Pumpkins and Spice and Everything Nice
Halloween is here and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! At The Original Pancake House we’ve been eating Sara’s Pumpkin Pancakes almost every morning, they are so good and we just can’t get enough pumpkin! If you are like us and have pumpkin on the brain, you’ll love these ideas to incorporate this favorite fall ingredient (plus the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg!) into as many meals as possible. Read on for some pumpkin-filled food ideas!
Pumpkin Chili Bowls:
Scoop out a mini pumpkin as use it as a “bowl” for your favorite chili recipe. You can even add a bit of pumpkin to the chili itself to add that special sweet flavor of fall!
Pumpkin Casserole Bake:
Choose miniature pumpkins like 'Small Sugar', 'Little Boo', or 'Jack Be Little' to act as individual casserole dishes in which to bake your favorite casserole recipe. One of our favorites is a mix of fresh pumpkin, Israeli couscous, sausage, apples, onion, and cranberries.
Spiced Pumpkin Waffles or Pancakes:
Simply add ½ cup of pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients in your favorite waffle or pancake recipe to make a wonderful pumpkin breakfast at home. We like to add a bit of cinnamon and ginger to the dry ingredients as well to really bring out the pumpkin flavor!
And don’t forget, we’ll be open on Halloween, so bring your family over for a sweet breakfast out in Denver this Saturday! We’ll be there to say BOO!
Spooktacular Healthy Breakfast Treats!
It’s the time of year when ghosts and goblins pop up everywhere, pumpkins abound, and everyone is excited for Halloween! To get in the mood, we like to make all sorts of fun Halloween breakfasts treats at home. Here are a few healthy ideas to add a little BOO to your breakfast!
Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits
- 1 can (11 ounce) mandarin oranges
- 1 can (20 ounce) pineapple chunks
- 2 6-ounce containers of low-fat vanilla yogurt
- candy corn pieces - for garnish
This is a fun and festive breakfast idea for the fall season - especially around Halloween. It’s ultra-fast to prepare and a healthy way to start the day. Fresh fruit could definitely be used in place of the canned fruit. Depending on the size of your glasses, this recipe makes 2 to 4 parfaits. Layer 1/3 of each glass with pineapple pieces, followed by an equal layer of mandarin oranges. Top each serving with a generous dollop of vanilla yogurt and a decorative piece of candy corn.
Terrifying Toast:
Trim a slice of toast to resemble a hand, foot or finger and then dollop strawberry or raspberry jam so it looks severed and bleeding. You can do the same thing with waffles and pancakes. For a quick, edible ghost, rip a small hole in a piece of toast to act as a mouth and then use chocolate chips or berries to make eyes.
Apple Monster Mouth!
These apple treats make a great Halloween-themed breakfast or snack – and they are healthy! To prepare, cut 
an apple into quarters and then take a slice out of each quarter. Next, poke in almond slivers for the teeth. Alternatively you can spread peanut butter in the inside of the “mouth” and use marshmallows as the teeth.
Every year at The Original Pancake House we like to dress up for the holiday, so if you join us for breakfast in Denver on the 31st, don’t forget to wear your costume! Have a safe and happy Halloween, Denver!