Bread and Breakfast Archives | Page 14 of 25

Build a Breakfast Burrito Bar

June 16, 2015 by Laura 11 Comments

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My family ranks the Breakfast Burrito Bar as one of the best ways to feed a crowd in the morning!

It seems that I’ve been on a bit of a Build a _________ Bar kick during the past few months. I believe it just makes sense now that my kids are older. They definitely have specific tastes and preferences. Laying out ingredients and letting individuals put together what they like just makes sense.

That, and it’s much less work for me. I like this part best of all.

Beyond the family, the Build a __________ Bar idea is wonderful for company. Guests can fill their bowl or plate just the way they like. This is a great way to accommodate people with food allergies or differing tastes.

So let’s see. Shall we review the Build a ______ Bar ideas I’ve shared up to this point?

I thought surely I had posted about Build a Chef Salad Bar, but I guess I never have. That’s one of the easiest meal ideas, so I highly recommend it.

And now, consider a Breakfast Burrito Bar. This worked wonderfully for company a few weeks ago.

Build a Breakfast Burrito Buffet

Simply lay out breakfast burrito items and let everyone fill their plate according to their tastes. Here are some suggestions for the buffet:

Build a Breakfast Burrito BuffetYum

Warm tortillas
Scrambled eggs
Cooked meat like ham, sausage, or bacon
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Chopped veggies like peppers, onions, and mushrooms
Spinach

Of course, it’s great to offer a variety of fresh fruit for a side dish.

Do you have any other Build a __________ Bar ideas to share? I love how simple this is!

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Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars

May 31, 2015 by Laura 15 Comments

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Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars

almond butter fudge bars 1

I hadn’t spoken to my friend Emily in weeks. This is not because we aren’t getting along (because, grown adults, hello?). This is because I was in the thick of finishing a tough semester with my kids and preparing for graduation for our oldest, not to mention we had to finish our bathroom remodel before all the grad company came (and try to squeeze in this thing called blogging). Emily, as well as many of my dear friends, recognized that if I happened to have any spare time on my hands I should use it to take a shower or scrub the crusted bits of leafy greens off the bottom of my crisper drawer – not answer emails, talk on the phone, or answer questions in the church foyer.

But here and there, I would get a meaningful email or card from Emily. She would start it by saying something like “don’t answer this right now” or “I’m praying for you” because she knew. She knew. (Oh, look at me, tearing up just a little.)

Well one such email – actually – I think it was a quick holler across the church foyer conversation went something like this:

Emily: You know your Coconut Fudge Bars? I really like them but it would also be fun to figure out how to make them a little less peanutty. I wonder if almond butter would work?

Laura: {blank stare}

Emily: Carry on. Maybe I’ll play with it and get back to you.

It’s actually amazing that I remember that conversation at all. God bless all my friends who put up with me during this school year. I am not even kidding. (And all of them nodded in unison as if to say, “Really. She is not even kidding.”)

Not many days after that conversation, I got this email from Emily with the subject line, “Stop the presses!” Here’s what she said,

Okay, you really don’t have to stop anything but I was really excited about this. I felt like it was my DUTY to test out the coconut fudge bar recipe using almond butter instead of peanut butter. Technically I’ve only licked the spoon so far but oh my goodness, it is so good! It really does taste a little like a crunchy almond joy, but more grown up since it’s not too overly sweet. Can’t wait to have one after lunch!

How great is it that she did my recipe experimenting for me? Our family tried the almond butter fudge bar idea on a morning I hadn’t made anything for breakfast and we needed to eat quickly. I mixed these up and found that Emily was very right. These are awesome!

Almond Fudge BarsYum

Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

½ cup almond butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup coconut oil (or another oil of your choice)
½ cup cocoa powder
1½ cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together almond butter, honey, coconut oil, and cocoa.
Remove from heat and stir in oats and coconut flakes.
Spread mixture into a 9×9 inch pan.
Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Makes 8-16 bars, depending on how big/small you cut them.

Hooray for great friends, hooray for a snack/breakfast/treat that can be made in about five minutes, and hooray…just hooray.

How excited are you over this almond butter version of Coconut Fudge Bars? Leave a comment to tell Emily “thank you,” because I can take no credit for this (except for the fact that she’s my friend, which is, of course really because of God, so be sure to tell Him “thank you” as well.)

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Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (With a “To-Go” Option)

May 29, 2015 by Laura 25 Comments

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Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait

Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait 1

There is only one requirement for making this recipe: All parties – including the makers and the recipients – must lick the bowl, dish, cup, spoon, and spatula when preparing, serving, and partaking in each Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait. Lickage (oh, it’s totally a word) is not an option. Failure to lick said bowl, dish, cup, spoon, and spatula will result in…you know, the missing out of the enjoyment of every last taste of goodness. It would be devastating, and friends don’t let friends not lick delicious creaminess out of the bowl. This is how you know how much I love you. I insist on the lickage (pronounced lick-uj). You can thank me later.

You know what is so amazing to me about recipe creation? It is that with just a couple of little tiny tweaks, one recipe becomes another – with very little thought or effort. Case in point: I basically took my Low Sugar Cheesecake filling, tweaked the measurements just a little bit, and spooned it into bowls with layers of sliced strawberries. Really. I’m not as smart as you didn’t think I was. It’s simply a matter of changing things up, of taking one idea and forming another, and also of being way too lazy to bake a cheesecake crust.

It’s also a matter of…fresh strawberries are amazing.

If that’s not motivation enough for you to go to the kitchen immediately to make these, then I should let you know that these little parfaits can be put together in a very short amount of time, they have very little sugar, and they are seriously bowl/dish/cup/spoon/spatula lickin’ good.

Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (serves 6-8)Yum

5.0 from 2 reviews

Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (With a "To-Go" Option)

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

2½ cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Liquid stevia to taste (I use about 20 drops) (Use a few Tablespoons of sugar if you prefer.)
1 -2 pounds fresh, sliced strawberries

Instructions

Place all ingredients (minus the strawberries) into a blender.
Whip until smooth and creamy.
Spoon mixture into bowls or cups - layering them with sliced strawberries.

Lick the blender. Lick the spoons. Lick the spatula that you will use to get every last little bit of goodness out of the blender.

Lick your lips, lick your chin, lick your fingers. That oughta do it.

Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait

And guess what else? I learned that these Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits are perfect for a treat-to-go! Simply layer the parfait in 8-ounce jars, cover with a lid, and take them with you. (Pack a spoon though, because while licking is good, it is rather difficult to be that good of a licker.)

Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait - To Go!

Feeling more like a blueberry, a blackberry, a raspberry, or a peach? By all means, switch out the strawberries with any or all of the above. See, the choice of fruit is optional. It’s the lickage that is a requirement.

Go therefore and begin fighting over which family member gets to lick the spatula.

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The Most Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie (with a Dairy Free Option)

May 26, 2015 by Laura 13 Comments

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Be sure to check out these ten great ideas for how to use fresh cinnamon sticks. And now, idea number 11 for how to use fresh cinnamon sticks. Trust me that when I say Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie – I really do mean amazing. Wowza.

Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie 2

When I came across a recipe similar to this, it claimed that the smoothie tasted just like a fresh cinnamon roll. Hmmm, really? Because have you ever had a fresh cinnamon roll?? I mean, nothing is quite the same as a fresh, warm cinnamon roll straight from the oven dripping with gooey… STOP! That’s just not nice to tease people with talk about freshly baked rolls of cinnomony-ness. Not nice at all.

Let’s very quickly focus on the negatives of freshly baked cinnamon rolls so that we can all stop craving them.

They take forever to make. Hours and hours. A very long time.
Making homemade cinnamon rolls creates many, many dirty dishes – not to mention a crusty counter-top.
Cinnamon rolls can be addicting.
Cinnamon rolls are full of empty calories and sugar. Just think of the stomach ache to follow the indulgence. Misery, it is.

Bleh. Ick. Nothankyou. We absolutely do not want a freshly baked cinnamon roll not even a little bit, no way, nuh-uh.

Clearly, I should have gone into psychology because this tactic is working very, very well to make us believe that fresh, hot cinnamon rolls are disgusting.

(Just now I had to look up how to spell psychology so I guess I’ll stick with writing and recipe creations.)

Now how about this Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie? Here are all the positives and the wonderful reasons we should make these instead of cinnamon rolls:

This smoothie can be made in about two short minutes.
Making this smoothie only dirties a blender and a glass. Fine – and a straw if you’re feeling fancy.
Instead of making you say “okay, but I’ll just eat one more” (three times) like fresh hot cinnamon rolls can do – this smoothie is quite satisfying with one delicious glassful.
Every part of this smoothie offers nourishment.

I’m sure none of us want a fresh hot cinnamon roll anymore. I’ve talked us all out of it. Cravings be gone! Right? Right. Absolutely.

Either way, just go make this simple – no sugar added, by the way – Cinnamon Smoothie. It’s super delicious and you really can make it in about two minutes.

Amazing Cinnamon SmoothieYum

The Most Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie (with a Dairy Free Option)

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Author: Laura

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk or coconut milk
2 ripe, frozen bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Blend ingredients until smooth.
Serve right away.

(I’m pretty sure homemade cinnamon roll instructions are just a tad more lengthy. Just sayin’.)

Amazing Cinnamon Smoothie

If you’re still wanting a homemade cinnamon roll (a real one, like the kind that comes out of a pan in the oven) – I recommend this Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll recipe. Not that you are. After all, you’re about to get up and make this smoothie.

Click over to this post to learn more about picking up some free cinnamon sticks to use in this recipe and others. You’ll also learn how to make Cinnamon Extract, Cinnamon Infused Sugar, Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle Syrup and much more. :)

Now, raise your hand if you definitely do not want a cinnamon roll.

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Low Sugar Lemon Loaf ~ a knock off of a Starbucks knock off

May 19, 2015 by Laura 9 Comments

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Ever had the Starbucks Lemon Loaf? Me neither. But I’ve seen it in their display case and it looks divine.

Recently I came across a recipe knock-off for the famous loaf. Therefore, I decided to make a knock-off of the knock-off. I’m guessing that by now, this recipe barely even resembles the Starbucks variety – except for the part about it being a loaf and being lemony. But yay for recipe inspiration! My family agrees that this recipe is a keeper.

Pucker up, by the way. This bread packs a wonderful, lemony punch. I don’t recommend that you eat this Lemon Bread with Lemon Water unless you want to make funny faces at your family all through breakfast. Come to think of it – definitely do eat the lemon bread with the lemon water. Take selfies. Report back to me.

Or you could just have this bread with coffee or milk. But that would just be sooooo normal.

Low Sugar Lemon Bread2

Low Sugar Lemon LoafYum

Low Sugar Lemon Loaf ~ a knock off of a Starbucks knock off

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
⅓ cup sucanat or brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons melted butter
½ cup melted coconut oil
Lemon Glaze
3 Tablespoons honey
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until well combined. Pour over warm bread.

Instructions

Stir together dry ingredients.
Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, melted butter, and melted coconut oil.
Mix well and pour into a buttered loaf pan.
Bake in a 350° for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Poke hot loaf of bread with said toothpick several times, then pour lemon glaze over the top to coat completely.
Allow the loaf to sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing. Cool on a plate.

Ever tried the Starbucks Lemon Loaf? (P.S. I don’t even like the taste of Starbucks coffee. Is it just me?)

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Whole Wheat Stuffed Cheesy Bread

March 25, 2015 by Laura 14 Comments

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Homemade, soft, pull-apart bread stuffed full of melted cheesy deliciousness? Oh yes.

cheese bread11

What inspired this recipe, you ask? It was pure and total selfishness and that’s the truth.

See, I was serving salad as a main dish for our lunch. The salad was to include mixed greens and other veggies plus flavorful chunks of chicken, so I knew all my men would enjoy it. But I also knew that if I didn’t feed them something a little more substantial with their salad, I’d be hearing the “now what can I have to eat” question right about the time we finished putting salad bowls into the dishwasher.

See? It was selfishness. I did not want to hear that question. I am over that question. That question makes all mothers want to run in unladylike fashion to the far corners of anywhere but the kitchen. Am I right? I am right.

So I searched online for a fun new kind of bread to go with our salads. The boys all thought I made the bread to treat them to something special. Don’t tell them otherwise. Yes boys. I was June Cleaver delighted to make you this special treat for lunch. (And also, I am very, very selfish and wanted to keep your bellies full until the next actual meal time so that I wouldn’t hear the question.)

Now that my confession is out of the way and you understand the heart behind the recipe, you too can be selfish and make this for your family. This might be the best selfish act you and I will ever commit.

Whole Wheat Stuffed Cheesy Bread (adapted from this recipe)Yum

Dough

1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup warm water (about 110°)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Cheese Filling

2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby jack for this)
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, stir together honey, water, and yeast. Allow mixture to sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Add melted butter (be sure it’s not too hot so it won’t kill the yeast). Stir in flour and salt until well combined. Knead dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. (Here’s a video showing you how to knead dough.)

Place dough back in bowl, cover, and allow dough to rest/rise for about one hour. Meanwhile, mix cheese filling ingredients in a bowl.

Heat oven to 450°. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into an 8″ square. Scoop about 1/2 cup cheese mixture onto one side of each square. Fold the dough over the cheese and press edges lightly together. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 6-8 one-inch strips, stopping just before the folded edge. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top of the prepared bread.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Serve right away. Makes 16 Cheesy Bread Sticks.

Note: In the following pictures, you’ll notice that I doubled the recipe.
Instead of 2 cheesy breads, I made 4. I didn’t want to run out. Remember the selfishness.

cheese bread 1

cheese bread 2

cheese bread 3

cheese bread 4

cheese bread 5

cheese bread 6

cheese bread 7

cheese bread 8

cheese bread 10

And there you have it. A delicious act of selfishness. This was a perfect side with our salads. This bread also tastes great dipped in pizza sauce.

Whole Wheat Stuffed Cheesy Bread

Are you also tired of the question?

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The Best Mocha You’ll Ever Need

February 22, 2015 by Laura 37 Comments

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Aside from telling you that I have a mocha recipe for you, I have nothing cute to say. That time of year has hit in which not only is it still winter, it is also still winter.

Yesterday I saw a picture of myself wearing a sun dress and sporting a healthy tan. “Oh, oooh!! Remember that!?” I exclaimed to my husband. “That picture was taken on that really fun day when our family did that really fun stuff because the SUN WAS SHINING and it was HOT OUTSIDE.” He just grinned and handed me another blanket.

I’m thankful for every day and all that. God is good all the time, you can bet on it. If summer never comes, it really is okay because I have Jesus. Look at me, I’m like Paul. I have learned to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Whether I’m freezing or freezing or even if I’m freezing. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

That’s from Philippians chapter 4 in case you want to find more encouragement from that passage, to read it within its context, or maybe to be sure I quoted it accurately. My brain gets a little fuzzy after enduring forty-three months of winter in a row.

I know that really, I have nothing to complain about. I have a roof over my head, a beautiful fireplace, and a husband to pat me on the head and hand me another blanket when I burst into tears over a picture of myself in a sun dress from last summer. I’m very blessed, the sun will shine again, and someday soon but probably not for at least 68 more days – I will be warm. Can we just talk about something else now?

I came up with a little something to help me cope with my issues this afternoon. Some might call it a Mocha. Some might call it a Warm Chocolate Soother with a little coffee stirred in. I’d like to call it the answer to every cold, desperate woman’s need for warmth and sunshine. Not that I really have issues or am what one might call desperate.

mocha 1

Yum

I just need some sunshine, okay?

So this. This mug of goodness saved the day…

Warm Nourishing Mocha 2

It’s Warm Chocolate Soother mixed with coffee. The idea came from a dear reader, Missy, from South Carolina. She sent me the idea months ago, then I remembered it while huddled beside my space heater this afternoon. Here’s part of her email:

Good morning! It’s a cold, wet, blustery day here in South Carolina. I awoke to the sound of wind and rain hitting my windows. My first thought was to brew a cup of coffee, but then I thought of my 2 boys and wondered what they would like to have warm and yummy. I thought about your Warm Chocolate Soother and knew it would be perfect!

I gathered all the ingredients and set about making the soother. I tweaked the recipe and used half whole milk and half unsweetened almond milk. I love using real food ingredients to make treats for my family. It all came together and I served my boys a mug full. They loved it!

I served myself a cup of chocolate soother and tasted it – yum! Then I remembered that I had wanted a cup of coffee. I decided to mix the two. Oh boy – it was GOOD! I have my coffee and the warm chocolate soother in my mug and I am a happy girl! I know how you have begun enjoying coffee and wanted to share this with you, if you haven’t already discovered this! Thank you for your Warm Chocolate Soother recipe – now to try coffee and Warm Vanilla Soother next! Many blessings for today! :)

Everyone (probably, especially, and mostly my husband) thanks you, Missy, for the fantastic idea. Not only is this drink warm, comforting, and delicious – it is also very nourishing and can double as a filling breakfast or snack.

How to Make a Warm, Nourishing Mocha

Mix 1 cup Warm Chocolate Soother with 1 cup coffee. Or 5 cups Warm Chocolate Soother with 5 cups coffee. Or whatever it takes for you to survive these last few weeks of winter.

Warm, Nourishing Mocha

You’ll notice that I put my mocha in a bright yellow cup just so that I could pretend I was was drinking from a cup of sunshine. And look. I’m all better now.

Winter won’t get the best of us, friends. We’ve got this! Now hand me another blanket.

(How’s winter treating you, by the way?)

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Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls – a Quick and Filling Breakfast To-Go!

February 5, 2015 by Laura 15 Comments

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Oh man (lady – whatever). You are going to love this idea! Unless you don’t like eggs. But for those of you who love eggs, and for everyone who wants an easy, real food meal that will pack a punch with nutrition and keep you full until the next meal…

Please allow me to introduce you to these delightful little Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls:

See that? The ham is the bowl. Isn’t that clever? I didn’t think of this myself, but was enlightened by my friend who was excited to tell me about her fun breakfast of the day. She knew I’d need to know about this idea. She knows me (and my hungry crew) well, don’t you think?

Everyone get out your muffin tins and get ready to have some fun.

How to make Ham and Egg Breakfast BowlsYum

You will need:

Muffin Tins
Thin Slices of Ham
Eggs
Shredded Cheese
Sea Salt
Garnish like Fresh Spinach, Green Chilies, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, or Salsa

Push a piece of thinly sliced ham down into each muffin cup.

Crack an egg into each “ham bowl.” Poke each egg yolk with a fork and carefully scrambled it around inside the bowl. Sprinkle with salt, top with cheese, and garnish however you like. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

You can make these ahead of time, then rewarm them for a quick, ready-made breakfast or lunch! (That’s my favorite part, of course.)

You can also scrambled up your eggs in a dish, and then scoop some out into each ham bowl if you prefer. My kids like the texture of these better if I do it that way.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls - a Quick and Filling Breakfast To-Go!

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Laura

Ingredients

Muffin Tins
Thin Slices of Ham
Eggs
Shredded Cheese
Sea Salt
Garnish like Fresh Spinach, Green Chilies, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, or Salsa

Instructions

Push a piece of thinly sliced ham down into each muffin cup.
Crack an egg into each "ham bowl."
Poke each egg yolk with a fork and carefully scrambled it around inside the bowl.
Sprinkle with salt, top with cheese, and garnish however you like.
Bake in a 350° oven for 10-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

Is this idea genius, or what? You must try this! :)

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Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

January 9, 2015 by Laura 24 Comments

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Hallelujah, this peanut butter cake has less sugar than most breakfast muffins! This isn’t difficult, of course, because who decided it was a good idea to stir a bunch of sugar, corn syrup, and white flour together and call it “breakfast?” My apologies to all the donuts, poptarts, and poofy-puffs out there who just got their feelings hurt. It’s really not your fault.

Peanut Butter Cake

Indeed, not only do I serve this for desserts or snacks, I have been known to serve it for breakfast.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “This girl makes cake for breakfast all the time!” Okay fine. You caught me. (Other breakfast cake recipes: My Original Breakfast Cake and Pumpkin Breakfast Cake)

We do quite a few breakfast cakes around here, and I keep inventing more ideas. This is because breakfast cakes are easy and filling. My current favorite way to make breakfast is to bake a cake the night before, frost it with stevia sweetened frosting, then wake up to a ready-made meal. Pull out applesauce and fresh berries, and breakfast is served.

Here’s a little known secret about muffin and quick bread recipes: The batter can usually be spread into a 9×13 inch pan and baked into a cake. If you sub out white flour with whole wheat, replace the large amount of white sugar for a smaller amount of sucanat or honey, you have yourself a delicious and fun breakfast.

Serve meat or eggs with your cake if you need additional protein to start your day. Always serve fruit with your breakfast. (Sometimes I’m bossy.)

Low Sugar Peanut Butter CakeYum

5.0 from 1 reviews

Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
¼ cup peanut butter
½ cup sucanat
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and peanut butter.
Stir melted mixture into the sucanat.
Add eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.
Mix well, then stir in flour and mix until smooth.
Pour batter into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in a 350° oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup natural peanut butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia

Whip together all ingredients until thick and smooth, sweetening with stevia to taste. Spread over cooled cake.

Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

Before anyone else can say it, I’m going to. “Did you see how much fat is in that frosting?!?!”

Mm-hmm. If it isn’t obvious to you by now by reading posts from this butter and coconut oil loving girl, it should be very clear to you how important I believe it is to eat plenty of healthy, real fats. Our brains need fat to thrive! (Why yes I have researched this for hours and hours.) It just so happens I’m nourishing my brain by eating this cake with a thick layer of frosting.

The low amount of sugar in this cake (which I cut into 24 pieces, by the way) combined with whole grains and healthy fats makes for a very nourishing treat. In case you’re wondering, the reason I use cream cheese and cream in my stevia sweetened frosting recipes is because when whipped together, those cream products provide bulk (taking the place of three cups of powdered sugar). Also – it’s cream cheese and cream! Does life get any yummier?

So there you go. If you haven’t served cake for breakfast yet, do this. Tell your kids I said, “You’re welcome.”

What’s your breakfast cake status? Tried it yet?

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Homemade {Easy} Tapioca Pudding

December 31, 2014 by Laura 41 Comments

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You know what’s bad about feeding my family beans? (Well, besides that.) It’s that I almost always forget to soak the beans ahead of time. This does not work, even a little bit, unfortunately. Crunchy beans do not make good chili.

As you can imagine, then, when it comes to making Tapioca Pudding, I am never prepared. Every recipe I’ve found calls for soaking the tapioca pearls overnight or longer. Then, most of them tell me to cook the tapioca pudding for a bazillion minutes in a double boiler.

tapioca pearls

See, I’m just not into recipes that require all kinds of thought and effort. Plus, I don’t even own a double boiler. My rebellious “yeah, I don’t want to go to the trouble to do it that way” recipe reading self sometimes gets into trouble. Usually though, I find that I can take short-cuts and still turn out a good product.

Real food recipes become easy, time consuming tasks become effortless, and recipes with twenty-seven steps become no-brainers. This is how this Tapioca Pudding recipe came to be. I suddenly got hungry for the comfort food Tapioca Pudding…and I wanted some right now. “Soak the tapioca pearls in milk then cook it in a double-boiler until Christmas morning 2019” just wasn’t going to cut it. What if? I thought. What if I just pour the tapioca into the milk along with my other delicious ingredients, and start cooking it in a plain ol’ saucepan?

But then the Follow All Instructions Exactly Police showed up at my door, so I’m actually writing this post from prison.

At least we can now all benefit from knowing this is super easy and delicious way to make Tapioca Pudding. Here’s how I did it:

Homemade {Easy} Tapioca PuddingYum

5.0 from 2 reviews

Homemade {Easy} Tapioca Pudding

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Author: Laura

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup tapioca pearls (unsoaked, booyah!)
4 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks (save the whites for something else)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup real maple syrup (more if you like)
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Instructions

Measure tapioca pearls, milk, egg yolks, sea salt, and maple syrup into a medium sauce pan.
Use a whisk to cook and stir constantly over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until tapioca pearls have "popped" and pudding is thick.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Serve right away, or refrigerate.
This tastes great hot or cold.

I have yet to convince my boys that Tapioca Pudding is the bomb-diggity of comfort foods. You’d think me calling cooked tapioca pearls “eye-balls” would have at least intrigued them a little bit, but nope. They think those tapioca things are weird. My youngest actually suggested that perhaps Tapioca Pudding might taste good “without those tapioca things.” Oh well, more for me.

Do take heed of the “stir constantly” instructions in this recipe. While I’m obviously always eager to break rules and go about cooking my own way without following recipes word-for-word, walking away from your cooking tapioca pudding would be a very, very bad idea. Scorched milk, crunchy uncooked tapioca pearls, and black floaties in your pudding really will cause the I Told You So Police to show up at your door. Ask me how I know.

Are you a fan of tapioca pudding, or would you rather it didn’t have those tapioca things in there?

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