Baker's Man

When making my weekly trips to the grocery store, I used to think to myself, "I wish I could just make some of this stuff. It seems crazy that I am buying the same things over and over again." I also thought that I could make healthier alternatives than what I was buying (read: what I could afford to buy :) ).


After talking with a couple friends and looking at various recipies to see if it really would be healthier and more cost effective, I decided to take a stab at baking my own bread and making pancakes for our family.

So every two weeks I spend an afternoon in the kitchen whipping up pancakes by the boat load and enough bread to get us through till the next time I bake. I have tried my hat at various types of pancakes that I thought would interest Mia (since she just loves her "pankos"): buttermilk, blueberry, cheese buckwheat, and apple cinnamon. As for the bread I have tried 100% whole wheat, white, and a 50/50 blend of white and wheat.

Today we made blueberry and apple cinnamon pancakes. 

All I do to keep the pancakes fresh is individually wrap them with foil and then place them in ziplock bags according to the variety. When Mia wants to eat them, I take them out of the foil, and pop in the microwave for 45 seconds. They taste fresh as ever (not like the way the Eggos taste- rubbery).

The bread, same idea. I cut up two loaves and place them in a ziplock bag, in the fridge. The other loaves, I wrap two times in foil and one time in plastic wrap, then put them in a ziplock, and store them in the freezer till we need 'em. If we use it within 2 weeks of making it, the loaf tastes fresh.

Both girls love to help out. Mia likes to add in all the ingredients and watch the mixer knead the dough for the bread. Macie likes to sit back and watch all the action that is taking place (she usually keeps us entertained with lots of babbling-a great bonus!).

Macie was all smiles with her little chef hat on while she played and watched me whip up the pancakes.

Today we also made banana bread since I had a couple very ripe bananas. Mia is a little monkey- loves her some bananas! :)

Here is Mia adding the flour for the banana bread.

Yes, it is time consuming- I typically am in the kitchen for about 5 hours when I am making both bread and pancakes. But I feel it is time worth spending because I fulfill my two goals evey time I'm in there- 1) the food I am providing my family with is a healthier alternative and 2) it is much more cost effective. The imbedded bonus into these afternoons- time with my girls, teaching them valuable life lessons and enjoying good 'ol fashioned fun with one another.