Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Muffins

So my husband is doing the Whole30 now.  I think he's on his 7th day?  He's pretty much been eating like this for a few years with weekly "cheats" thrown in.  Unlike me, he doesn't crave sweets, he craves Burger King.  So this recipe, even though it qualifies as Whole30 (no sugar, no sweetener of any kind, no grain) and Paleo, it wasn't really much of a help to him. For me it was a hit!

My boys are slowly being integrated into this real-food diet.  As I use up the grain-flours and processed foods I have on hand for them to eat as snacks and use in their school lunches I am putting grainless goodies and fruits and veggies in it's place.  I really thought they'd like these, but they gave them a thumbs down.  So I guess this recipe is a win for me and no one else in my house.

I've always loved to cook, but I have no culinary education.  I learn as I go.  Fail often.  Spend way too much money on food.  And make do with what I have.  I can get away with this in the cooking category, but when it comes to baking, not so much.  Baking is a science.  You have to be exact with your measurements.  I don't know the science, so right now, I'm still looking at other food blogs and recipes as a template for my baked creations.

There are a good 10 or more EXCELLENT paleo/Whole30/grainless/sugarless/unprocessed/clean (whatever you want to call it) food blogs out there.  There is really no reason to read mine.  If you're looking for good recipes do a google search on paleo recipes and at the minimum visit PaleOMG and Everday Paleo (I also like Keeper of The Home- Naturally Inspired Living For Homemakers).  You'll find everything you could want to cook and more there.  For this morning's breakfast I threw together a leftovers omelet and used this recipe at PaleOMG as a guide for making my Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Muffins (My husband said I should make them in mini muffin tins and call them poppers since they aren't the typical, high-rising muffin. Good idea Music Man!)

Ok, onto the recipe and pictures (Confession: I don't know how to take good food pictures so bear with me).

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Muffins

1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup smashed pumpkin (I used canned pumpkin)
5 medjool pitted dates
3 eggs
1/3 c. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. flax seed meal
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinammon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Pierce sweet potato and microwave using "potato" setting on microwave (most microwaves have this) or for about 4 minutes.  While the potato is getting nuked put the pumpkin, dates, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and flax seed meal in food processor.  When the sweet potato is done that puppy is going to be hot, so cut it in half and let it cool for a few minutes until you can handle it without burning yourself.  Then scrape the soft potato out of the the skin into the food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend for a few more seconds. 

Use muffin tin liners and fill muffin liners about 1/2 full of batter.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.  (I ran out of liners, greased a bread pan with coconut oil and poured the rest of the batter in it, and sprinkled with unsweetened coconut flakes.  I baked it at 375 for 30 minutes.  It was fairly flat due to the amount of batter I used.  It's flatness spawned my husband's suggestion to bake them in mini-muffin tins and call them "Pumpkin Poppers". Either way both my man and I thought they were good.  For me it was a crave-curer.  For him it was just a good pumpkin dish.)

Enjoy!