Banana Yogurt Pancakes & Homemade Vanilla Extract

One early morning as the children were entering the kitchen with tired faces, I thought, I need to make something fun for breakfast!  Off the top of my head (which is normal for me), I stirred up some banana bread batter and fried it in a cast iron skillet.  Wow, it was so good.  The kids just could not believe breakfast could be that fun.  The best part is that you do not have to pour syrup on these because the sweetener is already in the batter.



Add your yogurt, kefir, or sour cream into your flour.



Add beaten eggs, ripe bananas, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.


Melt and add butter, baking soda, and mix together.



Oil the skillet. Pour batter and fry until bubbles form. Flip to brown the other side.
Banana Yogurt Pancakes
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup maple syrup, honey, or raw sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
5 Tbs yogurt, kefir, or sour cream
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
2 cups spelt flour  (gluten free flour or
whole wheat flour)
In a large mixing bowl add bananas, yogurt, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and eggs.  Blend until smooth.  Mix dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add to wet mixture and blend thoroughly.  Add nuts (optional) and toss into batter.  Heat frying pan, oil, and pour batter into cakes.  Flip and fry other side.  Serve with butter melted on top.  No need for syrup because it is already sweet.  Add sliced banana for an added touch.  Enjoy!



How to make your own homemade Vanilla Extract…Pure Vanilla Extract is very costly.  I can’t afford it.  I guess it is TOO costly for most food manufacturing companies as well…
Did you know that most vanilla flavoring in commercial food products is made with beaver anal extract?  Ah, YUCK!  Seriously, I read in the news that this was really done by milking the rear of the beaver.  How pleasant the thought-NOT!  Here is the link to this short article on flavoring in our foods.  I just had no idea they would actually do something like this to our food, but could figure so much is true…
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/10/02/beaver-butts-emit-goo-used-in-vanilla-flavored-foods/

Why not just make your own vanilla?

It is inexpensive and lasts a very long time. I always have this jar sitting on my pantry shelf.  We simply pour what we need into a little bottle or into a measuring spoon.  This is one of the handiest things to have.  After I use up my stash, I just add more vodka and it will keep making vanilla extract.  Vodka is fairly cheap (no more than $10 for a half gallon) and vanilla beans are about $18 for 25 vanilla beans at www.herbalcom.com.  That $18 could make gallons of vanilla.

Homemade Vanilla Extract
10-20 dried vanilla beans
1 quart vodka

Cut vanilla bean lengthwise to expose the black vanilla seeds.
Fill mason quart sized jars with beans.  They will fit perfectly the length of the jar.  Pour vodka over the vanilla beans until the jar is almost filled.  Put a lid on it.  Shake daily for about 6 weeks.  Pour off pure vanilla extract for use. Does not expire.

Store on your pantry shelf.
When liquid is gone, simply add more vodka to the
vanilla beans in the jar.  Endless supply.