Taste it Tuesday: Perfect Back-to-School Pumpkin Breakfast

Fall is my all time favorite time of year! I get to celebrate lots of family birthdays (including my own), the weather is a perfect mixture of crisp breezes and warm afternoons, the kids go back to school, and its Pumpkin Picking Season!!

There's nothing better then slipping on a warm sweater, some comfy boots, and scouting out the perfect pumpkins to decorate or make delicious Fall recipes.

With school starting tomorrow in my Granolaville, I wanted to find a healthy breakfast that would lure my sleepy kids out of bed and get them energized for the day. Check out these yummy pumpkin ideas!

 Pumpkin Spice Waffles 

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat, sprouted, or gluten-free flour
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 table spoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, 1 banana, or 1/2 applesauce
• 1/4 cup unrefined/raw sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
• 1 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine dry ingredients, then dry in a separate bowl. Slowly mix the two together (be sure not to overmix). Pour onto waffle iron, cook until golden.

Pumpkin-Apple-Carrot Muffins

Pumpkin-Apple-Carrot Muffins

 

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, sprouted, or gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup unrefined/raw sugar
• 1/2 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and soda, and spices. 

In a separate bowl add eggs, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, and salt. Mix well. Pour into greased muffin tins and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Drizzle with raw honey (optional).

Pumpkin Honey Pancakes

 

Pumpkin Honey Pancakes

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup cake flour
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• Maple syrup or honey 

Whisk together pumpkin, yogurt, baking soda, egg yolk, and flour. Whisk egg whites with salt; fold into pumpkin mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon in 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. Flip when tops are covered with bubbles and edges are slightly brown (about 3 minutes per side). Drizzle with syrup or honey.

 

Let me know if your kids enjoy these! What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Welcoming Fall in Granolaville, 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Mom Monday: 5 Super Top Secret Tips to Getting the Hell Away From Your Kids....I Mean, Alone Time

Hey Granolaville peeps! It's Labor Day so THAT means this crunchy mama is taking a day off from serving you lovelies with the latest in holistic living and natural news, and spending one last day poolside (hopefully with a delicious smoothie in hand!)

But don't fret...I wouldn't just leave you hanging! After all I know how hard you work, how you can feel under-appreciated, and how much you loathe laundry. Oh wait am I projecting?

I'm sure most of you are dusting off book bags, getting your kids back in the swing of a school night routine, and practicing your jig for when you send them off on that magical yellow bus. (It's OK to admit)

Annnyyywayss....if you haven't been able to find time for yourself this summer, you're in luck! I've got 5 no-fail ways to get you five minutes, or more, of uninterrupted kid-free time before you give them the boot back to school.

Enjoy!

Getting some FREEDOM in Granolaville, 

Fresh Idea Friday: Give Your School Lunch an Eco-Friendly Makeover!

School is back in session!!! For this mother of 3 a little “woohoo!” is in order.  To get my head back in the game of getting everyone ready and out the door in time each day, I have to start thinking about school lunches again. 

Did you know that the average kid will produce about 67lbs of trash each school year from their lunch?  That’s more than my 8 year old weighs!  Not only that, but some of that trash will still be sitting in a landfill when their children go to school.  As a mom I want to make sure I do my small part to keep this planet beautiful for my children and my grandchildren.  As one of my small steps I've given my kid’s school lunches an eco-friendly makeover.

Lets start with the basics.   

You need something to hold the lunch.  Do away with the brown paper or plastic grocery bag.  An insulated lunch box is the way to go.  Two things to keep in mind are size and function.  Some of these character lunchboxes come in weird shapes or are way too small, making packing lunch a pain.  Also look for extras like a pouch for an icepack or cup holder.  

Next we need a drink right?  My personal favorite is a Thermos---which are BPA free and come in a variety of designs and fun characters. They really do keep the drink cold for quite a long time, but there are plenty of choices though when it comes to a reusable drink containers. Another option would be the lightweight Vapor anti-bottle that Vanessa reviewed earlier this summer. 

 The last basic piece you need is the container to actually hold the food.  When shopping for containers make sure they’re easy to open and close for your child.  Make sure they’ll be easy to wash (aka 'dishwasher safe', if you hate doing dishes like me).  If plastic, make sure they are BPA free.  Measure your child’s lunchbox before shopping for containers to be sure that they’ll fit in there.  A few of my personal favorites are Easy Lunchboxes, Sistema and Wean Green, be sure to check out all your options in stores and online.

                                                                                                          

Now come the extras.  These are the bonuses that make the lunches just that much more “green”.

Cloth/Reusable snack bags- They are usually cloth on the outside and some kind of water-resistant/wipe-able material on the inside.  They replace the plastic sandwich bag. 

Soup/Hot foods container- Again Thermos is my favorite.  Any kind of container that you can pack some hot/warm food in can be a nice treat on a cold day for your kiddo.

Fork/spoon- Something a little more reusable and durable than what you’d use at a picnic. Many Thermos' come with one build right into the top!

Cloth napkins- Baby washcloths can also double as great reusable napkins.

What are some of your favorite eco-friendly lunch products?

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for ideas on kid-approved tasty and healthy lunch alternatives.

 Greening it up in Granolaville,

~ Jennifer

Jennifer Knapp is the mom to 2 smart grade-schoolers and an energetic preschooler.  She loves spending time with her 3 kiddos, hard working husband and 2 crazy dogs.  She is also the owner/knitter of Knapp Sacks and the doula behind Swaddled in Love Doula Services.