Mom's Better Than Bisquick Pancakes

Congratulations, you've started your primal lifestyle, you can eat meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts and seeds (in moderation). 

It took awhile but about three weeks in I realized that the kids were just not getting fully used to the primal diet, they seemed a little bored and were ALWAYS hungry.  In an attempt to fill them up we decided to occasionally allow some rice to add a little variety.  So, our new policy is that we are hardcore primal every other month and the second month we are primarily primal and ALWAYS gluten-free. 

In an attempt to fill these children up on our third month I decided to hunt for some kind of pancake that would be acceptable.  We had tried to do the banana pancakes and other recipes that we had stumbled on, but they still did not really seem to fill the kids up (a real challenge with three boys!). 

I was feeling creative, and just began tossing stuff into the mixing bowl hoping it would all pan out.  First, I made regular pancakes and then I used the leftovers to turn pumpkin.  I ended up making way too many, but with no eggs it kept great in the fridge and fed us breakfast for three more days!  My daughter called them "Mom's Better Than Bisquick Pancakes." :)

4T of raw sugar or other substitute

3T of baking powder

1/2 cup of GF potato flakes

6T of sunflower oil (this is super cheap compared to other oils we use)

3T of flax seed 6T of water = 3 eggs

1-1/4 cups of milk (I use almond or coconut)

6 pinches of seasalt

Add rice flour a little at a time until you get a consistency you like.

These pancakes cook well, just like a regular pancake.  They are less gritty than other rice pancakes I have had, although there will still be some.  I think if you wanted to add more potato and less rice it would make it even less gritty, but overall the whole family loved these, and they kept the kids full until well after noon!

Sorry, no pancake pics today, the kids ate them before I could get a picture!  Watch for tomorrow when I tell you all about making the leftovers into pumpkin pancakes and how that all turns out. 

I am not really sure that anyone is watching, but if you leave comments I would be glad to have ideas on others interests! I have been trying to plan meals on a budget as going primal has left me with a more expensive food selection and children that seem to have a hard time getting full.  That being said, I plan for the week; so I was thinking I could start posting a shopping list so you can follow me day by day and experience the savings too.  Let me know what you think!

Additionally, these KeePeez bowls I happened on one day in Sams Club are amazing.  I really love them.  They make it easier to store in what I am already using (less dishes for me!) and they stack very nicely in the fridge and to store.  I highly recommend them.

Lunch - Steamed Cod and Broccolli

In our Primal journey we are attempting to be as natural as possible; however, living in today's world's pace there are definitely exceptions.  I work full time from home while homeschooling four children, and it definitely has its challenges.  We have to have very easy and fast meals very often, and this is a favorite!

We get our wild caught cod from Sam's Club in their frozen section.  Being in a landlocked state definitely makes it more difficult to get fresh fish; but Sam's offers several wild-caught fish options in their freezer section.  I also get frozen broccolli there, they have a Member'sMark brand that has four steamer bags! 

Anyway, today I was a little busy and did not have time to get lunch started in the slow cooker, so my husband came home and made steamed cod and broccolli for lunch.  It is that fast! 

Breakfast - Smoothies

Being Primal threw the toast and cereal out the window!  Because we are allergic to eggs we needed to come up with an alternative idea.  Now we make green smoothies everyday.  I have found (with the various blenders I have used over the years) that the Blendtec blenders are the best choice. I use mine several times a day.  They do not have to be green (generally they are still pink in color); however you want to keep the carbs as low as possible. Generally, we use about 60% spinach (to increase our iron) and 40% fruits - mainly berries. 


Today's Smoothie
I filled my Blendtec with:

• Approximately 60% full of spinach (you won't taste it).
• About 30% full of strawberries.
• About 10% full of mango.

Then I added these around it:

• 1 Tbsp of Lemon Cod Liver Oil/per person (you will only taste the lemon flavor
• 1 Tbsp of cinnamon (to decrease insulin response)
• Flax seed approximately 1/10 of the smoothie size
• About 1 cup of water ( or milk, coconut milk, juice, etc.)

Blend and you're done. 


Cod liver oil can lower blood pressure, lower anti-inflammatory status, improve brain function, and improve cholesterol.  That is why we commonly use it.  Flax seed does a lot of the same and has protein and fiber.

If you want to add protein, add some protein-packed nuts!


Ratings on a scale 1-10, ten being best:
Kids rating: 10
Adults rating: 9


Have a blessed day!

In The Beginning

So here on day one I thought I would just give an overview of what can be found here.  There will be many aspects of primal living addressed on this page.  If you are not aware of what this means, I am referencing the book the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. You can get a copy through Marksdailyapple.com.  I began living primally about three months ago, and I have a lot to say on the subject; so buckle up, it's going to be a long ride!  In addition to Paleo diet and Primal Lifestyle you will hear about my personal primal transformation, homeschooling, working from home, parenting, family time, frugal ideas, primal meal plans, cloth diapering, etc.  I will also work on living socially in a non-Primal world and attempting to deal with skeptics, especially those within the family.

Have a Healthy Day!