Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

This photo was taken from Two Peas and Their Pod website.

Last night, I made "fluffy" scrambled eggs and pumpkin cinnamon streusel pancakes.  We usually do breakfast for dinner two times a month.  It's simple and it's almost impossible to mess up.  I normally make pecan banana pancakes (Darren's favorite), but with Fall's arrival, I wanted to add a little Fall into our meal.  After Darren's first bite, he said, "WOW, these are so good, but you can tell they aren't good for you!"  Haha... he's always concerned about that part.  He ate them anyway and I reassured him that I took the proper dietary measures to make these pancakes a little more healthier than the original recipe calls for.  

I got the recipe from the website "Two Peas and Their Pod". Wish I could take credit for creating the recipe. When Darren said they were delicious, I replied, "Don't give me credit... I didn't make the recipe :), I just replicated it!"  

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes:

For the cinnamon streusel:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

To make the pancakes: 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

5. Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup and butter.

Here are the two changes I made to the original recipe: 1. I used SPLENDA brown sugar in place of regular brown sugar. 2. I used whole wheat flour in place of the white flour.  

MY ONLY SUGGESTION... if you're entire family will enjoy these (my kids wouldn't touch them) I not only encourage, but DEMAND, you triple the recipe.  One batch only makes 6 pancakes.  While they are filling, one batch doesn't allow anyone to have "seconds."  

My only "complaint"... this recipe makes a sink full of dishes,
But then again, what homemade dinner doesn't?

Candy Corn "Bark"

I have really been enjoying preparing for Fall's arrival.  The colors, the smells, the decorations (well minus all of those awful skulls and gory Halloween masks), the pumpkin patches, the baking etc.  Speaking of baking, I was back at it again, on Friday.  It started at 5:00 am. I was supposed to stay up late, the night before, and make this snack, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open.  NORMALLY, I get up at 5:00 am to study God's word, but I HAD to make this snack for my Pastor's family (I was bringing them dinner... this was going to be their "dessert") as well as for our small group gathering later that evening.  

The ingredients can honestly be, pretty much, anything your little heart desires, but here are a FEW MUSTS...

1. Pretzels
2. Vanilla Candy Bark
3. Peanuts
4. Candy Corn
5. Halloween Sprinkles

I added "candy corn" m&m's.  These are white chocolate filled m&m's.  The colors are  in the yellow, white, and orange.  

I think adding reese's pieces or regular m&m's would have been a tasty replacement as well.  

 First, layer a baking dish with parchment or wax paper.  

Next, crumble the pretzels.  Spread equal amounts of peanuts and pretzels onto your wax paper.  The pretzel/peanut mixture produces the "salty" taste.

Melt the white chocolate candy bark.  I did this in a microwave.  Be sure NOT to burn the chocolate. 

 Pour the white chocolate on top of the peanut/pretzel mixture.  Spread out evenly.

 Add candy corns and m&m's or anything else you prefer.

Sprinkle your holiday sprinkles on top.  Let the bark sit for an hour or two.  OR you can place the bark in the refrigerator, like I did, to get it to solidify even quicker.  Once the chocolate has "set", break the hardened bark into pieces, making it a "finger food dessert".  

I added a few plastic spiders for a fun Halloween effect.   I thought this was going to be way too sweet because the candy corns and the m&m's alone were so sweet, but it was a really smooth, delicious taste.  Try it out!!!

Meatball Sub Casserole - Pin #8 - COMPLETE

I couldn't resist completing another recipe pin since it benefits not only myself, but my family as well.  I almost drooled when I came across this meatball sub casserole pin.  The original website that this pin leads you to is called "The Country Cook.Net".  The original ingredients for this casserole were as follows:

Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divide

1-lb. pkg. fully cooked frozen meatballs, thawed

1 (28 oz.) jar pasta sauce

1 cup water

I switched a few things around making them fresh and not jarred.  In addition, I was able to make it a tad healthier by switching the white bread to whole wheat bread.  

First, I made some homemade marinara sauce as well as my famous, 3-meat Italian meatballs.  I just can't bring myself to use frozen meatballs since my meatballs are so yummy and take little to no time to make (ditto with my sauce).  

Directions:

Next up, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange bread slices in a single layer 9x13 baking dish (ungreased).  Just fill in any gaps with smaller pieces of bread.  Notice here I used whole grain Italian bread.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Italian seasonings. Spread the mixture over the bread slices.  Shhhh.... don't tell Darren this dish contained mayo.  He doesn't like mayo.

 Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Layer the meatballs on top of the cream cheese mixture.

If you've made your own sauce, just layer the sauce on top of the meatballs.  If you've used jarred sauce, you will have to combine that with the water that the original recipes calls for. Refer to link, in the first part of this post, for those directions.

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked and cheese is bubbling.  If you use frozen meatballs, your cook time will be different (approximately 30-35 minutes) because the meatballs are precooked.

After Darren was through eating this, he said, "This is by far, the absolute BEST meal you have ever cooked!"  The kids on the other hand, "HAAAATED IT!" (read that part in the Saturday night live "Hated It" tone).   Day 8, challenge #8, BADA BING... a success.

This is a definite keeper.  Next time though, I may try using ricotta cheese instead of the cream cheese/mayo combo.  I made this for our family in hopes it would turn out delicious and since it was, I made one for my friend Jody and her husband, on Tuesday, who is recovering from knee surgery. 

Give it a try!  Or have a baby, knee surgery, or something else that may require me to make it for you :)

Crash Hot Potatoes Pin #3 - Complete

Pinterest is such a wonderful place to find recipes.  I love recipes that include a great, visual picture.  I've made a number of recipes from pinterest, but I waited to make this pinterest recipe for pinterest challenge #3.

This recipe was simple, quick, and beyond delicious.  The simplest of directions are as follows: boil, smash, season, and bake.  

Ingredients: Red Bliss Potatoes, Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, and Pepper 

Heavily coat a baking dish with olive oil.
I "painted" the olive oil, on the baking dish, with a pastry brush.   

BOIL potatoes until you can push a fork through the potato.

Remove potatoes from water.  SMASH with a potato smasher.

Season.  The original recipe call for you to drizzle the top of the potato
With olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
I deviated a little.  
I used a slice of butter, kosher salt, fresh pepper and scallions.

I loved how the scallions added color.

BAKE.  Place potatoes on the top rack, in a very hot, preheated oven.
Preferably 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

I honestly could have eaten the entire tray of potatoes.
It's a good thing the Lord continues to enhance my level of self-control.

I accompanied these potatoes with my bacon cheeseburger meatloaf and freshly steamed broccoli.  

Bathtub Art

YES, I have officially lost my mind! You'll see from the pictures below. I.... actually prepared 3 paper plates, FILLED with paint, for each child and allowed them to paint my bathtub with PAINT BRUSHES. Tyson stayed home from school today due to a fever and I used this activity to help pass the time at home and to create some "school art work" fun. Here's how it works...

Find a LARGE and CLEAN bathtub.

Provide your child with paint and paint brushes.

Allow your children to paint, paint, paint!!!!!

Of course provided rules and regulations.

Give each child their own designated area to paint on.

Take LOADS of pictures!!!!

I almost let them go naked, but the I figured I wouldn't have been able to post these pictures due to Tyson's age. He was already inquiring as to whether or NOT I was showing these pictures to someone. 

Boy, Jax is great at writing his name!!!

Be sure to have, on stock, some Mr. Clean bathroom cleaner.

And walaaaa!!!!! Clean as a whistle.

DISCLOSURE: BE SURE THE PAINT IS WASHABLE PAINT!!!! I am NOT responsible for damage to your bathroom if you try this :)