No Baking Powder? 10 Recipes You Can Bake Anyway

When we go to Canada in the summer, I enjoy using a spacious kitchen for a change.  But since we can only stay for a couple of weeks at most, we try to stock the pantry very simply.  This past summer I purposely did not buy baking powder, so as to curb my tendency to go overboard with baking projects.  Another reason I chose to do without baking powder is that it is significantly more expensive up north than in the U.S.  Still, I managed to find a number of new recipes to try.  And while my husband was urging me to get outdoors and use my sketchpad, I was scheming which recipe to try next.

In everyday life, I do keep baking powder on hand.  But if I happen to run out of it, I would rather not pile everyone into the minivan and make a special trip to the store.  Instead I can opt to bake something that doesn't require baking powder.

Here are 10 kitchen-tested ideas:

1. Farmer Cupcakes
After a failed batch of yogurt, I was able to salvage and use the liquid whey in place of buttermilk.  These were a delightful, not-too-heavy version of pound cake.

Cupcake Recipe:

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 1-1/2  c. flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup liquid whey or buttermilk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

To softened butter add sugar and eggs, blending well.  Add vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix whey or buttermilk with baking soda.  To egg mixture add 1/2 cup flour and salt, blend, then add part of whey/buttermilk; continue alternating additions and blending until all is added, ending with flour.

Pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cupcakes test done with a toothpick.  After cupcakes have cooled, frost as desired or enjoy plain.

2. Date Squares
Widely available on the local menus of St. Joseph Island, my Canadian grandmother introduced me to her homemade version many years ago.

3. Banana Bread
I prefer plain yogurt instead of the sour cream that most recipes call for.

4. Gingerbread muffins
Loaded with mineral-rich molasses, these muffins are also a great way to use up sour milk.

5. Zucchini brownies (which can be made into Penguin Cakes)

6. Apple Crisp
Fruit crisps are among my husband's favorite desserts.  And they're easier than pie!

7. Baked Rice Pudding
I like to eat this after it has cooled and chilled.

8. Oatmeal cookies
If I'm running low on butter (which is pricey up in Canada) and have plenty of almond butter, I substitute half almond butter for real butter.

9. Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Also known at Snickerdoodles, this recipe only calls for baking soda.  Furthermore, these are one of my husband's very favorite kinds of cookies.

10. Pumpkin Spice Snaps

Recent Christmas Crafts for Moms and Kids

This fall I took on two new roles.  First, I became the creative activities leader for our new MOPS group at our church.  Second, my husband and I have been filling in to teach Sunday School to five-year-olds.   I'm still learning and working on how to get the timing right when it comes to preparing and executing crafts for a group.  But turning ideas into a finished product remains a fun and inspiring pursuit.

Here are some of the projects we've done so far:

`Seven Bean Soup and Gingerbread Cookie Mixes
 (for MOPS moms)

We ate our soup last week, so I just have the cookie mix left to show.  The soup recipe was adapted from this Lucky Bean Soup recipe from Taste of Home.  I halved a gingerbread cookie recipe from Martha Stewart's website.  We put the dry ingredients in plastic bags, then put that in paper sacks, and tied it up with a ribbon.  Moms then had the option of giving the mixes as a gift to someone else, or keeping theirs to make with their family.

When it's time to make the cookies, one has to add butter and molasses. One of the moms said that the cookie dough turned out well, save needing a bit of extra butter.    Soon I hope my kids and I can try making some gingerbread cookies of our own!

Paper Sleighs
(for MOPS moms)

The sleigh pattern came from About.com, though I made a few modifications.  Below are the steps we followed.

WINTER SLEIGH ASSEMBLY

1.  Trace and cut out 2 sides and bottom of sleigh.

2.  Decorate edges of sides with metallic marker.

3.  Fold tabs of sleigh bottom inward.  Curve to follow the shape of sleigh.

4.  Carefully glue tabs to insides of sleigh, holding until mostly dry.

5.  Optional: Add seating.

6.  Decorate with ribbon and fill with any of the following: nuts, small gingerbread people, photo cutouts of kids in winter attire, tea etc.

 Christmas Birth Announcements
(for 5-year-olds to make)

My husband and I are delighted to be using the Children Desiring God kindergarten curriculum with the kids in our class on Sundays.  The idea to make a birth announcement for Jesus was part of last week's lesson plan.  Exactly how to create it was up to me.   I needed more prep time than I allowed to make my sample announcement, but this was the eventual result:

I'm sharing this at Try New Adventures Thursday and A Handmade Christmas.

10 Ways to Enjoy Elderberry Syrup and Boost Our Immune Systems

One big reason I am giving thanks is that I have not gotten sick lately.  Everyone else in my family has come down with one minor illness or another in recent weeks.  But I have been graciously spared, despite my undisciplined sleep habits.  I have had people praying for my health and have been consuming elderberry syrup. I recommend both.

My kids don't mind the flavor of the syrup, but they dislike taking it straight, protesting that it's much too sweet and/or sticky.  They also gag on liquid Tylenol for the same reasons.

So I've come up with ten ways to enjoy elderberry syrup mixed with other edible delights.

1. Elderberry apple cider.
This is my oldest daughter's favorite way to have elderberry syrup.  I prefer cider without chemical preservatives, and I can find it at Trader Joe's.


2. Elderberry herbal tea.

3. Elderberry mixed with fruit spread.

Delicious on toast, it also works in a nut butter and jelly sandwich.

4. Elderberry lemonade.


5. Elderberry mixed fruit smoothie.


6. Elderberry mixed with blueberry kefir.

7. Elderberry oatmeal.

8. Elderberry applesauce.

I've once made elderberry applesauce from whole berries that we picked locally, but the syrup also blends nicely with homemade or store-bought applesauce.

9.  Elderberry maple syrup.

10.  Elderberry sparkling juice.

So far we've tried two different brands of elderberry syrup.  One has added herbs besides elderberry (horehound and wild cherry bark) that make it unwise for me to take during pregnancy.  Thus, I've been using plain elderberry syrup from Nature's Way.

Have you ever tasted elderberry syrup?

I'm sharing ideas this week at 

Top Ten Tuesday, AP Tuesdays,
 Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, and Pennywise Platter..