Tag Archives: cinnamon

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

PumpkinOats

Yesterday morning I got up before the sun to do some last-minute studying… my brain works better after a good sleep.  I  had plans to take the DTR (dietetic technician, registered) exam in Hampton at 9:30 a.m..  My nerves had gotten the best of me.  I could hardly eat breakfast – and that NEVER happens.  I was pretty certain I hadn’t studied enough.  Regardless, I went ahead as planned and took the exam… and I PASSED!  I already work as a dietetic technician in long-term care, only now I am registered, increasing my qualifications.  DTR’s can work in a variety of healthcare settings.  For more information on becoming a DTR, see the American Dietetic Associations website.

My career goals don’t end here though.  I did apply to dietetic internships and aspire to become a Registered Dietitian.  Next Sunday is match day, I’ll keep you updated!

So, my Halloween weekend started off with a nice treat!  What are your plans for the holiday?  Contrary to popular belief Dietitians, DTR’s, and dietetic interns don’t hate Halloween.
Here’s how I plan to enjoy the holiday…
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
adapted from: Super Natural Every Day  
Mix the dry and ingredients the night before to make this an easy breakfast.  Or, add a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert! With baked oatmeal available, who needs bread pudding!?
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (heaping!)
1 large egg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled,
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
Instructions:
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375*F, butter the inside of a square baking dish
  • In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, pour into baking dish.
  • In another bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp of the butter and remaining wet ingredients
  • Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients over the oat mixture, until oats are completely moistened
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed
  • Remove dish from oven and give a gentle stir to mix ingredients.  Drizzle remaining butter, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, and a light sprinkle of cinnamon over the top.  Bake for 10-20 minutes or until top is nicely golden brown.
  • Remove from oven, let it cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Farmers Market on Saturday, Whole Wheat Pancakes on Sunday

Dear Sunday mornings: I love you.

I’m excited to share the recipe for these whole wheat strawberry-banana pancakes, but first I want to tell you about Saturday.  Saturday mornings have quickly become my favorite time of the week.  Now that the sun is rising early (yay!) I wake up on my own around 5:45 am.  I grab a quick snack like a banana, make my bed, do a little quick cleaning up, and head out for a crisp 7 AM run at the trail.

After a solid 4-6 miles, I wipe of my face and start driving to Starbucks.  Usually the line is a bit long but it’s worth the wait.  ”Yes, hi!  I’ll have my double tall soy latte today please, Thank you!”  At about 9:00 am I arrive at Merchant’s Square, between the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg.  I grab my re-usable tote, my half-full latte and make my way through the crowd to the Farmers Market.  The market isn’t for everyone, it’s busy, people bring their dogs, there’s live music.  I feel right at home.  Here are my top 3 tips for making the best of a trip to the Farmers Market:

  1. Arrive Early – beat the crowd, get the good stuff!
  2. Be Friendly - get to know your venders, be a preferred customer
  3. Ask Questions – wondering where the strawberries are coming from? How to cook brocollini? What that funny looking vegetable is? Ask!
Here’s what I managed to bring home this weekend: Asparagus, spring onions, fresh spinach, 2 quarts of first-of-the-season strawberries, hydroponic tomatoes, and local eggs.
Anyway, all of this inspired me to make today’s breakfast: fried eggs, whole wheat pancakes topped with strawberries.  I’ve expirementd with whole wheat pancakes in the past, and these are my favorite so far.  Have at it!
Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
recipe adapted from: No Fear Entertaining 
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
1 medium/small mashed banana
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
Directions:
In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just moist.  Cook on a griddle or non-stick frying pan.  Serve with sliced fresh strawberries, maple syrup, fried eggs, or whatever sounds great to you.
Don’t Forget: Mother’s Day is just around the corner :)

Snack Time: Pumpkin Granola Bars

First Things First – I want to say thank you to foodieblogroll.com for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this weeks featured blogs!  I am so excited! You can find the other featured blogs here. Check it out!

Halloween weekend is finally here!  Unfortunately, Jacob and I didn’t make it to the farmers market last weekend to pick out our pumpkins. The Williamsburg market is located right in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg and William and Mary’s Campus, and unbeknownst to us, last weekend was the University’s homecoming.  We navigated through the tailgaters and finally made it to the parking lots.  There are three parking lots near the market that allow 2 hour free parking.  Usually finding a spot isn’t a problem, and I don’t mind having to walk a little ways, but this was insane.  Not being one for chaotic large crowds, we got out of there ASAP.  I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty disappointed, and maybe just a little bit grumpy about it… maybe.

I’ve given up on picking out pumpkins at the market.  It just isn’t in the cards for us this year.  Tomorrow morning is the last regular market for the season, and I’m not going to be able to make it.  Luckily though, I found the perfect pumpkin at the grocery store tonight.  It’s definitely not the same experience, but it still works.  The pumpkin I picked out is adorable.  I’m sorry I don’t have a picture for you (yet), but it is a small, squat, very pale colored pumpkin! I love it!  It looks perfect on the table in my entry way.

With the candy-focused holiday this weekend, I thought I might share with you a great homemade fall treat, that’s a little on the healthier side: pumpkin granola bars.

I became interested in making my own granola bars about 2 years ago.  I tried several recipes, that all turned out terrible, and ended up in the trash.  Then last year I stumbled upon a recipe from  The Kitchen Sink that seemed much more promising.  They were better, much better actually, but still not quite what I was looking for.  I prefer a somewhat soft bar and these were very hard, like regular granola.  This fall though, I think I have finally figured it out, thanks to some simple words from Mark Bittman. He had this to say about homemade granola bars:

“…Kind of like rice crispy treats, but… not total junk”.

So simple and such an “ah-ha” moment for me.  Mr. Bittman’s recipe looks great, and I hope to give it a try sometime, but I was hoping to incorporate some fall flavor into my bars.  Specifically, pumpkin.  One of my favorite store bought bars are Kashi’s pumpkin spice flax.  I decided to combine everything I’ve learned from experimenting, and here is what I came up with.  These bars can be baked, or not, depending on your preference.  If you bake them, they will last longer and will hold together better.  If you don’t bake them, and let them “harden” in the fridge, they will be gooier and have a more “treat-like” consistency.  If you are making them for only one person, I would recommend cutting the recipe in half.  Have a fun, safe, and healthy halloween!

Pumpkin Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

1 Cup Crispy Brown Rice Cereal

1/4 Cup Flax Seed (whole or milled)

1/2 Cup finely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/2 Cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/4 Cup honey

1 Tbs. maple syrup

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F if choosing to bake the bars.  Grease or line with parchment paper, a square or rectangular baking pan.  The smaller the pan the thicker the bars will be and vice-versa.

2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown rice cereal, flax seed, walnuts, and dried fruit.  Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, over low-medium heat melt together the peanut butter, bumpkin, honey, maple syrup.  Stir until smooth, then blend in cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.

4.  Pour pumpkin-peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture, and stir until well blended.

5.  Shape the granola into the pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or place in the fridge for about an hour.

6.  Once completely cool using a sharp knife cut into squares or bars.

 

Birthday Treat: Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Muffins

It is officially Autumn. The temps have dropped to the 70′s and it’s cloudy and raining here.  I finally feel like I can start to indulge in fall foods. This year I’m trying not to over do it with the fall favorites too soon. I still want to enjoy these things come November.

I never crave apples in winter, spring or summer, but as soon as September hits, they are all I think about.    Eating an apple only seconds after it has been picked is quite the experience.  Have you ever been apple picking?  When I worked at Husted’s Market in Michigan, we would have bins and bins and bins of apples!  Working there in the fall, was awesome.  Cider made on location, apple picking, pumpkins and gourds everywhere, hay rides, and of course homemade donuts!

When I first started working at the Market I was about 15 years old.  Making donuts seemed like the coolest thing in the world.  We had this little machine in the back room called a Donut Robot.  We made up the dough, poured it in the machine and went to work.  There we several different varieties including, chocolate, plain, cherry, and pumpkin.  But my favorite was the cinnamon sugar.  So good when dunked in hot cider!

Even after leaving my job at Husted’s I’ve made a point to go back for the fall treats every year.  But this year I won’t be able to make it back to Michigan until at least Thanksgiving.  Tomorrow is my 25th birthday,  so I’ve decided to make muffins that taste like cinnamon donuts.  Why not!?  I’ve never been a big fan of cake.  I dunked these in some hot caramel flavored tea and it brought me right back.  Almost just as good!

If you have been following my blog at all you might already know that I am a huge fan of muffins.  They are kinda my go to treat when I want to bake.  I’m also a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, but I have no self control with those, so I stick with muffins!  This recipe is really really simple.  I use it for most of my muffins, just add and delete the flavorful things.  This time I added cinnamon and chopped MacIntosh apples then topped with brown sugar and diced walnuts.  If you want to play around with different versions, leave those ingredients out.

Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Muffins

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

at least 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

2 medium apples, chopped

brown sugar and diced walnuts for topping, optional

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line muffin tin.
  2. Stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  3. In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure 1/3 cup canola oil.  Add egg to the oil.
  4. Add soy milk (regular milk works fine too) to the oil and egg until you have 1 cup of liquid.  Whisk together until combined.
  5. Stir oil mixture into dry ingredient, until just combined.  Don’t over mix, you may still see some floury spots.
  6. Stir in chopped apple, just until evenly distributed.
  7. Scoop into muffin tin.  Should make about 10 muffins.
  8. Top each muffin with about 1 tsp of brown sugar and 1 tsp walnuts.
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean, and tops are slightly golden.
  10. Let sit for a few minutes, before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Hope you enjoy! Happy fall!