Fall inspired Breakfasts

I always start craving pumpkin and cinnamon when the weather starts to cool. Technically we are still in the summer months and my girls are still wearing summer dresses but for some reason the cravings have started.

I think Ashlyn's request to make Pumpkin Muffins Thursday evening started it. She gets a monthly magazine called High Five, it's Highlights magazine for younger kids. My parents have given Ashlyn a subscription the past couple years and she loves it. She thinks Nana and Pawpaw actually send her the magazine every month. In the magazine they always have a recipe that is kid friendly and this issue's recipe was Pumpkin Pancakes. The recipe called for a box of pancake mix, which I don't keep in the house, so I went to allrecipes and pulled up a recipe. So, Friday morning Ashlyn and I made Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast. Ashlyn and Aubrey both had two pancakes each, so I think they were a hit!


Pumpkin Pancakes

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

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. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter on a hot griddle. Brown on both sides. 




I also came across a recipe for baked Apple Donut Holes over at Eighty Twenty. I made them today for a little treat and they were pretty yummy. They are definately not Donut Holes! They are very good, moist muffins, not donuts. So don't let the name fool you. I think we'll actually call them something else in our house like Apple Muffins. Here is the slightly adapted version I made today.

Baked Apple Donut Holes aka Apple Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg 

1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup 100% apple juice
1/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
3 tbsp vegetable oil

TOPPING:

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, applesauce, maple syrup, apple juice, yogurt, and vegetable oil.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir gently just until evenly blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin pan. Bake for ~10 minutes

Topping (prepare while the donuts are baking)
Melt the butter in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Remove donuts from the oven and when they are still hot, dip the tops in melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated (bottoms will still be moist from cooking, therefore there is no need to dip them into the butter).

Makes approximately 30-40 mini muffins

PB&J Pies

Do you ever feel like you fix the same thing for lunch everyday? I struggle with what to fix for the three of us for lunch. I want something that is quick and healthy and I don't want a big mess to clean up after lunch.
I've seen varying versions of homemade pop tarts on line and I had some refrigerated pie crust that was going to expire so I thought I would throw little PB&J pies together for our lunch.

I took a couple tablespoons of peanut butter and a couple tablespoons of jelly and mixed it together in a small bowl. I then unrolled one refrigerated pie crust and made one horizontal cut and one vertical cut.


Next I spread a small amount in the middle of each of the sections being careful to leave enough room on the edge to crimp them. After the filling was spread I folded them in half to form a triangle and crimped the open seams with a fork to form a seal.


Then I baked them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (that way I don't have to wash the baking sheet :) ) in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until they were golden brown.


They were a nice change from the same 'ol pb&j. Aubrey even mumbled "yum yum" when she took a bite. Something that rarely ever comes out of her mouth unless it's sweets!

Do you have any good kid friendly lunch ideas?

Chocolate Milk Shakes

Aubrey is a selective eater! She did awesome on baby foods but once she started eating solid foods she started to slowly mark foods off her list that she didn't like anymore. There are not many veggies on her "like" list which means lots of missed vitamins and nutrients. She loves fruits and dairy but mommas like to see their kids eat veggies. So, I'm trying out new ways to sneak some veggies into her food. The problem is she only eats food in their "natural form". She doesn't eat mixed or combined foods, so I can't sneak pureed veggies in her lasagna or meatloaf. In my on going search I stumbled across the idea to put spinach juice in a chocolate milk shake. Now don't wrinkle your nose at me! It's very yummy and you can't taste the spinach, I promise! If anyone could find veggies in their food, it's Aubrey!

Healthy Chocolate Milk Shakes

2 Cups Chocolate Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream
4-6 Tbl Green Juice (See below)
1/4-1/2 Cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender or with a hand blender until smooth. Enjoy in a fun glass with a straw!
*2 Servings


And it tastes extra good after a nap when you still have fuzzy back of the head nap hair!



Green Juice

3 Cups fresh spinach
1 Cup water

Rinse spinach.


Bring spinach and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Turn heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.


Pour spinach and liquid in a fine mesh strainer and push pulp through the strainer with a spatula until all the liquid is released.
Store liquid in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze in measured out portion sizes for several months.


I went back to my baby making food roots and froze the juice in ice cube trays. (Each cube is approximately 1 ounce/ 2 Tbl) Once they were frozen I popped them in a freezer bag. I thaw the cubes a bit before blending to avoid an accidental "green juice lump", my cover would be blown! Ashlyn does ask what they are and I tell them they're vitamins. Hey, it's the truth right?!

Double Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Earlier this week I made a batch of Double Banana Chocolate Chip Bars. They were yummy, healthy, and easy to whip up during nap time! The perfect little treat! And since they have chocolate chips in them I can tell the girls they are dessert! I am always looking for a new way to use up that one banana that always gets a little too ripe and I'm glad I stumbled across this recipe, it's a keeper.



Double Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped banana chips
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups quick cooking oats

In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork and then add the canola oil and brown sugar. Mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats. Mix into wet ingredients and add banana chips and chocolate chips.

Press batter down evenly into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350' for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let cool before cutting into squares. Store in an air tight container.

*Recipe from Rather Be Baking

A Fall Dinner

Today was pretty cool and overcast. I was so glad I put Taco Soup on the menu for today when I made my menu last week and also had all the ingredients to make a new pumpkin bread recipe. The perfect meal for a chilly day!


Paula Deen's Taco Soup

2lb Ground beef
2 Cups diced onion
2 Cans Pinto beans
1 Can light kidney beans
1 Can corn, drained
1 Can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 Can chopped tomatoes
1 Can tomatoes with chiles
2 Cans diced green chiles
1 Packet Taco seasoning
1 Packet Ranch Dressing Mix

Brown ground beef and onion together until beef is cooked through. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low in crockpot for 6 hours or on stove on a low simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and jalapenos.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2 ½ cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans or three 8×4-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans.

Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

*Recipe taken from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Both girls gobbled up the Pumpkin bread! The fact that pumpkin is so good for you makes me feel better about serving them dessert tonight. Plus the big grin Aubrey flashed me when she placed the first piece in her mouth made her momma's heart melt.

Granola

I really like a good granola. It's hard to find a good granola that isn't too sweet but yet sweet enough and doesn't cost a fortune for a tiny box. So, I went searching and found a good recipe to start from and then modified it to our tastes.
I have eaten a bowl of this with all natural, unflavored yogurt almost every day since I made it. It's really good with milk too, but I like the tangyness of the yogurt.


Almond Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup roughly chopped almonds (a finer chop is fine if you prefer)
1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbl honey
5 Tbl dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbl warm water
Small bag of dried fruit of your choice

Combine rolled oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in large mixing bowl. Combine honey, brown sugar, oil, and water in smaller bowl until well blended. Pour liquid mixture over oats mixture and stir until well coated. Pour granola onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes in a 250' oven. Stir every 20 to 30 minutes to ensure even browning. Watch the granola closely the last 15 to 20 minutes because it can burn quickly, you will want to remove it when the granola is a light brown color. After removing from oven mix in dried fruit.

Store in an airtight container once cooled.

*I only added half a bag of cranberries because I don't like it to "fruity". I also sprinkled a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed on the granola when I added the fruit for extra nutrition.

My Addiction

I have this new addiction, and it's my sister-in-law's fault.

Everyday for the last three weeks I make a chocolate smoothie for my mid afternoon snack. It is soo good, healthy, and gives me the much needed energy boost I need to get through the rest of the afternoon. It has chocolate soy milk which is so much better for you than chocolate dairy milk, can we say yea for no high fructose corn syrup! If you've never tried chocolate soy milk, you need to, it's quite yummy. Plus soy is very good for you.

Chocolate Smoothie

1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Soy Milk
1-2 Tbl Peanut Butter
1/2 Banana
6-8 Ice Cubes

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Pulse until the ice chips are finely chopped and combined.