How To: Make Homemade Pancake Syrup

Hello friends! Today I thought I would share with you how to make homemade pancake syrup that goes along with my homemade pancake mix.  It tastes like maple syrup, and is made with maple syrup extract, but we can't exactly call it "Maple Syrup" since it's not the real stuff.  But it tastes pretty darn good!  In fact, my kids prefer it to the name brand maple syrup I have been buying for years.  It is also very inexpensive to make.  With the amount of syrup we go through, this saves me a lot of money each month!

Now I have to confess, I didn't make up this recipe.  I did look at quite a few recipe's online and tried a few out.  But the winner was Homemade Maple Syrup from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. If you haven't checked out her blog, you totally should.  She makes really yummy stuff and her recipes always seem to be winners for my family.  

I would suggest that you make this during the day BEFORE you need it for breakfast.  It does take a little while to make (just simmering and cooling), so unless you want to wake up extra early, make it before!

Homemade Pancake Syrup

  

 INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons pure maple extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large 5-6 quart pot, combine the sugars, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low so the mixture gently simmers. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes before stirring in the maple and vanilla extracts. Let the syrup cool in the pot for another 40 minutes, or so, stirring occasionally, before filling jars/containers. Once the containers are filled, let them cool to room temperature uncovered.
2. Store covered in jars or other containers in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before serving, if desired.

You can also find this recipe in my online recipe book at PlanToEat.com.

This recipe makes about 10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) of syrup.  I used organic maple syrup extract because the additives are very minimal.  You can also use imitation maple extract (Mapleine) with similar results.

Well there you have it! Please try it and let me know what you think!

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How To: Make Homemade Pancake Mix

Hopefully you are well on your way to getting a morning routine established.  As I mentioned in my last post, I make breakfast for my kids each morning.  Having a good breakfast helps me and my kids start out the day right and my kids have the brain-power and energy necessary for their day.  I also don't want them to be hungry before lunch, so getting them something that will sustain them throughout the morning is essential!  I have a few go-to breakfast meals, that my kids love and gives them what they need, and I thought I would share my favorites with you today.

A few years ago, shortly after Kevin and I got married, I sat down to do our budgeting and our grocery bill was enormous.  After further analysis I was spending a small fortune on cold cereal and other breakfast items.  Kevin told me that his mom (who also had 5 children, all of them boys!) used to make pancakes just about every to feed her hungry brood and not break the bank.  So, I went to the store prepared to purchase some pancake mix.  While standing in the aisle staring at the different choices and how expensive they were, I decided I could come home and make my own for much cheaper and probably healthier too! So I came home and started experimenting with different recipes.  I didn't want to go through the hassle of having to make the pancakes completely from scratch every morning, so I decided to make my own mix with all the dry ingredients and then I would only have to add in the wet ingredients.  And of course I got a pretty glass jar to put my mix in.

Homemade Pancake Mix

   INGREDIENTS:

• 12 1/2 cup flour (can be white or wheat or a mixture of both)
• 5/8 cup sugar
• 5/8 cup baking powder
• 1 2/3 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup flax seeds milled

  DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl or container, wish together flour, sugar, baking, powder, and salt.
2. Mill flax seeds (if you purchased them whole) and add them to your mix.  Wisk together.
3. Place mix in container and use as needed.

  Notes: I purchase my flax seeds in the bulk section at my local grocery store.  I mill them in my magic bullet 1/4 cup at a time.

You can also find this recipe in my online recipe book at PlanToEat.com.

To make pancakes with this mix you will need:

• 3 cups dry mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup oil

This recipe makes about 18 4-inch pancakes.  You can cut in half or double as needed.

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add in dry mix and eggs

2. Add in milk and oil.  I rarely measure my wet ingredients.  I usually just eyeball it.  Wisk together until it is mixed throughly.

3. Spoon onto hot griddle.  If I have all 5 of my kids home, I will usually put 6 pancakes on my griddle at once.

4. Flip when bubbly

5. When cooked thoroughly, eat with your favorite toppings and syrups!

My children prefer Homemade Syrup.  They also like to cover their pancakes in peanut butter (which they learned from me) which gives them some extra protein and makes it stick with them even longer!

Tip: Let any leftover pancakes cool completely and then put in a container or bag to be eaten later.  These will easily last for up to a week, probably longer if kept in the fridge.  This is helpful if you are busier some morning and don't have time to make them from scratch.

Variations on Pancakes:

In the fall, my family loves Pumpkin Pancakes.

I have also been known to have some fun with pancakes on St. Patrick's Day!

Besides pancakes I routinely make big batches of muffins.  We eat them fresh and then I put them in freezer baggies for my husband to grab for work or kids to grab for snacks.  If we are having muffins, I usually make some eggs to go with them.  We also eat oatmeal, and occasionally cold cereal if I have a busy morning and there are no pancakes or muffins.

Here are some links to my favorite muffin recipes.

Bran Muffins
Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins
Whole-Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I also make Egg & Bacon Muffins frequently for my husband to take with him.  He prefers them with the bacon cooked, cut up, and put in the eggs.  He also prefers them as mini-muffins instead of full size as the texture is better.

What are some of your go-to recipe's for breakfast? Any time-saving or money-saving tips?


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How To: Make Wool Dryer Balls

Last week I posted about making my own laundry detergent.  I hinted about how I add a natural scent to my laundry.  I also mentioned how I have been trying to reduce the toxins in my home, and this is just another way of doing that.  I made my first set of wool dryer balls about 6 months ago and have absolutely loved them.  Now, I can not imagine every going to back to use traditional dryer sheets and fabric softener.

So why did I switch?  I have a genuine interest in reducing the toxins in my home.  As I read more and more about laundry products and how toxic they are, (you can read more here about the toxins in fabric softeners)  I knew that I could easily make some changes.  As consumers we have been conditioned to believe that our laundry should be scented and the only way to do that is highly scented chemicals in "Tropical Breeze" and "Lavender."  But even that Lavender scent has no actual lavender in it.  I was already using Essential Oils in my home, so I could easily change my fabric softener scent to natural scents.  And the best way to do that is through homemade dryer balls.  Dryer balls are all natural, toxic-free alternative and so affordable.  They will last for many years and can be scented with your favorite Essential Oils.

What You Need:

• 100% Wool Yarn or other 100% Animal Yarn - can be found at most hobby/craft stores
• Pantyhose 

Directions:

Once your ball is the about the size of a tennis ball, cut the yarn and tuck the end under several other strands (you can use a crochet hook if that is easier).  Repeat the process until you have used up all of your yarn.  You should get 4-6 balls with a large skein.

Cut the leg off of the pantyhose (or I purchased a cheap package of knee-highs).  Place one ball in the bottom of the leg and tie a knot right about the ball to secure it in place.  Repeat until all the balls have been added and secured.

Once the balls are tightly secured, put them in the washer (can be with a load of dirty laundry) and wash it on the hottest setting.  This will allow the yarn to felt.  

Felting will make the yarn fuse together, resulting in a solid ball.  Once it has been washed, dry it thoroughly in the dryer on the highest heat setting.

After the balls are completely dry, remove them from the pantyhose and they are ready for use!  You can add 4-6 balls per load.

If you would like to scent your laundry, you can add 2-3 drops of your favorite Essential Oil to each ball.  The scent should last a few loads, but you can add more drops for a stronger scent. 

 What are the benefits of using dryer balls besides reducing chemicals?

1. They decrease drying time, saving you money on utility bills.
2. They are inexpensive to make and last year, saving you money from buying dryer sheets and fabric softener.
3. Commercial fabric softeners shouldn't be used on cloth diapers.  Wool dryer balls are perfect for keeping your cloth diapers soft and chemical-free.
4. Wool dryer balls won't affect the absorbency of your towels, kitchen cloths, or cloth diapers - commercial softeners coat fabric and thus reduce the ability to absorb.
5. They increase fluffiness and reduce static as dryer loads tumble.
6. Dryer balls help soften clothes naturally.

How do they work?

Dryer balls bounce around in the dryer separating clothes, allowing more hot air to circulate through. As they tumble, the fluff your laundry, reduce wrinkles, and make your clothes softer.  They also pull moisture out of your clothes.  The more balls you have in the load, the shorter the dry time will be.  They are also better than plastic balls because plastic releases chemicals when it's heated.  The same with tennis balls.

Have you made your own dryer balls before? Do you add a scent? What is your favorite?

How To: Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

My husband worked for a soap manufacturing plant for quite a few years.  During that time, we rarely had to buy laundry detergent.  When he switched jobs a couple of years ago, I was shocked by how much money I was spending to do laundry for a family of seven.  I have also been on a mission the last few years to reduce the toxic chemicals coming into my home.  So I began looking at the hundreds of recipes posted online and the ones I'd pinned on my Laundry Board on Pinterest to find one that would work for my family.  I finally settled on one that I have used for about a year, and I love it! My clothes come out clean and I'm spending $0.09 per load!

   INGREDIENTS:

• Borax
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• Fels-Naptha
• Downy Unstopables (optional)

  OTHER SUPPLIES:

• Fine Grater
• Wax Paper
• Mixing Bowl
• Wisk

Step 1: Grate the Fels-Naptha with a fine grater.  I always put wax paper down to catch the extras.  This is honestly the hardest part of making your own laundry detergent.  It takes me about 5 minutes per bar to grate it.  Kevin can grate it a lot faster than I can, so I make him do it if he's home.  Put the grated soap into a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add 2 cups of Washing Soda and 2 cups of Borax to your bowl.

Optional: Using the lid, add 2 cups full of Downy Unstopables for a scent.  I used to use this, but now have a new NATURAL way of adding a scent to my laundry.  Find out more in my Wool Dryer Balls post.

Step 3: Mix well with a large wisk.

Step 4: Put into a container (with a lid) to use in your laundry room.  I found this cute glass candy jar at Walmart and the 2 Tablespoon Scoop on Amazon.

I usually add 1-2 scoops (2-4 Tablespoons) per load depending on how large the load is.  I no longer use a color-safe bleach or fabric softener with my laundry either, so another money saver right there.

So here is the cost breakdown...

With the recipe above, it makes about 4 1/2 cups which translates to about 36 loads.  Which breaks down to $0.09 per load.

For my family, I do between 15-20 loads per week, so I actually make a double batch and it lasts me about a month. Before making my own, I was spending $25/month on laundry soap, color-safe bleach, and fabric softener.  Now I spend about $6 and it takes me about 15 minutes a month making it.  That is a time and money saver and worth every penny!

Do you make your own laundry detergent? What recipe do you use? If you don't, what stops you?

Until next time....