Sourdough waffles are a very simple delicious recipe. I love the flavor the sourdough give my breakfast and it makes me feel good to serve my family gut healthy foods for breakfast/dessert.

Ingredients for Sourdough Waffles

• Sourdough Starter. Fed or unfed sourdough start will work for this recipe.
• Flour. All purpose flour usually makes the sweeter, fluffier waffle. Whole wheat makes the much healthy breakfast and adds that whole wheat flavor that some (me!) like and some (my husband) do not. You can also adjust to a 1/2 & 1/2 ratio with these two flour or keep it 100% either way.
• Water. We will mix the flour, water and sourdough starter together and let ferment overnight ready to use in the morning for waffles.
• Eggs. Eggs provide a great source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, selenium and many different vitamins and minerals.

• Honey. Honey can be substituted with sugar or maple syrup. I use honey to sweeten just about everything.
• Salt. Salt for flavor. These tortillas with be flavorless without salt. Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah
• Baking Soda. Baking soda is our raising agent. Baking soda reacts with the fermented batter and creating little air bubbles making a soft and fully waffle or pancake.

How to Make Sourdough Waffles

First make your sourdough starter to make a whole lot more starter. This means we are going to take 1 cup of starter and add 2 cups of flour and 1 1/2 cups water and let ferment on the counter overnight.

In the morning preheat you waffle maker. Then mix into your starter batter, eggs, coconut oil, honey, salt and lastly baking soda all together.

Your batter is now ready to cook! Use your favorite waffle maker or cook on the stove top as pancakes.

Grease your waffle maker between each waffle and be patient. Some waffles makers take a long time. If the waffle is sticking to the lid the waffle is not done. Give it a little more time to cook.

Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, lemon curd or homemade whipped cream!

Tips

• Grease your waffle maker between each waffle. You don’t need a lot, a little will go a long way.
• Be Patient. If you try and lift the lid and its sticking the waffle is not done. Be patient and let it cook a little longer.
• Freeze for another day. Make mini waffles in bulk and freeze them for quick toaster waffles in the morning.

Why Sourdough?

Is sourdough healthy? What is it about sourdough that makes it healthier than regular breads or dough?

Sourdough is made when the dough is fermented with beneficial bacteria. The fermentation breaks down the starches in the wheat and making it easier to digest.

The wheat that we grow and buy in the USA is not easy to digest. The seeds have been modified, as it goes it sprayed with chemicals that prevent disease to the wheat plant but stunts its nutritional value. Have you ever heard of wheat belly? Have you notice all the trendy low carb diets being successful? This is not because carbs are bad but because our wheat and sugars have been modified and processed so much. The more processed and modified our food is the more foreign it is to our body making it hard on our system and can cause lots of different healthy issues.

One of the steps to improve our health is to ferment our breads and dough. Breaking down the hard starches before you eat it helps so much! Sourdough doesn’t just break down the starches but does so much more. Check out “11 Reasons To Eat Sourdough Bread” by Bread Affair to learn more.

Can I make sourdough waffles with the discard?

Yes! If you have 2-3 cups of discard ready you can easily make this recipe. Essentially that is what we make in the first steps of this recipe. Mix together a cup of starter with 2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups water to make enough discard for the next mornings waffles.

Would if I don’t have a sourdough starter…

Can I still make sourdough waffles with our the sourdough starter? Yes and no… Let me explain.

Sourdough starter is make of flour and water that has been fermented. To ferment your flour and water mixture is simple, just let the mixture sit with a clothes or loose lid on your container/bowl or jar. The longer you let it sit the better the fermentation. To keep the good gut healthy bacteria alive you need to feed the mixture with more water and flour each day. The longer you keep this up the stronger the fermentation is and the better the sourdough starter is.

The first step in this recipe is to add flour, water and starter together and let sit overnight. To make this recipe without sourdough starter you can simple let your flour and water mixture lightly ferment over night. Just follow the recipe without the sourdough starter.

Using the starter will help the fermentation process get started and will break down the hard to digest starches faster. Without the starter is will not break down as much or ferment strong enough to be considered real sourdough waffles.

If you have never made sourdough and want to make your own sourdough starter check out little spoon farms “Sourdough Starter Recipe“.

What is the best waffle maker to use?

I’m still looking for the best affordable waffle maker out there but I can give you my honest review and hopeful some helpful suggestions. The YASHE Double Waffle Maker or a Cast Iron Waffle Maker is my best suggestion.

Look for deep grids

My cute little In & Out waffle maker is cheap, low wattage making it take forever to cook the waffles. My kids love the little palm tree but the grid is very shallow. The Dash mini waffle maker was only $10 and has deep grids that give it a much better texture. Although it is uses 350 watts which is lot, making it take a long time to cook still.

Look at the watt’s size.

When looking for a waffle maker I suggest looking at the wattage. Most of the cheaper, slower Belgian waffle makers have a wattage of 1000-1200 while the commercial grade waffle makers mostly use 1500 watts. In a waffle maker I would look for 1400 watts or more for a quick, crispy waffle.

YASHE Double Waffle Maker is a 1400 watts double 6 inch waffle maker for only $59.99. This is one I would put on my Christmas wish list.

My Oster Belgian 8 inch waffle maker has a wattage of 1050. It takes a very long time I typically have to make my waffles ahead of time and reheat in the oven when when want to eat them.

Mini waffle makers have a lower wattage all together. Most of them being as low as 350 watts. The multi mini waffle makers are typically around 1200 watts, like the Dash multi mini waffle maker.

Try cast iron waffle makers

I’ve heard great things about the cast iron waffle makers and would like to try one out. I do love the mini waffle and cast iron mini (4 inch) waffles makers are hard to find. I did find a 6 inch cast iron for less than $30.

Sourdough Waffles

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

The Night Before

1. Mix together 1 cup starter, 2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups of water. Let ferment on the counter overnight

In The Morning

1. Preheat your waffle maker. Grease it in between every waffle.
2. Mix 3 eggs, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons baking soda into the starter batter.
3. Pour into your waffle maker and cook for about 4 minutes. Each waffle maker is a little different and the cook time may very.
4. Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, lemon curd or homemade whipped cream!

The post Sourdough Waffles Easy Recipe – Overnight appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Is Homemade Jam Healthy?

You can make homemade jam healthier than store bought jams by using less sugar and no synthetic preservative or ingredients but there is still a lot of sugar in homemade jams. So, healthier but not healthy.

Tips For Making Your Homemade Jam and Jelly Healthier

Use Less Sugar

If you are using sweet fruit like strawberries, apricots, peaches or plums you can use a lot less sugar in your jams and it still taste sweet and delicious. When try a new recipe add half of the sugar and cook for a few minutes then taste the jam. Add more till you reach your desired sweetness. When using cranberries in your recipes you will want to use the recommended amount of sugar due to there sour and sometimes bitter taste.

Substitutes For Sugar

Honey, maple syrup, and stevia are all great healthy substitutes for sugar! I prefer doing half sugar and honey rather than doing 100% honey or another sweetener.

When omitting sugar from your jam recipes it will effect the thickening of you jam. To be successful use the right pectin. Pectin and sugar work together in thickening and firming the jam. There is pectin that does not require sugar to activate, such as, Real Fruit Pectin.

Do Cranberries Have Natural Pectin?

Yes! Cranberries have lots of natural pectin and firm up really well the longer you let them simmer.

Do Persimmons Have Natural Pectin?

Yes! Persimmons have natural pectin. Although they have a natural pectin they may not have enough to get your jam to your desired texture. That is why this recipe uses cranberries. They have a lot more natural pectin helping thicken my persimmons and creates a wonderful blend of flavor.

Different Types of Persimmons

There are two main types of persimmons Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu is the sweet, eat like an apple delicious when raw persimmon fruit. It is short, with tough skin and juicy flesh. Hachiya is not like the Fuyu. It is long and although sweet with the same flavor as the Fuyu it often has a mouth drying feeling when you eat it. This is due to what’s called Astringency. The best way to use Hachiya persimmons is by cooking them or waiting till they are over ripe to eat.

Either choice is good for jam. Both are sweet and cook the same. When ever I get Hachiya persimmons I always make jam with them. This year we had an abundance of Fuyu and enjoyed them daily with enough to make our jam.

How to Make Cranberry Persimmon Jam

Prepare Your Persimmons

Cut and peel your persimmons in small pieces. Trim off any blemishes.

Cook Your Jam

In a large pot cook on medium high the persimmons, cranberries sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and all-spice. Let it simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

The jam should thicken up. You can test the texture by taking a tablespoon of the jam and placing it in the freezer for a minute to see how thick the jam sets when cooled.

Blend You Fruit

After its cook for a while. Use an immersion blender to blend your jam to your desired consistency. I like a few chucks of fruit but not a lot. You can also place you jam in a blender or mash it with a potato masher. The longer it cooks the more the fruit will brake down but it is faster if you blend it.

Store Your Jam

Clean your jars and sanitize if you plan on water bath canning them. Use a ladle and a canning funnel for clean easy transfer into the jars.

Without canning your jars will last 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. With canning they will last up to a year in your pantry. Once opened, 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.

How To Water Bath Can Jam

Wash and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. You can sterilize by placing the clean jars in boiling water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar for ten minutes. I always wash my rings and lids with hot soupy water and put them in a stainless steal strainer above the boiling water on top of the jars to steam them.

The vinegar is optional. I use it because are water is hard and leaves spots on the jars unless I use the vinegar.

Heat water to a light simmer in a large canning pot and with a canning jar rack.

When the jam is hot poor it into your jars leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.

Clean off the rim of your jars with a little white vinegar and place the lids and rings on finger tight, no tighter. With your jar tongs place your jars with hot jam into the hot water. (You can also work with cold jam but you will need the water to also be cool.)

Bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the jars remain in the water for another 10 minutes before taking out. Take out and let cool. After a few hours take the rings off and check the seal by lifting gently on the lid.

Cranberry Persimmon Jam

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 20 Persimmons
• 8 cups of cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 6 cups sugar
• Zest from 2 oranges
• Juice from 2 oranges
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon all-spice

Instructions

1. Cut and peel your persimmons in small pieces
2. In a large pot cook on medium high the persimmons, cranberries sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and all-spice.
3. Let it simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. The jam should thicken up. You can test the texture by taking a tablespoon of the jam and placing it in the freezer for a minute to see how thick the jam sets when cooled.
4. Poor you jam in clean sterilize jars and enjoy!

You can keep your jam in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. Or you can water bath can your jam for longer shelf life.

Water Bath Canning

1. Wash and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings.
2. Heat water to a light simmer in a large canning pot and with a canning jar rack.
3. When the jam is hot poor it into your jars leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.
4. Clean off the rim of your jars with a little white vinegar and place the lids and rings on finger tight, no tighter.
5. With your jar tongs place your jars with hot jam into the hot water. (You can also work with cold jam but you will need the water to also be cool.)
6. Bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and let the jars remain in the water for another 10 minutes before taking out.
8. Take out and let cool. After a few hours take the rings off and check the seal by lifting gently on the lid.

The post Cranberry Persimmon Jam Recipe (no pectin) appeared first on Embracing The Home.

FAQs

What is the difference between a carving pumpkin and a baking pumpkin?

A baking pumpkin (or pie pumpkin) will be a little smaller and heavy for its size. The heavier the pumpkin typically the better for baking. Baking pumpkins have thicker walls and are sweeter then the carving pumpkins.

A carving pumpkin is typically large and light. The inside walls are thinner and stringy. Carving pumpkins are not as sweet and once cooked can have a little bit of a bitter taste to them. The taste is not always noticeable in your recipes but the baking pumpkins make your desserts and soups and breads so much better.

Can I make pumpkin puree from a carving pumpkin?

If you have already carved the pumpkin and you had it as decoration for Halloween then NO. Once its been cut open the pumpkin it will start to slowly rot. So do not use your carved pumpkins to for eating. You can however bake our boil the scraps and pieces you cut out of your pumpkin and make them into pumpkin puree rather then throwing them in the trash.

If you are just asking if the carving type of pumpkin is good for eating and making puree, the answer is… they are not the best. Carving pumpkins are edible and taste fine. They are not as sweet as baking pumpkins and they are stringy. They also often have thinner walls not giving you as much meat to work with.

Can I make pumpkin puree from pumpkin guts?

Pumpkin guts are the stringy insides that we pull out of our carving pumpkins. They are not ideal for making pumpkin puree but you absolutely can. I would add them to a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes then drain the water and put them in the blender. You will then have a little pumpkin puree to eat.

What is the best pumpkin to use for puree?

The best pumpkins are the baking pumpkins. There are lots of different verities of baking pumpkins and they are all a little different but will still work great for cooking and baking with. There are some verities that are considered carving pumpkins because of there thin walls and light weight.

Can I make pumpkin puree without baking it?

The pumpkin must be cooked in order for it to puree. You can cook it either by baking the pumpkin or by boiling the pumpkin. To boil it you have to cut it in to smaller pieces and when baking you only have to cut it in half. I like to bake my pumpkins.

How To Puree a Pumpkin

Step One: Pick Your Pumpkin

Pick out a nice baking pumpkin, one that is one that seems heavy for its size. At the store they may be marked as sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. I do not recommend using a carving pumpkin. Read above to learn more about the differences.

Step Two: Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you cut and gut your pumpkin.

Step Three: Cut and Gut Your Pumpkin

Cut the top off you pumpkin then proceed to cutting the pumpkin in half using a large chefs knife. Watch out for fingers! Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

Step Four: Bake Your Pumpkin

Use a large baking sheet to place your pumpkins on cut side down. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan and Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Step Five: Blend the Pumpkin

Once the pumpkin is done baking let it cool down at least enough to handle it. Use a large spoon to scoop out the inside of the pumpkin and add it to your Vitamix, blender or food processor. Blend on high until very smooth.

Step Six: Store Your Fresh Pumpkin Puree

When its all blended smooth and the perfect pumpkin puree, pour it into mason jars, zip-lock bags or any airtight container you plan to store it in. You can leave it in the fridge for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to a year. I like to freeze mine and use it through out the fall season in all my pies, breads and soups.

Recipes With Pumpkin Puree!

Pumpkin Puree

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• Baking Pumpkin

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut the top of the pumpkin off and then cut it in half. Take all the seeds outs.
3. Place the pumpkin face down on a large baking sheet with around 1/2-1 inch of water.
4. Bake for 1 hours at 375 degrees.
5. Once baked, scoop the insides into your blender or food processor. Blend the pumpkin on high till it is a smooth puree. You might need to add a little water to the pumpkin if it is not blending.
6. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to a year.

The post How To Make Pumpkin Puree From Scratch appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Azure Standard doesn’t specialize in nuts or in candied items but in organic, non-GMO bulk groceries. I love their mission and what they believe about the importance of the quality of food we consume. Azure is first family orientated and believe in making their prices affordable for all.

A Little About Azure

Azure Standard runs like a co-op. They deliver their goods once a month to delivery drop locations throughout the United States. When you make an order you are committing to meet the delivery truck at the drop location and pick up your order straight off the truck.

Azure Standard is known for and believes in the benefit of organic foods. Although they do have some non organic products. They are also known for the ability to order bulk quantities but they also offer smaller or regular sized quantities for their products. Flour for example, their organic all purpose flour has size options of 30oz, 5lbs, 10lbs and 25lbs. I buy 25 lbs at a time.

Azure Standard is a family and community motivated company. They strive to provide affordable and healthy food to their customers. From the why they grow their organic foods to the way the deliver, their motivation is for the benefit of the family and community.

Why Buy Organic

Organic foods can be expensive! And the question that always comes to my mind when seeing the price difference at the store is… “is organic actually worth this price?”. Is organic food worth the money? How much does it affect our health? Aren’t the labels out there all just a scam? In order to determine if organic foods are best for you, you will have to evaluate your own health conditions and your financial state.

Does Organic Foods Have Higher Nutrition Values?

The research is conflicting… Some say yes, some say no. I say yes and this is why.

What they have found to agree on is that organic foods have more antioxidants. Antioxidants help our body fight off free radicals. Free radicals can be very dangerous to our bodies and DNA causing cancer. Antioxidants help fight that from happening. Organic foods are a great source for antioxidants where conventional foods are not. Check out Healthline’s “What Is Organic Food, and Is It Better Than Non-Organic Food?” for more information.

Antioxidants not only protect our bodies but also protect the plant from disease. Non organic plants have chemical pesticides sprayed on them to protect them. By doing this the plant does not need to produce as much antioxidants. Organic foods are not sprayed with these chemicals and create their own protection through antioxidants. When we eat these foods the antioxidants in them also aid our own health.

There more I could say about the benefits of organic food but that will have to wait. Comment below if you have any question, I’d be happy to answer them.

Price Comparison

Nuts are expensive! Almonds, pecans, walnuts they are full of nutrition and good things but cost so much. Here I am comparing the price of pecans, almonds with Azure Standard, Nuts.com, Costco and Walmart. The of my September haul I compare only with nuts.com. You can see a full comparison with Walmart and Costco on my other price comparison posts.

Costco definitely wins in the prices for nuts. Price and quality are both found at Costco when it comes to nuts. Check out Azure Standard Review, Costco Price Comparison to see more on Costco prices.

In Summary

Don’t buy nuts from nuts.com…. They are too expensive! Our Azure pick up is in town and the closest Costco is only 25 minutes away. We will continue to shop there rather then the specialized online stores.

The post Azure Standard and Nuts.com Price Comparison appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Flour

This recipe turns out best with 100% All-Purpose flour but I often use a 50/50 mixture of All-Purpose and Whole Wheat Flour. The bread still turns out wonderfully. When using just All-Purpose

Baking Soda, Baking Powered & Salt

Baking soda and powdered is a raising agents. The baking soda creates little air bubbles when activated by acidic ingredients like apple cider vinegar or buttermilk. To make this recipe vegan I use vinegar to activate. Baking powder is also activated partly by acidic ingredients but also heat. So to insure a even continually rise I use both. You can substitute them for each other if you need.

Don’t forget to enhance the flavor of everything you make some good ol’ salt.

Sugar

This bread is somewhat bland but with the right amount of sugar can easily turn into a dessert! You don’t need to much sugar to make it perfect for a dinner side or snack bread.

Chia Seeds

We will use chia seeds as an egg substitute. Chia seeds soaked in water create a gel like texture simmilar to an egg white. The chia seeds are also filled with good omega-3 fats that also help bring out bread together so it wont crumble and fall apart.

Water or Plant Based Milk

You can use water or a plant based milk for our liquid. Be sure to soak your chia seeds in some water to create our egg substitute.

Coconut Oil

Melted coconut oil will also add to our fat based ingredients to help keep our bread soft and held together. You can use olive oil or another favorite oil to bake with. My favorite is coconut.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is used to help activate the baking soda and baking powder and create a nice fluffy soft bread. Without the vinegar the baking soda will not be activated and your bread will be dense. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar you can substitute with lemon juice.

How To make Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Step 1: Prepare Pan and Preheat Oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pan. One the baking soda and apple cider vinegar mix the bubbling and rise affect begins. We want to get the batter in the oven quickly so have your pan prepared by oiling it or parchment paper lining the pan.

Step 2: Chia Seeds Egg Substitute

Mix chia seeds in water and let soak for about 5 minutes till the water and chia seeds create a thick, gel like texture.

Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Step 4: Mix Wet Ingredients Together

Mix the apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil and chia seeds and water/milk together.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry and Bake

Mix together wet and dry ingredients together. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Step 6: Cool and Enjoy!

Check if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick, if it comes out clean the bread is done. Let cool before cutting into it. Serve with a little butter, some honey and enjoy!

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 Cups water or milk

Instructions

1. Prepare baking pan by greasing or lining with parchment paper or and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix together dry ingredients then in separate bowl mix together wet ingredients (and chia seeds)
3. Combine the two when oven is preheated and the pan is prepared. Once the baking soda is activated by the apple cider vinegar you want to get in the oven quickly to ensure and nice even, fluffy raise.
4. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Let cool before cutting in. Enjoy!

The post How To Make Vegan Irish Soda Bread appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Are Chemical Cleaners Bad?

YES!!! VERY BAD! …okay, maybe I’m overreacting… Let me just say right now, I have Bleach and Comet (Natural version here) and even Windex in my house right now that I use. Now, you are not going to keel over and die from them as your spray your window to clean it. With the chemical store-bought cleaners the danger is in long term exposure. 

Lets use bleach for example. Breathing in bleach fumes irritates your lungs. Sometimes while cleaning with bleach you might cough a little, feel a burning in your noes or throat… that is the chemicals burning your lungs. The feeling might goes away with a drink of water or some fresh air but that doesn’t mean there’s no damage. Healing is needed. Breathing in bleach everyday keeps the healing from happening. The more chemical burn your experience the longer its going to take to heal. Then you get a cold… and your lungs struggle. The coughing hurts, it turns in to bronchitis and then it goes crazy and you have lung cancer. It’s the constant damage, without healing that causing tissue and cell damage. To learn more read “Is Breathing in Bleach Bad?“

Yes, I keep these bad cancer causing chemical cleaners in my house. No, I do not use them daily, or even weekly. My daily and weekly cleaning needs are met with all natural cleaning products.

Benefits of Lemon Vinegar Cleaner

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner is Natural

Both lemon and vinegar are natural products that you can literally consume. Not just are they edible but good for you! Although, I do not recommend drinking this cleaner, that would be gross. There are also different types of vinegar, and some are better to consuming over others. The best vinegar to use when cleaning is called cleaning vinegars. You could also use distilled vinegar or white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, or cooking vinegar is not recommended for cleaning.
When you clean with lemon and vinegar you are not breathing anything harmful into your body. Nor will this citrus vinegar cleaner irritate your skin with like other store-bought cleaners can.

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner is Cheap

Another added benefit is that making your own cleaning products is so much cheaper. Like by a lot. 

Lets do some math…
1/4 gallon, Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner, Sanitizing and Disinfecting Spray, Lemon Breeze Scent, 32oz – $2.58
2.5 gallons, Homemade Lemon Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaner – Lemons free from my tree, Cleaning Vinegar 64oz – $2.62

So right there the vinegar is about 1/2 the price of the cleaner. But don’t forget, we are going to dilute the vinegar with water. The directions on the Cleaning Vinegar bottle say 1/2 cup vinegar to a gallon of water. With that math you can get 8 gallons of cleaner for lesson than $5 (depending on if you need to buy lemons or not). The Lysol cleaning is $2.28 for a quarter of a gallon.

Myself I don’t dilute the vinegar that much. I do a 2:1 ratio of water and vinegar. This gets me about 2.5 gallons of homemade vinegar cleaner for the cost of 1/2 gallon (64oz) of vinegar. That’s 10 times the amount of the Lysol bottle. To buy 2.5 gallons (320oz) of Lysol that would cost about $40.

So yeah, its cheap.

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner is a Antibacterial

Lemons and vinegar are both acidic creating a hostile environment for bacteria making them inactive but not always killing the germs… There’s a lot of different thoughts on this. We are all taught and know that there are good germ and bad germs but its not always easy to know when to kill germs and when to embrace them. This cleaner is simply a cleaner, not a disinfectant, but it still has antibacterial properties. Disinfectants kills all germs both good and bad. Cleaners remove dirt, debris, grime and germs, making some germs inactive but does not kill them. Cleaners make it so germs don’t grow. 

If you want to make your vinegar cleaner a disinfectant you can add rubbing alcohol.

How to Make Lemon Vinegar Cleaner

Step 1: Juice Your Lemons

For the cleaner we only need the lemon rind (peel). So juice your lemons and make some lemonade! If you are interested in more things to do with your lemon juice, I have more idea’s here.

Step 2: Place Lemon Peels in Jar

After you have juice you lemons, take all the lemon rinds and put them in a quart or 1/2 gallon size jar.

Step 3: Fill Jar With Vinegar

Fill the jar up with vinegar to the top. You want all the lemons rinds to be fully covered.

Step 4: Wait 2 Weeks

Seal the jar with a lid and let the lemons and vinegar sit for two week before using.

Step 5: Dilute with Water in Spray Bottle

Once all the oils have released from the lemons the vinegar is ready to use. Pour Into a spray bottle 1/3 full. Fill it the rest of the way with water. Use a strainer when pouring just in case any little lemon pieces get in and clog the spray bottle. Now you are ready to clean!

FAQ

Can I use any vinegar to clean with?

There are lots of different types of vinegar and not all of them are ideal for cleaning. Cleaning Vinegar, or distilled white vinegar are you two best vinegar for cleaning. I personally wouldn’t use Apple Cider Vinegar, or Rice Vinegar, or any other cooking vinegar for cleaning with.

What types of lemons are best?

Any type of lemon works for cleaning. I have a Meyer lemon tree and although the rinds are thinner and the lemon less acidic then most it still cleans great. Meyer, Citron, Eureka they all work the same.

Can I use other Citrus in place of lemon?

Yes! You can use any type of citrus peels, orange peel, lime peels, and even grapefruit peel for you natural cleaners. 

Can I use essential Oils in place of citrus rinds?

Yes! You can use any citrus essential oils instead of socking the rinds in the vinegar. Use 10 to 15 drops of essential oils in your 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups water in a reusable glass spray bottle. Here are more essential oil cleaner recipes.

Do I need a glass all purpose cleaning spray bottle or can I use plastic?

No, you don’t have to use a glass spray bottle for your lemon vinegar cleaner but I do recommend it. The vinegar and acid from the lemon will brake down the plastics over time. If you use essential oils in your cleaner be sure to use a reusable glass spray bottle, or the power of the essential oil will absorb into the plastic.

Can I add soap to a vinegar cleaner? 

Yes, Castile soap is a great way to boast the cleaning power of your homemade lemon cleaner. Just add a tablespoon of Castile soap to your spray bottle and remember to mix/shake your own cleaning spray bottle before use.

What can I NOT clean vinegar with?

Vinegar is an all purpose cleaner but there are a few things to avoid cleaning with vinegar.

• Natural Stone. The acid in the vinegar can cause pitting in natural stones like Marble or Granite.
• Grout. Vinegar can cause deterioration of grout.
• Stainless Steal. Again, the vinegar can cause pitting the the steal.
• Waxed or unfinished wood should not have full strength vinegar but diluted is fine. The vinegar can cause discoloration if full strength.
• Cast Iron. Again, the vinegar can cause pitting.
• TV’s, Computers or other screen as the vinegar will take off the anti glare coating.
• Rubber. Rubber with lots of exposure to vinegar will start to deteriorate. A little here and there wont hurt it too badly.
• Hardwood Floors. Vinegar can dissolve the finish on the hardwood. For hardwood I suggest Murphy’s Oil Soup

What is safe to clean with vinegar?

• Glass, windows and mirrors. Mix a little rubbing alcohol for with the vinegar and you will get a quick dry, streak free cleaning.
• Toilet. For a deep clean you can put 2 cup of vinegar in your toilet and let sit for 2-3 hours. Clean with a toilet brush to help remove/prevent hard water lines and odor. Dust some baking soda on the floor around the toilet and let sit for 20 minutes or longer spray with your vinegar cleaner let it bubble and do its work then wipe up.
• Bath/Showers. Your vinegar helps prevent and remove watermarks as well as preventing mildew. Use your cleaner for weekly wiping down of your shower and bathtubs. For deeper cleaning use undiluted vinegar.
• Faucets. If you have hard water cleaning your faucets with vinegar is almost a must. The hard water build up can ruin your new faucets and daily or weekly cleaning with vinegar can prevent hard water build up to keep your
• Floor. Except hardwood floors or waxed floors. All other floors are safe for cleaning with vinegar.
• Dishwasher. Again, keep your dishwasher safe from hard water build up and crud with vinegar.
• Appliances. Microwave, stove tops, oven, refrigerator etc, vinegar is a great cleaner for these appliances. I also have such a peace of mind cleaning around my food with a safe, natural cleaner.
• Laundry. Deodorize your clothes, sheets, rags by washing your laundry with vinegar. Just be sure to not mix bleach and vinegar in the same load.
• Coffeemakers. Run equal parts of vinegar and water through your coffee maker for a good cleaning.
• Wood. If you want to clean natural wood with vinegar add an equal part of olive oil to your vinegar.
• Carpets and Upholstery. Spot clean you carpets with with vinegar. The profession carpet cleaner we use at our church told me to use vinegar for coffee spill and hot water and dish soup for sugar based spills (soda, lemonade).

Homemade Lemon Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaner

No Ratings

Print

Materials

• Lemon Rind/Peels
• Cleaning Vinegar

Tools

• Glass Jar with Lid
• Spray Bottle

Instructions

1. Juice your lemons and place the peel in a 2 quart or 1/2 gallon jar.
2. Fill the jar with cleaning vinegar covering the lemons.
3. Let sit for 2 weeks on the counter, top of the refrigerator, under the sink. Anywhere safe.
4. Combine a ratio of 1 part lemon vinegar to 3 parts water into a spray bottle and start cleaning!

All Purpose Cleaner

• 3:1 Water & Lemon Vinegar

Disinfectant Vinegar Cleaner

• 1:1 Ratio Water, Lemon Vinegar & Rubbing Alcohol

Wood Cleaner

• 1:1 Ratio Olive Oil & Lemon Vinegar

The post How To Make Lemon Vinegar All Purpose Cleaner appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Granola

Oat

Old fashioned rolled out is the best choice for granola. The texture of granola is a huge part of what makes granola great. Oats play a huge part the texture but not all types of oats are equal in delivering this texture. Old fashioned rolled oats is best.

Almonds

Almonds add an extra crunch and flavor and is my favorite nut to add to granola. Walnuts and pecans are also fit this recipe and make delicious granola. If you don’t like these options you can choose your favorite nut. We add nuts in order to add more layer of texture. The oats give our base layer and we want the nuts to add crunch without braking out teeth. In order to not brake our teeth chop the nuts or add them to your food processor or blender before adding them to the granola.

Brown Sugar

Sugar is our sweetener but also plays a part in the texture of our granola. You can use just honey as your sweetener or substitute with maple syrup. I like using brown sugar because I do believe it helps bring out the texture I want. To much honey and maple syrup makes the granola too wet and it doesn’t always cook the same.

Honey

Honey helps sweeten our granola with a bit of added flavor. Maple syrup is also a great substitute for honey if you prefer. You could also substitute sugar instead of using honey. Honey is also a healthier choice over sugar so I do sweeten with both to create the right texture without to much comprise.

Blackstrap Molasses

Molasses adds a great depth of flavor to anything that you add it to. It also has great nutritional value being full of rich vitamins and minerals. Our American diet lacks good vitamins and minerals and then use synthetic supplements. There no need for supplements if you purposely add ingredients that are rich in vitamins and minerals in your diet.

To learn more about the benefit of blackstrap molasses read this.

Find more recipes with molasses here…

Oil

I use Coconut Oil but other oils would work as well but becareful of which one use choice. the different oils wont change the texture but each oil has a little different flavor and it comes out differently in what you cook it with. Coconut oil in my experience taste best when making granola.

Wheat Bran

Wheat bran is another ingredient that I choose to put in for its nutritional benefits. Bran is one of the 3 parts in a wheat kernel and is stripped away during the process of making our refined flour. It is full of great healthy benefits including its great source of Potassium, Manganese, and Fiber to name a few.

Wheat bran in our granola offers a little bit of softer chew for a variety of texture. It also contains gluten. Most granola recipes are gluten free, you can leave the wheat bran out or use Oat Bran for a gluten free option.

Where to find wheat bran? Not all grocery stores carry wheat bran but Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran will probably be the easiest to find in the baking section. Or you can order online from Amazon Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran or Azure Standard Wheat Bran.

Flax Seeds

Another great ingredient full of nutritional value. Flax seed is full of omega-3 fatty acids that are super important for our brain and nerve function. They are also a great source of thiamine, copper, protein, fiber and lots more. I buy my flax seed whole and grind it just before adding it to my recipes.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds some delicious flavor along with some great antioxidants. Herbs and spices have so many great healing abilities. I’m very intentional to add lots of flavor through natural herbs and spices like cinnamon into my recipes.

Salt

Salt brings out the flavor of everything you put it on. Its a great resource in the kitchen for making any flavor or recipe stand out. When it comes to baking, table salt works just fine but if sea salt has the needed health benefits.

Egg White

The egg white at first seems like a strange ingredients and not its not for the added protein and health benefits… The egg white is a binding agent along with the sugar and helps create the chewy, crunchy chunks.

How To Make Granola

Melt Oil, Sugar, Honey and Molasses Together

In a small sauce pan melt coconut oil, sugar and molasses together. We want the sugar to melt completely but not to come to a simmer or boil. We don’t want to create candy and brake our teeth on our granola. Take off heat as soon as its melted.

Blend or Chop Dry Ingredients

In a food processor to Vitamix, chop almonds, flax seed, wheat bran and 1 cup oats. Pulse a few time till a the almost are crumbly but not blended smooth, we want texture.

Mix Dry Ingredients

Pour you chopped ingredients in a bowl and add the rest of the oats

Combine Wet and Dry ingredients

Pour the sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Froth Egg White

In a separate bowl take one egg white and whisk with a fork or small whisk until frothy. Add to granola mixture.

Bake Granola

Spread the mixture on a baking sheet evenly. Its okay if its thick but I wouldn’t have it any thicker than half an inch. Bake at 275 for 30 minutes. Do not mix or crumble while its baking. just leave it alone and let bake.

Let Cool and Crumble

Let cool completely before braking apart. Once cool down you can brake the granola with your hands or a fork if you prefer. At this point you can also add dried fruit to your granola if you want. We like to add raisins, golden raisins my family’s favorite. Add, dried blueberries, craisins, dried apricots or whatever you fancy.

Store

Pantry: Store in an air tight container or zip-lock bag for up to 3-6 month in a cool dry environment.

Freezer: You can also store your granola in the freezer for long term storage, 6-12 month. When freezing granola make sure you use an freezer zip-lock or an air tight container. When freezing be sure to give room for expansion

Storing in the refrigerator may cause the granola to get soggy, I don’t recommend.

Granola

Yield: 2 Quarts

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 2 Cups Oats
• 1 Cup Almonds
• 1 Cup Wheat (or Oat) Bran
• 1/2 Cup Flax Seed (whole)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Melt the Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar, Honey and Molasses in a small sauce pan. Don't simmer or boil, just melt and then take off heat.
3. In food processor or vitamix chop the Almonds, Flax Seed, Bran and 1 cup Oats. Chop till chunky but not smooth, we want texture, just not too big.
4. In a large bowl mix our chopped mixture with the rest of the oats (1 cup), Cinnamon, and Salt.
5. Add the sugar and oil mixture and stair until combined.
6. In a small bowl take 1 egg white and whisk with a fork or small whisk until frothy. Add to the granola.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Spread the mixture on baking sheet evenly.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees. Do not stir, just leave alone.
9. Let cool completely before braking apart. Once cooled brake in to bite size pieces with your hands. At this point you can add any raisins or any other dried fruit. Store in a air tight contain in your pantry for up to 6 months.

Shop This Recipe

Most of these ingrdients will easily be found in your local grocery store. Flax, Wheat Bran and Blackstrap Molasses are the few that might prove to be difficult. Here are some options.

Learn more about Azure Standard by reading my Azure Standard Review and Costco Price Comparison.

Flax Seed

Amazon: Anthony’s Organic Brown Whole Flaxseed, Batch Tested and Gluten Free, Raw, Non GMO, Sproutable, Keto Friendly 2lbs $14.99
Azure Standard: Organic Flax Seed, 5lbs $8.66

Wheat Bran

Amazon: Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran 8oz $7.77
Azure Standard: Organic Wheat Bran 16oz $2.40

Blackstrap Molasses

Amazon: Golden Barrel Unsulfured Black Strap molasses, 32 oz $11.49
Azure Standard: Blackstrap Molasses, Organic $7.29

Vitamix

Amazon: Vitamix, Pearl Grey, Series 750 Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container $699.99 ON SALE $399.99

Food Processor

Amazon: BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Easy Assembly 8-Cup Food Processor, Black $38.99

The post Granola Recipe Easy, Healthy And Crunchy appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Why We Drink A Green Smoothie Every Day

As a mom I’m responsible for my kids health. I responsible to teach them and give them healthy habits to practice that will help sustain them so they can grow and thrive. So I do my best to make this smoothie something they will drink and enjoy without minimizing the nutrients. 

I myself have epilepsy, and gut issues since childhood and after my last baby I gained a lot of weight and  have had some major hormonal imbalances. So I curated this drink to fit my needs for healthy brain and nervous system, filled with vitamin B’s that help aid my hormonal imbalances, vitamin C and antioxidants that help with mine and my kids immune system and overall health all from real foods.

We’ve make a “healthy drink”, as my kids call them, faithfully every morning for the last month. It has not fixed all my problems but I have notice, in this small amount of time, drinking a green smoothie faithfully has lowered my crazy appetite, improved my PMS mood swings (Thank the Lord!), and given me more energy and better rest. My kids still got the flu that went around, I still get tired after long days, I haven’t lost any weight but I know healing takes time and a lot more work then just 1 smoothie a day.

All that to say, we are embracing our health one step at a time. Without overwhelm, bitter tonics or synthetic nutrients, but real food, easy to make, fun drink that doesn’t cost a fortune. I hope this recipe encourages you and help you embracing your families health with joy and peace.

This favorite green smoothie recipe can absolutely be adapted and I think everyone should adapt it in some way or another. My desire is to help you make a smoothie you enjoy and are able to drink every morning in order to add the nutrients you need to keep you strong and healthy..

Ingredients That Will Add High Nutrients To Your Green Smoothie

Chia Seeds 

2 tablespoons of chia seeds are full of magnesium (23% DV), iron (12% DV), phosphorus (20% DV), zinc (12% DV), thiamine (15% DV), niacin (16% DV), calcium (14% DV), fiber, protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Chia seeds are also a great source for Essential Amino Acids. Chia seeds are beneficial to your heart, bones, and nervous system. They are also knows for the reducing appetite and food intake and can be effective for loosing and maintaining weight.

Flax Seeds

1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds has thiamine (10% DV), Copper (9% DV) Manganese, (7% DV), Magnesium (7% DV), Phosphorus (4% DV), Selenium (3 %, DV), Zinc (3% DV), Vitamin B6 (2% DV), Iron (2% DV), Folate (2% DV). Flax seed is a great source for thiamine which is an important vitamin that help with our metabolism and cell function. Copper helps with brain development and immune health and helps our body’s absorb iron. Flax seeds is another great source for Essential Amino Acids.

I like to take both chia seeds and flax seeds together because one of them his high in iron while the other is high in copper. Copper helps iron absorb and along with protein they produce hemoglobin which transports oxygen in red blood cells.

There are so many other good combinations of vitamins and minerals that work together in just these two ingredients alone. We could go on but let’s move on.

Blackstrap Molasses

1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses can be powerful, manganese (37% DV), Copper (29% DV), Iron (25% DV), Calcium (15% DV), Potassium (8% DV), Magnesium (15% DV), Vitamin B6 (10% DV), Selenium (7% DV). These vitamins and minerals aid in the function of your nerves system, brain, blood and heart health, immune system and if you want go in more depth on the nutrients found in molasses read, “Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses“

*My kids will not drink this smoothie without a banana if it has molasses in it. Banana’s are the only thing that I found that mask the strong molasses flavor.

Lemon juice

Lemons are most commonly known as a high source of vitamin C, they also contain fiber and other beneficial plant compounds but lets focus on vitamin C for a minute. Vitamin C builds up your immunity, it strengthens you immune system helping fight off bacterial infections, allergies and even cancer. This vitamin plays an important role in the formation of collagen, helps with arthritis, lowers cholesterol, prevents constipation, keeps blood from clotting… and more. Vitamin C is important and 1 lemon has about 40 mg or 50% your DV of vitamin C. Lemon’s are a great source in vitamin C but not the greatest, Oranges, bell pepper, strawberries, broccoli, kale, have even more. Lemons are more acidic than these other fruits and vegetables and therefore increases urine pH making it harder for kidney stones to form.

Substitute lemon juice for orange juice, grapefruit juice for other citrus flavors or make your smoothie extra creamy adding oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk or some great raw milk. You can also add tea for added herbal benefits, green tea or red raspberry leaf tea, dandelion tea, nettle tea all add great benefits to you health.   

Spinach or other leafy greens

1 cup of raw spinach includes Vitamin A (16% DV), Vitamin C (9% DV), Vitamin K (121 % DV), Vitamin B9 (15% DV) , Iron (5% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Potassium (4% DV), Manganese (12% DV), Magnesium (6% DV). Raw spinach also contains some Essential Amino Acids but not nearly as much as flax and chia seeds do. Spinach is known for its plant compound, Lutein and zeaxanthin that work together to improve eye health. It also contains MGDG and SQDG both components that help slow down cancer growth. Spinach also has nitrates that moderate blood pressure and improve hearth health.

Spinach also contains calcium and oxalates, too much of these and they can cause a build up creating calcium stones or kidney stones… But don’t stress to much over this, 1 cup spinach in your smoothie should not cause kidney stones. Three reasons why: 1. you are also adding acidic lemon juice making it more difficult for the stones to form. 2. You are blending with water making it easier for you gut to break down and regulate the both calcium and oxalate in a way that’s beneficial to you. 3. Its only 1 cups, that not over doing it. Don’t be afraid to eat healthy foods because of what might happen. Do your research.

Vitamin K can also seem controversy as it is essential in clotting blood. We obviously don’t want blood clots in our arteries or veins but we do want our blood to clot when we get a cut or laceration so we don’t bleed out. Vitamin K keeps us from bleeding out while Vitamin C keeps our blood from clotting when its not supposed to. Its important to have both of them to keep the right balance.

You can also substitute fresh spinach for any other leafy greens like swiss chard, broccoli leaves or kale.  

Honey

Honey helps make this drink drinkable. Its sweetness makes life better. Not only that but its full of antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-fungal. Honey helps build up your immune system and aids in fighting off colds and other viruses. Antioxidants protect cell’s from damage and in doing so protect you from cancer and heart disease.

Bananas

I have found my kids wont drink a smoothie unless there are banana’s in it. You can use frozen bananas or fresh ripe bananas in your fruit smoothies. Bananas mask the molasses and spinach flavors just enough and sweeten the smoothie. One banana’s thankfully also are a great source of Vitamin C (12% DV), Copper (11% DV), Potassium (10% DV), Magnesium (8% DV) and more. Banana’s support your digestive system and aid you metabolism and are full of antioxidants. They are beneficial for heart health and the potassium helps regulate blood pressure.

Strawberries

1 cup frozen strawberries contain, Iron (9% DV), Potassium (7% DV), Magnesium (6% DV), Copper (12% DV), Manganese (28% DV), Selenium (3% DV), Vitamin C (101% DV). Strawberries are great for you immune system. They have lots of antioxidants and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. These sweet strawberries are known to slow down glucose digestion regulating your blood sugar. Strawberries are just one of the many berries that are so very good for you. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and also cherries, are all so very beneficial and can be substituted in this recipe

Learn more…

I hope you are encouraged and enlightened more than overwhelmed by all the information about the nutrients information of these ingredients. I hope adding a daily green smoothie to your day benefits you as much as it has me.

To learn more about the vitamins and minerals, amino acids and antioxidants that are in your foods check out “Healthy Healing” by Linda Page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn more about how food heals the body.

If you want quick way to find out nutrition value of a specific food go to https://www.nutritionvalue.org/. You can type anything in and it will give the nutrition values or you can search for a vitamin or mineral and it will give you foods that are a good source for that vitamin.

Green Spinach Molasses Smoothie

Yield: 1-2 Glasses

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Flax Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Blackstrap Molasses
• Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
• 1 Cup Frozen Spinach or 2 Cups Fresh Spinach
• 1 Tablespoon Honey (or to taste)
• 1/2-1 Banana
• 1 Cup Frozen Berries
• Water, fill to cover an 1/2 inch or so over

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to blender
2. Blend thoroughly so the flax seeds are completely ground. If you want to grind those up first you can.
3. Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

other ingredients to try: greek yogurt, orange juice, pineapple or pineapple juice, kale, ginger,During the cold and flu season I also add elderberry syrup

I hope this green smoothie recipe encourages and helps you get the nutrition you need each day. Again, don’t be afraid to adjust the recipe and if you do share in the comments how it turned out!

The post Green Spinach & Molasses Smoothie appeared first on Embracing The Home.

I’ve been experimenting with putting molasses in just about everything, from smoothies, to banana bread to pasta sauce… After learning about how good and high in nutrients molasses is I have been adding it to our daily diet in different types of ways. To read more about the benefits of molasses click here!

Ingredients For Banana Nut Molasses Bread

Vegan friendly alternatives below

Bananas

Ripe bananas are best, they are the sweet and easy to mash up and make into breads. You can use unripe but they are harder to mash so you might end up with more banana chunks in your bread. Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Plain or Vanilla Yogurt

I use Greek Plain Yogurt, I use yogurt in replacement for oils or butter in most of my muffins and bread. It has more vitamins and protein then oils and butter and less fat.

Eggs

Eggs are the binding agent in this recipe also adding 6.5 grams of protein per eggs. Whole Eggs also contain vitamin B12, selenium (anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and stimulates the immune system) and iron.

Blackstrap Molasses

Full of flavor, nutrients and keeps my breads moist and delicious! Oh how I love molasses! It is so rich in so many vitamins and minerals and such a fun ingredient to add to my recipes. Molasses contains, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, copper and more. healthy for your heart and nervous system. Read more on the Benefits of Molasses here!

Flour

I use a combination of organic whole wheat and organic all purpose flour. Whole wheat is full of a wider range of vitamins and minerals such as, manganese, calcium and selenium, then all purpose or even enriched flours. It also has more flavor but is also a bit more dense. So I do half and half whole wheat and all purpose.

Oats

Not just for texture sake but I do love the texture of oats in my breads and muffins. Oats are full of fiber and also contain protein, thiamine, iron, phosphorus and more.

Sugar

You can substitute sugar with honey or maple syrup. Both of those would also add a lovely flavor to this recipe but I typically bake with sugar and save my honey and syrup for smoothies, pancakes, teas, oatmeal and such.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the chosen spice in order to add another layer of flavor to this recipe. Nutmeg, cloves or allspice would also be great additions but this recipe already seem complex with so many textures that I left those out for now.

Salt

Salt is going to help bring out all the flavor in this recipe. You can use table salt or pink Himalayan salt or another sea salt will also works great.

Baking Soda & Baking Powder

Both of these are a rising agent. The original recipe just had baking soda but as I adapted and added all these heavy grains I found the baking powder was also needed.

Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds

Chia and flax seeds are small but mighty. The Chia seeds have more iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus while flax seeds have more copper, thiamine, a B vitamin that help with metabolism, flax is also full of good omega 3 fatty acids. It is better to grind your flax seeds before consuming but not always necessary. I usually leave them whole for this recipe.

Walnuts

Walnuts are also full of both omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants, they are also full of protein and they just taste delicious. You can substitute most any nut, almonds, pecans, hazel nut would be yummy. In the photos you might notice I added both walnuts and almonds this time.

Chocolate Chip (optional)

I could try to convince you that chocolate chip are a superfood by telling you about all the ways chocolate chips have reduced my stress and given me the endurance I needed that day but I don’t think I have to. I think you all know a little chocolate goes a long way. Although my kids and husband would prefer me to always add chocolate chip I only add it every so often as a treat. My way off making something ordinary, special.

Vegan Alternative Ingredients

• Yogurt/Applesauce.
  You can substitute yogurt for apple sauce at the same ratio and it will turn out the same.
• Eggs/Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds.
  Both of these are already in the bread but you must mix them with 1/2 c water and let them sit for a while before adding them to your batter. If you use the flax seeds for an egg substitute you will need to grind them in a coffee grinder first to get the correct reaction. You are looking to the seeds and water to get thick and gloppy, kinda like an egg.

How to Make Banana Nut Molasses Bread

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Because this bread is so moist with the bananas, molasses and yogurt plus the chia, flax and oats are holding on to water, you will want to bake this banana bread at a lower temperature for longer. Thus If the temperature is too hot you will burn the outside before the inside is done. Therefore this bread bakes for 60-70 minutes. Although a long time it does not dry out but stays moist.
2. Secondly, mash Bananas in a bowl, then add all the other wet ingredients. Eggs, yogurt and molasses. and put aside.
3. In a second bowl mix all your dry ingredients, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts.
4. Now combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Pour into a 9.5×5 bread loaf pan or you can make muffins by pouring into a muffin tin. When making muffins or cupcakes I like to use these reusable silicone muffin liners.
6. Bake in loaf pan for 60 minutes at 300 degrees.
   Bake in muffin tin for 23-25 minutes at 300 degrees.
7. Check to see if its done by inserting a tooth pick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean it is done.
8. Finally, let the bread cool completely before cutting into it

How to Store and Freeze Banana Bread

This banana bread can be stored in a zip-lock bag on your counter for 3-5 days and in your refrigerator for 7-10 days.
You can also freeze a loaf but putting it in a freezer zip-lock bag. Be sure to remove all the air for save storage. Keep it in your freezer for 3-6 months. In order to thaw the banana bread out simply take it out and set in on the counter for a few hours or rather in the refrigerator overnight.

Banana Nut Molasses Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Bananas
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 1 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Molasses
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Oats
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
• 3 Tablespoons Flax Seeds
• 1 Cup Walnuts
• 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chip (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mash Bananas in a bowl, then add all the other wet ingredients. Eggs, yogurt and molasses. and put aside.
3. In a second bowl mix all your dry ingredients, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Pour into a 9.5×5 bread loaf pan or you can make muffins by pouring into a muffin tin.
6. Bake in loaf pan for 60 minutes. Bake in muffin tin for 23-25 minutes
7. Let the bread cool completely before cutting into it. Enjoy!

The post Banana Nut Molasses Bread appeared first on Embracing The Home.

We love to eat our cornbread along with hearty bowl of Chili!
Click here for an amazing Vegan Chili Recipe

Ingredients Need for Cornbread

Flour

I buy my flour from Azure Standard. I buy in bulk Whole Wheat Bread flour and an All Purpose Flour and mix them 1 to 1 ratio in my flour jar. So for this recipe I am using about 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose. Growing up we would sometimes do this but most of the time we simple used All Purpose Flour. I personally wouldn’t go all whole wheat, my husband would not like it and whole wheat does absorb liquids differently, so the recipe may not work perfectly 100% whole wheat.

Cornmeal

So I also buy my cornmeal in bulk from Azure Standard. This cornmeal is coarser then most that you will find at your local grocery stores but they work the same. No matter if its fine or coarse cornmeal the baking process will be the same but the texture does change. So, depending on your taste and what you like pick your cornmeal accordingly.

Sugar

There is a whole cup of sugar in this recipe. This recipe is sweet, not too sweet, just delicious. I’ve honestly never had any other cornmeal that is so perfectly sweet without overpowering the other flavors.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is the best raising agent for cornbread. Baking soda also works but raises it too quickly and makes it crumbly. So baking powder best.

Salt

Salt brings out the flavor. Table salt is what I’ve always used for this recipe. If you prefer a coarser sea salt or Himalayan salt add an extra 1/4 teaspoon.

Milk

I always use regular old cows milk. I have made this recipe with rice milk before as well when I was out of regular milk. Rice milk is a little sweeter and the recipe needed to be cooked longer but it still worked out I just had to pay attention to it. So if you are wanting to substitute for a plant based milk I’d say go for it. Some plant based milks are sweeter so if you want to cut some sugar go ahead. Then make sure you check it after 25 minutes and possible keep it in the over for a few more minutes till the center is baked all the way. To check you can poke it with a toothpick. If it comes out clean its done.

Eggs

Eggs are a binding agent when it comes to baking. They also help keep the cornbread moist. If you are looking to substitute to make this cornbread vegan you can add 2 tablespoon chia seed to 2/3 cup water. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken then add the milk.

Oil

I’ve used coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and even butter for this recipe. This time around I used coconut. I did have to heat it to ensure that it was liquefied but it still works. Olive oil is what I grew up using for this recipe.

I buy my flour, cornmeal, sugar, oil, baking powder and so much more from Azure Standard. Learn more about Azure Standard by checking out “Azure Standard Review, Pro’s, Con’s, Price Comparison” or check out their website here, azurestandard.com. They are a great resource to high quality organic whole food in bulk.

How to Make Cornbread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. This will be the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a whisk.
   
3. Mix in a suppurate bowl all the wet ingredients, milk, eggs, and oil. If you use coconut oil make sure you milk is warm so that the coconut oil doesn’t become solid again. I placed my milk and oil in the microwave for a minutes to come to the same temperature so they would mix well. This seemed to work but I still prefer olive oil for this recipe.
   
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a batter.
   
5. Prepare a 9×13 glass pan by greasing it will a little bit of oil.
   
6. Pour you batter into prepared 9×13.
   
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
   
8. Take our of oven and let it cool completely before cutting into it.

This is seriously my favorite cornbread recipe and I could eat it all day. I try a lot of different recipes for things but this one never fails. It brings back childhood memories but its not the memories that make this cornbread good. Its the cornbread. Its so good and always has been.

The Best Cornbread

Yield: 9x13 Pan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

No Ratings

Print

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Cornmeal
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Cups Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree’s
2. Grease a 9×13 glass pan
3. Mix dry ingredients
4. Mix wet ingredients
5. Combine the wet and the dry and mix
6. Pour into prepared 9×13
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes
8. Cool completely before serving

The post The Best Homemade Cornbread appeared first on Embracing The Home.