I think you’ll be happy to know that this is a Paleo recipe and a fantastic one at that! Honestly I have never been a huge fan of pancakes, but just this last week I had pumpkin seed milk in my fridge from Lydia of Pure Simple Juice located here in Portland. I wanted to create a recipe that would utilize it and feature wonderful fall flavors since we are well into the first part of October. I am so happy to share this with you and hope you enjoy it as much as I have! I would highly recommend getting the fresh pumpkin seed milk for this recipe direct from Pure Simple Juice! While you’re at it, make sure to check out their many raw juice offerings and grab a couple of bottles for your work week.
So today is my Daddy’s 10th anniversary since he left us to go be with Jesus. I knew I wanted to write about him in this post for some time now as it is a great opportunity to reflect and remember how amazing a father he truly was to me. This year is different- not only because it is the 10th year without him which is honestly surreal, but that I get to share it with you.
I believe that one of life’s greatest joys is to share it with the people that are dearest to our hearts. Even though he isn’t here today, I have the joy of being able to share some of his life and precious moments with you so we can celebrate what a wonderful man he was together.
Picture a tall man, tall as in 6 foot 4. Yes, we have a rather handsome family, thanks to my gallant father and lovely mother. He was kind, amiable, patient, creative, and whole hearted in all he did. Never since have I known a man as gracious and tender hearted as he and I feel blessed and privileged to have him as my father, even though it was only for a few short years.
My heart smiles now, knowing that I am walking further into the path that he led in his lifetime. It was one full of creativity, passion, beauty and joy. He was a professional photographer and had an absolute love for capturing beauty through nature and people. My growing up years contained memories of him with his Hasselblad Camera, with countless moments being captured on film to remind us of the good years.
In addition to his love for photography, and yes, this did include a few shots of food (thinking back now, this brings even more delight to what I am doing right here on this blog!), I remember him pouring through cookbooks and recipes printed in the local newspaper. I recently found his old plastic school binder back home this summer that contains actual cut-out recipes from the local newspaper along with magazine clippings of recipes he wanted to try. Everything he did was homemade (he was quite thrifty), so naturally he made his own cookbook with a binder, scissors, and tape. It is still full of character and life- pieces of who he was that I now have the enjoyment of treasuring in my own kitchen.
He had a garden- all five of us kids would weed it every Saturday until we could weed no more. From this garden he would grill things like eggplant and pineapple, and regrettably, we would all turn our noses away, shocked at his creativity with food, hesitant to even give it the slightest taste. I also remember when he made his potato pancakes- we would stand in the kitchen on a Saturday morning and peel those potatoes and then shred them into a bowl- this concoction would end up in the skillet and then on our plates with….butter, syrup? What do you even top potato pancakes with?! They were made with love but looked oh so odd…. memories that I look back on now and cherish, wishing I would have recognized the beauty of it all at the time.
Even though I miss him deeply, in looking back and remembering him my heart is happy. Happy because I still see pieces of his heritage coming to life through not only pursuing my own passions, but through the beauty of each person in my family. Today I am buying the most wonderful, stunning camera and I am buying it in honor of him. Joy wells up in my heart as I have the opportunity of walking in his legacy in this way. For me, I choose to bask in the beauty of life, to lay hold of future dreams and goals that would make him smile. I know and believe he is alive and well and I will see him again one day in heaven. Until then, I love you daddy, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
The recipe has been adapted by my dear friend Kezia of The Whole Food Diary. If you haven’t already, check her out online and find her on Instagram! She is inspiring and focuses on healthy eating and loving our bodies by doing so.
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Paleo Buckwheat Pumpkin & Flax Pancakes
1/2 c. Pureed organic pumpkin
3/4 c. Buckwheat flour
3/4 c. Pumpkin seed milk
1 Egg
1t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Cloves
1/4 t. Salt
3/4 t. Vanilla
1/4 t. Baking soda
1 T. Flax seed (whole or ground)
Coconut oil to cook
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir just until fully incorporated. Heat cast iron skillet and use coconut oil as needed. Pour a circle of batter in the pan and when it starts to create little holes in the batter, its ready to flip. Depending on the size of your pancake, it should be 2-4 minutes on each side. Top with maple syrup, butter, almond butter…whatever suits your fancy!
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