Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

I always find pumpkin spice a welcoming flavor combination, whether it is autumn or not. Here, I have combined them to make a smoothie, or perhaps more accurately a milkshake. It adds a little flavor to a morning drink of milk, as well as some extra vitamins and nutrition. Since the pumpkin is already puréed, this drink does not even require the use of a blender. Just place ingredients in a cup with a lid and shake.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
1 cup milk
2 heaping Tablespoons pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Blend all together until smooth. Enjoy!

Molasses Wheat Machine Bread

Machine True Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 cup cereal mix (see note) 
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

NOTE: For this recipe, I used my own homemade hot cereal mixture that I keep on hand, which contains oats, oat bran, wheat germ, flax, and wheat bran. The recipe can be found at this link: {Hot Cereal Mix}. 

No Touch Multigrain Biscuits

These are just like the {No Touch Biscuits}, except this is a whole grain, healthier version I devised. The trick is to handle the dough as little as possible. Of course whole grain biscuits don't tend to be as fluffy and light, however, they are still tasty and hearty with whatever spread you like best. I made these more hearty biscuits, but if you prefer them sweet, add up to three Tablespoons of granulated sugar along with the dry ingredients. 

No Touch Multigrain Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons each: ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ, natural wheat bran
1 HEAPING Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt 
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in the yogurt like you would butter until crumbly. Mix together the applesauce, milk, and water, and stir in to form a soft dough. Stir just until dough comes together, adding a little extra water or flour if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Gently pat dough into a shape about 1/2 inch thick, DO NOT KNEAD, then cut into biscuits of any shape. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart for crisp sides or placing together for soft sides. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden. 

Multigrain Wheat Machine Bread

Multigrain Wheat Machine Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup each ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, and wheat germ, mixed together
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 1/2 teaspoons wheat gluten (optional)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

Quick Rustic Biscuits

There is no need to spend precious time rolling, kneading, and cutting biscuits; sometimes biscuits that are mixed the least turn out the best. Whole grain biscuits tend to be less fluffy as is, so this method of preparation ensures a tender product. 

Quick Rustic Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup skim milk powder
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold butter, hard margarine, or Greek yogurt (not fat-free)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup water

In a large bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients. At this point, the mix may transferred to a bag and refrigerated, then used as needed.
To proceed with biscuits, preheat oven to 425◦F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
 Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir or cut in butter, margarine, or yogurt. Pour the honey and water over top and mix until a soft dough forms. Gently gather the dough in a ball in your hands, being careful not to overmix. Sprinkle a little extra water over top as needed. Divide dough into four pieces, then cut each piece into four thick wedges. These can be rectangles, triangles, squares, or whatever you like. Arrange on prepared baking sheet, it is fine if they touch. Bake for about 12 minutes until golden.

Soft Molasses Wheat Bread

This is a really soft, moist, and flavorful bread. It is not very sturdy, so not ideal for sandwiches, but is is great to enjoy as is - and barely requires and butter or jam. 

Soft Molasses Wheat Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. 
In a small bowl, mix together the milk, molasses, and applesauce. Pour into well, stir just to combine. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cherry Burst Smoothie

Cherry Burst Smoothie
frozen cherries
wheat germ
strawberry banana blend juice
almond milk
almond butter

Purée all until smooth, judging amounts as you like to make a thick or thin smoothie with as much fruit flavor as you like. I find a hand immersion blender works best for this - put the ingredients in a bowl to do it then transfer to a glass. I also find it works better if the almond butter is added at the end, after the other ingredients are puréed together so it doesn't stick. 

This is another smoothie recipe that is helping me survive. Smoothies can be made the night before, put in a water bottle, and transported for a quick lunch. Be sure to keep them cold! 

No-Cut Grain Biscuits

No-Cut Grain Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 cup water or milk

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add in the wet and mix well. Let dough stand for 5-10 minutes. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until set.

These are soft, sweet biscuits with a nice molasses flavor. There is no need of "cutting" in a fat such as butter or margarine - everything is simply mixed together. The result is a soft and fluffy biscuit that rises high and is easy to cut open and smother with jam or peanut butter. 

Multigrain Machine Bread

Multigrain Machine Bread
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, oat bran, natural wheat bran, and wheat germ
1/2 cup oats
1 cup warm water
1 large egg, beaten, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
grain mixture from above
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Mix together the grains and oats, set aside. Place all ingredients except in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

This is a bread machine recipe I came up with myself that truly combines all my favorite hearty grains. Some may find this bread a little bit heavier or dense, but it is certainly a nutritional powerhouse, and is meant to be sliced quite thinly. To ensure the bread rises better, as multigrain breads do tend to contain less gluten, a tablespoons or two of wheat gluten may be added along with the flour.

Cereal Machine Bread

Can't decide between bread and cereal for breakfast? Have both in one with this healthy, homey bread.

Cereal Machine Bread
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons moalsses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cereal* (see NOTE)
2 1/2 + 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional, to promote rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine. 

*NOTE: This recipe uses 1/2 cup of a hot cereal mixture. You can easily use a commercial mix - any multigrain mix should do, as long as it is a HOT cereal mix that cooks relatively quickly (think microwave and not awhile on the stove). Plain oat bran or oatmeal may be used as well.
For this recipe, I used my own homemade hot cereal mixture that I keep on hand, which contains oats, oat bran, wheat germ, flax, and wheat bran. The recipe can be found at this link: {Hot Cereal Mix}. 

Seedy Yogurt Muffins

Seedy Yogurt Muffins
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (any kind)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2-4 Tablespoons molasses or honey

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the first ten dry ingredients. 
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the remaining liquid ingredients.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just moistened.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. 

Makes 12-18 (depending on size) healthy, hearty muffins with lots of great crunch and flavor. Perfect for part of a balanced breakfast slathered with nut butter, jam, or molasses!

Pumpkin Grain Breakfast Cake

I always like to have some type of bread, muffin, or biscuit on hand. This time, I decided to try a little something different. I made a healthy snacking cake, then cut it into squares to have on hand in the freezer. This snack cake is soft and moist, yet contains several whole grains. It has a mild pumpkin and spice purée. The seeds are optional, and nuts or raisins would be a nice substitute. This cake is lower in fat and sugar, so modify amounts to suit your personal tastes. I use this more of a bread spread with a topping than a cake.

Pumpkin Grain Breakfast Cake
scant 1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used almond)
2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, mix the first five wet ingredients together. Stir in all of the dry ingredients except the flour. Stir in half of the milk. Stir in 1 cup of flour, the remaining 1/2 cup milk, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Apple Pie Granola

Here is my latest granola creation. I call it apple pie granola because it has the flavor of apples due to the applesauce, pecans, and the spices typically used in apple pie. The applesauce makes the granola moister and healthier, and also replaces some of the oil. If you like your granola to be full of clusters instead of loose, you may want to add a little extra oil and sweetener. Of course the nuts, seeds, spices, and fruits can be varied or replaced as you like. This makes a hearty, crunchy bowl of breakfast! 

Apple Pie Granola
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or a mix)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4-1/2 cup sweetener (honey, molasses, sugar, brown sugar)
2-3 Tablespoons oil (optional)
1 cup raisins

In a shallow pan, mix together the dry ingredients. Drizzle the applesauce, sweetener, and oil over top and toss to combine. Bake at 350◦F for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until golden. Stir in the raisins then cool before storing. It will keep for a few days, in the refrigerator for a week or two, or much longer in the freezer, and doesn't require any thawing time. 

Grainy Flatbread

This is an incredibly easy and versatile bread recipe. Make it any shape you like! It contains a variety of great grains, but if you do not have one of them on hand, simply add in ore of another or substitute something different - even seeds or ground nuts would work. It doesn't rise a lot, which is why it is a flatbread. 

Grainy Flatbread
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each ground flaxseed, wheat germ natural wheat bran, oat bran, old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon oil

Preheat oven to 350◦F. 
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the milk and oil. Stir well, dough will be dry. Dough can be shaped any way you like - in pans or simply on a baking sheet. Make it as thick or thin as you like, I made mine fairly thick flatbread. Baking times will vary accordingly. 

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread

This must be one of the quickest bread recipes, with no kneading or rising times. It also has a very nice soft texture, yet is sturdy enough for sandwiches. It is a bit sweeter with more flavor.

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup each oat bran, natural wheat bran, wheat germ, ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, grains, soda, and salt. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Four Grain Batter Bread

Four Grain Batter Bread
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
2 packages instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed

Grease or line two 9x5 inch loaf pans. 
In a large bowl, mix together the first five dry ingredients. Add the milk and water and beat at medium speed for three minutes. Stir the remaining ingredients together and add gradually to the mixture. Do not knead. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Allow to rise for about an hour. Bake at 400◦F for 25 minutes. 

This is another quick, no-knead, whole grain batter bread. It isn't the best one I have made, but it certainly isn't bad. Mixing with an electric mixer helps work the dough without having to knead it. A dough hook is the best option for this, if you have one. 

Mix It Up Batter Bread

Mix It Up Batter Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
2 packages instant yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons oil or butter
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup natural wheat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for ten minutes until bubbly. Stir to dissolve yeast.
Stir in remaining ingredients except for the flour and seeds. Stir in two cups of flour, then the seeds. Add another cup of flour.
Allow dough to rise for an hour.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Divide batter between two greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for another hour.
Bake at 375◦F for about 30 minutes. 

I call this mix it up batter bread, because it really is that simple, no kneading in this simple homemade bread recipe! Also because it contains a nice mix of healthy grains. 

Multigrain English Muffins

English muffins are a nice breakfast treat. They can be easily split and toasted, and spread with butter, honey, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese, and more! They are even better when they are homemade, and this multigrain version is chock full of nutrients. English muffins are not difficult to make at all, though like most yeast breads, they take some time. It is important to give them enough time to rise, or the end result will be disappointing. English muffins are traditionally cooked on a griddle or skillet, though some versions are baked. 

Multigrain English Muffins
3/4 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon liquid honey
1 teaspoon butter
1 package instant yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

In a large bowl, dissolve the honey and butter in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for 10-20 minutes until bubbly. Stir to dissolve.
In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients except for the buttermilk. Stir the buttermilk into the yeast mixture, then gradually stir in the flour mixture. Briefly knead the dough until smooth, about three minutes. Allow to rise for one hour.
Knead the dough for a minute and a half, then lightly pat to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2.5-3.5 inch cutter. Place on a lined baking sheet and allow to rise for at least 40 minutes more. The muffins can be coated in flour or cornmeal if desired to help prevent sticking.
Preheat a little oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Fry the muffins until browned, about 5-7 minutes per side (you may need to do this in batches). 
Makes around 12-18 muffins, depending on size.

Almond Raisin Date Granola

Almond Raisin Date Granola
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup almonds, sliced or chopped
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, as desired
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dates, chopped

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. 
Stir together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and spices in the baking pan. Drizzle the oil and molasses over top and mix. 
Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes until golden.
Add the raisins and dates and let cool before stirring.

This is just another granola cereal recipe I tried. I really like this one, as it is easy, hearty, and I really like the flavor combinations, but you can vary the type of nuts and dried fruit as you wish. 

Complete Wheat Batter Bread

Complete Wheat Batter Bread 
4 cups warm water
2 packages active dry instant yeast
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup each: natural wheat bran, ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ
6 cups (approximately) whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water, then the sugar on top. Stir, then let stand ten minutes until frothy. Stir to dissolve yeast. Stir in molasses and salt. Gradually stir in the grains and flour until a sticky, but stiff, dough forms. 
Cover bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
Stir dough down for twenty seconds. Divide between two greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise for an hour, until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 400◦F for about 35 minutes. 

This bread recipe doesn't require too many ingredients, yet it very nutrient-dense. It is easy to do - no kneading required, although you do need to wait for two rising times. It also rises very nicely, and makes a light, wheaty bread.