Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins and a Giveaway!

My family has recently made a commitment to cut out processed foods from our diet meaning no white flour, refined sugar, or artificial ingredients. Just real and whole foods. Surprisingly it was a very easy change for us once we found the right recipes and made time to cook most of our food. We don't stick to this pledge when we are invited over to peoples home for dinner or attend a wedding with a sit down meal but we do eat this way at home and do our best to make healthy choices at restaurants when possible. It was such a good choice for my family.

Here is why we made the change. My husband Brian struggles with sleep and my oldest son Shane has a load of energy, food allergies, and was prone to ear infections. I began researching how food impacts overall health and specifically how it is tied to sleep and energy levels in children.  I had always fed my family as much organic food as possible and offered fresh fruits and vegetables but then I started to find research shedding light on how some of my healthy choices could be healthier and how those healthier choices could aid in sleep and increase focus. I came across a food blog called 100 Days of Real Food that changed how my family ate. We took the challenge of cutting out processed food from our diet and the results have been wonderful. Does my Brian still have sleep problem, you bet. Does Shane still have an off day where he struggles to listen, absolutely. What I can say is we feel better, sleep has improved, and our focus is better. Its not a cure but its a lifestyle choice we made that has positively impacted our well being.

So today I am sharing a very simple and kid friendly pumpkin muffin recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food blog and giving away one of her new cook books titled 100 Days of Real Food. This cook book is amazing!  My favorites our these muffins, lettuce wraps, fish cakes, cinnamon raisin quick bread, and homemade tortillas with re-fried beans. My entire family enjoys the food made from this cookbook and I hope yours does too!  I really like the the lunch section pictured below to give me ideas of well balanced and healthy lunch ideas. Before I get started I want to point out that I was not contacted, paid, or asked to write this review. It's just a honest testament of how much I like this cookbook and I am personally giving one away to a lucky reader so make sure you enter the contest at the end of this post. Happy cooking!

Here is the cookbook. I wanted to show a peek inside because the pictures are great. The lunch section in particular is helpful for me. This section gives not only a recipe but shows a picture of a complete lunch which I found helpful. Below is the recipe for the Pumpkin Muffins and you are showed a food pairing of soup and a side dish. I found the visual examples very helpful.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour (you can also use whole wheat but spelt is more cake like)
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup which my family prefers)
1/3 cup melted butter (or coconut oil)
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan (I like to use coconut oil) and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients until well combined.
3. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan so it is evenly distributed. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

I store these at room temperature for 3-4 days in an air tight container or I freeze them in wide mouth mason jars when we need a quick snack. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Check out 100 Days of Real Food Blog and share your favorite recipe in the comment section for a chance to win Lisa's new cook book.

Come back tomorrow to check out how I decorate my home for fall now that the brother have joined our family. Things have defiantly changed and I think for the better!



a Rafflecopter giveaway