foodie

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grain free pumpkin pancakes*

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A lot of time and energy goes into what we put into our bodies in this house. Each of us have sensitivities that are crucial to our health and well being. I was born with Celiac, unable to digest gluten and my tummy is intolerant to most fish except shell fish. Boho Boy has an intolerance to gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, safflower oil and citric acid (those last two ingredients are in everything!). Cedar seems to feel more calm and clear on a grain free/gluten free, corn free, peanut free, high protein, low carb diet.

Because of our various needs, not one "diet" out there works for our family, which is okay with us because we are used to not fitting into a box. We love to eat and we love eating for pleasure too. So you can imagine the creativity that needs to go into our meals. Oh my!

With much trial and error, we have learned we all feel better juicing our own fruit and veggie juices, eating more raw, mostly vegetarian, meat/fish just a few times a week and light on brown rice breads/pastas. It has taken us years to fully grasp what works for each of our very individual bodies and create a food lifestyle that is in harmony for all of us. Because we all know that making three different meals is just not super fun, no matter how much you love cooking! I just now feel like I have a grasp on this and am more aware of what to look for as far as recipes and substitutes.

Today I found this recipe over at The Detoxinista, a blog I discovered while doing a search for grain free goodies. She's brilliant and has some really lovely recipes on her site. I wanted to share this one with you because they truly do taste like pancakes and I am looking forward to trying different flavors with them.

My pumpkin-lovin' boys were in heaven and wanted seconds and thirds. I had to substitute almond butter for Boho Boy's homemade cashew butter because of his allergy to almonds but they turned out perfect.

Boho Boy's Cashew Butter

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon oil (we use grapeseed or walnut)
  • Dash of vanilla extract

Instructions:

  • Blend it like mad. Add some water/oil or maple syrup to achieve desired creaminess...and to help the blender along as it stops.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup almond or cashew butter
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 whole eggs
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions:

  • Preheat your oven to 350F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
  • Use a ¼ cup to scoop the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheet
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the pancakes are fluffy and golden.
  • Serve warm, with pure maple syrup or whatever you desire

Yum Yummity Yum Yum.

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bellingham, smoothies & american idol.

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green smoothie.
green smoothie, canon 50d

I know I've been a bit quiet this week. With Cedar being a bit more mobile, its been really fun exploring our days together. I am soaking in the wisdom of many mothers before me and am truly embracing each moment with him. Even the moments when we are laughing at flax seeds in his diaper from the flax seed toast he ate the day before. ; )

Our minds have also been occupied on our upcoming trip to Bellingham, Washington for Spring Break (we might also spend a few days in Victoria, B.C...depending on the flow of our days). Bellingham sounds like a slice of Utopia. Years ago when in high school, my friend Letha had a dream that her and I would study art at WWU in Bellingham. The way she described it then sounded dreamy but I wasn't yet ready to venture out at that time in my life. My dear friend Marybeth lives there now and I can't wait to snuggle up and watch our children play. So looking forward to how Cedar is with three gorgeous, creative, soulful and spirited girls, all older than him. So far with the few friends (his age) that he has played with at the park, I see a gentle, chill, forgiving spirit about him. I will not at all have this expectation that this will always be his way. In fact, I have no expectations at all...but it is so heart filling to see him being kind to others when he hasn't had any experience with siblings or other little ones.

I also wanted to share with you something that Cedar and I try to do together each day; drink a green smoothie. I have tried many varieties and my most favorite is my friend Sara's tropical blend. You can find the recipe on her foodie site here (scroll down for the video). She inspired me to drink it out of a mason jar. Everything tastes and looks better with a mason jar!

green smoothie time.
cedar & moi, drinking our afternoon nectar

p.s. i am watching american idol this season and i just need to give a shout out to Crystal Bowersox. i love her ways. i love that she may shift things for this show in the future. encourage others to listen to indie artists. and i love that she brought a comfy carpet with her on stage because she felt it was too cold and sat down on the carpet with ryan seacrest. she's such a kindred spirit. love her dreadlocks. love the ribbons in her hair. love her arm jewelry. she just rocks.

another p.s. check out this delish giveaway over at gypsy yum's blog.

our sweet morning nectar.

yerba mate
ingredients, canon 50d

I have been asked via email or comments quite often how Boho Boy and I make our yerba mate in the morning. I wanted to share it here, in this space...with a little visual to make it more tempting. ; ) But first let me share our story behind mate and how it became a daily ritual.

When trying to get pregnant, we let go of a lot of guilty pleasures...one of them being coffee. My parents are from back East (Massachusetts to be exact) and one of the many traditions they brought into California when the Andrade family migrated was a love for creamy sweet coffee. I grew up with the smell of java every morning as a child. I longed for the day when I was old enough to have my own cup but I settled for the coffee nips my Memere would pull out of her purse during her visits to California. Morning coffee was never just a drink to get us going. It was a tradition, a ritual...almost a spiritual experience. We knew to be quiet when mom and dad were enjoying their first cup. My father would get up an hour earlier than he needed to, so he could ease into his day with his steamy hot mug. As my sisters and I got older, this morning quietness was part of our own lives. Darlene still tried to preserve this ritual while raising teenagers. Pamela while raising three toddlers and me, up in my studio apartment in Berkeley, overlooking the Bay Bridge. Three sisters living very different lives, yet still carrying on that tradition of "Shhhh...just let me sip and stare out the window while I wake...".

So, having to give it up for the sake of happy sperms and eggs colliding in perfect harmony was HARD and uncomfortable...but we were willing to do whatever it took.

I knew myself well enough to know that cold turkey just never cuts it with me. So I first transitioned with Teeccino herbal coffee that we picked up at Whole Foods. From there, we tried Guayaki dark roast mate. We drank both with either vanilla almond milk or vanilla rice milk, depending on the diet at the time. Following the first time we did the master cleanse, we went off of caffeine completely for a while. That felt so, so good but at the same time, I really missed my ritual. Herbal teas and rice milk just didn't feel the same to me. It didn't have that rich, creamy thing going. I disconnected from needing that ritual and as much as that opened up time and space for other things, I longed for that sacred creamy sweet time again.

Then it happened. Boho Boy and I were on one of our many trips to Victoria, B.C. We were walking around downtown and stepped into the Solstice Cafe. A groovy, artsy, comfy, warm vibe of a place. A place that attracts unique and passionate folks, sitting in funky furniture having rich and intellectual conversations. We were looking at their teas and in large chalky white words we saw "Yerba Mate Latte". We also saw that they had vanilla rice milk AND agave nectar (which has been our sweetener of choice since trying the raw diet a few years back). We both practically squealed, ordered two and found our big comfy chairs. When we took a first sip from our steamy mug, we looked at one another and simultaneously said "mmmmmm....". It was different. Creamier. Greener. Yummier than the mate we were used to. It was pretty much a dessert in a cup. So, we asked them what mate they used and they told us it was a green leaf blend, not the brown, dark roast one. It was pure air-dried mate. Another difference was that it was steeped in all milk. We used to make it with hot water and then pour a bit of milk in the cup. But they used all 100% vanilla rice milk. Mmm Mmm good.

Since then, it has become our nectar of choice in the morning. For a long time, we would boil the vanilla rice milk in an electric kettle and pour it in our french press but we felt like that might be too many calories, so we are back to using water and heating up the milk in a saucepan and using half milk and half mate in our mugs. So here is the recipe::

Loose leaf Guayaki San Mateo Yerba Mate
Trader Joes Vanilla Rice Milk (any vanilla rice milk will do but this one is the creamiest).
Agave Nectar
French Press
Electric Kettle

We steep the yerba mate in our french press while heating up vanilla rice milk in a sauce pan. We get our mugs out and put about 2 teaspoons (sometimes more) of agave nectar in the mug. When both the milk is hot and the mate is done, we first pour the milk into the mug and fill it half way. We then pour the mate in until the mug is full. I was taught to always pour the milk in first because it will mix more evenly. Stir in the agave nectar from the bottom and Voila!

Prepare to be addicted. I've already converted a few friends after they have stayed the night.

Yes, its still caffeine in a cup. Its perhaps just a wee healthier than coffee. Who knows. Always controversial, really. All I do know is that this is one guilty pleasure I don't want to let go of for a long time. It makes me happy.