Recipes Archives — Bless this Mess

September 22, 2017

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

Perfect light and fluffy whole wheat pumpkin waffles for a healthy breakfast all fall long.

I cook my kids a hot breakfast most mornings and save the cold cereal for Saturday mornings when mama wants to sleep in a minute. This whole wheat pumpkin recipe is one of the very oldest recipes on the blog (I published it for the first time in 2010!) and today it’s getting a much-needed makeover and republish to the top of the blog. I wanted to bring it out of the archives because it’s still one of my very favorite recipes and I make it all the time (not just in the fall either).

Whole wheat pumpkin waffles are the perfect start to any busy day. They only take about 10 minutes to mix together, a few minutes to cook, and then you are on your way with something filling and warm. This makes a large batch of waffles which is great if you want to eat them a second time that week or freeze half for later. The pumpkin makes the waffles a lovely color – plus the addition of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice makes you feel like you are eating dessert for breakfast; never a bad thing in my book.

Thanks to whole grains and pumpkin, these waffles are full of fiber which helps keep tummies full until lunch. You all know how much I love vegetables and when you can get your kids to eat a vegetable at breakfast, I feel like you are winning at life. A few of my kids will enjoy a green smoothie with me, but for everyone else, pumpkin waffles are the way to go. You’ll love how soft and fluffy these waffles are too (thanks to lots of eggs!). No whole wheat hockey pucks here.

This recipe is part of Pumpkin Week that I’m doing with my friend Emily from One Lovely Life. We are sharing our favorite pumpkin recipes all week long. You can check out her here pumpkin blender oatmeal pancakes here, don’t they look so good?

Tips and Tricks for Making Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

I like to use a whole wheat flour that is labeled “white whole wheat”. That simply means it’s whole wheat flour that has been milled from white wheat berries (opposed to red wheat berries). It tends to be a little lighter and tastes a little less wheaty than whole wheat flour ground from the red wheat berries. Once you start looking at the packages of wheat flour, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
I have a pretty basic Belgian waffle maker that we use and love, but I also have this waffle maker that makes elephant, giraffe, and bunny waffles! It’s $15, works great, and my kids LOVE IT! If you are in the market… get the animal one. 🙂
If you want to turn pumpkin waffles into pumpkin pancakes, simply add enough milk to make a thinner pancake batter. You know it’s thin enough when it spreads nicely on a hot cast iron skillet.
This recipe makes a pretty big batch of waffles (10 Belgian waffles) so plan on using half the recipe for later in the week (cook once, eat twice!), store half in the freezer for a later date, or just cut the recipe in half to make 5 waffles instead.
You can use a can of pumpkin puree or about 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree. Both are great options.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

Perfect light and fluffy whole wheat pumpkin pancakes for a healthy breakfast all fall long.

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 10 large waffles

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 small can pumpkin (15 ounces)
1/4 cup melted butter
4 eggs
2 cups milk

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
Use a whisk to combine them all and then make a large well in the center.
Add all of the wet ingredients to the well and then start whisking the two together. Whisk from the middle of the bowl out, slowly making your way out to the dry ingredients. You are slowly incorporating the dry so that they don’t get clumpy.
When well-combined, cook according to your waffle iron directions.
Serve with lots of butter and real maple syrup.

Notes

Freeze the extras for a quick breakfast and reheat in the toaster.

I can’t wait for you to make one of my all-time favorite recipes. This is the kind of recipe that I hope my kids have fond memories of one day and every time they make and eat them, they’ll think of all the mornings in their mama’s kitchen enjoying this recipe. I hope that this recipe can become a staple in your home too. Other hot breakfasts that we love are easy egg bakes, caramel apple oatmeal, and healthy banana waffles.

Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!

This recipe was originally published in December 2010 and has been republished in September 2017. The text, recipe, and pictures have been updated.

September 21, 2017

Rich and Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo

Thick and creamy pumpkin alfredo using canned pumpkin, cream, and garlic makes the perfect sauce for pasta.

Few things are more glorious than sitting down to a bowl of rich and creamy pasta. This meal is going to be making an appearance on your table over and over again for a few reasons. It’s total “comfort food” in the fact that it’s pasta covered in creamy, garlicky goodness. It just plain tastes good, all day every day. You are also going to love the fact that this main dish comes together in about 20 minutes. You can cook the pasta while you stir together the sauce and you’ll be eating before you know it. Pumpkin alfredo is also great because it only has 5 ingredients! Plus, it’s meatless which is easy on the budget. Sign. Me. Up.

I love that this recipe contains pumpkin! Pumpkin is one of those superfood kind of vegetables that I just can’t get enough of. Throw it in some pasta and I’m sold. Pumpkin is rich in potassium. Cup for cup, it actually has more than bananas. It’s also a pretty good source of vitamin C, making it a good immune system booster. Did I mention it’s packed with fiber, and vitamin A?

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe because I know you are going to love it!

This recipe is part of Pumpkin Week that I’m doing with Emily from One Lovely Life. We are sharing a new pumpkin recipe every day this week. Check out her here loaded vegan quesadillas here. Don’t they look awesome?

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September 20, 2017

No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Energy Bites

Quick, healthy no-bake pumpkin oatmeal energy bites that taste like cookies but are good for you! They are going to be your go-to healthy snack all fall long.

Oatmeal bites are one of my all time favorite snacks and we make them all the time. I always have a container of some variation of these on hand for quick snacks, easy additions to lunch boxes, and for on-the-go car snacking. Once you start making these you’ll never stop because they are healthy, easy, quick to put together, and store very well.

The bones of this recipe is oats, pumpkin, a nut butter, and honey – everything else you can add to your liking. I love to throw in chia seeds because they help the oat balls stick together well and have some great fats in them. I also add things like coconut flakes or nuts (pecans are delicious) in place of the chocolate chips sometimes. You can really tailor these to suit your taste. I love that they have pumpkin in them too. Hooray for more veggies in life. The pumpkin makes the color of the oatmeal bites so bright and pretty, too.

You can’t go wrong with healthy fats, whole grains, and good carbs packaged in easy-to-grab little bites of fall time heaven. Make these ASAP!

Tips and Tricks for Making No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Energy Bites:

Chances are, you have everything on hand to make these. Always a win. Don’t have chia seeds on hand? Leave them out or sub them for something else like hemp seed hearts, chopped nuts, or some coconut flakes (and you can go up to a 1/2 cup of those things if you like).
You can use old-fashioned or quick oats or a combo of the two, depending on the texture you are going for. Quick oats will yield a softer energy bite and the old-fashioned oats will make them chewier. I used half and half and was really pleased with how they turned out.
They are no-bake and store super well. They have been great in lunch boxes, for after-school snacks, as a pre-workout snack at 5 am before weight lifting, and at bedtime when I’m ready for the kids to be in bed but they are suddenly starving. I love having little healthy snacks on hand. These are the perfect boxes to keep these in the fridge, just FYI.
If you find your oat balls aren’t sticking together well when rolled, let them chill in the fridge for 20 minutes and try again. If they are too sticky, try adding a few more tablespoons of oats.
Looking for other variations of the oatmeal energy bite? I have a huge post with 8 (yes 8!) different combos right here for you.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseat on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

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September 19, 2017

Healthy Pumpkin Blender Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Blender Muffins are made by placing wholesome ingredients in a blender and processing until smooth. Simply blend, bake, and enjoy!

Have you heard of blender muffins yet? They were new to me until this summer when I started making them and now I love love love them! The idea is that you use the blender to do all of the work and you end up with a one “bowl” muffin that tastes great. The perk of using the blender is that you can turn whole grain oats into oat flour and you don’t have to mash ingredients like apples, carrots, bananas, or anything else that might need chopped up or mashed in a muffin ahead of time. Just toss what you need in the blender, and let it do it’s thing. Plus, a blender is really easy to pour that batter out of!

My kids love blender muffins because if I help them measure, they can pretty much make muffins on their own. There’s no chopping needed and getting the batter from the blender jar to the muffin tin is so simple. I actually have a few blender muffin recipes up my sleeve so be on the lookout for them!

I love this Healthy Pumpkin Blender Muffin recipes because it’s made with whole ingredients like pure maple syrup (and no other sugars), pumpkin, whole grain oats, and other wholesome things I don’t mind my kids eating for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. We added good quality chocolate chips because pumpkin muffins and chocolate chips are meant to go together, but you can always leave them out.

These are the perfect side dish to eat with eggs in the morning, to stick in your lunch boxes, and to serve alongside soup, stew, and chili all winter long. You are going to love them, and your kids will too!

This recipe is part of Pumpkin Week that I’m doing with Emily from One Lovely Life. You can check out her Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins here. Long live all the pumpkin muffins!

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September 18, 2017

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Homemade pumpkin puree is as simple as roasting, scooping, and blending a fresh pumpkin into a simple puree. You are going to love its bright color, smooth texture, and simple preparation.

Homemade pumpkin puree is a glorious light orangy-yellow color. It looks quite a bit lighter than canned store-bought pumpkin, too. I did a little research to see why this was the case and found out that store-bought canned pumpkin contains more than just traditional pumpkins – it contains a variety of winter squash, like butternut, Hubbard, Boston Marrow, and Golden Delicious. These squash varieties can be less stringy and richer in sweetness and color than pumpkin. Neat, huh?

Even though the can says 100% pumpkin, on the ingredient list it can still contain a variety of squashes because they fall under the same genus. The USDA is pretty lenient with its distinction between pumpkin and squash. Here’s their take on the contents of canned purée: “The canned product prepared from clean, sound, properly matured, golden-fleshed, firm-shelled, sweet varieties of either pumpkins and squashes by washing, stemming, cutting, steaming, and reducing to a pulp.”

Now you know!

With fresh pumpkins popping up in our gardens, in stores, and at the farmer’s market, I thought it timely to let you know one simple way to turn that little round fall decor into something deliciously edible. Homemade pumpkin puree is quick and simple to make, stores great, and is a great skill to have up your sleeve.

Today is day one of Pumpkin Week 2017! My good friend Emily from One Lovely Life and I are sharing a full week’s worth of our favorite pumpkin recipes and I can’t wait to get started. You can check out her post for glorious pumpkin chili here! I have everything on hand to make this soon and I can’t wait! Stay tuned for allllllll the pumpkin recipes this week!

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September 17, 2017

Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Yogurt

Slow cooker yogurt is an easy, healthy, and inexpensive way to make homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker.

Yogurt can be expensive and often times it has a long list of artificial colors, flavors, and who knows what else. So here is a super easy recipe to make your own slow cooker yogurt. It is plain yogurt, but you can add honey, jams, fresh fruit, and just about anything else you like. I also use it in place of sour cream in most recipes. This is a great way to to get organic yogurt on the cheap. You can buy a carton of organic milk and turn it into yogurt for about half the price of organic yogurt.

The recipe is so easy that it practically makes itself. You just have to commit a little time to the process! You essentially just use your slow cooker to scald the milk and then the heavy warm crock radiates heat all night long to help culture your new batch of yogurt. The hands-on time is about 5 minutes, though the waiting time is about 15 hours. I like to start this in the afternoon so that it’s ready to sit for its long 8-12 hour warm resting period overnight. We then wake up to fresh yogurt and I’ll serve it with fresh fruit and some homemade granola.

I really recommend straining this yogurt through 3-4 layers of cheese cloth for a few hours too. This helps it to thicken up to a more “Greek yogurt” consistency which my kids prefer (and it’s easier to eat). I explained more of how I do that in the tips and tricks section. Before you know it, you’ll know how to make homemade yogurt with your eyes closed.

Tips and Tricks for making Slow Cooker Yogurt

I’d highly recommend getting a little instant-read thermometer to make homemade yogurt – it’s all about the temperature! I use this $10 thermometer all the time.
The goal is to scald the milk which takes place around 180 degrees. So you could check it with a thermometer the first time to see if the “warm” setting is warm enough or if maybe an hour and 45 minutes would work on low. Once you figure it out, I don’t think you would have to use the thermometer every time.
After the milk is scalded, the waiting time is meant to bring the milk down to around 115-110 degrees so that it’s still warm but won’t kill your yogurt culture!
You don’t have to buy commercial plain yogurt every time. Just save 1/2 cup of your own yogurt for the starter for the next batch.
I like to make homemade fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cups with this yogurt. My kids love them and they are a simple individual snack they can serve themselves.
I really recommend straining this yogurt through 3-4 layers of cheese cloth for a few hours, too. This helps it to thicken up to a more “Greek yogurt” consistency which my kids prefer (and it’s easier to eat). I simply set a large colander in a bowl, line it with cheese cloth, and then pour my yogurt in from the slow cooker. I cover it with a clean dish towel and let it sit for a few hours until it’s the consistency that I like. Do note that the yogurt will also thicken some when refrigerated. Play around with it until you figure out how thick or how thin you prefer your yogurt and make notes. That’s the perk of cooking from scratch – you get a product that is truly customized to your preferences.