Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

The girls and I love this oatmeal so much, I've made it twice in the last week!

I even had it for dessert!  It's a delicious clean eating breakfast!  

I love to serve it with vanilla flavored coconut milk.

1 can 14.5oz pumpkin

2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp each pumpkin pie spice, ginger, ground cloves, vanilla

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 ¼ cups water

Toppings: raisins (golden ones are great), slivered almonds, agave nectar or honey to taste.

Stir pumpkin and oats together in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and all spices together. Stir egg mixture into the oats.  Stir in milk and water.  Pour into 9x13 baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375.  While oven is preheating, the oats will be expanding slightly.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Serve hot with milk and toppings of choice.  Sweeten with agave nectar or honey, if needed.


Or bake it the night before, refrigerate overnight and heat up in the microwave the next morning for a quick breakfast!

Gingerbread Waffles

I found this recipe in recent Family Circle magazine and did a clean eating makeover version of them.  I usually double the recipe too, so that I can feed my family for 2 mornings with it!   

They were good, especially with the apple butter on top.  
Oh my!

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp salt

3 eggs (or use 5 egg whites and 1 whole egg)

1 ¾ cup milk mixed with  2 tsp lemon juice (which will make it into buttermilk)

¼ cup oil
¼ cup honey

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup molasses

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In a medium size bowl, beat eggs.  Pour milk, applesauce, oil and honey into eggs; beat until well blended.

Heat waffle iron.  Make a well in flour mixture and stir in egg mixture and molasses; stir until well blended.

Cook in waffle iron until done.  Keep warm in on a baking sheet in oven or serve right away!  Top with apple butter or maple syrup and fruit!  YUM!

Apple Butter

Apple butter is something new to me.  I had never even tried it until a few months ago!  This is a clean eating recipe that is great to use as a topping for so many things or even a mix-in.  We usually use it to top pancakes and waffles, and mix it in oatmeal instead of using syrups and sugar.  I usually freeze the extra in small containers and thaw in the fridge whenever we run out!  It tastes and smells so good.

8 apples (that's what fits in my 4 Qt slow cooker, but you can use more if you have a bigger one)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp vanilla
agave nectar to taste (I use 1/4 cup or less)

You can either peel the apples first and then quarter them, or pick out the skins later when it's cooked.  (I've picked out the skins the last two times I've made it and I think that I'll peel them from now on.)

Place your quartered apples (cores removed) in the crock pot and add the vanilla.  Cover and cook on low overnight (8 hours).

Smash apples with a fork (it will be really soft and easy to do)  Pick out the skins if you didn't previously peel the apples.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook for another 4-6 hours on low and it's done!

If you want even smoother looking butter, then blend the mixture in a food processor/blender (I don't).

Berry Delicious Crepes or Palatschinken

1 cup flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup milk

2 eggs

3 tblsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

Vanilla yogurt

Fresh berries of your choice

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Whisk in milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Heat a lightly greased 6-8inch skillet over medium heat, adding about 3 tblsp batter to the skillet. Rotate the skillet to cover the entire bottom of pan. Cook until it starts to look a little doughy and slightly wet.

Flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until lightly golden. Remove to a plate to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Assemble your crepe on your plate, filling with as much yogurt and berries as you wish in the center. Roll up sides and it's ready to eat!

Yield: 12 approx.

Spinach and Ham Strata

This smells so good while it's baking. We made it for dinner, using up leftover Christmas dinner ham the first time I made it. The sourdough bread is a must to make this recipe really stand out!

1 large loaf fresh sourdough bread, cut into 1" chunks

1 glug of oil (I use canola)

1 pkg (10oz) frozen spinach, thawed and drained very well

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1+ cup ham, cut into small bite size pieces

7 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

2 handfuls Italian mix shredded cheese (parmesan & mozarella mix)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 shakes of ground nutmeg

In a saute pan, add oil, red bell pepper and onion. Cook until just tender. Add spinach and ham and cook for about 3 minutes on med-high heat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Then whisk in milk. Set aside.

In another very large bowl, combine bread chunks with the spinach/ham mixture with 1 handful of cheese. Spread mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.

Pour egg mixture evenly ontop of bread/spinach in pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350F degrees for 45-55 minutes or until set. YUMMY!

Breakfast Vegetables

This recipe comes from Trevor's family. He taught me how to make it when we were newlyweds. This dish is something his dad would make and it brings back sweet memories every time we make it.

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

2 summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 slices Ham, fully cooked

1-2 glugs oil

In a large skillet, add oil and vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender on medium high heat. Add ham, and cook 3 for min or until hot. Salt and pepper to taste!

Yields 3-4 cups.

Cinnabon Rolls

These rolls are so rich and gooey that they melt in your mouth. The cream cheese icing is addictive too, so watch out! Normally, I don't like frosting. But I slather it on these rolls thick because it's so good.

I was given this recipe 4 years ago from Lehi 8th Ward, at an Enrichment night. After I made the recipe, I realized that this truely makes the best cinnamon rolls, far beyond anything else I've ever made or tasted. You won't be disappointed, but please, do limit yourself to just 2 or 5 and vow to exercise the next day!


Dough:
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkgs dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp)
2 TB sugar
1 (4 serving size) package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
8 cups flour


In small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the pudding mix according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well, then add yeast mixture. Blend; gradually add flour and knead until smooth.

Place dough in a very large greased bowl. (I use canola oil to lightly grease the bowl.) Cover the bowl with saran wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray (so that it won't stick to the dough). Let rise until doubled in size. Punch down and let rise again.

Roll out onto lightly floured surface to 34" by 21".

Filling:
1 cup softened butter or margarine
2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Spread butter over entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top of the dough. Then press sugar into dough with hands, keeping them flat.

Roll up dough very tightly. With a serrated knive (or thread), slice dough every 2 inches. Place on greased large cooking sheet, bar pan or 9x13 baking dish. Lightly press down with hand a little. Cover and let rise until doubled again.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Mix until smooth. Be careful! The powdered sugar may want to fly out of the bowl at first! If the mixture is too stiff, it will soften as the cream cheese becomes room temperature. If it is still too thick, you can soften it by using a VERY LITTLE amount of milk, like 1 maybe 2 tsp. Remember, it will melt as it is slathered on the hot rolls!


Bake at 350 F degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Don't overbake. Frost warm rolls.

*Note, I hate taking pictures with a flash and had to do so before these were gone. I'll take new pics next time I make them.

Whole Grain Waffles

These waffles are done in the shape of Hello Kitty, but it is a nutritious and delicious recipe for any waffle maker! This is now the only waffle recipe I'll ever make!

I love to add cool whip topping and frozen fruit (unsweetened and microwaved until hot and syrup develops) So much better than maple syrup!
Recipe from MrBreakfast

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup flax seed meal (I omitted this and added an extra 1/4 of flour instead)
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs - beaten
1 and 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flours, oats, flax meal, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar and salt). In a seperate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Cook waffles in a lightly-greased preheated waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.

Spinach and Ham Quiche

2 Frozen Pie Crusts OR Refridgerated pie crusts by Pillsbury (not the tube kind)
6 large eggs
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach*
8 oz. chopped Ham (or 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped)
1 ½ cup milk
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg


Preheat oven 350 F. Unwrap spinach package. Thaw out spinach quickly by microwaving it on a plate for 2-3 minutes. Drain spinach into a strainer and really try to get as much liquid drained as possible.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Then whisk the milk into eggs. Place spinach into pie crusts by little fingerful amounts spread evenly inside crust (just however much you want). Add ham to each of the pie crusts. Pour equal amounts of egg mixture into pie crusts.

Bake the quiche until top is lightly browned and the filling is set when you give the dish a gentle shake, about 40-45 minutes.

Yield: (2) 9" Quiche
*Spinach is optional, but you can't really taste it in this dish.

**Even Brynlee, our egg hater, loves this dish!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes

For delicious, wholesome pancakes...LOOK NO FURTHER! This tastes more like a cinnamon apple muffin than a pancake! But the best part is, this is completely healthy!!! I have a hard time with regular pancakes and syrup because I get migraines from it's high sugar content. Finally, I can have pancakes again! The unsweetened applesauce is the perfect sub for syrup that my whole family enjoys!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes
Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
4 cups skim milk
8 egg whites
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup dried fruit, such as currants, chopped dates, cranberries, or cherries (optional)
Chopped nuts are also good in these 'cakes (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Topping

Unsweetened applesauce

Mix oats and skim milk in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
The next morning, preheat a pancake griddle or skillet. Then mix all ingredients together. Batter will be thick. Drop by large cooking spoonfuls onto griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve with unsweetened applesauce.
Serves: 8.

*We actually divide this recipe in half, which makes 10 pancakes, just enough for our little family.

**You can also omit the oil and sugar for even healthier pancakes.