Vanilla Almond Granola

I'm on a granola kick and I just can't quit. Granola may just be one of the most overpriced things at the grocery store and lately, I started making it myself. It couldn't be easier and the options and mix-ins are endless. I experimented with a few recipes and ultimately came up with my own concoction that has become a favorite in our house. I love it sprinkled on berries for a snack or on top of a bowl of green yogurt. My kids also eat it by the handful and LOVE it. For another treat, warm up some apple slices on the stove with a little cinnamon and top with the granola and some coconut cream...BRB I think I'm going to do that now! 

Give your breakfast bowl a makeover with this healthy granola recipe. The key here is to let the granola sit and cool completely once it comes out of the oven- don't mix it or move it- just let it be. This allows it to "set". This recipe is as easily halved as it is doubled. One batch makes a bunch. The other best part is that you can totally make this your own. Add cacao nibs, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, honey instead of the maple syrup- whatever your little hearts desire. It's simple and delicious. 

Oats + almonds + coconut + chia seeds + cinnamon + maple syrup + coconut oil + vanilla + almond extract = Never buying granola from the grocery store again.

Almond Coconut Granola

4 cups old fashioned gluten free oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon (I add a little more because cinnamon is my fave)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (you can also use olive oil but I have done both and like coconut the best)
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. 

In another mixing bowl, mix together the oil, maple syrup and almond and vanilla extracts. 

Pour the liquid mixture into the oats mixture and mix until combined. Spread it all out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

Transfer baking sheet to a wire baking rack and cool approximately two hours without touching. 

Stir in any fruit or other mix ins and store in an airtight container! Mason jars work perfectly for this. 

Cinnamon Olive Oil Banana Muffins

It's me with a muffin recipe. AGAIN. But hear me out!  I had two lonely, and very ripe bananas sitting on the counter and instead of wasting them, I decided to mix up a quick batch of breakfast muffins. These came as a surprise this morning and both of my kids LOVED them. I like that they're not super sweet, especially because I can't have Will thinking we eat cupcakes for breakfast.

I'm not one for winging it while baking, but I did here and the result was excellent, which is why I'm sharing it with all of you. I pulled a few of my favorite muffin recipes, mixed the ingredients in one bowl (with my almost 4 year old assistant) and crossed my fingers when they went into the oven. You almost can never go wrong with banana baked goods! 

These muffins sound fancy with the olive oil in them and all but let's be honest here, I'm sure that unsalted butter or coconut oil would work just as well. Olive oil totally makes the recipe sound better but in all honesty, I find myself using olive oil in my baking a lot. No melting necessary and hello! Good fats. The result is a semi nutty, slightly sweet breakfast treat that you can feel good about giving your kids. I'm really into using honey or maple syrup as natural sweeteners when I bake for my little ones to keep everything free of refined sugar. The best part about this recipe? Everything can be mixed in ONE BOWL! These muffins are an all around win! I love these with fruit for an easy breakfast for Will and Kate. I also think they would be a great pre-workout snack! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Olive Oil Banana Muffins

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup mashed banana (about 2-3 medium bananas)
14 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, banana, honey, almond milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt). Mix until everything is incorporated and you have a nice thick muffin batter. Fill liners with batter a little over 3/4 way full. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. 

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Starting this Monday morning early with a giant cup of coffee and these muffins! Who doesn't want Chocolate for breakfast? And because the 3pm snack break is almost always inevitable, these also make the perfect mid-afternoon sweet treat.

Whole wheat flour makes these feel a little less guilty for me and with agave in place of refined white sugar, I'm calling these healthy-ish. Surprisingly, the coconut oil doesn't hide in this recipe and gives these muffins a little nutty kick. Using super ripe bananas take these muffins from great to best ever. I love them and so did the tiny humans in this house. 

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

3 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup organic blue agave 

2 large egg, at room temp

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. (these silicone liners are my FAVORITE and I don't know how I ever lived without them)

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas up with a fork. Mash them well! Once they are nice and smooth, whisk in the agave, egg, coconut oil and vanilla until combined.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

Spoon the batter into the liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top each one with a few chocolate chips. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

When I was younger, Hash was a joke in our house. I don't even remember the exact details of what happened but my mom (who is an incredible cook) made Hash and none of us liked it and from there on out we called it mush. It's been a long standing inside joke for years but I'm a grown up now and here I am sharing a recipe for hash. The truth is, I think it's a terrible name for a dish but it's what it's called so we are sticking with it.

I don't love eggs, but they are my go-to breakfast these days. They are quick and easy and always keep me full and satisfied. When I have extra time, a tasty bed of veggies like this one actually makes me excited for breakfast. Most mornings I'm not even super hungry, but skipping breakfast is not something I like to do and starting my day off with something nutritious and healthy ensures I'll make good eating choices the remainder of the day. 

This is really just one giant pile of sweet potatoes, peppers and sausage topped with two over easy eggs- just the way I like them. It's colorful, healthy and full of flavor. Make a bunch of this on Sunday to enjoy all week long and add your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand! Ignore the breakfast in the title of this post...I think this mush would be delicious to eat anytime of day! 

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

1 large sweet potatoes, diced (the smaller they are cut the faster they will cook)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 links mild Italian sausage, crumbled
olive oil
salt and pepper 

In a medium/large cast iron skillet or saute pan, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium high. Add potatoes and onion, and saute until onions become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and let the veggies saute and sizzle, tossing occasionally. Cook until potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Season with salt and pepper. Smoked paprika is another tasty addition! Toss in sausage and cook until heated through. Top hash with two eggs anyway you like them! 

Banana Berry Baked Oatmeal

Hello! I’m still here and we are still cruising and loving life. It’s been a crazy few months but I am really hoping that now is a good time to get back into the blog groove. I'm officially declaring this the week to bring my blog back to life. I’ve missed my little space so much! Since Kate was born, it’s been a whirlwind in the best possible way! She’s been the best and happiest (and smiliest!) little addition to our family.

In an effort to mix up the breakfast menu lately, I searched for a baked oatmeal recipe as I knew it would be something that the little mister would enjoy. I found a few recipes and ended up tweaking them and the result was SO GOOD. Breakfast prep always makes me feel organized in the kitchen because I always know that we will have something easy to grab, especially when we are trying to get out of the house by a certain time. Mornings with two little ones can be crazy but we finally have more a routine now that Kate is getting a little bit older and much less high maintenance than those blurry newborn days.

I used bananas and berries in our oatmeal, but any fresh or frozen fruit would be great! I’m going to make our next batch with peaches and blueberries.

Baked Banana Berry Oatmeal

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

2 cups organic old fashioned oats

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. Baking powder

½ tsp. Sea salt

1.5 tsp. Cinnamon

2 cups almond milk

1 large egg

3 TBSP. unsalted butter

2 tsp. Vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

2 ripe bananas, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep a square 8 inch baking dish using a stick of butter to lightly coat the bottom and the sides. Coconut oil also works well!

In a bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, half of the butter and vanilla.

In the prepared baking dish, arrange sliced bananas in a single layer. Sprinkle ⅔ of the berries on the top of the bananas. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Give the dish a few little shakes to even it out. Put the remaining berries on top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is nice and golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining butter on top. Slice and serve!

{What Will Ate} Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

The world of two year old eating is extremely unpredictable and a little hard to navigate some days. I have found that a huge variety is key to getting Will to eat well rounded, healthy meals. One thing I can almost always count on, though, is that he almost always eats a great breakfast! I love that he starts his days with a nutritious breakfast and a nice full belly!

These whole wheat oatmeal pancakes have been on regular rotation in our house for the past couple of months. Greek yogurt is the secret ingredient in these cakes, keeping them nice and fluffy and not dry at all. Our favorite mix ins are blueberries, peaches and bananas. Chocolate chips are a nice treat on the weekends or special occasions. Will gobbles these up! The batter also cooks nicely in my Belgian waffle iron on level three. A batch of these pancakes usually lasts Will most of, it not the entire week. The waffles freeze beautifully, too- just defrost and reheat in the toaster!

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
recipe adapted via Sally's Baking Addiction

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or regular milk
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
1/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup add-ins (blueberries, peaches, chocolate chips, etc.)

Toss the flour, oats, salt, baking powder and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Whisk the coconut sugar and yogurt in and mix until smooth. Add in vanilla and whisk until well incorporated. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Toss in your add-ins.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with coconut oil, cooking spray, butter- whatever you normally use. Once the surface is hot, scoop the batter out in 1/4 cup and drop onto the griddle. Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles form in the center of the pancake, about 2-3 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook for an additional minute. Coat the surface as necessary while the you cook the remaining pancakes. 

Serve with syrup or honey and fresh fruit. 

Banana Spice Greek Yogurt Muffins

I'm having a moment with these muffins and this recipe is too good and easy not to share. I know I have said this a million times over, but I love having healthy muffins on hand. These make the perfect addition to breakfast or a great snack to take on the go. They are also good for pre or post workout! 

The batter is mixed in a food processor, making it super smooth, which is a nice deviation from our usual muffins. Adding in pumpkin pie spice give them a nice festive flavor and mini chocolate chips make for a sweet add in! I also love to use dried blueberries, and have skipped the pumpkin pie spice for lemon zest instead. So tasty! 

Banana Spice Greek Yogurt Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

2 cups organic oats

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1.5 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare muffin tins with liners and spray with coconut oil or other cooking spray of your choice. 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except for the chocolate chips. Pulse until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter evenly, about 3/4 full, in muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

{What Will Ate} Vanilla Cinnamon Oatmeal

When the weather starts to get cool, I love to add oatmeal to my breakfast rotation. It's warm and nutritious and the flavor possibilities are endless. Old Fashioned Oats are my favorite and are worth the extra cooking time. 

This is the best and easiest oatmeal recipe for your littles! The oats cook in a bath of vanilla and cinnamon, giving it a sweet bite! Will loves this in the morning. It's quite a messy breakfast now that he particularly enjoys feeding himself from a spoon, but the kid has to learn some way, right!? I love to mix in fresh or frozen berries, applesauce or any other homemade fruit purees that I have on hand. 

One bowl for baby and one for mommy. Perfect to share with your pint sized breakfast date!

Vanilla Cinnamon Oatmeal

recipe from Cooking for Baby

2 cups water

1 cup organic old fashioned oats

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan on high heat, add water, cinnamon and vanilla. Bring to a boil.  Add the oats and turn the heat down to medium low. Once the oatmeal warms back up to a boil and starts to simmer, place a cover on top and remove from the burner. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit or any other flavor add ins that your baby loves. 

Back to School/Back to Your Routine: Healthy Breakfast and Snack Prep!

I’m not quite sure where the summer went, but the kids are up bright and early, standing at the bus stop and the school buses are zooming by. Whether you have kids in school or not, the back to school season is always a great time of year to get back into a routine and add a little more organization to your life.

I’m not into freezer cooking, and rarely make batches of food ahead of time, but lately, I’m finding that having some healthy breakfast and snack options ready to go for the week is a great way to stay on track. It also saves time when my hungry little baby is trying to climb up into his high chair himself and is READY to eat!

As part of Cooking Light’s Bloggers’ Connection themed monthly linkup, I dug through my blog archives to pull out some of my favorite make ahead breakfast and snack staples. This month it’s Back to School/Back to Your Routine!

1. {Cinnamon Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins} One of my most recent posts, these muffins make a wonderful breakfast or even a mid-afternoon snack. They are a great pre or post workout snack as well! Use the recipe as a base and add your favorite muffin mix-ins!

2. {Paleo Snack Bites} Oh, how we love these! I make a batch or two weekly to keep on hand for snacking. These are my ideal pre-morning run snack when I go early. I eat one or two about 15 minutes before I leave. They also cure a sweet craving after dinner if you are trying to avoid the ice cream carton in the freezer.

3. {Paleo Waffles} Recently, I quadrupled the pancake recipe and poured it in my waffle maker. In five minutes, I had four days worth of breakfast for the little guy! I cook them in the waffle maker on the highest setting. Once they are cool, I cut into individual waffles, separate each one with wax paper, and place in a giant freezer bag to freeze. When we’re ready to eat them, I pop them in the toaster and serve with fresh fruit!

4. {Chia Pudding} Easily my favorite breakfast right now. This is another one that I will triple, even quadruple, and have a few days worth of breakfasts made for the week! I mix up individual servings in mason jars and shake, shake, shake! Lately, I’m finding that 1 Tbsp. per ¼ cup liquid yields the best consistency. I just use unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, lots of cinnamon and top with fresh berries right before eating. This is a filling and nutritious breakfast. Chia pudding is also a great afternoon snack!

5. {Pumpkin Spice Granola} As sad as I am about the dwindling Summer days, I am excited that the pumpkin season is upon us! Although a bit time consuming, this pumpkin spice granola is worth every minute of prep work! Perfect for breakfast sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt, or a handful to hold you over until dinnertime.

6. {Hummus} The ultimate snack food! A big batch will last us a week or so in the fridge. I keep vegetable dippers on hand for snacking or enjoy some spread on Ezekial bread for a simple lunch. Lemon + Dill White Bean and Roasted Beet are our favorites.

For more healthy snacking ideas, check out this post from 2012.

{What Will Ate} Cinnamon Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

Pay no attention to the fact that this is a What Will Ate post. These breakfast muffins are baby and adult approved! Also pay no attention to the fact that my last post was also filed under What Will Ate. I assure you he is not the only one eating in this house- his food is just the most blog worthy right now. 

I have found that having breakfast items pre-made and ready to go for the week really works for us. It's nice to have something to homemade to grab that doesn't take a lot of prep work. I've been making batches of Will's protein pancakes in the waffle maker and freezing them. All I need to do is pop them in the toaster, rinse off some fruit, and his breakfast is ready! 

These breakfast muffins make a great breakfast on the go or a healthy afternoon snack. Mark will even grab these in the morning before his early runs. They have no added sugar, and the recipe can easily be altered to your liking. I made this batch with dried cranberries and golden raisins, but other great add ins are coconut and chia seeds, fresh blueberries and lemon zest, and mini dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs to treat your sweet tooth! The riper the bananas, the sweeter your muffins will be. Grade B maple syrup or honey both make great natural sweeteners if you need a little extra sweetness. Make a batch on Sunday and enjoy for the whole week.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins
recipe adapted from Green Lite Bites

3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups organic old fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
several shakes of cinnamon (optional)
3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
3 Tbsp. golden raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12-15 muffin tins with liners.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combines. Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the oats to plump up a bit. Fill muffin liners to just below the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Crustless Mini Quiches

It's taken me a long time to become friends with the egg. A really long time. I despised them when I was young and the only way I would eat eggs was in a one egg pesto omelette with cheese made by my dad, a fellow egg hater. I don't quite remember when I graduated to two egg omelettes, but it was obviously when I was able to get over the thick outer layer of egg separating me from my beloved pesto filling. As I've grown, my aversion to eggs has become less and less, although I like my eggs a little amped up- I can't eat them when they're alone. Scrambled eggs should be scrambled with veggies, poached eggs should be eaten on Eggs Benedict and hard boiled eggs a better on salads. It's totally a texture thing for me and some days I'm okay with it, and other days I'm not. Eggs are just so healthy and thankfully, my kitchen creativity allows me to eat them on a regular basis. Quiche might be my favorite egg dish of all.

These quaint little quiches made a big impression on our Mother's Day Brunch spread. They are light and fluffy and filled with fresh ingredients. I opted for grape tomatoes, scallions and asparagus, but you can add any veggies of your choice! You don't have to wait for a fancy feast to get your quiche on. I think these would be great made ahead on Sunday night to enjoy for breakfast all week long. My healthy little eater is a huge fan of these, too. 

Crustless Mini Quiches

recipe from epicurious

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup whole milk

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

6 scallions, finely chopped

8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2" pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 2 muffin (I used 12 count tins) tins with cooking spray or line with liners. Add a pinch of cheese to the bottom of each tin.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, cream, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into tins, filling about 2/3 of the way full. Once the tins are evenly full, it's time to add your veggies. I made half of the quiches with tomato and scallion, and the other half with asparagus.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until eggs are set. Remove by taking a knife around the outer edge and popping them out. 

Mushroom, Tomato and Onion Scramble with Basil + Goat Cheese

Nothing is quite better on weekend mornings than a tasty breakfast. I have been going to an athletic conditioning class on Saturday mornings and when I get home, I find that I am STARVING. After an intense morning working out, I try to make a protein packed meal filled with fresh ingredients. Eggs and tons of veggies to the rescue! 

Omelettes are my very favorite way to eat eggs, but since I have yet to master the art of constructing a beautifully folded omelette, I prefer to make scrambles. A deconstructed omelette if you will. My scrambles are usually the result of whatever I have in the fridge, sauteed in a pan and scrambled together with eggs. Mushrooms, tomato and onions are an easy favorite and when topped with creamy goat cheese and fresh basil, it really is restaurant worthy. Add a few pieces of crispy bacon on the side and you have the perfect brunch that will keep you full until dinner time. 

Mushroom, Tomato and Onion Scramble with Basil + Goat Cheese
(generously serves two)

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
10 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. olive oil
7 eggs, whisked
Goat cheese, crumbled
Small handful of fresh basil, julienned
Salt + pepper to taste

In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until slightly browned and soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add in tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour eggs over vegetables and turn heat down to medium-low. Swirl and fold eggs around with the vegetables every few minutes. When eggs are cooked to your liking, transfer servings to plates and top with goat cheese and fresh basil. 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

We are in the middle of #snOMG, day 3, here in Charlotte and there are big, fat, beautiful flakes falling from the sky. I am a lover of the snow and have enjoyed a couple of days being snowed in with my little family. Wrigley romps around the backyard like a circus animal and Will just doesn't know what to think of it. I'm pretty sure he prefers to watch the flakes fall from his window.

Every snow day should include comfy clothes, Christmas movies and a delicious breakfast for fuel to play in the snow! My mom used to make us Ebelskivers every snow day and it was a treat we all looked forward to! I have yet to master these tiny filled pancakes and I need to try soon. And I'm fairly certain they would never be as good as my mom's. But since I'm not brave enough to attempt these yet, I have another snow day breakfast for you. 

These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the fluffiest pancakes in all the land. This recipe is straight from Williams-Sonoma and has become my go-to recipe for pancakes. Lemon zest and ricotta make for a rare pancake bite! They are extra tasty topped with fresh blueberries! 

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
recipe from Williams-Sonoma

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1.5 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of salt. Combine the flour mixture with the ricotta mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites and add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the pancake batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites. 

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup for each pancake, pour the batter onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the top and the bottom starts to become golden, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another minute. Serve with real maple syrup and fresh berries. 

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Breakfast Bars

These breakfast bars really are really more of a dessert, but since they have oatmeal in them, we can go ahead and say they are acceptable for breakfast. I made these last week for play group and they were a giant hit- both mom and baby approved! I started with a base recipe from Martha Stewart and added a couple of extras. Golden raisins, dried cranberries and cinnamon chips make for quite the bite! I'm working on finding a way to clean up this recipe, cutting out the processed sugar and omitting the flour, but for now, enjoy this yummy and decadent breakfast treat!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Breakfast Bars

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup whole wheat, all-purpose flour

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 dup dried cranberries

1/3 cup cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8 inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Lightly butter the parchment paper as well.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, egg, salt and cinnamon until smooth. Combine flour, oats, raisins, cranberries and cinnamon chips; fold until just combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan, and bake 25-30 minutes (test with a toothpick, it should come out with moist crumbs attatched) Cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a cutting board and cut into 16 squares. 

Tomato, Corn + Zucchini Frittata

I love, love, LOVE a good frittata. I started making them when we lived in Illinois and they quickly became a favorite weekend breakfast. But what's better than having frittata for breakfast? Making it for dinner and eating the leftovers for breakfast the next day. Frittatas are also one of those dishes that you can scrounge up what you have in your kitchen to make your masterpiece. 

I like to load my frittatas with vegetables and every so often, bacon or ham may make an appearance. This Tomato and Zucchini Frittata from SkinnyTaste served as my inspiration. I opted for 8 whole eggs instead of 4 eggs plus 4 egg whites and swapped out the asiago for cheese I already had on hand. Corn seemed like a good addition so I threw some of that in, too. A splash of half and half made my frittata extra creamy.

Tomato, Corn + Zucchini Frittata

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 cup frozen sweet corn
8 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt  pepper to taste
1 medium vine ripe tomato, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium (about 10") skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and corn and saute for another 3 minutes. 

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, half and half, and cheeses. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour eggs into the skillet over the vegetables and gently move the eggs around, making sure the vegetables are even at the bottom. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the eggs start to set on the sides of the pan. Place tomato slices evenly atop the eggs.

Place skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until frittata is cooked and the center is set.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola

I have been experimenting with new Paleo recipes to add to the rotation and I am so excited about this one. Paleo granola has been on my radar for awhile now and I finally carved out some time for this treat. This recipe from Against All Grain (one of my favorite Paleo resources) served as my inspiration. I made some changes based on what I wanted to use and I'm very happy with the results. The nuts and syrup will definitely be serving as my granola recipe base as I experiment with different flavors and add ins. 

This granola skips on the oats and is made up entirely of nuts- making it Paleo, gluten free and super filling! Maple syrup naturally sweetens it and throwing in some dried cranberries at the end gives it extra flavor and color. This recipe makes quite a bit, which makes it perfect to have on hand for a few weeks of breakfasts and snacks. I like it with plain green yogurt but it would even be good eaten as cereal with milk. If you want to get crazy, sprinkle some on top of pumpkin or vanilla ice cream. 


Paleo Pumpkin Granola
recipe adapted from Against All Grain

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup Grade A Dark Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Place nuts in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak for about 8 hours, or overnight, rinsing and changing the water halfway through. 

Drain nuts, rinse and pour onto paper towels to soak up moisture. Once they have been patted dry, place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles oats. (If you do not have a food processor, coarsely chopping the nuts on a cutting board will work. Because the nuts have been soaked, they are soft and easy to shop. I would probably not recommend using a blender).  

Add in syrup, coconut oil, pumpkin and salt. Pulse until just combined. Fold in shredded coconut with a spoon. 

Lay granola out on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. 

Bake for 6 hours on 170 degrees, or until granola is brown and crunchy. Store in an airtight container.