Chocolate Pancakes

These are a fun breakfast surprise and no more "unhealthy" than any other pancake. The chocolate seems decadent, but doesn't come with the calorie count of chocolate desert. The boys opted for simple powdered sugar to top these with while I put some crushed strawberries on mine with a bit of powdered sugar. I opted for the lesser amount of sugar in the pancakes, but without the sweeter topping, they could use a bit more.


This is one to definitely repeat.

1 1/4 c flour (GF Mix - I used 1/2 c millet, 1/2 c potato starch, and 1/4 c oat flour)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t Xanthan gum (if using gluten free flours)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 c raw or brown sugar (1/2 c if you want a sweeter cake)
2 T cocoa powder
2 T oil
1 c milk (cow, rice, nut)
1 egg (or replacer)

Stir dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, wisk the wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Heat your a griddle and oil it with coconut or sunflower oil. Pour about 1/3 c of batter and cook until bubbles start to burst and the batter stiffens. Flip and cook the other side for another minute or two. Serve with powdered sugar, maple syrup, macerated berries, whipping cream, or your topping of choice.

Living In Walnut Grove

The magical land of Walnut Grove was so appealing as a child. I really could picture myself and Laura being good friends. We had a common foe - Nelly Olson. Laura dealt with her at school and so did I. She in person and I was teased on the playground by having my name shorted to Nelly (unfortunate nickname that took me until 4th grade to eradicate) and then linked to the snobby TV/novel personality.

Well, the land that sounded so magical, must have been a nightmare to pick up all those walnut trees. While we only have 5 or 6 mature walnut trees in our yard (more in the woods), the harvest of the green covered nuts has been intense this year. With little rainfall this summer, the trees have put their efforts into producing seeds to ensure their existence/propagation.

This bounty in a large yard cart, comes from just about a 5 days since our last clean up on just one tree. Yup, we got plenty of walnuts. Hundreds of them.

We are lucky to have a 6-year-old who is thoroughly fascinated by the nuts and enjoys picking them up. Out 8-year-old, however, is not. He gets a quota to pick up before he is done. The ironic part of this is I'm allergic to the things so we don't put them to use, just dump them in the woods. Such a shame. I have fond memories of cracking walnuts from my Great Aunt Vi's house as a child. I have saved a few for decorating in vases, but they are starting to rot and need to join their friends in the woods as well.

The wind has stopped for now so hopefully we'll have a few days of respite until we are out collecting again. That's a good thing. We've had several of us down with golds and my little man has his first fever of the season.

I think we are all a bit worn down after months of remodeling, moving, starting school, unpacking, sorting, having a garage sale, and trying to keep up with life. I'm not sure which is more tiring, the physical work or the emotional toll of change and instability.

We've all had to work our way through it, some of us better than others. The joy of returning "home" has been mixed with a homesickness for our friends in ND. But finally being in our own home, we are praying that the stability and normalcy that comes with it will help us put down roots and find our place and calling in this place.

We have been blessed. Now is the time to rest and remember all the ways that we have.... but more about that later.