Whole Grain Waffles with Blueberry Syrup

This morning we decided on waffles for breakfast. And since I have a huge bag of blueberries in the freezer from Costco, I thought it might be fun to make blueberry syrup to go with them. My girls each ate two whole waffles! I'd say these were a quite a hit.

Whole Grain Waffles with Blueberry Syrup
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1/4 c. oil
2 T. honey
2 c. buttermilk
1 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients. Mix and pour into a hot, greased waffle iron.

Blueberry Syrup

2 c. frozen blueberries

1/3 c. pure maple syrup

1/3 c. water

2 T. cornstarch mixed with 2 T. cold water

1 t. almond extract

In a saucepan, mix all ingredients until hot, thick, and bubbley. Serve over waffles.

I have a feeling I'll be making this syrup a lot. It was amazing. Enjoy!

Cheesy Bacon & Egg Bake

While searching through some cookbooks the other night, I stumbled upon the most delicious looking breakfast casserole. With a few adaptations and extra veggies, this version turned out to be a new favorite. 

Cheesy Bacon & Egg Bake

2 c. southern style frozen hashbrowns
3 T. oil
1 (10 oz.) can nacho cheese condensed soup
2 T. milk
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used red)
1/2 t. onion powder
6 eggs
2 T. butter
1/2 c. grated cheese (cheddar or colby jack work great)
1/2 c. bacon crumbles (I used pre-packaged real bacon bits)
salt & pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil and cook hashbrowns according to package directions. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a 9x9" pan.

 In a mixing bowl combine soup, milk, chopped pepper, and onion powder. Spread over hashbrowns.

Using the same skillet as the hashbrowns, melt butter and scramble eggs over medium heat until almost done. Season with salt and pepper and layer over the cheese mixture.

Top with cheese and bacon.

Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes.

This is a great meal for any time of day. I love having breakfast foods for dinner. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

I'm pretty obsessed with cookies. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I decided to make my own version. Packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3's, these little cookies are a great choice for snacking or even for breakfast!

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies (makes about 34)

3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, peanut butter, honey and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients and mix well.

 Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper and cooking spray) and gently press down.

 Bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes, depending on how firm you them.

 These were a fun breakfast for us this morning. I'll probably end up eating all of them today... Enjoy!

Blueberry Breakfast Crumble

We've been making this a lot lately for breakfast. It's such a great alternative to a plain old bowl of oatmeal. Even though I do love plain old oatmeal, we all need some variety!

Blueberry Breakfast Crumble (serves about 4)

2 c. blueberries (thawed, if frozen)
3/4 c. oat bran
1/4 c. oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. almond butter
1/2 t. vanilla

In a mixing bowl combine oat bran, oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

 Cut in almond butter and vanilla until mixture resembles granola.

 Place blueberries in a square pan.

 Top blueberries with oat mixture.

 Bake at 400 F for 10-12 minutes.

 Serve hot with milk.

I absolutely LOVE this crumble. It would be such an awesome dessert served with ice cream. Enjoy!

Honey Oat & Flax Pancakes

My girls decided on pancakes this morning. We used whole wheat flour, oats, honey, and flax. They turned out delicious. 

 Honey Oat & Flax Pancakes
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. milk
2 eggs
2 T. oil
2 T. honey

Mix dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients. Mix well. (Add more milk if it needs to be thinned out.)

Cook on a hot, greased griddle.

I ate them with syrup and blueberries. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bran Muffins

My little girl gets so excited when we make muffins for breakfast. We did a lot of experimenting with healthy ingredients and finally found this recipe. These muffins are so good you won't believe they have 8 grams of fiber each!!

I've adapted the original recipe (which came from the side of our cereal box). Oh, the places one finds great recipes! :)Peanut Butter Bran Muffins

1 c. Kellogg's All Bran Buds

1 1/3 c. milk

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/3 c. peanut butter*

1 egg

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. oats

1/2 c. ground flaxseed

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 c. chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

*If using unsalted peanut butter, add 1/2 t. salt

In a bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let soak about 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl combine banana, peanut butter, and egg.Stir in soaked cereal.In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients (except chocolate chips).Combine the two mixtures, adding chocolate chips at the end.Divide among 12 lined cupcake tins.Bake at 375 F for 16-20 minutes.I love these muffins. Tasty and moist! They make the perfect breakfast or snack.Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

This recipe is adapted from one I got from my mom. These little cookies are so good and are full of healthy ingredients. Oatmeal Banana Cookies

1/2 c. coconut oil (or butter), melted

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 c. mashed, overripe bananas

1 t. vanilla

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

2 1/2-3 c. oats

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. ground flaxseed

1 c. chpped walnuts (optional)

Combine coconut oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and bananas. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes.

These make such a great snack or even breakfast. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes & Buttermilk Syrup

It's officially fall now and one of my favorite things about this time of year is pumpkin recipes. I saw this recipe on a tv show called Hey Kids Lets Cook and WOW it's a keeper! My whole family loved these spiced pancakes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. all purpose flour

3 T. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 c. milk

2 T. oil

1 egg

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

Combine dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients. Mix well, and cook pancakes (about 1/4 c. batter at a time) on a greased griddle.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 t. honey

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking soda

Combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring, until boiling. Stop stirring and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Serve warm.Enjoy!

Pancake Tuesday - Crepes

Today is Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. I actually didn't know much about this tradition until I did some research. It's the day in which it is custom to use up any fatty foods, such as eggs and butter, before Ash Wednesday or the beginning of Lent. In many countries, pancakes are the traditional meal of this day. So, in honor of Fat Tuesday, let's eat some pancakes ... crepes to be more specific!

Crepes

1 c. flour

pinch salt

1 1/4 c. milk

3 eggs

5 T. melted butter

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Slowly whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until you have a very thin, smooth batter. (For a shortcut, just blend all ingredients in a blender.)

In a greased, preheated 7" or 8" skillet, pour 1/4 c. batter and turn so the batter covers the bottom of the pan.

Cook until slightly bubbly and edges are crispy. Flip and cook on other side for about a minute. Stack cooked crepes on a plate. Makes about 10 crepes.

I ate my crepe with just a drizzle of maple syrup. My kids ate them with peanut butter and strawberry jelly. They are delicious with a variety of toppings. Try whipped cream, fruit, nut butter, honey, cinnamon & sugar, the possibilities are endless!

I hope you'll join me in celebrating Fat Tuesday!

Enjoy!