Cancer Institute)

More on fluoride here.

FD&C Blue Dye # 1 & 2 - Food coloring is neurotoxic.  They are made of petroleum, acetone and coal tars that are synthetically engineered, ick!  Ironically, food coloring WAS approved by the FDA.  In studies in which rats were given doses of artificial food coloring versus a placebo and then placed in a maze, it was found that the rats were hyperactive and had difficulty staying on task and retaining attention (From "Potential Health Hazard", 2011 Kamel & El-lethey). This is interesting because, as a lot of brightly colored snacks have lots of sugar as well as artificial color, so people blame the sugar for hyperactivity. However, the coloring itself may have something to do with this, as well.  Some parents have concluded this on their own from observations at home, too.  It has even been linked with rashes, asthma and tumors!  If your child has problems with phenol foods, it would be wise to steer clear of these ingredients.  There are many other food coloring ingredients that are not found in toothpaste, but are harmful, as well.

Sodium lauryl sulfate - One of THE most dangerous ingredients used in personal care products.  It's added to toothpaste as a foaming agent.  Do you need your toothpaste to foam?  Really?  It is used around the world for clinical testing as a primary skin irritant.  Laboratories use it to irritate the skin on test animals and humans so that they can then test healing agents to see how effective they are on irritated skin.  You want that in your kids mouths??  Or on their heads, or on their skin for that matter?  Remember that once this stuff enters the bloodstream, it travels throughout the body.  A study at the University of Georgia Medical College indicated that SLS penetrated into the eyes, as well as the brain, heart, liver, etc.....and showed long-term retention in the tissues.  This study also proved that it penetrated the eyes of young children and prevented them from developing properly as well as causing cataracts to develop as adults.

Here is an MSDS sheet for SLS. 

Triclosan - Pesticide!!  Do I really even need to go further?  Ok, well I will tell you why it is in toothpaste, it's antibacterial.  But honestly, with the sheer number of natural antibacterial herbs, foods and oils, this is just ludicrous!   It's seen increasingly on many other kid's products too, in an attempt to reduce the spread of germs.  If we just took care of ourselves better, washed our hands more, stayed home when we were sick and used natural products to heal ourselves, coating everything with Triclosan wouldn't be necessary.  Oh and one little known fact about Triclosan, while these companies claim it's safe, even the EPA has it registered as a dangerous pesticide.  In fact, they give Triclosan high scores both as a human health risk and as an environmental risk.

Hydrated silica - A whitener that damages tooth enamel....in your TOOTHpaste?  Yup.   Hydrated silica is primarily used as an abrasive in toothpaste, is made from a crystallized compound found in quartz, sand, and flint. (From “The Safe Shopper’s Bible”)

Just by looking at those ingredients, not counting the preservatives, sugars and other additives, how do you feel about putting that glob in your mouth tonight or tomorrow morning?

So let's get onto the toothpaste recipe, right??  Because you certainly can't go on using that toxic time bomb waiting in your bathroom cabinet.  I'm not sure it even belongs in the trash where it will pollute our world.  Maybe you could clean your car engine with it.

RECIPE (finally!)

Place the first list of ingredients into a small pot on "low" heat until it becomes a thick liquid then turn it off while you go onto the next step, to allow it to cool slightly.  ( I don't like putting hot ingredients into my Magic Bullet since I imagine it might have BPA in the plastic)

• 5 generous Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp xylitol (be sure it's made from birch, not from corn)
• 2 Tbsp aluminum-free baking soda
• 1 Tbsp sea salt (we use Real Salt, because it is the least heavy metal ridden, per independent testing my biological dentist had done on various sea salts)

Add the remaining ingredients directly to the blender so the heat doesn't damage them

• 2 tsp vegetable glycerine
• 1 tsp aloe vera gel
• 1/2 tsp or less of hydrogen peroxide (this is an individual choice, I like it for some whitening and bacteria control)
• any essential oil mixtures you would like to flavor the toothpaste with (I like spicy clean flavors like clove and cinnamon or even a little rosemary, you could do a fruity flavor or even mint if you are making your toothpaste just to be healthier)

Now you can mix in the cooled mixture from your pot on the stove and blend to emulsify the mixture.  Immediately, pour into a zip lock baggie and roll it so that it stays in the bottom of the baggie while you cool it in the fridge.  Be careful not to leave it too long or the mixture will separate and harden.  I massage it a few times to keep it blended and as it gets thicker, take it out.

When you take it out of the fridge, it should be firm or at least thick with no liquid.  Allowing it to cool to room temp will turn it into a squeezable gel.  Cut the corner into the size hole you want to dispense it through and store upright in a cup on your sink.

If you would like to know more about the reason I chose the above ingredients, keep reading:

• Virgin coconut oil - coconut oil is antimicrobial and it solidifies at room temp (turns to liquid over 78 degrees, so store it somewhere cool if you are in an exceptionally warm climate).
• Xylitol - balances the PH in the mouth, preventing the growth of bad bacteria and because it's also a sweetener, it naturally sweetens the toothpaste.
• Aluminum-free baking soda - Well, of course we are making our own toothpaste to avoid toxins, so aluminum-free is a must.  Baking soda also increases/balances the PH in the mouth, and body, plus it's slightly abrasive naturally and will scrub the teeth.
• Sea salt - in addition to being an abrasive that suits cleaning the teeth, it will re-mineralize the teeth with the trace minerals found in natural unrefined sea salt.
• Aloe vera gel - aloe is a natural antimicrobial, but it is also soothing and reduces inflammation.  The "gel" part is nice for the toothpaste consistency too.
• Vegetable glycerine - this is not a necessary part of your toothpaste, but it is naturally sweet and helps firm up the toothpaste.  I just like it, but your toothpaste will do just fine without it.  I've made it both ways successfully.
• Hydrogen peroxide - Whitening power!!  It also fights microbes and fungus, but use very little, because it can be harsh in high amounts.  Also, some people don't do well with H2O2, because it is a strong oxidizer, so if you have oxidative stress, consider avoiding this ingredient.
• Essential oils - consider oils that will fight bacteria, neutralize toxins and satisfy your taste, like cloves, lemon, cinnamon, mint, etc.

This can be a fun task to do with your kids so they see each of the ingredients and then the final result.  They will WANT to brush their teeth with their new homemade toothpaste!!  What fun!

Happy brushing to you and your family.

Pumpkin pie latte...

...with FRESH pumpkin puree!  Beat that Starbucks! This is why it's nice to have some fresh pumpkin puree laying around...

This recipe is made with you caregivers in mind.  A good steamy cup of java to get you going so you can take care of those kiddos.  Why not spend a little extra time on you today, you deserve it?

I just put a few tablespoons of pumpkin puree into a small pot and heated it with a little pumpkin seed milk (use milk or substitute of your choice) to thin it slightly and then added:

• a good amount of pumpkin pie spice
• coconut sugar which tastes like brown sugar
• some xylitol to taste
• vanilla  

Blend with your cup of coffee (I used the magic bullet) and top with foamy "milk" of choice and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.

Not only is this tasty, preservative-free and sugar-free, but it offers a shot of real vitamin A, great for flu season!  Oh, and one bonus is that it doesn't cost $4.


Now, if you are a camel milk drinker (or even, if you are not), I MUST show you how fabulously it froths for a latte!!

Here you have the camel milk poured before frothing.  As you can see, it doesn't require much.

Check out that foam!!

And there you have it!!  HUGE frothy latte milk in seconds.

How to make fresh pumpkin puree

There is no better fall flavor than pumpkin, mmmmmmm!!

Having a little pumpkin around can add the warm fuzzies to many dishes including soups, cookies, cakes, waffles, pancakes, and even drinks like pumpkin pie latte and smoothies!

If you are like me, you know the risks of using canned foods and avoid it like the plague, which leaves you with no other pumpkin puree options.  Here you will learn how to make it so it comes out just like the canned stuff, thick and rich tasting.

The trick to the right consistency and flavor is roasting it!!  Be sure to buy pie pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins.  They are grown for eating, unlike carving pumpkins which are grown for size, not flavor.  I like to prepare a few at a time and freeze my puree in one-cup servings for easy defrosting.  In the recipe below, I bought four small pumpkins and it yielded 5 cups of puree.

If like me, you rarely find time to work out, cut up a few pumpkins!!  It's seriously labor-intensive, but well worth the effort!  Try not to chop a finger off in the process....

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then wash the pumpkins, cut them down the middle, scoop out seeds and cut into chunks, leaving the skin on

Place the chunks into a baking dish, skin down

Bake for about an hour

Scoop out the meat and puree until smooth

This process can take a little time and some repositioning, because roasting the pumpkin dries it out, be patient and work the puree in the processor until it's smooth

When finished, you can use it immediately, store it in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer in freezer safe containers (glass is safest) leaving room for expansion.

Lemon dressing and more...

Finding a healthy dressing is all but impossible, with ingredients like sugar, high fructose corn syrup and oils high in saturated fats, or even worse, soy in EVERYTHING, dressings top the list for unhealthy "health" foods.  You make yourself a great healthy salad full of fantastic vegetables and then top it off with that nasty stuff from the grocery store....why?  Because it's easy.  Well, I will give you easy AND healthy.  Make your own, it's easier than setting the table, and just as quick.  Before long you won't even think about it, you will just pour a few ingredients into a blender without measuring or worrying about what ingredients to use.  Even my 6 year old knows what goes into an easy dressing and has been creating new concoctions since he could decide what ingredients he likes and doesn't like.  His newest idea is to make a sunbutter dressing, and why not?  There are coconut peanut dressings, so our next creation will be just that, sunbutter coconut dressing!  Stay tuned (wink).

But for now, let's talk about lemons.  Lemon is probably one of my all-time favorite flavors...lemonade, lemon cookies, lemon bars, I add lemon to my kefir and to my chicken....and even better, they are AWESOME for you in so many ways.  Lemon is a liver detox, it will alkalize your PH, it is a blood purifier, a diuretic, relieves gallstones, reduces mucus, is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial, and because of it's high potassium levels, it can help control high blood pressure.  So needless to day, a little lemon in your diet goes a long way and I am about to share the easiest, tastiest lemon dressing with you right now.

You can pour this over salads, chicken, fish, all kinds of veggies, and you might catch me licking it off the spoon...over and over and over again. In fact, I just had a salad with it and can't seem to get enough of the remains off the plate, right now!

Since I tend to just eye-ball my dressings, these measurements are not exact.  Play around with what your taste buds prefer and write it down!

I use the Magic Bullet for my dressings, but any blender will work.  Add all ingredients below to your blender and blend:

-lemon juice and avocado oil (about 50/50, just a tad more oil than lemon)
-1 large clove of garlic to about 1/2 cup of the above ingredients
-1 Tbsp xylitol (or sweetener of choice, I like this because it's light)
-1-2 tsp dill
-a few twists of some fresh ground pepper

If you like it sweeter, add more xylitol to suit your taste.

You could make this recipe with any citrus: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit or any combination, especially, if you juice your own!

GFCFSFEF and low oxalate pancakes!!

These rock!  Going on the LOD and being free of every baking ingredient known to man-kind makes it a challenge to find a good pancake recipe.  I am big on avoiding rice whenever possible too, so these are actually rice-free too!!  I have been tweaking this recipe to make it hold up to good old fluffy boxed pancakes.  Sorry, these aren't quite as easy to make though.

We like a lot of flavor in our pancakes. These are hearty and flavorful and they fluff right up when cooking even without eggs or gluten!  We like the flavor enough to just grab one in our hand and eat it up.

They are nice and fluffy and they even cook just like boxed pancakes, if you leave the batter thicker.  No uncooked gluten-free goo here!

When I am batch-cooking pancakes, I like to make my batter a little on the thin side, because I like our pancakes thinner, to stretch further.  I usually will triple this recipe and freeze enough for three to four more breakfasts!  I just toss them in the toaster and voila, done in seconds.

Wisk the dry ingredients into a medium bowl
-1/2 C. black eyed pea flour (grind dry beans on grain grind setting in blender or food processor)
-1/2 C. pumpkin seed flour (grind in blender or coffee grinder)
-1/4 C. water chestnut flour (you can get this at Asian markets very cheap, it's a must for volume)
-2 Tbs chestnut flour (this gives an awesome hearty flavor to the pancakes)
-2 Tbs coconut sugar (or swap and add coconut nectar into wet ingredients)
-1 Tb garbanzo bean flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp cream of tartar (I rotate this out by swapping it with apple cider vinegar occasionally, but I prefer the cream of tartar)
-1/2 tsp salt

In a smaller bowl, wisk the wet ingredients together
-1 C. water (I usually start a little less and add more as I need it so I have a desired consistency)
-1 Tbs vanilla
-2 Tbs oil of choice (we like macadamia nut)
-Add any substitute liquids (ie - coconut nectar or apple cider vinegar)

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and wisk until smooth.  Let this sit for a good 15-30 minutes until the consistency thickens up enough, it WILL thicken over time!  This is usually when I turn the griddle on and let it slowly heat up to temp so it's good and hot when I start.  You will have flat flabby pancakes, if you try to cook them on a less then hot griddle.  I should have taken THOSE pictures so you can see how many times I have rushed and ruined the whole first batch, lol.

This is the finished product without doctoring, thick and hearty!  They can be used as bread, topped with ghee and/or VCO and fruit or even eaten just like they are.  My kids have had them each of those ways and they NEVER get bored of them.  With a diet so restricted, that says a lot.  We have only three breakfast options that we rotate and they always look forward to their pancake days!  They love to make sandwiches out of mango slices and their pancakes.