Breakfast

Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a leisurely time of it.

I love breakfast. Correction, I love when someone else cooks extravagant breakfasts or when I can go out to breakfast or better yet brunch (where there are Mimosas). Not happening here at the Bonny Blue House. Breakfast can tend to devolve into a free-for-all leaving the kitchen floor covered in dry cereal, a mess on the counters, no one adequately fed to start a day of brain work 🙂 and myself standing in the midst of it all wondering what happened. And why is there no more coffee?

This is not a good beginning and sometimes the whole day can turn on how it begins.  So a little planning and a little cooking ahead can make the world of difference. So this is the plan. I have made a list of breakfast items that appeal to everyone, or most everyone, and every week I will pick a few, jot down in my calendar what I plan to serve for that day and then make my preparations. I find I work better if I have a list to refer to even though it is pretty basic and I should just be able to think of stuff without writing it down.  I need a visual. I'm dopey that way.

My goal was a bit of protein, a bit of good complex carbs and start that five fruit and veggie thing right off. Tea, warm milk or cocoa, apple juice or fresh squeezed orange juice are the beverages of choice. Mine is coffee and lots of it.

Here is the list. The lunch list is on there too.

Making my preparations includes the following:
For pancakes I make a double batch on Sunday evening after dinner. When they have cooled completely I will stack four or five in a zipper plastic bag with a square of wax paper or parchment in between each to avoid welded pancake syndrome. Squeeze the air out of the bag and freeze. They will keep for about three days in the fridge. When you want to use them just warm in the toaster or in a low oven for a few minutes.
Here is a printable version of the recipe:

The same procedure applies to waffles and french toast. Here is my waffle recipe:

These recipes are in my recipe binder but I believe I originally took them from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I received for my bridal shower. It's in pretty raw shape at this point. I've doubled them and tweaked them a bit to accommodate my big crew. As for the oatmeal, did you know you can cook it overnight in the slow cooker? This is a huge time saver.

Now you might notice the quiche on my breakfast list and think I've gone mad but what is quiche but egg and veggie pie and what could be better for breakfast? Quiche is very easy to make ahead and freeze. You can use the pie tins from the dollar store but I find pie plates at just about every thrift store and I seem to attract them. People leave them here. I have no idea why but I seem to be unable to get a pie plate home with a guest.  So buy a few dozen eggs and make three or four. They can be wrapped tightly (I put a layer of wax or parchment paper on top of the cooled quiche to prevent freezer burn) by wrapping in cling wrap and then foil. Take the quiche out to thaw the night before and serve by warming in the oven at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. This also makes a nice lunch when served with fruit and dinner when served with a Caesar salad and a crusty loaf. Here's a jumping off point:

The other breakfast items are fairly self explanatory. The idea is to prep as much the night before as possible. Slice fruit, set the table, set up the coffee pot (soooo important!) set up any cooking utensils or gadgets I might need. Try to make sure the dishwasher or sink is empty so that the breakfast mess can be cleaned up quickly.

I also want to mention that I have a juicer which I love. The kids love to have a glass of carrot juice to which I add a piece of ginger and an apple. This itself can be a good breakfast with some toast. The thing with the juicer is that it is a pain to clean and it takes up valuable counter space so it is more of a weekend thing. I also use it to make ice pops in summer.  I mention it because if you have one and you can make it work in your everyday planning I urge you to do it since it makes such nutritious and pleasant concoctions. I also might take advantage of some free time (ha! like that ever happens) when it comes up and make batches of quick breads and muffins to thaw and use. I would not make it a big habit since I believe most children do better with a larger dose of protein than sugar in the morning. 

So that's the breakfast plan. I look forward to your suggestions and comments, I hope that if you see any glaring flaws in my plan you will please point it out to me!

Blessings to your day.