Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

The other day my husband was making lunch to take to work. I saw him grab a sleeve of Ritz Crackers. He has told me that he's trying to eat healthier so I lovingly said "you know those aren't healthy, right?" With NO SARCASM his response was, "They aren't?" Clearly, I need to be better about educating him. :) In an attempt to help him eat better and realize what he should and shouldn't be putting in his body, I made him a nice protein packed breakfast.

He's a huge fan of sugary cereal, waffles, pancakes, muffins...you name it. With pancakes on the list, I thought we'd give these pumpkin protein pancakes a try. They are so easy, it's embarrassing. As he downed his pancakes, I sat and smiled cause he had no idea what was in them, but he obviously loved them. :)

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Makes 4 pancakes
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 5 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon almond milk or soy milk (optional, if mixture isn't a smooth consistency)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Combine all ingredients into a blender, minus the almond milk. Blend until smooth. If mixture is having trouble blending, add a little almond or soy milk.
2. Heat a greased skillet over medium/low heat. 
3. Add 1/4 cup of mixture onto heated skillet. 
4. Cook pancake until the edges are turning golden brown and you can easily get a spatula under, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook other side until golden brown.
5. Top with pure maple syrup and/or any fruit you'd like. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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   1 pancake   123 calories   2g fat  18g carbs   8g protein   7g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from pbfingers.com.

Healthy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is a definite comfort food. Whenever I need a quick and easy warm meal, this is usually where I turn. Except every time I do, that little healthy angel on my shoulder reminds me how unhealthy it is.

As a result - I've searched and searched for a good homemade macaroni recipe, and my friends, this one is it! With less than 400 calories per serving, you also get your veggies, calcium, vitamin A, and other good things your body will thank you for later.

Healthy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 25 minutes            READY IN: 50 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 package (10 or 16 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni (or any short pasta)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease an 8-inch square (or 2-quart) baking dish.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil, and paprika in a small bowl.
3. Put thawed spinach in a strainer and press out the excess moisture.
4. Pour 1 1/2 cups milk in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until steaming. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a separate small bowl. Mix in with hot milk, whisking consistently, until sauce thickens. (Takes about 2-3 minutes.)  
5. Once sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
6. Cook pasta until almost tender (it will continue to cook during baking). Drain and add to milk mixture; mix well. Pour 1/2 of the pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread thawed spinach on top, followed by the remaining pasta. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
7. Bake the casserole until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    396 calories   16.2 g fat   38.4 g carbs    25 g protein    5.7 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Eating Well
Linking up here.