Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I love oatmeal. Have always been a fan, and ever since my kids could eat solid food, I've been feeding it to them as well. They are big fans too! They like it almost any way I make it. Since it's fall, however, I always stock up on canned pumpkin and had about 1/2 cup of it left in the fridge that needed to be used. Lightbulb! Here's the recipe! Serves 3-4 depending on how much you give them. I usually give them a little over 1 cup cooked each so it only serves them (with me sneaking bites).

1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 Tbsp flax meal (rich in omega fatty acids and is great brain food! They can never tell it's in there)
1/4 - 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark and more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter, but coconut oil is better for you in millions of ways)
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger (all spices you can add more or less according to your taste. This is all an estimate since I didn't really measure them, but I used about two big pinches of each which equals about 1/8 tsp)
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Combine everything (yes everything) in a cold sauce pan, and turn stove on high. Stir frequently until you get a gentle boil, then turn on low and stir constantly for a minute. All done! Easy peasy!

Carrot pie

Ok, so I really wanted pumpkin pie but didn't have any canned pumpkin, so I came up with this.

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust
1lb frozen carrots, cooked according to package (doesn't matter if they are coins or whole baby carrots)
1 Tb pumpkin pie spice
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put drained, cooked carrots in a blender or food processor until purée. Weigh out 15oz or just go with the full amount... Add all other ingredients to carrot purée and blend well. Pour into pie crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes then cook at 350 for another 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it, it might take less time or a little more depending on how accurate your oven is. It's done when it has taken on a little darker color and the custard around the crust area is set.
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