Pumpkin Waffles & Cinnamon Maple Syrup

     In honor of Fall and all things pumpkin, here's a sweet recipe for those lazy weekend mornings that I hope are in your schedule~

Pumpkin Waffles & Cinnamon Maple Syrup

1 C pure maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C white whole wheat flour (such as King Arthur)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C buttermilk
1 C canned packed pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C unsalted butter, melted
*whipped cream, optional for garnish
*cinnamon, optional for garnish
*whole or chopped pecans, for garnish

Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.  In a small lidded pot over medium heat, combine maple syrup and cinnamon stick.  Cook, uncovered, until it steams (do not boil).  Turn off heat, cover and let stand 15 minutes.  If not immediately serving, transfer to an airtight container with cinnamon stick still inside.  Cool; refrigerate until ready to use. *Personally, I would make a double batch of the syrup and keep on hand so in the future, you only have to make the waffles.  I'm organized that way ;-)

Whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, blend buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar and butter.  Stir dry mixture into wet mixture until smooth.

Coat waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook waffles according to manufacturer's directions.

If not immediately serving, cool and freeze in resealable bags in a single layer or stack with parchment paper in between waffles.  To serve:  Toast frozen waffles and reheat syrup.  *Optional---top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the whipped cream and add a few whole or chopped pecans, walnuts, or nuts of your choice.
~Enjoy!

Makes 12 waffles

Paula Deen's Brunch stuffed bell peppers

I love to watch the Food Network but I don't get a chance very often as I'm just way too busy.  Yesterday, however, I caught a great episode of Paula Deen and she presented a fabulous twist on stuffed bell peppers that really caught my attention!

I love the traditional stuffed bell peppers, but Paula made "brunch stuffed peppers", meaning the ingredients were ones you'd normally serve for breakfast.  I love the concept of these peppers for breakast, brunch OR dinner.  We all have those "breakfast for dinner" nights where we just need something quick and breakfast food sounds good.  These would be PERFECT for such evenings.

Be sure to garnish the top, after they come out of the oven, with more chopped bacon, some more shredded cheese and some chopped green onion--this will make the presentation much more appealing.  Enjoy!

Brunch Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 yellow bell peppers (use any color you'd like)
1 cup frozen country style hash browns, thawed
1/2 (16-ounce) package bacon, cooked and crumbled *(reserve some extra bacon for the top)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup biscuit mix (I'd use Bisquick or something similar--whatever you have)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the top 1/2-inch of each pepper. Discard the tops and seeds. Arrange the peppers, cut side up, in an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Fill the bottom of each pepper evenly with hash browns and bacon.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, milk, baking mix, sour cream, green onion, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined. Evenly distribute the egg mixture into each pepper. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with cheese & extra bacon and serve immediately.