Monday, January 23, 2012

Simplifying life 3

Today I wanted to share one of the things I do weekly to make my life just a little bit easier.

I used to make giant batches of pancakes or waffles and freeze them but the kids always took the giant batches as a right to eat as many as they wanted in one sitting. So I decided that it would be wiser to make an appropriate amount of them instead. So to make my life easier and have my own mix ready to go.

Like I said in my other posts I don't buy prepackaged foods any more. There are to many other ingredients that I don't want in my food.

I have two different mixes because I like spiced pancakes and waffles. I also have one for biscuits that has no spices in it.

I use about 2 cups of mix per batch of pancakes and about 3 cups per batch of waffles. I will include the recipe for each.

Pancake & Waffle Mix
6 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
6 Tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger

Sour Milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vinegar

Pancake recipe
2 cups mix
4 TBSP melted butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sour milk (Or buttermilk can be used here)
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 5 minutes before pouring onto hot griddle.

Waffle recipe
3 cups mix
1/4 cup oil or butter (melted)
2 eggs
2 cups sour milk
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 10 minutes. You will see the batter sort of puff up and grow this will be when it is ready to use in your hot waffle iron.

For Biscuit mix (can also be used for dumplings like bisquick)
6 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
6 TSP baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar

To make biscuits
2 cups mix
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 - 3/4 milk
Mix butter into dry ingredients and keep it crumbly add in enough milk to pull together and either roll dough out to be cut up with a biscuit cutter or drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350* oven for 10-12 minutes.

These are my simple mixes I keep in an air tight container on my counter. I usually go through both batches in a week but we also do not buy cereal any longer. I do make granola in the summer and we do eat hot oatmeal or cream of wheat. I make my own packets of  "instant" cereal as well. I will share those soon.

P.S.
You still have a little time to get in on the Give Away The Drawing takes place on February 9th.

3 comments:

  1. (Sorry... I messed up the earlier comment.)

    Awesome! I'm copying your recipe, so I can make biscuits. Sometimes it's nice to make just a couple of biscuits for hubbie and me, in the toaster oven. I've done it before, but your mix will make it so much easier!

    Question: Does "6 TSP baking powder" mean six teaspoons? I don't want to screw up a whole batch of mix.
    ; D

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    Replies
    1. yes it does mean 6 teaspoons. I know it seems like a lot, but when I tried it with less it didn't really work as well. Because you are only using so much of the mix at a time you need to make sure to have enough per batch.

      The tiny bit of baking soda only helps to add a little extra leavening. I have left it out before but I enjoy the extra rise.

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    2. Thanks, Crystal. That helps a lot. I know sometimes folks use capitals for tablespoons and lowercase for teaspoons. Although 6 Tablespoons would be a huge amount. lol!

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