Clean Eating Cherry Almond Dutch Baby Pancakes (and how to pit fresh cherries without a cherry pitter)

Makes 6 servings, 1 slice each
This is another variation of the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It was delicious with peaches, we loved it with pineapple and coconut, and this morning we had cherries so I thought I'd give it a try. 


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. The boys voted this one as their favorite version and I have to agree :) But I REALLY love fresh cherries so I might be a little biased.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp pure Maple syrup
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup sliced cherries
• 2 Tbsp slivered almonds (although the boys and I had it with pecans because we didn't have any slivered almonds LOL)

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Maple syrup, almond extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the sliced cherries. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the almonds. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes.

Not only do I get to eat a delicious pancake... staring at it through the oven door
keeps Theron entertained for 20 minutes and I get to see this excited little face :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

QUICK TIP: I don't have a cherry pitter. We all love cherries and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I can just hand my kids a bowl of cherries and send them outside to happily eat them and spit out the pits. Until that day comes, this is how I get around the pits:

Wash the cherry, pull off the stem, and stand it up on the cutting board.

Slice of the fruit on either side of the pit

Finally cut off the little bits of fruit left around the pit.
Discard the pit and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 162 Calories (71 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 94mg Cholesterol, 141mg Sodium, 18g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 6g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Banana Pecan Waffles

Makes 12-15 waffles
We LOVE waffles in our house. And I especially love them when all I need to do is pull them out of the freezer and pop them into the toaster. I'll make a big batch every few weeks and we'll eat them fresh for breakfast and then freeze the leftovers. Then every couple of days I can give my boys a nice hot breakfast without actually having to cook :) These are especially great for when we are rushing to get somewhere in the morning because they can be eaten mess-free in the car. Always a plus in my book!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp wheat germ/ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk
• 3/4 tsp almond extract 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

ONE: Preheat the waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, wheat germ/ground flax seeds, and pecans.

TWO: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, almond extract, oil, and mashed bananas until well blended.

THREE: Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just blended.

FOUR: For each waffle, lightly mist the waffle iron with cooking spray and pour 1/4 cup of batter onto each grid, spreading it out to mostly cover the grids. Close the iron and cook about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. (You may need to do more or less batter depending on your brand of waffle iron. You want to use just enough that the grids are covered with a thin layer. If you do too much, it will spill over and stick to the sides and pull the waffle apart into a big mess when you open it. Not that I speak from experience or anything....)

Freeze leftovers using the tray freeze method to feed your freezer stash. We reheat ours in the toaster oven but you could also use a toaster, microwave, or regular oven.

NUTRITION INFO: 

Per waffle - 120 Calories (45 Calories from Fat), 5g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 99mg Sodium, 16g Total Carbohydrates, 1.5g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 3.4g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron
:)

Clean Eating Whole Grain Cornbread Waffles

Makes 8 servings, 1 waffle each
Cornbread is one of my absolute favorite foods so I love, love, LOVE these waffles. This recipe is actually adapted from a recipe from the Publix Family Style Magazine. I have actually never made these for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, we all happily eat the leftovers for breakfast, but I always cook them with the intention of eating them for dinner. I had never thought of a "dinner waffle" until the Family Style article but it is an awesome idea, especially if you're feeding toddlers. My boys are so excited to be eating waffles for dinner that they would eat almost anything on top of them. Tonight I topped them with the taco filling from the Best Ever Veggie Tacos but usually I top them with Saucy Chicken. Or you could just be normal and make them for breakfast :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
• 1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp honey/sucanat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 egg whites

ONE: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, honey/sucanat, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine the milk, olive oil, and egg. Whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

TWO: Preheat a waffle iron and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour a generous 1/4 cup of batter onto each waffle grid and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned (or according to your waffle makers instructions).

Freeze leftover waffles using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per waffle - 175 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 216mg Sodium, 24g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Breakfast Cookies

Makes 12 cookies
Yes! You can have a cookie (maybe even two) for breakfast! This recipe is amazing. The cookies bake up so light and chewy and are surprisingly sweet considering there only made with a little honey. Next time I bake them, I want to try replacing the banana with pumpkin or using dates in place of the raisins.

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

ONE: Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir the mashed banana together with the peanut butter, honey and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, milk powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries or raisins.

TWO: Using a scant 1/4 cup measure (an ice-cream scoop works well for this!), drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula (or just use the back of the ice cream scooper) dipped in water, flatten and spread each mound of dough into a 2 3/4 round, about 1/2 an inch thick.

THREE: Bake, one sheet at a time, for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Posted by Barb!! :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per cookie - 184 Calories (53 Calories from Fat), 6g Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 52 mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugars, 6g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 4% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron
:)

Clean Eating Sausage Egg Casserole (OAMC)

Makes 12 servings
Wouldn't you love to wake up and find that someone else has cooked you a delicious and healthy breakfast? That's how I feel when I pull this egg casserole out of the freezer. It's the perfect blend of savory sausage, eggs, and cheesy goodness. Plus it has some kale snuck in so you can start your day right with a power packed veggie :) I make this using homemade breakfast sausage based on THIS recipe from one of my favorite sites but you can use 3/4 lbs of whatever breakfast sausage you prefer.

How I "healthified" it:

• The original recipe called for 10 whole eggs. I used 2 whole eggs and 10 egg whites.
• The original recipe used 16 oz of cottage cheese and whole pound of shredded cheddar. I reduced both of them by half and added a little bit of Parmesan for some extra cheese flavor.
• The original recipe used butter and white flour. I substituted olive oil and whole wheat flour and added and extra 1/4 tsp of sea salt.
• The original recipe used regular breakfast sausage. I made a homemade version of breakfast sausage using lean ground turkey.
• Finally I added some finely diced kale to boost the nutritional profile. Plus, I like it when my kids eat a green vegetable in the morning because then I don't have to think about it at dinner LOL.
• The results - A decrease in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and an increase in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Ingredients:
Breakfast Sausage-

• 3/4 lb ground turkey or chicken
• 1/2 C diced organic dried apples (or 3/4 cup shredded fresh apples)
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Allspice
• 2 Tbsp dried Sage (1 Tbsp if ground)

Casserole-

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 green onions, chopped
• ½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 16 oz carton of egg whites (or 10 egg whites)
• 8 oz low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 cups (½ lb) shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 4oz can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 1/2 cups very finely chopped kale/spinach
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil

ONE: In a large bowl, using your hands, mix sausage ingredients well. Place into a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. Add olive oil to skillet; cook and stir the green onions and mushrooms until tender.

Browning the homemade sausage

TWO: In a large bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, Parmesan, kale, and chiles. Stir in sausage, green onions, and mushrooms. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (you can cook it right away but refrigerating it overnight lets the flavors blend a bit more).

THREE: Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the olive oil. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake 40 to 50 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Flour mixture before it was blended

Cut into individual servings and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. To reheat, microwave loosely covered for 2 minutes at 50% power. Cut into pieces and microwave an additional minute at full power.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving "healthified" recipe – 301 Calories (152 Calories from Fat), 17g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 77mg Cholesterol, 615mg Sodium, 16.5g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 22g Protein, 32% DV Vitamin A, 27% DV Vitamin C, 36% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron

Per serving original recipe – 393 Calories (252 Calories from Fat), 27g Fat, 12g Saturated Fat, 223mg Cholesterol, 791mg Sodium, 13g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 27g Protein, 17% DV Vitamin A, 9% DV Vitamin C, 61% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron

:)

Why You Should Eat Breakfast and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

I’m sure you’ve heard before that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But why? And what constitutes a good breakfast? Keep reading to find out :)


Eating a healthy breakfast:

1. Jump Starts Your Metabolism. Breakfast is just what it sounds like - breaking the fast of not eating during the night. Your body responds to this fast by slowing down. Your metabolic rate decreases so that you burn fewer calories and conserve energy. By eating breakfast, you get your metabolism going and start burning calories again. The earlier you start burning calories, the more you’ll burn in a day, helping you to maintain a healthy weight.
2. Leads to Better Performance Throughout the Day. Several studies have shown that children who eat breakfast perform better on standardized achievement tests and have fewer behavior problems in school. On the other hand, children who don’t eat breakfast can be cranky, disinterested, and unmotivated. The same goes for adults.
3. Helps Prevent the Mid-Morning Slump. If you skip breakfast, by mid-morning you are likely to feel tired and run-down. This is where some people will reach for a cup of coffee and a candy bar. This might give you a temporary boost but will lead to a crash shortly afterwards, leaving you tired and cranky at lunch time. On the other hand, a healthy breakfast fuels your body to last through to lunch time while staying alert and focused.
4. Helps You Make Better Food Choices Throughout the Day and Ultimately Lose Weight. People sometimes skip breakfast to cut calories but, as mentioned above, this leaves you starving by mid-morning. Oftentimes this will lead to snacking throughout the day and bingeing at lunch and dinner. This will likely lead to a higher caloric intake than a healthy breakfast and sensible eating throughout the day would have yielded. According to the National Weight Control Registry, eating breakfast is a daily habit for “successful losers” (individuals who have maintained a 30-pound or more weight loss for at least a year).

Healthy Breakfast Choices:

You don’t necessarily need a lot of time in the morning to create a healthy start to your day. Focus on meals that combine complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. You want to aim for foods that will fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied longer. High fiber foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can accomplish this without adding a lot of extra fat.

5 Super Fast Breakfasts:

1. 1 cup whole grain low sugar cereal (kashi, multigrain cheerios), 1 cup skim milk, piece of fruit
2. 1 cup oatmeal with 2 Tbsp honey and sliced banana, 1 cup of milk
3. 2 slices whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp peanut butter, piece of fruit
4. 1 whole grain muffin with 1 cup low fat milk and ½ cup berries
5. 1 cup low fat plain yogurt with ½ cup all natural granola and 2 cups strawberries

Some other ideas -

• 1 Slice whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp peanut butter; serve with a protein shake [1c milk, ½ c berries, 1 Tbsp protein powder, 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds]
• 3 egg whites scrambled with
• 1 oz shredded cheese & ½ cup broccoli, 2 slices whole wheat toast, ½ cup OJ
• Diced turkey, ¼ cup onions, 1 oz shredded cheese, whole wheat toast, piece of fruit
• 1 whole egg, ½ cup chopped mushrooms, 5 snow peas quartered, ¼ chopped red bell pepper, and 1 ½ tsp soy sauce; serve with ½ cup berries and 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 egg white omelet with 1 slice whole wheat toast & ½ cup OJ
• 1 oz ricotta, ¼ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup onions
• Onions, mushrooms, and peppers
• ¾ cup oatmeal with 1 cup milk &
• 1 tsp brown sugar & banana
• 1 small chopped mango
• 1 cup applesauce, 1 tsp brown sugar and cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter on whole wheat English muffin, 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup chopped pineapple
• ½ whole wheat bagel with
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup milk, 1 cup fresh fruit
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese, 2 slices tomato, ¼ cup yogurt
• 2 oz cheese, 4 slices tomato, ½ cup OJ
• Whole grain muffin with
• 1 cup strawberries & ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter & small apple
• 3 egg whites over hard on whole wheat English muffin with
• 1 slice ham & 2 slices cheese
• 2 meatless breakfast patties & slice cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese & 1 slice whole wheat toast with ½ cup blueberries
• 2 whole wheat waffles with 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup & 2 cup strawberries
• 2 egg whites scrambled with 1 slice whole wheat toast, ½ cup OJ with
• 2 meatless breakfast patties
• 2 slices turkey bacon
• 4 egg whites scrambled with
• ½ cup new potatoes, ½ cup salsa, & 1 ½ oz shredded cheese; piece of fruit
• ¼ cup salsa, ¼ cup guacamole, ¼ cup corn in whole wheat tortilla
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup cereal, 1 cup berries, 1 cup milk
• 2 whole grain pancakes with 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup and 1 cup raspberries
• ¾ cup yogurt with ½ cup raspberries & 1/3 cup cereal
• 2 pieces whole wheat French toast [made with 1 Tbsp milk & egg white], 1 c blueberries, 1 c milk

:)

Clean Eating Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes

Makes 6 servings
This recipe is modified from the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. The original recipe was so good I wanted to make it again the next day but was out of peaches. We love pineapple and coconut in our house and that was how this version was born.


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. They are traditionally made with white flour and a TON of butter but Clean Eating Magazine of course found a way to make it JUST as delectable while still being good for you :) My very good friend, Martha, was the one who first introduced me to Dutch Babies (made the ton of butter way!) and she’s a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to this dish. As soon as I tried the Clean Eating version, I immediately sent it to her and she was blown away as well. She gives them her seal of approval :)

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp Agave nectar or honey
• ½ tsp coconut extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained and 2 Tbsp juice reserved
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Agave, coconut extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the crushed pineapple. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: Meanwhile, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat (the first time I made these I tried toasting the coconut in my toaster oven, forgot about it, and it caught fire… like billowing smoke fire. Oops.)

SIX: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the toasted coconut and drizzle with the reserved 2 Tbsp pineapple juice. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes. I call it scrumptious :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 179 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 107mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 5g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Grape Zucchini Bread

Makes 16 servings
I know what you’re thinking… do grapes and zucchinis really go together? I’m here to tell you they do and the result is lovely. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know I have a big crush on quick breads. Part of the reason is that my breadmaker has a quick bread setting so I just dump everything into the pan, push a button, and an hour and a half later it magically becomes bread. But even if you don’t have a bread maker, quick breads are easy to throw together. I also like them because you can put all kinds of different things in them but they’re usually slightly sweet which makes my boys think they’re getting a special treat when really they’re getting a good dose of whole grains. Plus they freeze really well. What more could you ask for?!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• ¼ cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won’t be “clean”)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)

BREADMAKER: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

OVEN:
ONE: In a bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sunflower seeds.Beat together egg, oil, honey, sucanat, and almond extract.

TWO: Add zucchini and grapes to egg mixture; gently stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.

THREE: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan to a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 147 Calories (51 Calories from Fat), 5.7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 12mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 22.7g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 2g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Pancakes (OAMC)

Makes 10 servings, 2 pancakes each
I based this recipe on my friend Martha’s mom, Danette’s, Honey Oatmeal Pancakes. Pretty much everything Danette makes ends up delicious but these are seriously awesome. The only thing that could make them better would be if Danette came to my house and cooked them for me. But no, she wants to spend all of her free time seeing her own daughter and grandkids. The nerve ;-) Thankfully, these freeze ridiculously well so I can pull them out any old time and have delicious homemade pancakes without having to even look at the griddle. (But Danette, if you decided to come visit and wanted to make me some pancakes I certainly wouldn't stop you!)

My boys chow them down without syrup or anything. I quadruple the recipe and make 4 batches at once. I’m not going to lie, it takes a while. But most of the time is just waiting around for them to cook instead of doing anything hands on. I’ll make the first batch and we’ll eat them as we go and then, for the rest of them, I’ll set a timer and do other stuff while they’re cooking.


In the end we have 80-90 totally awesome pancakes which means lots of super fast, easy, and healthy breakfasts that the boys will feed themselves relatively quickly (why do toddlers eat so slowly?!?!?!). This is my go-to breakfast to give them when we need to get out of the house quickly in the morning and I’m rushing around getting all of our stuff ready. For the boys I pop them into the microwave or toaster oven quickly but Matt literally eats them frozen in the car on the way to work. He says it’s like a big, cold cookie. Better than stopping for donuts, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup honey/sucanat/agave
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil)
• 1 egg (could do 2 egg whites)
• Chocolate Chips (I guess technically chocolate chips aren't Clean since they tend to have white sugar in them. You could use carob chips or blueberries or bananas or something instead. I'm okay with the little bit of sugar from the chocolate since the rest of the pancake is so healthy and my boys think it's a really special treat. But I'm kind of obsessed with chocolate so I'm a little biased)

ONE: Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips in large bowl. Mix well.

TWO: Pour batter by the 1/4 cupful onto hot griddle (I have an electric griddle and I set it to 350. Regardless of what type of griddle/pan you use, a good rule of thumb is that it's preheated when you flick a drop of water onto the surface and it imediately sizzles and dances around).

THREE: Drop 6 or 8 chocolate chips on each pancake in a circle with one in the middle. (I do it this way instead of mixing them into the batter because then I can space them out so each bite has just enough chocolate to seem indulgent. Plus everyone’s pancake has the same number of chocolate chips and no one fights for a particularly chocolatey one… Matt.)

FOUR: When the top is bubbly and almost set, flip and cook another minute or so until both sides are golden brown. (I could NOT make pancakes until after I had kids because I was never patient enough to wait for the bottom to be set before trying to flip them. Same thing with omelets. Apparently having two kids has made me more patient. Go figure.)

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (2 pancakes) -  267 Calories (109 Calories from Fat) 12g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 23mg Cholesterol, 210mg Sodium, 34g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugar, 6g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 14% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Cantaloupe Bread

Makes 16 servings
OOOOOooooohhhhhh Buddy!! This is good. Like REALLY good... as in we ate the entire loaf in one day, LOL. It's an interesting flavor. It's not overwhelmingly cantaloupe-y (that's a word, right?) and it almost tastes like pumpkin bread but with a lighter type of sweetness. Does that make sense? If not, go back to we ate the entire loaf in one day. I'm making another one tomorrow :)

This is all that was left 15 minutes after it came out of the Breadmaker hehehe

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups pureed cantaloupe
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)

ONE: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Isn't it amazing that you push a button and this becomes perfect bread?!

NON-BREADMAKER INSTRUCTIONS:
ONE: Buy a cheap breadmaker on Craigslist, LOL. Just kidding. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

TWO: In a large bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and pureed cantaloupe. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

THREE: Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 146 Calories (48 from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 26mg Cholesterol, 203mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 3g Protein, 20% Vitamin A, 16% Vitamin C, 4% Calcium, 7% Iron

Green Eggs and Ham (without the ham) (OAMC Eggs)

In my house, my boys call these Dinosaur Eggs and I make them 2 or 3 times a week (we alternate having Overnight Oatmeal and Green Eggs and toast every other day). I love them because they are happily eating a whole serving of spinach and they love them because... well... they're fluorescent green. I make them for myself too because, if I just put the spinach inside the omelet, it sometimes slips all over the place and is hard to eat. Plus every now and again I'd get a bite that was almost all spinach and I'm not a fan of cooked spinach. With it pureed right into the mix, I barely taste the spinach :) Since I'm also not a big fan of corned beef, this is our favorite healthy St. Patrick's Day meal. A great alternative to corned beef and cabbage if you ask me. 

Did I mention they were fluorescent green?

Before I had children I absolutely could NOT make pancakes or omelets. I was never patient enough to let the bottom cook to the point where it was firm enough for me to flip it. I always rushed it and made a big mess. Now I have no problem. Funny how that works :)

Open wide!

Ingredients:

• Two eggs (or 4 egg whites)
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 Tbsp 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

ONE: Place the eggs and spinach together in a mini food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

I got this Sunbeam Kitchen Assistant for $2 at WalMart :)

TWO: Spray a small non-stick pan with cooking spray and pour the egg mixture in. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the top is almost set, about 3 to 5 minutes.

THREE: Sprinkle the cheese on top of one half and, using a heat proof rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg in half. Cook an additional 2 minutes per side until the egg in the center is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Sometimes I will make one for the boys to share and then, since the pan and everything are already dirty, I'll make a few more quickly while they're eating. You can freeze them using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (using whole eggs) - 189 Calories (113 Calories from Fat), 13g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 431mg Cholesterol, 265mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 17g Protein, 68% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 21% DV Calcium, 15% DV Iron

Per serving (using egg whites) - 110 Calories (26 Calories from Fat), 3g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 344mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 19g Protein, 58% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 17% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Crockpot Overnight Oatmeal

Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each
This will seem kind of silly written out as a recipe because it’s so simple but this oatmeal has changed my life. I felt like I was running around all day and never having enough time for anything. My Mom suggested I take a day to write down what I was doing every 10 minutes to see where I was really spending (and possibly wasting) most of my time.

I found out that it took me 55 minutes to microwave oatmeal for the boys and I for breakfast! It only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make each bowl but, with the 700 interruptions from the baby and toddler, it actually took that long from when I took the bowls out of the cupboard to when we were actually sitting at the table eating. With overnight oatmeal we all wake up to a delicious smell and it’s like someone’s gotten up early and made me breakfast.

Now it only takes me 4 minutes from cupboard to eating. Very cool. Especially if you consider the fact that we have oatmeal for breakfast at least 4 times a week year round. That's 173 1/3 hours or 7 days of work that I'm saving myself!

Made with Chocolate Soy Milk
(otherwise known as the morning I won Mom of the Year)

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats (or other whole grains like brown rice, millet, or quinoa)
• 1 cup almond milk (or whatever kind of milk you like)
• 3 ¼ cups water
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)

ONE: Place a small baking dish into the center of your crockpot (I use a 1 ½ quart round corningware). This decreases the cooking area and stops the oatmeal from drying out. (If you have a 2 qt crockpot... like the one I got for Valentine's day specifically for making oatmeal hehehe... you can omit this step).

TWO: Dump the oats into the baking dish and add the almond milk and water (you can use any type of milk you like or replace the milk with an extra cup of water but the milk certainly makes it creamier).

THREE: Pour about a cup of water into the larger crock outside of the baking dish to make a water bath (this also helps to prevent the oatmeal from drying out). Cover the crock and cook on low overnight, about 8 hours.

Porridge with Dried Peaches added the night before
(taken BEFORE it was stirred... kinda gross looking, right?)

After it was stirred...yum :)
(and much more appetizing looking)

This makes a very thick oatmeal (or porridge as we call it in our house). I’m talking your-spoon-can-stand-up-in-it thick and it gets even thicker as it cools. The oatmeal will stick to the spoon, which is excellent if it’s being eaten by a toddler who insists on feeding themself. However, If you like your oatmeal more liquidy, I recommend stirring some extra milk or water into it while it’s still hot in the baking dish.

Look, Mom, no mess!!

And I’m not going to lie, it looks kind of gross in the morning because the very top dries out and makes a little bit of a crust. Once you stir it all together, though, all you’ll see is warm, creamy goodness. You can eat it as is or add your own favorite mix-ins. In our house we usually mix in 2 frozen banana cubes (from the freezer stash made using the small portions method) but we’ve also done berries, honey, agave nectar, and even peanut butter. You could also add 1 cup of dried fruit, such as raisins, to the raw steel cut oats and it will be plump and moist in the morning. Make it your own :)

You could certainly freeze this in 1-cup servings using the medium/large portions method but it is so easy to throw in the night before it would probably take less time to make it fresh than it would take to defrost it.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1-cup Serving - 160 Calories (34 Calories from Fat), 3g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 45mg Sodium, 27g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 0g Sugars, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 9% DV Calcium, 9% DV Iron
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