Bringing Breakfast Back

What mom doesn't want her kids to start the day with a healthy, hot breakfast?? There's nothing like awakening to the smell of pancakes, bacon (and coffee!!!!) to whet your appetite but my kids haven't always receieved my pancake breakfasts with much gusto. I enjoy cooking so naturally I enjoy making breakfast but with two picky kids, and a picky hubby, I haven't always made the effort. Making a big stack of fluffy, homemade blueberry pancakes to then be the only one to eat them is a bit disheartening. So I decided to take a few shortcuts. I wasn't going to spend all that time anymore for food that might get eaten.
First, I started playing with pancake mixes and found I like them even better than making them from scratch. It can be as simple as adding water or a little more involved with the addition of eggs and oil. My favorite is Krusteaz whole wheat. You can add your own fruit, nuts, spices and toppings to make the mix your own. I also add a side of microwaved bacon...I know what you're thinking. Microwaved bacon??? But listen, taking the time to fry bacon and clean up the mess defeats the purpose of making a quick meal. I've found the microwavable version to be just as crisp and satisfying as the original and my kids love it. I also have a new secret weapon- peanut butter! They like it on crackers, in their sandwiches and now...spread on their pancakes!! It also doesn't hurt to give them their own little cups of syrup. Somehow it's more fun when they can pour it themselves.
Some other easy favorites to try:
- A Sunny "Sandy-Eggo" whole-wheat toaster waffles with cinnamon, sugar and a side of fruit (a slice of orange with slices of strawberries to resemble, you guessed it! The sun!)
- A mug omelette...2 eggs mixed with cheese and your favorite mix-ins (salsa, ham, olives...etc.) microwaved on high for 2 minutes in a mug. Voila! A hand-held omelette!
- Digging for treasure...jazz up packets of microwavable oatmeal with fruit and nuts on the bottom that the kids have to "dig" for.
It doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious! So go ahead, feed your little (and big!) rascals a warm, hearty breakfast and start the day right.

Breakfast for my champions!

Don't forget! There's still time to get your cheesecake on...for half price! All day, Cheesecake Factory is selling their cheesecake at a discount. It's dine-in only and one slice per person. We got our four slices and boy, will we be eating it for days!