Happy Halloween!

Check out the recipe for the toddler muffins below.  Add a googly eye for some Halloween spookiness!

I gave birth to them, which means I get all their Reeses.  

Veggie Spice Muffins - Amended from Foodlet's Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups roasted and mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes) - I save a step and just add about 4 of those baby food pouches.  I typically use the ones with sweeter vegetables like carrot/sweet potato blends.  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare the pan by greasing with butter or oil, then sprinkling lightly with flour. Or use muffin liners.

Using a handheld beater or standing mixer, beat wet ingredients together until frothy: eggs, sweet potato, oil, apple sauce and vanilla. Add sugar and beat again. Put a sifter over the mixing bowl then add the flour, wheat germ, spices, baking powder, salt and soda. Stir to break up clumps but don’t over-mix. When just incorporated pour into muffin pan, filling each cup almost to the top.

I usually get the kids involved here and we add sprinkles or something fun to bake into the muffins.  

Baking times:

• Mini muffins: 10-12 minutes
• Medium and regular-size muffins: 20-25 minutes

Test with toothpick; if it comes out clean they are ready. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan..

Carrot Cake or Broccoli Spice Pancakes

These carrot cake pancakes or waffles are the absolutely bomb.  I feed them to the kiddos for dinner and I know they are getting something healthy and delicious that will actually get eaten.

TIP: Never tell your children the true name of these pancakes.  They are simply Mickey Waffles or Chocolate Chip Pancakes or Spice Pancakes.

This recipe is adapted from Foodlets - my favorite foodie parent blog.

ingredients

This is where I amend the Foodlets recipe and make things easy.  I use this pancake mix they sell in the healthy section of Wegmans.  There are still a few weird preservatives in there, but it is quicker than making your own mix.

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cups finely grated carrots or frozen broccoli.  You literally just throw baby carrots or frozen broccoli into the food processor and voila.
• 1/4 cup wheat germ - I put wheat germ in everything!  Fiber!
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• Chocolate Chips, Sprinkles, something fun
• 3 tablespoons butter, for pan

You can add an egg to the mix if you want to make waffles.

instructions

Stir everything together.  

Heat skillet or griddle to medium, add butter then cook in batches of 4 pancakes. I dropped the batter from a 1/4 cup measuring cup without scooping it out entirely and this worked well.

Store in the oven on warm on aluminum foil until everyone is ready to eat.

Slather with butter and VT Maple Syrup.