October 11: The Best Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

I know that "the best" may seem like a prideful exaggeration, but trust me, it really is THE BEST. And if you don't believe me, take it from my pickiest eater child, who exclaimed:

"Oh man!! Mom!! This is awesome!!"


So, put this yumminess in the oven to warm up your house on a crisp, chilly day, like today! I promise, if autumn had a taste, this would be it!


Note: The amount of pumpkin in this recipe will create a little bit of gooeyness on the bottom of the loaf due to some settling, which I happen to love! What is "pumpkin" bread without a lot of pumpkin, after all? If you don't, just use less pumpkin.

The Best Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

{makes 1 9x5 inch loaf}

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted {or one stick butter}

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, allspice, ginger, & nutmeg

{or sub 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice}

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, optional

{but seriously, is chocolate ever really optional??}

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat your loaf pan with coconut oil or butter, whichever you prefer. Combine all the wet ingredients. Combine the ingredients in a single bowl in the order they're mentioned--no wet, dry, folding, mixing nonsense. Then stir in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick, so after you scrape it into the loaf pan, level out the top with a spatula. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until center is cooked through. Let cool about ten minutes before removing from the pan.

For less fat content, you can substitute applesauce for the coconut oil/butter. And note that, as with all whole/real food recipes, it's best to use organic ingredients as much as possible.

Enjoy!

And use the Pinterest button below to save it for later.

July 3: The Perfect Oatmeal

We've been eating oatmeal almost daily for breakfast this week, and I do my best to make it taste like an oatmeal cookie. Because, who wouldn't want to eat an oatmeal cookie everyday for breakfast??? 

The perfect oatmeal = butter + a little brown sugar + cinnamon + dash nutmeg + vanilla. 

And if you're looking to win some brownie points, add some chocolate chips. :) 

Disclaimer: You may end up with children who have chocolate smeared on their forehead, face, hands, & clothes. But they will love it.

You're welcome.

And P.S., we did more then this today, like watched movies & played outside & went to SAMs Club & Aldi, & drank some wine after a long day, but it's like it didn't happen if there's not a photo... I swear it did. Trust me.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

It's not like the world needs another pancake recipe, but these are very easy to make and would be worth a try if you're looking for a nice basic recipe. Whole grain pancakes are very tasty, so there's no reason to depend on that box of Bisquick any longer! This is a perfect recipe to double and freeze for easy breakfasts later, too. Simply pop the frozen pancakes into the toaster and voila!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

{makes about 18 pancakes}

2 eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted*
{use coconut oil for DF}

2 cups whole milk
{use almond milk for DF}

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the wet ingredients and whisk together. *Feel free to use less butter {2 tbsp} if you'd like. And I must say, whether you have a milk intolerance or not, using coconut oil instead of butter yields a far superior tasting pancake, in my opinion. Combine the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until most of the lumps are gone. Pour batter by the 1/4 cup full onto a greased pan over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned, when bubbles appear on the surface, and flip. 

This is a great basic recipe, but feel free to get creative by adding in 1/2 cup of blueberries, pumpkin puree, dark chocolate chips, or apples!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal {Whatever} Muffins

I love recipes that fall into the "whatever," category, as I like to call it. Whatever's on hand, in the pantry, on sale, or in the fridge will work for this recipe or any other "whatever" recipe that I post. "Whatever" recipes are great basic recipes to have around because of their flexibility and versatility. And I love the creativity of it--I often find great and unexpected taste combinations that I want to make again.

In this particular case, we're talking about the fruits and nuts that go into these Whole Wheat Oatmeal muffins.

I've made them with blueberries and almonds...

 Bananas and walnuts...

And dried cranberries and flaxseed...

And they've all turned out great!! I've finally got the recipe down, so here it is! 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal {Whatever} Muffins

{will yield 24 muffins}

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups whole milk {or almond milk for DF}

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup honey

6 tablespoons butter, melted {or coconut oil for DF}

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups fruit {dried or otherwise}

1/2 cup nuts {optional}

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating, combine the oats and milk in a large bowl to allow the oats to soak. Add the other ingredients to the bowl up to the flour and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir to combine. Finally, gently stir in the fruits and nuts. The mixture shouldn't be too stiff but have the consistency of a thicker batter. If it's too thick {if you added some flaxseed or the like}, just add a little more milk to thin it out. Pour by the 1/4 cup full into lined muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Will yield 24 muffins. 

Again, this recipe yields a larger amount, but these muffins freeze very well. They also make a great breakfast, snack, or even a lunch! Enjoy!