coffee Archives - Simply Sells Kitchen

Gluten Free Oat Flour Pancakes

Sandra Sells — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 05:09:55 +0000

Our Simply Sells gluten free oat flour banana pancakes are the easiest way to make whole grain pancakes for your family. So, for all the gluten free peeps out there – you deserve pancakes too! I love that the recipe calls for pantry staples because I always have the ingredients on hand. I have made pancakes that use store bought mixes, like in my paleo banana pancakes recipe, but if you don’t have a pancake mix on hand these gluten free pancakes really are the next best thing. Another plus with this recipe is the protein content that will keep you going for the day because of the number of eggs used! I only use natural ingredients to sweeten the pancakes, and they win my kids’ approval every time. It can be hit or miss with other foods, but I always seem to hit the mark with these. To be honest, I would rather save the sweetness for the toppings anyway. 😉 These Pancakes are Easy! For this recipe, I mix the pancake ingredients right in my Vitamix blender! I always say the less dirty dishes the better – can I get an amen? Haha! I start by putting two cups of whole grain, old fashioned, gluten free rolled oats in the Vitamix and blending the oats for approximately 10 seconds to flour consistency. Next, I add the bananas, eggs, almond milk (or milk of choice), honey, and vanilla. Admittedly, first mixing the liquid ingredients, and then adding the rest of the ingredients would be better, but as a busy mom I am just fine blending it all at once. One of my favorite kitchen hacks is to use the ladle that comes with my Instant Pot. The ladle has a little hook on it that can rest on the edge of the blender, and its scoop size portions the pancake batter just perfectly. Yes, I love finding little tricks – you’re welcome! Cooking the pancakes With the mixture ready and my ladle in place, I heat my griddle up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer the griddle heat a little low so I don’t burn the pancakes and they cook evenly. Also, I only butter the griddle for the first batch to prime the griddle. The color of the pancakes seems to turn out better after the first batch and they don’t seem to stick to the griddle after this, but use your best judgement. It is a known fact that the first pancakes are not always as pretty as the following ones so don’t feel bad. I can fit eight small pancakes on the griddle. You can tell that they need flipped when the edges are slightly browned and look slightly dry (not shiny like the raw batter). The pancakes will also start to bubble a bit in the middle when they’re ready to flip, and they should be a light golden brown. I serve the pancakes with toppings of choice. Making ahead of time & storage I like to make extra pancakes and freeze them for when the kids want a quick morning breakfast before school. I lay the pancakes out on a cookie sheet and freeze them right on the cookie sheet. Once frozen, I store them in a zip lock freezer bag. You can either microwave a frozen pancake for 25-30 seconds or place it in your toaster to warm it up. On the weekends, to create a fun experience I love to set up a pancake bar for my kids. I lay out lots of fruits, chocolate chips, and even rainbow sprinkles in small bowls and put out a can of whipped cream. The whipped cream brings a huge smile. We even plan this same fun experience when hosting our adult friends around special occasions like Thanksgiving, Valentine’s day, or Christmas time. These Simply Sells gluten free oat flour banana pancakes really are a favorite staple in our house and we make many variations. They ensure a nutritious but delicious breakfast. We have been known to even make them for dinner. I really do hope you enjoy! 🍴

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Oat Milk

Sandra Sells — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:37:33 +0000

Alternative milks have been around for quite some time. The rise in milk alternatives for those who are lactose intolerant or want to make certain lifestyle changes have really made their mark in the world today. Now many coffee shops have even made the choice to serve several types of dairy free milks. We’ve discovered how simple it is to make some of these milks on your own. If you enjoy the latest oat milk craze, this recipe really is for you! It is extremely simple and very cost-effective. The cost of a carton of non-store brand oat milk is about three to five dollars. So, making oat milk yourself is definitely less expensive and just as delicious. Most importantly, it gives you total control of its ingredients. Why we make our own Most commercialized alternative milks tend to have a bunch of fillers that most people are very cautious about. When making oat milk, we choose to use organic and (most of the time) gluten free oats, which adds to the cost but we feel it makes a better quality product for our family. Some oat brands contain glyphosate, which is a pesticide and something our family would rather not be drinking. Of course, using less expensive products can stack up savings. In our home, we use dairy free milks for drinking, in cereals and smoothies, in recipes that call for milk, and even in our Phillips Latte Go coffee machine. The smoothness of the oat milk is a personal choice. You customize the thickness by using more or less water. For straining, we like to use a nut milk bag, but a mesh strainer also works just fine. As a personal preference, we prefer to strain the oat milk twice through the nut milk bag. Our Recipe Our Simply Sells recipe makes just over three cups of oat milk. The first thing to do is measure 1 cup of organic rolled oats, 3 ¼ cups of very cold water, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt, 1 large Medjool date or 3 small, pitted dates of choice, and then blend them up in a Vitamix blender for 20 to 30 seconds. Do not over-blend the mixture. If you over-blend it, your milk can become thick, slimy, and gummy in consistency. This is also why it’s important you use very cold water. Once blended, it is time to strain the milk. Pour the blended milk through the strainer once or twice, until you have the desired consistency. Now you have a delicious oat milk to start enjoying! You can store it in the refrigerator for seven to ten days. To make a delicious banana oat milk, add one whole banana or for chocolate oat milk add a ¼ cup of cocoa powder. No matter how you decide to create your delicious dairy free drink, we really do hope you enjoy this simple recipe. We love making this at home because it requires very little effort, and homemade is always better!

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Party Planning

Sandra Sells — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:44:19 +0000

This weekend we celebrated Kodi’s birthday. We were very pleased with how much we enjoyed time with friends and family, eating, and hanging out. Party planning is in my blood. I may not have the experience for extreme decorating or large venues but I know what is important – good food that brings comfort and has options for all guests. This past weekend we decided on chicken tacos on Friday night for friends and a Spanish meal with black beans and rice and a “1905” Colombia Restaurant inspired salad on Sunday afternoon for family. The party planning tips that I have learned along the way were inspired by many large church gatherings and my mother. She always said that it is better to have an organized meal than a bunch of items that don’t go together or too many appetizers. That said, the idea is to keep the cost down but still fill the hearts and bellies of your guests. There is nothing better than inviting someone to your table and sharing a meal. We enjoy the hosting, which is great because we have become a hub for gathering our friends. I think that this is because we desire connection with people in a quality way. Quality time with people is one of the best parts of life. A great party planning tip is to decide on a menu and stick with it according to the budget you have in mind. For us, deciding the menu is usually based on knowing the number of guests invited. I will say that we do over cook most of the time, but the leftovers are never wasted. It makes sense to have things go a long way and a menu that is versatile for different eating habits. We have our casual crowd pleaser go-to like taco night, chili and toppings, shepherd’s pie, Italian meals like lasagna or ziti, or hearty soups. Another way to make meals go a long way when keeping cost in mind is picking a cheaper protein like chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs and grilling. We tend to save the steaks or costly items for a group of less than ten. This isn’t because big gatherings don’t deserve steak it’s just a budget strategy. Another major planning tip that was a lifesaver for this busy mother of two with a full-time job is having our groceries delivered. This is a mind-blowing and life-changing service. We use Instacart but there are other services that are great also. I made my list the weekend before, entered my order, and scheduled the delivery time to be close to the party date to keep the items fresh. We love to go to the grocery store but sometimes the time saving is everything! Also, not having to take your kids into a store is a priceless time saver. Instacart is really a lifeline for us! Our kids are usually great, but every child has their moments in public that makes the process take twice as long. We used our Instant Pot for each gathering. The Instant Pot is great because it is a “set it and forget it” appliance. I highly encourage using an appliance like this because it saves you from slaving away at the stove and ensures a meal that is very tasty and cooked well. We have a great Instant Pot recipe for chicken tacos that always turns out well for us and which we will be sharing soon. For our family gathering on Sunday afternoon, we used the Instant Pot to make the black beans and rice, which is a favorite amongst our family. With the Instant Pot, your black beans are done in less than an hour and you don’t have to soak them. It is a miracle! I hope these tips help you in planning your next gathering.

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☕️ Our Favorite Coffee Shops!

Sandra Sells — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 14:53:57 +0000

I dream of moments like these, sitting in the most perfect coffee shop, with the most perfect person, experiencing the most perfect day! Everywhere that we travel as a family we always make sure to stop at a local coffee shop. We’ve even taught our kids to enjoy coffee shops growing up. No we’re not talking about your Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, or other corporate coffee companies. (Unless we’re doing a long road trip, Haha!) This means coffee places that roast their own coffee or have a local supplier. Businesses that are owned by locals that live in and love their communities. Places where you know you’re going to get the best experience and amazing connections with great coffee, food, and people. Also, I have a passion for latte art! For me, beautiful artistry just tops off one of my favorite experiences on the planet. You can’t go wrong with coffee, a cookie, and great company! At home a few years ago, we decided to invest in a certain latte machine on our family gift list. Seeing as we loved coffee so much and refused to spend $5 plus on a latte everyday. This machine is called the Phillips 3200 Latte Go. We use it everyday, sometimes twice a day. This particular machine is fully automatic. Although I want to learn the art of the latte by hand, the functionality of having it fully automatic makes a great addition to my busy life. Coffee for Kodi and I brings a lot of joy. We love the art of food, but we are also always on the hunt for the most perfect coffee shop. Kodi and I have grown to enjoy a good dark roast that has come from years of brewing. Grab yourself a warm mug of freshly brewed coffee, smell the aroma, sweeten and cream it up how you like it, and then find a comfy corner and enjoy! We wanted to include a list of some of our favorite local coffee places we visited throughout the years of travel. 👇🏻 (not in any specific order)

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