Back to School: Breakfast on Hand

For me going back to school meant the end of two things:
1. Sleeping in
2. a "fancy" breakfast
Gone are the days of casually making Paula Deens Praline French toast in your jammies while the kids watch cartoons. It's a whirlwind of backpacks, homework papers, signed forms, lunch boxes & car horns and somewhere in that chaos breakfast needs to be had. I am going to share a fabulous list with you of breakfasts that can be made ahead {or quickly} and on hand for on-the-go portability. I've tried all of these and they all have my Go-To Breakfast stamp of approval!{click on the title and it will take you to the recipe}

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal by Nutmeg Nanny

So this one is to be made when you have a little more time in the morning, but the leftovers are good!! {if there are any} This makes your whole house smell like yummy vanilla and not only is it good and good for you - it will keep you full. Baby S. ate 4 helpings of this in one sitting....yeah it's that good!!

 

 

 Blueberry Waffles by Add A Pinch

Hands down the BEST blueberry waffle I have had to date. And the best part? This makes a great big batch that is perfect for freezing! Leggo of those cardboard eggos and get your hands on these. I freeze them in layers with freezer paper between and on those mornings where I need something fast {or don't want to make anything} I just drop these into the toaster and Ta-Da! A yummy blueberry waffle.

 

 

 No Bake Energy Bites by Smashed Peas & Carrots

These are GREAT!! They are great for a quick breakfast, mid-day snack, after school snack, pre-game fuel - heck! I'd eat these for dessert! When you eat these you will have no idea how great ground flax seed tastes. Using easy, healthy, on-hand ingredients you can make these beautiful balls of deliciousness. Make them. You'll love them. I made them once for a late night cast rehearsal and one of my cast mates hates coconut, but loved it in these!

 

 Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal by Sugar Free Mom

Good with a capital G. I know. You are thinking "really Michelle....oatmeal....really?" Well stop thinking that and make them so you can taste how great these are! Again this is a recipe where you make them in a big batch and freeze in their cute individual cups! Instead of reaching for the variety pack of granola bars that are filled with calories & scientific ingredients you can reach in your freezer for some honest to goodness good for you breakfast in any flavor variety you choose!

 

 Kate's Power Smoothie by Our Best Bites

This smoothie tastes so good and it has spinach in it!! Yeah spinach!! When I was making it Mr. S told me "just don't put in the spinach" well....I did anyways and he couldn't taste it at all. Not only is there spinach, but Kate has you put in some yogurt & groats {like oats but..well I'll let her explain it}. It's fruity, filling and great for on the go! Try it! You AND your hubby, kids, etc will love it!

 

Thank you to all the great blog authors that allowed me to share their great breakfast recipes with you!

and good luck to all you back-to-schoolers out there!!

Homemade Maple Syrup

Oooooh yeaaaah. Maple syrup, it's a must honestly. I know I can't eat a pancake without it.

Maple Syrup is to pancakes as Ryan Gosling is to The Notebook {as a small side note: they now have a Ryan Gosling coloring book...can you believe it!?! brilliant. I think I would color in it while I ate my pancakes}

Okay - back to the syrup - I was one of the lucky girls who's mother made homemade maple syrup. I loved it. It was made every Saturday in large batches for our breakfast pancakes on Saturday & Sunday mornings. While my Mom's syrup wasn't as thick as the kind you find in the store, it is still what I prefer. Ask anyone who had a sleep over at my house and they'll tell you - my Mom's syrup is the best!

To go along with this fabulous syrup a kindred spirit of mine gave me this awesome retro dispenser. I love it. It gives this syrup the finishing touch. I love it so much that I wrote a haiku about it:

Yeah, I really like syrup and the dispenser {and Ryan Gosling}. So I am going to share this syrup recipe with you so you can start creating as many maple syrup memories as I do:

Sugar

Water

Mapeline or Maple Flavoring

I was taught this recipe by my Mom who didn't use measurements and you know me and measurements! This is a guesstimate at measurements {I should have taken pictures sorry} so please get back to me with any problems. I'm going to start you out with a small batch

Put 1 Cup Sugar and 1 1/2 Cups Water in a small saucepan. Put on med-low heat and let heat until it starts to boil. While boiling you want to add your Mapeline. Add enough to make the simple syrup a nice dark color {pictured below}, 1-2 tsp.



Turn the heat down to Simmer and let simmer until the desired consistancy is reached {or the pancakes are ready & everyone is hungry}. If you don't like your syrup on the "Watery-side" like Mr. S states it. You can add a tablespoon of corn syrup and let it simmer in. I don't like to put in too much corn syrup if I'm doing a big batch because if it goes too long it turns into maple candy.

Pour your hot syrup in a retro dispenser, gravy boat or a glass liquid measuring cup {something with a spout is preferable} and Enjoy!!!

I'd love to hear some feedback on this recipe. Let us know! Leave a comment here, on facebook or e-mail: shesaidblog@yahoo.com

Summertime Breakfast: Parfaits with *Homemade* Granola

Let's talk about breakfast.

It's the most important meal of the day, right?  But sometimes it's also the most inconvenient.  Whether you're taking care of a family, trying to get to work or school, or all of the above, there's not always enough time to whip up pancakes or scramble eggs.  If you've fallen into a cold cereal rut, here is the perfect breakfast to help you start your day the right way with minimum prep time.

This breakfast parfait is simple.  You just need three ingredients:

Granola, yogurt, and fruit.

For this parfait, I used homemade granola (recipe below), strawberry yogurt, and thawed mixed berries from my freezer.  Layer the ingredients in any order you like, and you'll have an easy and delicious breakfast in just a few seconds!

The granola can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.  Better yet, the granola cooks for just a few minutes, so it won't heat up your kitchen too much on a warm summer day.

I found this recipe in a church cookbook my mom gave me, and the original contributor gave me permission to post it here.  It's a recipe that her family has enjoyed for many years.  The original recipe makes three cookie sheets' worth; I cut down the recipe to one cookie sheet and have made notes of the adjusted measurements in red.  Ready to rock?

Homemade Granola - Marilyn Deniker

1 1/2 (1/2) tsp salt
6 (2) cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
2 (2/3) cups coconut (I skip this because I never have coconut on hand)
1 (1/3) cup cracked wheat
1 (1/3) cup powdered milk
3/4 (1/4) cup brown sugar
1/2 (1/8, rounded) cup chopped nuts (optional)
3/4 (1/4) cup honey
3/4 (1/4) cup oil
1 (1/3) tsp vanilla extract
1 (1/3) tsp almond extract
Raisins, craisins, dates, or other dried fruit (optional)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; add wet ingredients and mix well.  Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Do not over bake; it should be starting to turn golden at the edges of the pan.  Let cool and then break into pieces; add dried fruit after baking.  Store in an airtight container.

Marilyn also added this note:
I have used coconut extract with the almond extract and friends of mine have tried things like flax seed with the cracked wheat. That is one of the other things I like about it, not only does it use a variety of food storage items, but it is versatile.

Thanks, Marilyn, for letting us share your recipe!

P.S. Does anyone else think of Shrek whenever they have a parfait?

Recipe -- Aebleskivers!

I love breakfast and breakfast foods.  There are just so many yummy things you can make.  One of our very favorite breakfast foods is aebleskivers, which are Danish pancake balls.  Mr. W and I both have Danish ancestry (luckily not the same Danish ancestry, though!), and this is a cherished family recipe my awesome mother-in-law has passed down to us.  Aebleskiver means "apple slices" in Danish, but it might as well mean "little balls of Heaven."

Before we get started, here's some free advice: take your time with these.  They don't take long (unless you're trying to take photos while you cook...), but make them on a morning when you have some extra time and can afford to be patient.  If you try to hurry, they're not going to be nearly as good.  Learn from my mistakes!!

Okay, now we can start with the yumminess.  To make aebleskivers, you're going to need an aeblskiver pan.  It's a cast iron skillet with half-circle indentations.  You can find them at most kitchen specialty stores or stores that carry a variety of kitchen tools, like Bed Bath & Beyond.  I've even seen some at K-Mart and Wal-Mart labeled as "pancake puff" pans.  We bought ours at our favorite local kitchen shop.  Here is our well-loved pan:



Aebleskiver pan

You will also need:

2 cups buttermilk

(If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use regular milk with a splash of white vinegar)

2 cups flour

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp melted butter

(I cut the recipe in half for Mr. W and me)

Start by separating the eggs and beating the whites stiff.  Mix all other ingredients together one at a time and beat until smooth, then fold in the egg whites last.  Heat about 1 tsp of oil or melted butter in each indentation and let it get nice and hot.  Use a measuring cup to fill each indentation to the top.  You could add a small chunk of apple to each cup at this point, but I usually don't.  Cook for a minute or two on medium low.  Trust me on this.  I know you're going to want to turn up the heat, but resist the temptation.  Save yourself some heartache and cook them on medium low.  This will allow them to brown and still cook the middles.  They should start to get a little bubbly around the edges, like this:



Once they get bubbly, turn each one about a quarter turn.  My mother-in-law uses a knitting needle for this, and I use one of Mr. W's fancy Korean chopsticks.  You can also use a spoon.  I've discovered that the easiest way to turn them is to kind of skewer them through one side and then lift up (sorry, it's too difficult to take a picture of this one).  Some of the uncooked batter will run to the bottom of the cup and start cooking, which will help give the aebleskivers their nice round shape.

Continue cooking and rotating the aebleskivers until they're a gorgeous golden brown and cooked through.  Add more oil/butter to each cup and heat before starting a new batch.

Serve with powdered sugar or jam and prepare to have your life (or at least your breakfast menu)

changed forever. :)