Healthy Habits

Tip #2

We like to substitute plain organic yogurt for sour cream. I wanted to get more yogurt in our diets and one way to do it was to buy the big 32 oz. containers (we like the Stonyfield Farm brand) and use it whenever we would have used sour cream. Since Clara was old enough to sit up and eat I have given her yogurt in a bowl, sometimes sweetening it a little bit, or adding sprinkles (it looks like a dessert then!), or stirring in her favorite cereal for some added crunch and texture. I like to stir in slivered almonds, frozen blueberries, and a sprinkling of brown sugar to a bowl of plain yogurt. The vanilla flavored yogurt is also awesome, but it doesn't substitute well for sour cream because it is sweet!

Here's my favorite pancake recipe:

YOGURT PANCAKES

2 eggs beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup milk or soymilk
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. flax seed meal (optional)

To the beaten eggs, stir in the yogurt. Slowly add the milk. Add the rest of the ingredients. It is ok for batter to be slightly lumpy.

I cook these in my cast iron skillet. Butter the skillet and measure about 2 tbsp batter for each pancake. I can get 4 in my large skillet. Turn over when the edges are lightly browned and the pancake is puffed up a little. (These pancakes are moister than regular pancakes.)

Serve pancakes with pure maple syrup!

Healthy Habits

Tip #1

Get soymilk into your diet! Its easy to do. We like Kikkoman Pearl Organic Soymilk, which is sold in aseptic cartons that keep fresh without refrigeration until opened. I keep them in my pantry and substitute soymilk for milk in recipes and no one ever knows it. We also like the chocolate soymilk-- its great when you have that urge for chocolate! And the Creamy Vanilla flavor is great for adding to oatmeal, pancake batter and anything else you might add vanilla or milk to.
Soymilk is as high in calcium, Vitamins A and D as whole milk, is low in saturated fat, is cholesterol free and high in protein. (Soy protein may help reduce the risk of heart disease.) And it's just convenient to have on hand for those times when you run out of milk unexpectedly!