The BECW (or, The Bacon Egg Cheddar Waffle)

You hit snooze a few too many times.  Now you're rushing to get breakfast and out the door while stepping on Legos and trying to avoid the dog's tail, which seems to be everywhere you try to put your foot.

Familiar?  

Well, in my house it might be more like packing lunches, figuring out breakfast, braiding hair, grabbing printables and trying to get kids dressed who would rather be reading - and then finding missing shoes on your way out the door.

Either way, mornings can be hectic, but I've found a make-ahead breakfast that doesn't have to be.

Think egg sandwich meets a waffle.  It's sweet.  It's savory.  It's whole grains and proteins, and if you add some spinach or tomatoes, it'll even have veggies.

Yum.

Here's how to make your own Bacon Egg Cheddar Waffle.

Ingredients & Directions:

• 3 1/2  c. white wheat flour
• 4 eggs
• 3 c. sour milk
• 4 T. butter, melted
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt

Whisk above ingredients together.  Begin making your waffles ...

• 1 lb. of bacon, fried/baked/crispy  :-)
• 8 eggs + milk for mixing
• 1/2 c. cheddar
• butter for pan prep

Now ...

1. Whisk your eggs and milk together.  In a warm pan, prepare the eggs omelet-style. I like to use a pan that's about the same size as my waffle will be, so I sometimes cook the eggs in batches for easier assembly later.
2. Add the cheese to the eggs when they're almost cooked.
3. Cook the waffles to your desired crispness.
4. Slide one omelet between two waffles and top with several strips of bacon.
5. Slice along the divider lines in your waffle (In my waffle maker, each waffle is divided into four sections, so each complete waffle sandwich divides into four smaller pieces for me).
6. Serve immediately, or wrap with waxed paper and place into a zip-seal bag.  Freeze for later use.

What's your favorite to-go breakfast?

Pink Lemonade (Baked) Doughnuts

I made these doughnuts just before my Big Helper's birthday a few weeks ago, and she was super excited.  A huge lemonade fan, she loved the tartness of these doughnuts - and their pretty pink color didn't hurt, either! 

I loved how quick and easy these doughnuts are to make.  If you pipe the batter into the doughnut pans, it's even easier.

Here's how to make your own Pink Lemonade Doughnuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Pink Lemonade cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. water
• 6 oz. strawberry Greek yogurt
• 1 c. 10X sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1-3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, water, cake mix, and yogurt in a large bowl.
2. Transfer batter to a bag for piping.
3. Butter doughnut pan.
4. Bake doughnuts at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until springy (in texture, not color).
5. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
6. While cooling, make the glaze by stirring 10X sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk together until it resembles a gravy-like consistency.
7. Dip each doughnut into the glaze.
8. Enjoy!

What's your favorite kind of doughnut?

Blueberry Biscuits

Recently my Little Man commented about how much he would like to eat a local fast food restaurant's blueberry biscuit.  This treat tastes fantastic, but is no doubt quite unhealthy, so it's not something that he's had more than a few times.

And then I wondered:  why couldn't WE make blueberry biscuits?   

I couldn't think of a good reason not to, and so our experimentation began.  

The first batch came out beautifully, and they were all eaten before I could get a picture of them.  The most recent batch is somewhat less pretty to look at, but the biscuits taste amazing.

So if you're looking to add a little variety to your biscuits, here's how!  These couldn't be simpler to make, but they definitely have a higher fun factor than an ordinary biscuit.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. flour (both white and white-wheat work well - you can use either one)
• 4 T. softened butter
• 4 t. baking powder
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 c. blueberries - I used frozen ones that we picked last summer

Directions:

1. Measure dry ingredients and stir together.
2. Cut in the softened butter.
3. Add the blueberries.
4. Add the milk all at once.
5. Stir rapidly for a few seconds, then turn out on a lightly floured board.  
6. Knead vigorously for 30 seconds.
7. Pat or roll to 1/2" or 3/4" thickness.
8. Cut out and place onto a greased cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10  minutes or until the tops begin to brown.
10. Mix a basic vanilla glaze with 1 c. 10X sugar, a splash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and about 1 T. of milk (or enough to make a gravy-like consistency).  
11. Drizzle the glaze over the biscuits.
12. Serve warm.

How do you like to eat YOUR biscuits??

Whole Wheat Pinch-Me Cake

I remember helping my mom make Pinch-Me Cake as a little girl.  I loved rolling the yeasty dough into balls and covering it with cinnamon and sugar.  It smelled wonderful while it was baking and tasted even better later when we ate it.

There was something special about the eating of it, too.  Once, for a special family celebration, we made it and when the women had settled down at the table to talk, the Pinch-Me Cake went in the middle.  Everyone pinched off pieces as they caught up with what was happening in each other's lives.  It was, at least for me, the social centerpiece of the party, and I've never forgotten it.

I don't think my kids are likely to forget it, either.  They LOVED making this cake - every aspect of it.  We made it for a special breakfast, served with fresh fruit, and we sat around the table on an icy Saturday morning enjoying a breakfast together.  With only four of us, we had leftovers the next day, which made everyone happy again.

This cake's specialness doesn't happen in the blink of an eye, though.  It takes time to put together - not just concentrated time, but slow, take-a-big-part-of-your-day time.  The bread needs to rise and roll and rise again and bake, so this is a great project for an at-home day.  It does most of the work itself, but it does require frequent checks - and kids love to help make it.

Pinch-Me Cake is worth the effort, though.  It's definitely one of those meals that makes people appreciate something done well.  If, however, you really want to speed up the process, you can use frozen bread dough, and that will allow you to skip several steps.

We chose to make this now as part of our Amish studies unit - for in central Pennsylvania where I'm from, you often see a treat of this sort at Amish roadside stands.  We've lightened it up a bit here with a yummy whole wheat dough, but there's still plenty of cinnamony sweetness. Amish or not, this makes a fun treat for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 5 3/4 - 6 1/4 c. white-wheat flour
• 2 1/4 c. milk
• 2 T. honey
• 2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
• 2 t. salt
• 1 T. butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• cinnamon
• 1 stick butter
• 1 c. brown sugar + handful

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and yeast.
2. In a small saucepan, heat milk, honey, butter, and salt until just warm, stirring constantly.
3. Add to dry mixture and beat at low speed for 1/2 minute.
4. Scrape sides of bowl.
5. Beat for 3 more minutes at high speed.
6. Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
7. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
8. Shape into a ball.
9. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
10. Cover; let rise in a warm place 'til double, about 1 1/4 hours.
11. Punch dough down.
12. Divide dough in half.
13. Combine 1/2 c. sugar with enough cinnamon to become a warm brown color in a small bowl.
14. Pull off dough the size of a walnut and roll gently into a ball.  Roll in the cinnamon-  sugar mixture.  Place into a buttered Bundt pan.  Repeat until you have used half the dough.
15. Sprinkle a handful of brown sugar over the dough balls in the Bundt pan.
16. Repeat rolling process with second half of the dough.
17. Cover and let rise in a warm place until 1 inch from the top of the pan, about 30 - 45 minutes.
18. In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter and stir in the brown sugar to make a 'goo.'
19. Pour 'goo' over the dough in the Bundt pan.
20. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.
21. Turn out onto a foil-covered pan.
22. Serve warm.

The picture of only a partial cake above?  That's because people started eating it as soon as I flipped it over - there was never a whole cake to photograh.  Pinch-Me Cake is always a hit.

What's your favorite special occasion dish?

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Our favorite Sunday morning breakfast is homemade cinnamon rolls.  I can mix these up on a Saturday afternoon, throw everything into the bread machine, and then have them rolled out and assembled in minutes.  With some fruit on the side, we can have a special breakfast without too much fuss.

So if you'd like to make your own whole wheat bread machine cinnamon rolls, here's what you do.

Dough Ingredients:

• 1 c. + 2 T. warm milk
• 3 T. melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 4 c. white-wheat flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. yeast

Filling:

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. softened butter
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Icing:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 T. milk
• dash of salt
• 1 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Put ingredients into bread machine pan in order listed.
2. Select the 'dough' cycle.
3. When the dough is mixed, roll out into a large rectangle.
4. Spread the softened butter onto the dough.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon (to your liking) over the butter.
6. Roll tightly.
7. Slice into 3/4" rolls and place on a buttered cookie sheet.
8. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.
9. Drizzle icing over the rolls immediately.
10. Serve warm.

What's your favorite Sunday morning breakfast?

Apple Pie Enchiladas

A few days ago I was thinking about all the things I'd like to do with a few bushels of apples - but I only had two Granny Smiths in the fridge.  After thinking over my options and our need for a quick, yummy breakfast, I came up with this dish.

The kids and I loved the cinnamon sugar snowflakes we made out of tortillas last winter, and crepes stuffed with cinnamon apples make a great treat, so I combined the two to get these breakfast enchiladas.  They're quick and healthy but "fancy" enough for company, too.

So here's how to make your own Apple Pie Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 2 T. honey
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 T. butter, softened & divided
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 2 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 1 t. cinnamon

To make your enchiladas:

1. Peel and slice your apples into thin pieces.
2. Place them in a small frying pan with the cinnamon, honey, and half of the butter.
3. Saute the apples over medium heat until they are caramelized and cooked through.
4. Spread a thin layer of the remaining butter over the tortillas.
5. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tortillas.  I keep a shaker of this in my cupboard, and I don't measure how to make it.  Just mix a few teaspoons of cinnamon with a few tablespoons of sugar until it's a happy soft brown color.  
6. Place half the apples into a tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up and place it in a baking dish. Repeat with the second tortilla.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until tortilla begins to get crispy.  Watch carefully - you don't want it to burn!
8. Enjoy plain or with whipped cream.  This would be a super fun dessert with ice cream, too, and lots simpler than making an apple pie - though those are fun, too.

What's your favorite way to eat an apple?

Chocolate Whoopie Pie Pancakes

Recently I saw a recipe on Pinterest for chocolate pancakes.  Since chocolate is rather, ahem, extra exciting to me at the moment, I Pinned it to make later.  When I came back to find it, however, the recipe was gone - and so the kids and I got a bit creative.

What we came up with is a pretty healthy pancake batter - with white wheat flour, honey, eggs, and milk - that is thick and smells exactly like a chocolate whoopie pie.  The batter is thick and looks like whoopie pie batter.  It fries up thick like a whoopie pie, although it doesn't round on top - but if you like those old-fashioned treats, then these are the pancakes for you.

We ate our Chocolate Whoopie Pie Pancakes with fresh strawberries on top.  The only thing that might've made these better is whipped cream - I'll definitely have some on hand when we make these again (and that will be soon).

Pancakes are serious business in our family, and so My Little Man layered strawberries on top of one pancake and then smushed another on top of the berries.  He picked up the whole thing like a sandwich and went to town.

Our Big Helper went for the open-faced approach and downed hers this way.  After the first bite, she asked if I'd make another batch.

I love knowing that something we've made makes somebody happy.  :-)

So if you want to make your own Chocolate Whoopie Pie Pancakes, here's what you need:

• 1 3/4 c. white-wheat flour
• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk 
• 2 t. baking powder
• 2 t. baking soda
• 3 T. honey
• 1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. salt
• 4 T. melted butter

To make your pancakes,

1. Preheat your griddle to 300 degrees F.
2. Stir all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  
5. Allow mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbles begin to form.
6. Fry on buttered grill, flipping when top appears dry and bubbles have appeared.
7. Cook second side for another 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.
8. Serve with fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, or whipped cream.

What's your favorite way to eat pancakes??

Ready-in-a-Minute Hearty Breakfast Sandwich

Sometimes, there's just not a lot of time to make breakfast.  Others, you need something that will keep you satisfied and undistracted throughout a busy day.  Or, you might be like my husband and want your favorite biscuit flavors - only healthier, so you can eat one more often.

If you ever find yourself in any of those situations, this is the breakfast - or lunch or dinner - for you.

This sandwich takes literally a minute to cook, and if you have the ingredients on hand, you can assemble it in the same amount of time.  With crumbled sausage and cheddar cooked inside the eggs, this hearty sandwich is ready to be eaten on the go.

My husband was so excited to be handed one of these yesterday while working on the deck that he asked for another one today.

Maybe we'll make these for Father's Day Breakfast!

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 eggs (above sandwich made with 2)
• 2 T. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 whole grain sandwich round
• 1-2 T. cooked sausage, crumbled (I keep some of this in my freezer for just these sorts of dishes - also good in Guilty Good Green Beans)

Here's how to make your own Ready-in-a-Minute Hearty Breakfast Sandwich.

1. Find a microwave-safe bowl that is the same size as your sandwich round.
2. Spray the bowl with cooking spray.
3. Crack your egg(s) into the bowl and whisk.  Adding a second egg will make your sandwich taller and bigger to appease a bigger appetite.
4. Sprinkle the sausage and cheese over the top.
5. Microwave until the egg is tall and fluffy.  One egg takes 1 minute in my microwave, and 2 eggs takes 1.5 minutes..  Microwaves vary, so be sure that the center of your omelet is firm and not runny.
6. Slide the egg mixture out of the bowl and onto your sandwich round.

Wrap in a napkin or waxed paper if you plan to eat this on the run - if it lasts that long!

What are your plans for Father's Day breakfast?  Do you make anything special?

Chocolate-drizzled Strawberry Crepes

It's been a while since we ate crepes, and with an abundance of strawberries and a reader's suggestion, we made them for dinner the other night.  Now, we do not normally serve chocolate as part of our main course; we rarely even eat dessert, but with ganache in the fridge, this meal just screamed out for it.

Because my husband was away and a batch of crepe batter makes oodles of crepes, I made only half a batch, and that was barely enough.  I think my Big Helper would've happily eaten a few more.

"Mommy, these are DELICIOUS!"  she kept shouting.  "I need another one!"

So, with reviews like that, we might just have to have these a bit more often.

Here's how to pull together your own Chocolate-drizzled Strawberry Crepes.

You'll need fresh strawberries, washed and sliced; chocolate ganache, crepes, and whipped cream.

For the chocolate ganache, simply measure out equal parts of chocolate chips and heavy cream.  Put the chips in a heat-safe bowl and heat the cream on the stove until bubbles just begin to form - do not boil!  Whisk the cream into the chips into smooth.  Cool.

For the whipped cream, I put 1 c. of heavy cream into my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment and let it go to town.  It took less than 5 minutes to get seriously fluffy whipped cream - and the machine did all the work.

For the crepes, we made 1/2 batch of our Creative Crepe batter.  Just whisk the following together:

• 1/2 c. flour
• a few grains of Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 t. honey
• 1 c. + 2 T. milk (I just eyeballed the tablespoon part.)
• 1 T. melted butter
• 1 egg

Over medium heat, butter a small non-stick frying pan and let it get hot.  Add a few tablespoons of the batter and rotate the pan until covered.  Pour the rest back into the bowl and let it cook until the top appears dry.  Flip with a rubber spatula.  The second side will cook in seconds.  Slide out of the pan and repeat until batter is gone.

To assemble the crepes, lay a crepe flat on a plate.  Spoon strawberries down the middle, fold the ends over, and top with ganache and whipped cream.  Or, as my French friend says is often done in France, simply fold the crepe into quarters and pile everything on top.  Either way, you can't go wrong with chocolate and strawberries.

See?  He liked it so much he dove right in.  ;-)

Shared with Gooseberry Patch and these fun blog hops:

Applesauce Muffins

I mixed up these muffins during the morning rush one day, and everyone stopped as they came through the kitchen.

"What's that smell?"  they all asked, stopping and sniffing some more.  "It that our breakfast?"

With cinnamon and apples wafting on the air, they hurried to the table, eager to sample these muffins.  My Big Helper didn't have time to add one to her already-full breakfast plate, and upon the promise of one after school, marched off.

When she returned, she walked in the door, immediately asking for her muffin.  Apparently it was on her mind all day.

When the mere smell of something sticks with you throughout seven hours of classes and crazy testing, it must be good.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. white-wheat flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 c. applesauce

To make your muffins, just:

1. Cream the sugar and the butter.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add alternately with the applesauce. 
4. Mix until just combined.
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

Makes 1 - 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

What are you serving for breakfast today?

Crazy Cooking Challenge: Better-than-the-Bakery Blueberry Streusel Muffins

"These muffins are better than those you'd buy at a fancy bakery."

That's what a friend told me after I asked if she'd like to try one of the muffins I made for this month's blueberry muffin cooking challenge.  I decided to do something a little different and asked a few people to try them and give me their opinions.  The general consensus:  if you like real blueberries, these muffins are for you.

I found this recipe over at A Cook's Quest.  I'll definitely be checkout out her other recipes.

So if you want a bakery-made blueberry muffin with a great texture without the high price. head for your kitchen and make a batch of these.

To make your own better-than-the-bakery muffins at home, you'll need:


Muffin batter:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 c. + 1 t. sugar
• 1 T. water
• 2 1/2 c. white-wheat flour
• 2 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 2 eggs
• 5 T butter
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 t. vanilla

Streusel:

• 3 T. sugar
• 3 T. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. flour
• 5 T. melted butter

To make these muffins most efficiently, be sure to follow these steps in order!

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 c. berries, 1 t. sugar, and water to a simmer.  Cook and mash with a potato masher until reduced by half.  Cool while you mix batter.
2. Melt butter for batter and allow to cool a bit.
3. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.
4. Stir together eggs and sugar in a medium bowl.  Slowly stir in butter.
5. To the wet ingredients, add buttermilk and vanilla.
6. Fold wet ingredients and blueberries into dry ingredients.
7. Place a heaping spoonful of batter into prepared muffin tins (I used paper liners).  Batter should completely fill muffin cups.
8. Place a small spoonful of cooked blueberries into the center of the batter in each cup and swirl slightly.
9. Preheat oven to 350.  
10. To make streusel topping, mix all ingredients together.  (I needed to add extra flour and brown sugar to get a good crumbly consistency.)
11. Sprinkle streusel over the top of each muffin.  
12. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until firm.
13. Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Thanks for the fabulous muffins, A Cook's Quest!

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

I love serving lots of delicate, light things for breakfast, but sometimes you need something heartier, something heavier, something that's easy to prepare, tastes fabulous, and will stay hot while serving a crowd.

This simple casserole fits the bill.

It's a wonderful brunch item.  I've served it for Christmas brunch, en masse at church breakfasts, and for all sorts of company.  You can even prepare most of it the night before, which is a great advantage to this morning-challenged girl.

The flavors are easily adjusted, making it possible to appear to be a completely different dish with no fuss, so you can tailor it to your family's personal preferences or to whatever you happen to have on hand.

Here's how to make your own Hearty Breakfast Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. frozen shredded potatoes (Southwest for a spicy version, plain for a milder one)
• 1 lb. of your favorite breakfast meat, sausage, ham, or bacon
• 1 onion and 1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 12 eggs
• about 1/2 c. milk
• 1-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Prepping this dish is easy:

1. Prepare your dish(es).  You can make this dish in either a 9x13" pan or two smaller casserole dishes.  Choose your style and then spray with non-stick spray for easy clean-up.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the potatoes.  You may need to add a small amount of olive oil or butter to prevent sticking.
3. When potatoes are cooked through and beginning to get crispy, remove from heat and spread them evenly into the bottom of your dish(es).
4. Return the pan to the stovetop and add your meat (if necessary).  If using sausage or bacon, cook and crumble that now.  When cooked through, drain off grease and sprinkle on top of potatoes.
5. If using veggies, add those to the pan and cook now.  Spread those atop the meat.
6. If preparing the night before, you can cover the dish and fridge it now to be finished in the morning.
7. Crack eggs (6 for two smaller dishes, all 12 for a 13x9" pan.  Whisk together and add milk as you would to make scrambled eggs.  
8. Pour egg mixture gently over potato/meat mixture in your baking dish.
9. Top with shredded cheddar. 
10. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown and the middle is set.
11. Let stand for 3-4 minutes before cutting.

*This is great served with fruit and muffins!

What's your favorite company/holiday breakfast dish?

Hugs and Kisses Banana Bread Pancakes

When I first heard of banana bread pancakes, I knew I had to try them.  It sounded simple and healthy, but who doesn't love banana bread?  It's delicious!

And that's exactly what my kids said when I made these for them for breakfast.  At first, I must admit, My Little Man didn't want to eat these unusual-looking pancakes, but he was hooked at the first nibble.

My Big Helper, on the other hand, took one bite and yelled, "Mommy!  These are delicious!  I'll give you 100 hugs and 100 kisses for these!"

So there you have it.  This well-squeezed mommy will be making these often.

To make Hugs and Kisses Banana Bread Pancakes, you'll need:

• 2 c. white wheat flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 T. melted butter
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed

To make your pancakes, simply:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients together.  Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir them together.
3. Add the mashed bananas and stir to combine.  **Batter will not be overly runny!  Add a tad more milk if you must, but these do fry up well.
4. Heat your griddle to 325 - 350.  Grease lightly (I used butter) and spoon about 1/3 c. of batter onto the griddle.  
5. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until bubbles begin to form on top and then flip.  
6. Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes on the other side and remove from heat.  
7. Serve with maple syrup and chopped walnuts - or just eat them plain!  

After eating a plate full of these pancakes for breakfast yesterday, My Big Helper was upset that she didn't have time for more - so she grabbed her coat, put on her backpack, and grabbed one to eat on the way.  She said that it was so good it didn't need syrup.

That's my kind of breakfast.  Easy.  Healthy.  Versatile.

What's your favorite way to eat pancakes?

Cinnamon Almond Granola

I love granola, and when I realized how easy it is to make, it became a regular part of my diet.

Crunchy and rich, full of wholesome ingredients, this granola is a great addition to yogurt - or skip the yogurt and eat it plain.  It's yummy on top of spiced applesauce bread or with fresh fruit for an added crunch.

The best part is that you can easily personalize this to fit your family's tastes.

This is how I make ours:

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 c. oats
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. sunflower kernels, roasted
• 1/2 c. coconut
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. almond or vanilla extract

This granola is super simple to make, and you can even get other things done while it bakes!  All you do is:

1. Stir together the dry ingredients.  (Use whatever you like, just be sure to have a total of 7 c. of dried stuff, nothing melty.)
2. Stir together the melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and almond extract.
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients - and then stir and stir some more until it has all been soaked up and mixed well.
4. Spread out on two large baking sheets, spreading as evenly and as thinly as possible.
5. Bake at 200 degrees F for 20 minutes, then stir and redistribute.
6. Repeat twice more until mixture just barely begins to brown.  If the mixture is layered more thickly on the pans, it may take more than an hour until the proper toasting can occur.
7. Allow the mixture to cool completely, and then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks - but mine never lasts that long.

Enjoy!

Sprinkly Blueberry Pancakes

My Big Helper decided to make pancakes for breakfast this week, and so she created pancakes in her very favorite colors: pink and purple!  Both kids loved them and ate them sans syrup, which makes me happy, and they were thrilled to have such a colorful, tasty breakfast.

I think that my Little Man ate about 6 of these for breakfast this morning - and he wouldn't even wait until they were heated.  He ate them straight from the fridge, in his hand, bouncing around in his seat!

I'm not sure how I'll keep the fridge stocked by the time he's a teen.  He's already a bottomless pit.

So to make these pit-filling, colorful, actually-very-healthy pancakes, you'll need:

• 2 c. white-wheat flour
• 2 c. milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 T. honey
• 1/3 c. melted butter
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• fresh or frozen blueberries
• your choice of sprinkles

My Big Helper loved operating the whisk to make these pancakes.  They come together quickly:

1. Whisk the eggs, then the milk, then the butter and honey into a medium bowl. 
2. When smooth, add the dry ingredients, whisking after each.
3. Let rise for 10 minutes while the griddle heats.
4. Lightly butter the griddle.
5. Plot out where you want your pancakes, and then drop a few blueberries onto each spot.
6. Ladle out a spoonful of batter onto each clump of blueberries, and then immediately sprinkle the sprinkles over the top.
7. When the pancakes bubble on top, flip gently.
8. Cook for another minute or two and then remove to a plate.  
9. Enjoy!

What's your favorite breakfast food?

Caramel Pumpkin Doughnut Hole (Muffins)

Do you ever just want to try something different?  

My Big Helper and I were in that kind of mood last week.  We saw these and thought they looked great - but we didn't have all of those ingredients, nor did we have a doughnut pan.  

So we decided to play, and this is what we came up with. These bake up like doughnut holes but in mini-muffin tins.  They're sweet and decadent, yet somehow not too bad for you (at least without the icing).  And although the kids and I were all about the gooey caramel icing on top of this little doughnut bite, my husband liked them just fine without it.  

These will definitely be made again here soon.

Needed ingredients:

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 2 c. canned pumpkin
• 1/3 - 1/2 c. milk
• 3/4 c. sour cream
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. white wheat flour
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Caramel Glaze ingredients:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1-2 T. caramel sundae topping
• 2 T. milk

Here's how to make your own gooey caramel pumpkin-y doughnut holes:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.  Set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg, pumpkin, milk, and sour cream until smooth.
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones until just combined.
4. Add chocolate chips if desired.
5. Spray the bottoms of each mini muffin cup with non-stick spray.  Add a tablespoon-sized dollop of batter to each one.  Batter will be thick!  
6. Bake for 9 - 15 minutes at 325 or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then loosen gently and pop out - I used a toothpick and a fork.
8. When completely cool, ice with caramel glaze.
9. To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together until smooth.
10. ** Store carefully - doughnut holes can absorb glaze overnight.  That's if they last that long.  Ours barely made it until breakfast.

Steal-Good Pumpkin Bread

When my grandmother visited a few weeks ago, I was determined to make pumpkin bread for her.  She loves it, but since she lives alone now, she rarely cooks or bakes for herself.

I made a batch of this pumpkin bread, and we ate some for breakfast one day, and a bit more with some veggie beef soup for lunch after church.  My Big Helper kept laughing, because each time she asked for another piece, my grandmother would pretend to wrap it into her napkin and slip it into her pocket!

We had to wrap the rest up and send it home with her.  When your guests like something enough to jokingly steal it and take some home, what else can you do??  (Of course, we didn't mind.  Sending the second loaf home with her was the plan all along - but it was good to know that it met with her approval.)

So here's how to make Steal-good Pumpkin Bread:

Grease two loaf pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together:

• 3 1/2 c. whole wheat or white wheat flour
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. baking soda
• 2 heaping t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. salt

Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together:

• *16 oz. of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 c. water
• ** 1 c. chocolate chips

When well mixed, add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for 15 minutes, and then gently remove bread from pans.  Cool completely and store or freeze.

** You can add the chocolate chips at this time - or not.  The bread is more traditional without them, but it's definitely a fun change with them, as well.

We took this bread to Disney with us for breakfast.  I made it and froze it in advance, wrapped well, and it tasted great even after being frozen and transported so many miles.  

This would make great make-ahead Christmas gifts!

* To learn how to make your own pumpkin puree, read my description here.

Spiced Applesauce Bread

My Little Man and I made this applesauce bread for our trip to Disney.  It became our breakfast for the car ride down, and although I thought everyone would want a cereal bar or some fruit to go with it, but they didn't.  A second slice of this hearty bread kept everyone happy for hours. It's sweet and smooth with a bit of crunch from the granola on top, and with lots of applesauce instead of fats, it's pretty good for you, too.

Here's how to make it:

In a large bowl, mix together until smooth:
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 T. milk

In a small bowl, sift the dry ingredients together:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. salt

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones until just moistened.  Then stir in 1/2 c. of almonds.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.  Top with a handful of granola and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.

After removing from the oven, let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.  Gently loosen the edges with a butterknife and slide the bread from the pan.  Cover with a dish cloth and let cool completely before wrapping.

This bread says 'fall' to me.  What are your favorite autumn foods?