Spelt Pancakes with Strawberries

In an effort to try to be more healthy this year, I recently began experimenting with more health-conscious pantry ingredients. I've tried to eliminate my processed flours and refined sugars, and replace them with things like spelt and coconut flour, palm sugar, agave nectar and honey.

Trying different recipes has actually been quite fun, and though not everything I've tried has been a success (pureed cauliflower to name one), there are a few so far that have been pleasantly surprising.

Spelt Pancakes has been one of them.

If you asked my son, who is three, what he would like for breakfast, he would respond (as he does every morning) "Pancakes, scrambled eggs and dry toast." Yes, dry toast.

So you can imagine, I was a little worried that it would be hard to find a new pancake recipe.

I'm happy to report that he didn't even notice the difference. Though they were slightly different in texture, the taste wasn't far off.

Spelt Pancakes with Strawberries

1 cup Spelt Flour

1/8 cup Coconut Flour (it thickens the batter up a little nicer)

1 tbsp. Palm Sugar

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 Egg

1 1/2 cup Milk

They cook exactly like any other pancake and this morning, they were topped with fresh strawberries and syrup.

Though strawberries are far from being in season here, I happened to find these at the grocery store earlier this week. They are already a few days old and they are still nice and fresh. I froze some for smoothies later.

We are spoiled each March with a gallon of pure Canadian maple syrup from my mom. It's a treat that lasts us all year long.

 

 

Delicious.

As I'm getting ready to post this, I'm sitting at my office window, watching Willen play outside. It's the 12th of January and my thermometer is reading 13 degrees. I'm not complainging... It might as well be spring. But I wasn't quite ready for the snow to be gone just yet. After all, we are in Canada.

A Birthday Dinner

 

Last weekend, in celebration of my mother in law's birthday, I decided to throw a small dinner party.

 

It's not often I get to cook dinner for her, so when the occasion does arise, I try to make it a special one.

 

It's been a while since I've been able to enjoy a glass of wine, so bottles over the past year and a half have been collecting in our cellar. I thought this was the perfect occasion to dust a couple off and enjoy them.

 

 

I paired each course with a local wine.

 

Seared Diver Scallops with Pancetta, Garlic Aioli and Parmesan Tulles

 2010 Trius Dry Riesling

 

Pork Chop with Garlic Mash and French Beans

2009 Hillbrand Showcase Pinot Noir

 

Artisan Cheese

(Brie, Bella Vitano and English Stilton with Pear, Grapes and Crisps)

2007 Peller Estates Private Reserve Icewine

 

Chocolate Cake Three Ways

   

 

Needing to seat six, I had to move out our little pedestal table and use our desk for the evening. It worked perfectly.

 

 

I kept the table simple for lack of extra space.

 

 

For dessert, I decided to do chocolate cake three ways. This was her chocolate cake with Swiss buttercream.

 

 

I also did chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and white chocolate-dipped chocolate cake pops.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

 

[all photos belonging to The Grower's Daughter]

A Happy New Year

 

I have spent a great deal of time thinking about what I would like to write about in my first post after a year away.

 

Quite simply, there could be nothing I would be happier doing than to introduce you to the newest addition to our family.

 

Hudson Samuel Heikoop was born on the 18th of July weighing a healthy 10lbs 5oz.

 

He is gorgeous. I am completely taken by him. And I can't possibly imagine how we ever did without him.

 

 

 

 

Meeting his big brother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Willen is in love with him. Especially now that he is more social.

 

 

He is rolls and rolls and rolls. So perfectly chubby.

 

 

 

 

Our beautiful boys.

 

 

 

 

Willen, 3 and a half.

 

 

Hudson, 5 and a half months.

 

 

And, there has been another wonderful addition to our family. I am a proud Aunt to this gorgeous little boy - Levi Robert Oblak borm the 14th of December.

Happy New Year Wishes and New Beginnings

via Linen and Lavender

I first began blogging as the start of something new. My ambitions were to finally compose my thoughts, share my passions and inspire my readers to revel in the beauty of each day.

I feel that looking back on the last year, having read each of your lovely comments, that I have been able to accomplish each of those ambitions.

I love the feelings that come with a new year. I love the anticipation of change, the desire to live more fully and the feelings of starting fresh.

As I write this, I am both looking forward to a new beginning, and still slightly unsure if I really want the now to end.

I have decided to finish blogging, if not forever, for a while. I feel as though I'm being called to try some new things this year. I will also be closing my Etsy shop, and what is probably hardest for me, will not be hosting my annual Vintage Tag Sale in the Fall.

It should be understood that I will be leaving these things not for negative reasons, but for ones that I am greatly anticipating.

Ryan and I are happily expecting our second baby this summer. It is so wonderful to share my anticipation with Willen as he looks forward to being a big brother and learns what it will all entail. I look forward to spending the rest of the winter months at home, readying our house for another baby, freshening up the nursery and finishing off as many projects as I can accomplish before the baby arrives (within reason of course!). I look forward to enjoying the spring months without trying to make it to every estate sale I can possibly fit in. Don't get me wrong, I have many pieces I am still hunting down, but for once, I will actually keep them for myself. And for course, I cannot wait to meet our newest addition this summer and spend the rest of the year enjoying the blessings of our newly expanded family.

So, because it's as simple as that, I wish you all the happiest of new years and hope that you too are anticipating new beginnings and all the excitement that comes with a fresh start.

Thank you for being such wonderful readers and for everything this past year and a half. I have enjoyed sharing each and every post with you and look forward to reading about all that will be happening for you in the coming year on your beautiful blogs.

Best wishes,

Maria

xo

A Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

I have to admit, these are some of my favourite days of the year.

I am enjoying today immensely. It's so close to Christmas (something that has seemed even more exciting this year with Willen being old enough to enjoy and anticipate the festivities that come with the season)!

My shopping is done, presents are already wrapped, dinners planned, and my house is being cleaned and readied for this coming weekend.

We have a very relaxing Christmas planned this year. Christmas Eve day will be spent together as a family, then we will be off to our Christmas Eve service, followed by our annual Christmas party at our family's farm. We'll open our gifts Christmas morning, then head to my parents for breakfast. The evening will be spent at Ryan's parents for Christmas dinner and then we are back at the farm again for dinner on Boxing Day.

In short, lots of family, and lots of food.

Just how we love it.

Anyway, I've been preoccupied and haven't gotten around to posting much this season, but I have a few last things to share before the end of the year. I'm very much looking forward to a quiet rest of the year.

Here is the rest of our house decorated, wrapped gifts and a few other details.

Have a very Merry Christmas and may you be blessed this coming year.

The Heikoops

Our stockings and decorated banister.

Gifts wrapped and ready for our family celebrations.

I used simple white newsprint, thin twine, and vintage stamps to wrap my gifts this year.

We don't have a mantel so I always decorate the piano. Simple White Pine garland, which smells so lovely, wrapped with white lights and a few cream pillar candles.

We (Willen) are making a small dent in our gingerbread house. He did eventually figure out it was a giant cookie that he could eat!

Sweet and simple. They remind me of something you would send to family years ago when you couldn't be with them on Christmas. I found that really homey.

The stamps were found at Anthropologie - $6/ pack.

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

All Photos - The Grower's Daughter

Good Morning!

It's been a busy week, and the business seems like it's going to continue right through to the new year. Christmas parties and family celebrations have begun to fill our calenders and Christmas is in the air.

This week we put up our tree. I would have loved to visit one of our local tree farms to cut down our own perfect tree, but a week of constant rain has made that nearly impossible. Needing to trim our tree in time for a holiday party I'm hosting, I took Willen to our nearest Home Depot and picked out the perfect tree there. We spent the afternoon decorating the tree, and later made a gingerbread house.

Our house smells magnificent!

Here are a few photos of what has been decorated so far. I still have greenery to trim and add to shelves and mirrors, and the rest of our stockings need to be hung. Our piano and banister both need garland, and a few windows are in need of some small wreaths.

But for now, its beginning to look like Christmas.

My ornaments are simple silver balls and some vintage looking mercury glass ornaments.

I found this large bit of stitched together grain sacks this fall, and thought it made the perfect tree skirt.

A simple birch star nestled on top and white lights finished the tree.

Simple, and pretty.

I've put out a couple swags of mixed greenery and this vintage tree plate I found at the Country Living Fair on top of my large frame. It's adds the perfect amount of Christmas.

 

Our perfectly imperfect gingerbread house. Shaky hands and a curious little boy make for squiggly details, but I still think it's cute. I didn't put any candy on it because if I would have, I would be fighting all day with Willen who would be constantly trying to pick off candies! At least this way he doesn't seem to notice it as much. Yesterday at breakfast, with his chin resting on this hand, he informed me that he "loved our birdhouse, Mommy." I thought it was so cute.

A small dish of chocolate filled mints.

Our simple stockings hanging from the banister, with simple white ribbon and a glittery initial. They will look even more beautiful with garland around the railing.