Pumpkin Muffins

 

adapted from cookieandkate.com recipe

muffin ingredients:

1/3 c melted coconut oil

1/2 c maple syrup

2 eggs, room temperature

1 c pumpkin puree

1/4 c almond milk

2 tsp pumpkin spice blend

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 c gluten free flour (or whole wheat flour if you're okay with gluten)

1/3 c old-fashioned oats

topping ingredients:

2 tsp turbinado (raw) sugar

2 tsp finely chopped pecans

2 tsp oats

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put parchment paper cups in muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl beat the oil and maple syrup. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt. Stir.

3. Mix in the flour and oats, just until combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with topping mix. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. 

Muffins keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. In a freezer-safe bag in the freezer you can keep these for up to 3 months.

Boys say: thumbs up

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

When a friend asked if I'd like a bushel of apples I said sure. I didn't realize that meant about 125 apples! This gave me a perfect opportunity to find a few new recipes. I LOVE this recipe. I think you will love it too!

adapted from addapinch.com

2 c flour (2 tsp extra for coating apples)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon (1/2 tsp more for coating apples)

2 c diced apples (peeled and cored)

1/2 c coconut oil

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c almond milk or oat milk

Topping:

1/4 c melted coconut oil

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cupcake tin with baking cups. 

In a medium bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tsp cinnamon. 

In a different bowl mix together 2 tsp flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and diced apples.

In another bowl cream together coconut oil and sugar. Add one egg, mix, add the other egg and mix again. Add vanilla.

Add half of flour mixture and mix. Add almond milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture until just combined. Fold in diced apples.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean and the muffins are a light golden brown. 

Mix sugar and cinnamon for topping.

Remove muffins from the oven. Cool for five minutes in the muffin pan. Melt coconut oil for the topping.

Remove each muffin and brush with melted coconut oil. Dip muffin into topping mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Gallo Pinto

adapted from mytanfeet.com

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups of cooked long grain rice 
1 can of black beans-do not drain
3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1.5 tsp of minced garlic)
1/2 cup of chopped white onion
1 chopped green pepper
3 tbsp (or more!) chopped cilantro
1/2 cup of salsa (not chunky salsa)

1. Coat a large deep pan with the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, pepper and onion to the pan. Sauté for a couple minutes.

2. Add beans with the broth and your salsa (or this homemade Salsa Lizano). 

3. Lower heat and add rice. Simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes, mixing occasionally until any excess liquid is absorbed. 

4. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve.

In our home we pile the eggs on top of the gallo pinto, sliced avocado on the eggs and then add a little salt. We like to have fresh pineapple with it on the side. 

You can also fill a tortilla with the rice/beans, eggs, avocado and put salsa or ketchup on top before you roll it up. That's how half our family likes to eat this. 

boys say: two thumbs up

husband rating: 4.5 stars

Banana Walnut Pancakes

from allrecipes.com, submitted by CoOkInGnUt

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk
2 small overripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted or coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Mix flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center.

Whisk almond milk, bananas, melted butter, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl until smooth. Whisk in egg. Pour mixture into the well in the flour mixture; stir until just combined.

Heat a lightly non-skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Drop 1/4 cup batter into the skillet. Cook until bubbles form and the edges are firm. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Boys said: thumbs up! They actually said these were the best pancakes they'd ever had. I was nervous that the walnuts would be a problem for my picky eater. But I think because they were so small he didn't really care. 

I'm sensitive to milk so I love that this recipe calls for almond milk. 

I doubled the recipe for the five of us and had half a dozen or so pancakes left over for the next day.

Breakfast Parfait

For a super easy and healthy breakfast use greek vanilla yogurt, granola and your favorite fruit. Here I used bananas and blueberries. My husband likes to use raspberries. It's fun to layer the cup with a couple of scoops of yogurt, a layer of granola, then the fruit and repeat.

Mom's Applesauce Pancakes

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Shirley Smith

2 c dry pancake mix (I used a whole wheat mix. Also good with a gluten free mix)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 c milk

Whisk together pancake mix and cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in center. Add eggs, applesauce, lemon juice and milk and stir until smooth. 

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or skillet over medium heat. Working in batches pour batter onto griddle, using about 1/4 c for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on top, then flip and cook until browned on bottom, about 1 minute more. Serve hot.

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast

This recipe is delicious! It is very sweet so be prepared for that. I don't really think it counts as a breakfast/brunch meal. I think it should be served as dessert. With a spoonful of whipped cream on top it's a perfect dessert!

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by CALJAKE

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling
8-9 large slices white bread
6 eggs
1 cup milk

1/2 c cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the apple pie filling evenly over the sugar mixture. Layer the bread slices on top of the filling, pressing down as you go. 

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread, making sure that it is completely absorbed. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place covered pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75-90 minutes. When done remove from oven and turn on broiler. Remove foil and drizzle maple syrup on top of the french toast. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the syrup begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Invert the squares as you serve them so the apple filling is on top. 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Gingerbread Pancakes

Considering the season I thought gingerbread pancakes sounded like a great idea. We decorated a gingerbread house but didn't actually eat any gingerbread! This was the perfect treat for our Sunday brunch.

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by CKINCAID1

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay.
2. 
   
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Whole Grain Oatmeal Pancakes

from ourbestbites.com, with minor changes 

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk or plain kefir

Preheat a griddle to medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flours, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, melted coconut oil or vegetable oil, and buttermilk. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Drop by 1/4 cup onto the hot griddle. When the edges are firm and the bubbles start popping and forming holes, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side. Serve immediately with your favorite pancake toppings. 

Follow the instructions to set your griddle at medium heat. I had mine too high which resulted in pancakes that were burned on the outside but not quite done on the inside. These are dense pancakes and cook best for a longer time over a lower heat than you might use for other pancakes.

Delicious!

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say: more please! Two thumbs up!

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Follow the instructions on a your favorite pancake mix, such as Bisquick.  Once the batter is made add 1/2 a finely chopped apple and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.  Mix.  Pour about 1/4 cup of mix onto hot griddle and cook until lightly browned on each side.

I love these pancakes, but my kids didn't like the apple chunks.  So this time I actually used a food processor to chop the apple into even smaller pieces.  This time they didn't even notice them.  Now I can eat the pancakes I like and they don't complain!

Remember to remove the skin from the apple.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Oatmeal Pancakes

found on rachaelray.com by Emily Wyckoff, with a few changes

Oatmeal Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup white or white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oats, ground in food processor

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted (or 4 tbsp applesauce)

1/3 cup chocolate chips or blueberries

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. In a small, bowl whisk together the egg, milk and butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat (about 375 F) and butter or spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter in 1/4 cupfuls, add any extras like the chocolate chips or blueberries and cook until the edges are cooked and bubbles form on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

4. Enjoy!

I doubled this recipe for our family of six. I poured the batter on the griddle then dropped a few blueberries on some, a few chocolate chips on others and left a few without anything else so we had three different flavors to choose from. My husband and I liked the blueberry ones the best. The boys liked the chocolate chip ones, which I'm sure doesn't surprise you!

I tried it with the applesauce and they were great.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up!

Hash Brown Casserole

from Cooking Light

6 bacon slices (if you buy precooked ones you can save yourself some time)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cooking spray

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

I didn't have time for the steps of letting it sit in the fridge overnight so I just put it all together and cooked it.  Also, I used a shredded colby jack blend for the cheese and that was good.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture this time!

Husband rating: 3 starsBoys say:  thumbs up

Breakfast Biscuits

I cannot remember where I saw the recipe for this.  It's really very simple and here's what I did:

1 container buttermilk biscuits (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
6 eggs, scrambled
colby jack cheese slices
ham slices

I cooked the biscuits according to the package instructions.  I put the eggs, cheese and ham on the biscuit.  I put some fruit with it and the boys were happy as can be!  They said it was one of their favorite breakfast meals ever!

Boys say:  thumbs up!

Gluten Free Pancakes with Strawberry Puree

I have been trying different gluten free pancake recipes.  Our family really enjoyed Bisquick's Gluten Free pancake mix.  It's expensive, but if you need to cut out the gluten this is a tasty way to go.  I pureed some strawberries in the blender for a topping.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up 

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

1/2 5.3 oz container of vanilla greek yogurt (I like the Light and Fit Brand from Dannon)

2 c frozen fruit mix (most stores have this in their freezer section-pick your favorite fruits and give it a try)

about 2 c skim milk (adjust depending on how thick you like your shake)

1/2 banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Breakfast Burritos

This is a good meal to feed a crowd.  Here is what we use and you can always substitute sausage for the ham or leave out the cheese, all depending on your preferences and dietary needs.

Flour tortillas, warmed up
frozen hash browns, the southern or cubed kind with peppers is what I like to use, cooked
cooked ham, chopped
eggs, scrambled
shredded cheese
ketchup or salsa
salt and pepper to taste

You'll have to make the decision on how much or how little you use for your meal.

Husband Rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Denver Baked Omelet

from my sister-in-law, Catherine

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup chopped cooked ham 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped

12 eggs 1/4 plus 1/8 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 c southern style hash browns salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2.	Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and bell pepper until softened; about 8 minutes. Stir in ham. Three minutes after adding ham add the broccoli. Cook, stirring often for another three minutes.
3.	Beat eggs and milk in a large bowl. Stir in Cheddar cheese, ham mixture and hash browns. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until eggs are browned and puffy; about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

This is tasty, filling and pretty healthy.

Husband rating:  4.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

from SixSisters' Stuff

Ingredients:
10 eggs, lightly beaten (or 20 egg whites if you don't want to use the yolks)
3 cups milk (I use skim)
1 tsp salt
1 loaf of crusty French bread (day-old bread works great!)*, cubed/torn into small pieces
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups cheese (we love Colby Jack or Cheddar, but any kind works)
1/2 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled

*You could really use any kind of crusty bread . . . you just need about 6 cups worth.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). Combine the eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl. Distribute half of the bread evenly in a 9x13" glass baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle on half of the green pepper, half of the red pepper, half of the onion, half of the cheese, and half of the sausage. Repeat the layering again with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle black pepper on top. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and bake for 60 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 8-10.

I wanted to try something new for our Sunday morning brunch.  This casserole seemed easy enough.  Although I like most of the recipes from my Sis Sisters' Stuff Cook Book this is not one of my favorites.  

Husband rating:  2 stars

Boys say thumbs down except for one son who ate everyone else's!

Pumpkin Pancakes

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Ruth

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups milk 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2.	Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot. The only change I made was to add 1/2 tsp nutmeg.  Yum! Husband and guest rating:  4.5 stars Boys say:  two thumbs up!

Pancakes with Nutella and Bananas

 On a recent trip to Armenia, my husband had this breakfast a few times so we had to try it at home.  Make pancakes.  Put nutella (a yummy hazelnut spread you really should try!) and banana slices on top and then do another layer or two of that.  It's really like having dessert for breakfast!

Husband says:  4 stars

Boys say thumbs up!