Family Foodies

How many times have you heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

Even if it wasn’t the  most important meal of the day, it is still the favorite meal for many people.  Myself included.

I love a big bowl of cereal for any meal!

Being a mom now, with two toddler-preschool aged girls, cereal doesn’t hold quite the same thrill for them. Or for me.  Considering the number of times milk has been spilled onto shirts.

Or carpet…

Convenience Items

Fiber One bars are one example of a convenience food that my girls enjoy and actually need occasionally.  Buying a case at Sam’s for less than $9,  when an equivalent number of servings is bought for $3 per box in the store, saves about $6.  (That’s more than enough to cover my ginormous whip-creamed frappucinno’d coffee drink at my favorite cafe drive-thru…)

But I digress.

I love “instant” prepackaged items but don’t like the preservatives and extraneous ingredients they usually contain, so I’m learning to think differently about my cooking habits.

Flash Freezing

For example, when we have pancakes for dinner (at least once or twice every month), I started making about an extra half batch or so of batter.  The leftovers are allowed to cool completely.  By laying them on a baking
sheet and sticking them in the freezer for 10 minutes, I can “flash” freeze them, and then place them into freezer zippered storage bags.  Then, on any given morning, I can pull 3 pancakes from a baggie because the flash freezing keeps them from clumping together, and pop them into the toaster oven.

This works for waffles, too, of course.

Breakfast Sandwiches

Instead of the popular breakfast drive-thru fare which can cost a lot for a family of four, AND contains amounts of fat and other ingredients you may want to avoid, why not make your own breakfast sandwiches

Just take leftovers from any breakfast (biscuits or english muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon, ham or sausage) and put together breakfast sandwiches to keep in the refrigerator.  Add sliced cheese if you’d like. When wrapped individually, they can be frozen or kept refrigerated for several days and then removed as needed.  Just microwave until heated through.

Fritatta

Another easy breakfast meal that uses only one pan is a “fritatta.”  This is one of my personal favorites to make, and like all the others can be
customized to your family’s tastes and needs.

Basically you need:

• minced onion (fresh or dried – optional)
  photo credit: ellievanhoutte
• your choice of breakfast meat (chopped)
• frozen potatoes (shredded, chopped, etc)
• tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, (diced)
• eggs
• cheese (shredded or sliced)

In a 10″ non-stick skillet (that has a lid), on medium heat, saute the onion (and peppers, if you like) with your breakfast meat until both are browned well.

Add potatoes and cook through. (Potatoes make this a more hearty meal, but are not necessary!)

Crack enough eggs to feed your family. We usually use about 5 or 6 large eggs for 4 servings. Scrambling the eggs makes them fluffier, and I add salt/pepper to taste. Pour eggs over all in pan and cover. (The eggs should JUST cover everything in the pan.)

Allow to cook through with lid on.

Try not to stir the pan, but if you think you need to, it’ll just be a scramble instead of a fritatta – this is pretty flexible!

Sprinkle with cheese and allow cheese to melt.

You can serve this by large spoonfuls or by wedge – however you want. Served with toast and fresh fruit this is a really yummy breakfast that doesn’t require more than one or two dishes to prepare!

Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones – Oh My!

Muffins, Biscuits and Scones don’t require much effort, but can pack quite a nutritious and satisfying meal in one compact serving.

Don’t be afraid:  Scones are really nothing more than drop biscuits.  Okay – TRUE scones require some effort (mixing just right, rolling out, cutting, etc.) But I’ve learned to save time by just skipping that part and baking them dropped by large spoonfuls onto the pan.

Basically you mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients into a batter.  BUT the versatility comes in with the fact that you can add almost ANYTHING to the batter – sweet or savory – to make them more nutritious, heartier and much more filling.

The gigantic muffins in coffee shops – while utterly delectable – are often 2-3 times a normal serving size, thereby doubling or tripling the calorie factor.  (Oh, but they’re still so hard to resist!)

For added nutrition, try adding the following (or a combination of the following) to your next batter recipe:

Shredded carrots or zucchini
*Flaxseed Meal
Chopped walnuts (or any chopped nut)
Crushed, well-drained pineapple tidbits
Chopped dried fruit or raisins
Diced apple (freshly peeled & cored)
1 mashed banana
2 Tbsp peanut butter
Dutch-process cocoa powder
Chocolate chips
Shredded coconut
Chopped Ham or Bacon with Shredded Cheese
1 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix

Note: some of these ingredients may result in the need of adjustments of liquid or dry ingredients, but should not require any serious makeovers!

*Flaxseed meal (FSM) is an ingredient I have only been using for a couple of months. Besides boosting your Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber intake, it can be used as a substitute for eggs in many recipes. Just use 1 Tbsp FSM to 3 Tbsp of water for each egg in your recipe. You can also trade out a portion of your flour for FSM, but I’ve learned that this changes the texture in great proportions, so for 1 cup of flour I only substitute about 2 Tbsp of FSM.

Oh, and don’t forget that you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil in just about any baking recipe – reducing fat and cholesterol.

Serve muffins, biscuits or scones with fresh fruit (especially berries) and/or yogurt for a great breakfast or midafternoon snack with tea!

Although I love the convenience that eating somewhere else provides, these quick items make for a great meal at home.  For breakfast or any time!

photo credit: dno1967, photo credit: TheSeafarer, photo credit: moonrat42, photo credit: Mark and Allegra, photo credit: ellievanhoutte