Pumpkin Oatmeal

Oatmeal.  A lot of people don't like it.  Many people haven't gotten past Quaker Instant Oats with its artificial taste and added preservatives and sugar.

I, on the other hand, LOVE oatmeal.  It took me a while to get to REALLY like it.  When I wanted to lose weight a couple of years ago, I needed something healthy, fast, and filling.  Not satisfied with gross instant oats, I tried Quaker Old-Fashioned and Quaker Quick-Cooking.  Quick-cooking isn't as healthy as old-fashioned, due to some processing, but its texture is so much nicer.  Sweetened with some brown sugar and raisins, it's a real breakfast treat (though I don't recommend eating it with brown sugar every day if you are trying to eat healthy).

Add pumpkin and it's amazing!

In the fall, I like to keep a small container of pumpkin at work.  I add two heaping teaspoons to my oatmeal BEFORE cooking, and pop it in the microwave!  I also like to add a little dollop of peanut butter for an even better treat.

Ingredients:
Quaker Oatmeal
Water
Salt
Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Pumpkin
Brown sugar

Start with some Quaker Old Fashioned or Quick 1-Minute Oats:

Add water or milk per package directions and a dash of salt.  Stir and add a huge heaping tablespoon of pumpkin.

Stir it again and add your spices. 

Cook for one minute.  Stir.  Cook for about another minute.  If it still seems like it could use more time, cook at 30 second intervals until you think it's ready.  Stir in some brown sugar if desired, and you're all set!

That's it! Eat it right away.  It is truly delicious.  My daughter and I gobbled this right up.  Who said a healthy breakfast has to be boring?

Pumpkin Pancakes!

Last year I made homemade pumpkin pancakes for the first time.  They were so delicious, thick, and filling.  This year, I pulled out the same recipe.  It's from allrecipes.com.  Here are some pics and instructions for super easy pumpkin pancakes from scratch.

Pumpkin Pancakes.  My annotations are in italics.
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt



Ingredients

STEP ONE: In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.

 

STEP TWO: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl.

STEP THREE: Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Do not overmix. Pancake batter should be lumpy and bumpy, even when you make a Bisquick mix.

STEP FOUR: Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. (I use unsalted butter). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

This batter is thick, so the pancakes take a little longer than regular pancakes.  Just be patient and try not to rush it.  If you want a thinner batter, add more milk.

And they are ready to be topped with maple syrup and be eaten!

My daughter and I really enjoyed these pancakes.  In fact, she had one pumpkin pancake at daycare every day that week.  She loves them! 

I hope that you try this recipe and be wowed by your culinary skills - you know you have them!  A couple of weekends from now, I really want to try pumpkin waffles!

Source: Pumpkin Pancakes by Ruth -  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-pancakes/detail.aspx

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P.P.S. This week's game plan: http://mypumpkinobsession.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-week-october-17-21.html.