{Healthy} Honey Sweetened Pumpkin Cake Recipe

This healthy, hearty and easy-to-make cake can be more than dessert. It may be served as a nutritious, afternoon snack with a cold glass of raw milk (Mmm...)! You could even prepare it the night before for a fun and festive fall breakfast as there are no scary ingredients in here! 

List of Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 c. pumpkin puree (Butternut squash would work just as well!)
• ¾ c. honey
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie seasoning
• 2/3 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Beat eggs in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the last two. Beat well. Add the water and flour, beating to a fluffy texture. Pour into a greased 13 by 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes, until golden and/or cake springs back when touched. Frost cake with 16 ounces cream cheese blended with maple syrup to taste (or until it is spreadable).

This recipe is slightly adapted from one shared by Miriam Wengerd in the Keepers at Home Magazine (Vol. 10, Issue 4, Winter 2002). I replaced her listed spices for a "quick" teaspoon of pumpkin pie seasoning in my version shared above. You will find the printable recipe HERE.

For more pumpkin related posts, visit the following:

• Easy as "Pumpkin Pie" Crust Recipe
• How to Prepare Pumpkin Puree'
• How to Save Pumpkin Seeds
• Make a Happy Harvest Gift ~ Pumpkin Seed Packet Printable
• What to Make and Do with Pumpkins ~ Link Up Love

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Extra Jam? ~ Make Fruit and Grain Cereal Bars

The inspiration for this recipe came from Country Momma Cooks. I changed four of the ingredients but the principal is the same, a healthier snack choice than those bars filled with high fructose corn syrup and such. These would also make an excellent breakfast "on the go".

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. old-fashioned oats
2 tbsp. crushed chia seed (originally: wheat bran)
1 c. coconut sugar (originally: brown sugar)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. coconut oil melted (originally: unsalted butter, melted)
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup of jam, blended first if chunky (originally: 3/4 c. apple butter)

To begin, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, oats, chia, coconut sugar, cinnamon, sea salt and baking soda.

Add coconut oil, a beaten egg and vanilla. Stir by hand until combined.

Press half of the crust mixture into the pan

(you can see I didn't blend in the coconut oil as well as I should have but it had no effect).

Then, evenly spread the jam over the crust.

Why is my jam two-toned and weird looking? I started off using my sugar-free fig jam and ran out. Then I added some regular fig jam which is darker. I also noticed the chunks were too big. So, midway I blended the second half before I added that. How often does things like this happen to you?

The next step is to crumble the remaining mixture evenly over the top.

Gently press down and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Once cool, cut into 14 bars and wrap individually for convenience. I recommend refrigerating these to keep them nice and solid. They are delicious with a cup of milk and are very satisfying. You may also be interested in making our "Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars".

"Hearty foods are those in which there is an abundance of potential energy."

~ Prof. Atwater, Excerpt from Science in the Kitchen, 1893

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Home Acre Hop, Growing in Grace Thursdays, From the Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

The Chocolate Masterpiece ~ Healthier/Tastier "Cup of Gold"

“There is nothing better than a friend,

unless it is a friend with chocolate.”

~ Charles Dickens

I'll never forget the day I read this post, it was love at first sight! Chocolate candy that was considered "good for you"! The moment I saw the recipe, I had one thought in mind, to create my own "Cup of Gold" with it. Please tell me you know what these are?

I like them more than the original because they have a darker chocolate flavor, whereas the original "Cup of Gold" are milk chocolate (hope this statement of "dark chocolate" faith doesn't offend any one) and (except for the marshmallow) they are way healthier (which is hard to believe but you can trust Jacqueline who shares why on her original Bonbons post.) 

Important Note: These don't taste healthy. If they did, I would not eat them (I want to be healthy like the rest of you, but when it comes to chocolate, if it doesn't bring joy to the palate, why bother? This is serious stuff here! The taste of chocolate can not be compromised). 

The first step is to mix up the chocolate (no cooking necessary):

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (try to be precise)
• 1/3 cup "quality" unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 4 dashes of sea salt
• 4 tsp. raw honey

Prepare your add-in's (no set measurement, just a sprinkle for each of the 8 cups):

• two large marshmallows (each cut into 4 thin slices)
• shredded unsweetened coconut
• chopped almonds

Pour a small amount of chocolate into each cup (enough to cover the bottom).

Note: I cut off the top half of my cupcake cups to make them shorter and resemble the size of a candy style cup.

Sprinkle some chopped almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut on top.

Press one slice of marshmallow into your chocolate mixture and chill immediately (place in the freezer for a few minutes). You want your marshmallow to stick to the chocolate mixture so it doesn't float when you add the remaining chocolate.

Once the marshmallow is frozen in place, add more chocolate (enough to completely cover the marshmallow). Chill right away (Put them in the freezer for quick results but you can switch them to the refrigerator once they are solidified. I personally *love* frozen chocolate so I keep them there).

This recipe makes 8 decadent and generous, healthy chocolate confections. And, once they have been removed from the refrigerator, they should be eaten right away. Unlike the preservative filled, M & M's, these will "melt in your hands"... For our free printable recipe, visit here! 

What chocolate-worthy ideas are you coming up with right now to recreate your favorite?

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

What to do with Pumpkin Seeds ~ Drying and/or Roasting

"Why such a hurry to get the pumpkins in?" Ma asked…

"The vines couldn't do much on tough sod," he made excuse,
"and the frost caught the green ones,

but we'll get a lot of seed out of these for next year."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter

Saving and Drying Heirloom Seeds

The pumpkins we harvested were heirlooms (which means we can use the seeds they produced to plant next year because they are the "real thing"). Here is how to dry them for replanting:

• Simply place your seeds in a colander and rinse them with cool water to remove "orange stuff".
• Lay your clean seeds out on a fresh towel and blot them dry.
• Next, place them on a tray and let them sit in a dry area for two weeks to finish drying out. 
• You can store them in a cool, dark place or put them in the freezer if you live in a humid area.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ~ A Seasonal Snack

Roast your seeds for a tasty and frugal snack if you are unsure of your pumpkin source (i.e., if it is a re-plantable heirloom variety or not) or if you simply have excess seeds.

• Wash seeds as indicated in first two steps above.
• Toss seeds with combinations of your choice such as sea salt/olive oil, oil/cinnamon/sugar, or sea salt/olive oil/chili powder. Place the seasoned seeds on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake in 300 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes (or until golden). You may want to stir them and flip them halfway though roasting.
• Store roasted seeds in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Place in fridge if you won't be consuming them within a week so they don't go rancid.

Here is a fun and frugal project using pumpkin seeds...

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Homestead Barn Hop, Amaze Me Monday, Monday's Musings, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Wow Us Wednesdays, Wildcrafting Wednesday, The Scoop, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Growing in Grace Thursdays, Home Acre Hop, From the Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Foodie Fridays, Cultivate Nourishing, Simply Natural Saturdays, Clever Chicks Blog Hop and the Fall Linky Pumpkin Party. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars ~ Printable Recipe

These preservative-free granola bars made with whole grains are delicious and way healthier than the store bought brands (forgive me Mr. Quaker). They are a snap to make which also adds to their appeal. Here is how we prepare them:

List of ingredients:

• 1 cup raw honey
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 cups puffed whole grain rice cereal
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup un-sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips 
• optional: 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed or chia seed

On the lowest heat possible (to try and preserve the good enzymes in your honey) melt together until combined (while stirring to expedite the process), in a large cooking pot, the following:

• 1 cup “raw” honey

• 1 cup brown sugar

Once honey and brown sugar are "melted" together, remove from stove immediately.

Now, stir in the following until smooth:

• 1 cup peanut butter 

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Finally, add the following ingredients to the mixture and mix until thoroughly combined:

• 5 cups whole grain rice puff cereal (if using regular rice crispy cereal, you will need only 3 - 4 cups because they are smaller in size)

• 4 cups rolled oats 

• ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 

• 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (and ground flaxseed or chia seed if using)

Pour ingredients onto large, greased cookie sheet and press down firmly into pan until the mixture is spread evenly and firm.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before eating to allow them to firm up.

Cut into bars and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. This should yield approx. 20 "good" granola bars.

The longest part of the recipe is probably the packaging. These should be stored in the refrigerator.

You may also freeze them for future use. They are gone in seconds in this home!

* Here is a printable recipe should you like to add it to your Recipe Book *

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.