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Easy Lemon Chicken Zucchini for Breakfast

October 24, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

As promised, in the What To Do with All the Zucchini post, here’s the actual recipe to one of my new favorite breakfasts. Since I have to give the thing a name, I settled on Easy Lemon Chicken Zucchini. But really we call it the “lemon zucchini thing.” Is it easy? Or is it simple? Is it simply easy? Or easily simple? No matter which way you want to look at it, it’s real food that fuels my body and gets me ready for another awesome day. Bonus: It’s paleo! Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free… but not boring or complicated.

Chicken and zucchini for breakfast?

Do you have to eat it for breakfast? Duh, no. But for some reason I do. That’s about all I have to say on that. Eat it for any old meal you like, but I needed more grain-free breakfast food ideas. The paleo diet is not at all restricting once you get the hang of it, but the western culture has this idea that breakfasts are for all the sugar and carbs, or either all the protein and fats… and as it turns out, there is no authority that says you can’t have chicken and zucchini for breakfast, therefore I do.

Easy Lemon Chicken ZucchiniYum

 

lemon chicken squash

We used a yellow summer squash for this one!

If you’re using a cast iron skillet, remember to slowly pre-heat it so it’s ready to go. (Check out this post for tips on how to use a cast iron skillet.)Pre-heat for a few minutes and then melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter. While the skillet is heating and the butter melting, chop a summer squash—a yellow summer squash or a zucchini both work interchangeably in this recipe. OR A CUCUMBER. It sounds nuts to me, but my dear, sweet husband accidentally chopped a cucumber for this recipe instead of a zucchini and I could smell that it was a cucumber and I could see that it was a cucumber and by-golly I could taste that it was a cucumber, but it was surprisingly delicious. (He did not believe me that it was a cucumber until he tasted the final product for himself.) So we laughed and then ate our breakfast, but now we know… a cucumber fried in a bit of butter in place of squash is still yummy.

Okay, the skillet is pre-heated and the butter is melted, now toss in the squash. (I like to scrape out the middle if it’s a larger zucchini because I think it gets soggy and I don’t like it. ) Let it cook for two minutes and then flip and stir it about. When it’s right on the edge of being done add in a can of chicken. Season with salt and pepper and pour 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the top. It will sizzle and smell amazing.

Lemonize at your own risk.

Ben made this recipe the first two times. (Once with the cucumber in disguise and once with a zucchini.) When I made it, he wasn’t around to ask how much lemon juice to use. Thankfully I’m a pretty smart gal and I used two tablespoons. I even measured it out on purpose to make sure I could tell you exactly how much I used. Two tablespoons was the perfect amount for me. As long as you stir it up well. If you’re scared, just start with one and see how it goes.

What are your thoughts on squash for breakfast?


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett is Laura’s friend and author of the Christian romance Bluebird on the Prairie set in 1879, Nebraska. Though she used to be a closet Cheeto eater, she’s been on a strict paleo died for months to help fight migraines (with great success). She often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher and has a hard time going more than a few days without any homemade chocolate bars. Her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to encourage and entertain women. She spends most of her time with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband; they give her the kind of love people write books about.

To find out more about Tasha and her fiction writing, connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

December 16, 2020 by Bethany Lotulelei Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I love baking, but who wants to spend all day in the kitchen when there’s hot chocolate to sip, family memories to make, and stockings to open? I am all about doing the work days earlier so you have a stress-free, peaceful holiday with your family. That’s why I put together this list of Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas, to encourage you to get that baking done ahead of time so you have more time with your family.

Just in case you, too, are looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen this holiday season, here are a few of our favorite tried and true Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas!

Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Mix and Match Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

1.Make-Ahead Pumpkin Donuts

We can mix up the pumpkin donuts, roll out the dough, cut the shapes, then freeze the uncooked dough on parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheets. We transfer the frozen dough into freezer bags, then any time we want fresh donuts (and when would we notwant fresh donuts?), we can grab some out of the freezer and fry them up fresh to eat while sipping a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!

2. Yogurt Parfait Bar

Simply purchase the ingredients beforehand, make the granola or other add-ins a few days beforehand, chop up the fruit the day before, and you are set!

Here are some of my favorite toppings:

  • Containers of your family’s favorite yogurt
  • Stevia, maple syrup, or honey if you haven’t already sweetened the yogurt
  • A variety of fresh berries or peaches (make the process faster in the morning by cutting the fruit ahead of time)
  • Dried fruit options
  • Coconut Flakes
  • Cinnamon Sugar Pecans or other nuts or seeds your family enjoys
  • Dark Chocolate Almond Granola, Regular Granola, or Grape Nuts Cereal

3. Make-Ahead Muffins

I have to know:  Is this “freezing muffin batter” a brand new idea to you, or have you tried it before?  Once I tried this and learned how well it worked, I went on a muffin freezing frenzy (as confessed above). I now have Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin batter, Blueberry Muffin batter, Chocolate Chip Muffin batter (recipe in Kids in the Kitchen eBook), and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffin batter in my freezers. What a time saver!

Looking for a few new recipes to try for Christmas morning? Check out this list of 23 Muffin recipes!

4. Frozen Yogurt Cups

This recipe is easy enough for your kiddos to make! Invite them into the kitchen, and whip these up together!

5. Homemade Poptarts


I love to make these poptarts and freeze them before I bake them. On a day I declare to be a Poptart Morning, I pull a few out and bake enough for each person to have a couple with our eggs and fruit. So good!

6. Giant Breakfast Cookies

Make the dough ahead of time, scoop the cookies out unto cookie sheets, freeze the cookie dough balls, and you’re set! Hot breakfast cookies on Christmas morning! Serve with fruit, and bacon (of course).

7. Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite special breakfasts. Make your biscuits ahead of time, and pop them in the freezer then make your gravy the day before, and heat it up in the morning. Easy peasy!

8. Cinnamon Rolls

I couldn’t make a list of Christmas breakfasts without including Cinnamon Rolls! These are deliciously easy, and mostly low in sugar! They kind of resemble those frozen orange rolls you can buy in the freezer section – except that these have a little bit of nutritional value and not nearly as much sugar, so we can all rejoice.

What is your favorite breakfast to make for Christmas morning?

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Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

October 25, 2020 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Tasha brought these Granookies to our family along with a meal when our newborn moved in with us in September. They are SO GOOD and I felt great letting our toddlers eat them along with the rest of us! (Bonus peek at “Baby Sister”—>)


Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

by Tasha Hackett

When you want a cookie, but you’re actually starving and what you need is a hearty snack or breakfast? Never fear, granookie is here! Granookie is a granola cookie and is the next best thing to stir-and-pour bread. (Go ahead and add Granookie to your dictionary.

No, it’s not spelled wrong, your computer just isn’t up with the times.) It’s not simple, being that it has about a thousand ingredients and then there’s the whole stirring and making into cookie balls and baking. . . okay, it’s still pretty simple. Especially so because this recipe makes 5-6 dozen cookies. I bake one pan for eating right away, and I freeze the rest into premade cookie balls for a fresh granookie snack or breakfast or dessert for later. Tip: Freeze on a flat pan and then transfer to a bag once frozen.

bagged granola cookie

Yum

Granola Cookie: Granookie

Before you skim straight to the recipe for the granookie, you may want to take a few things into account. These are low-sugar and mildly sweet, but not nearly as sweet as cookies, nor even as sweet as traditional granola. In addition, there is a hearty mix of nuts and seeds that makes them deliciously healthy, along with the whole grain addition to stock you up on healthy carbs, fiber, and an exorbitant amount of vitamins and minerals. However, can we cut the healthy talk and just be amazed at how delicious these are and hand them out guilt free? 

Whole grain for the win!

I always use fresh-ground flour when baking these. Either soft or hard wheat will work, though I use soft white wheat as it is marginally cheaper than hard wheat. If you’re using store-bought flour, you may need a touch less in your recipe. But it’s a fairly forgiving recipe. 

I developed over the past year after much frustration of my granola crumbling everywhere. I’ll sheepishly tell you that I changed it every time because I didn’t follow the recipe… but people kept asking me how to made these granola cookies (and I’d correct them, “It’s called a granookie.”) so I was determined to write down legit measurements and this is the winner! 

Granola Cookie

Enjoy!


homeschool momTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and a bedroom closet jalapeno Cheeto eater. She lives in the great Midwest where the winter whisks your breath away and the summer smothers. Laura is still here, but likes to take a shower every now and then and let Tasha play on the blog. In other news, Tasha’s debut novel, a historical fiction romance, is currently being evaluated by a publisher. She’s been lost in the 1800’s for decades, dreaming of ways to bring her heroes to a happily ever after.

 

Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie

Low Sugar Granookie: Granola Cookie
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: cookie
Serves: 60
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups of Butter
  • ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Caramel Flavoring (I use this one.)
  • 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 3 Cups Thick Rolled Oats
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1 Cup Slivered Almonds
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
  • ⅓ Cup Sunflower Seeds
  • 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
  • ½ Cup Butterscotch Chips
Instructions
  1. Whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs, flavoring, and dry ingredients. Add the nuts and seeds and chips. Dough will be quite firm.
  2. Form into cookie sized balls and bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes (until golden brown). They do not flatten much.
3.5.3251
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Simple Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles

June 11, 2017 by Laura 12 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

When it comes to kitchen appliances, I’m sure most of us would agree that we don’t want any gadgets that only serve one purpose. Never shall I own a Quesadilla Maker or a Hot Dog Toaster (yes, that is a real thing).

But a waffle iron? Sure, we can assume they only make waffles and therefore wonder if they are worth the purchase because of the single job they perform. But guess what? I’ve been on a “what else can I make in my waffle iron?” kick lately, and I’m here to share some delightful waffle iron hacks!

The Waffle Iron: Good for so much more than just making waffles. Check it out…

eggs and cheese hashbrown waffles2

It looks like a regular waffle. But it’s eggs, cheese, and hashbrowns, and it’s ridiculously good.

Why Waffle Iron Experiments?

Perhaps it’s the ease of making food in a waffle iron, the fact that I can easily offer a “made to order” option for picky eaters, and that I can make as many “waffles” that we need as we need them. Using a waffle iron instead of an oven on a hot day is also a huge perk because it doesn’t heat up the house!

And the best part: it’s fun. Somehow making food in the shape of a waffle is more fun than making food in the shape of normal.

Earlier this week I shared how you can make Waffle Omelets (otherwise known as Womelets). Later I will show you how you can make Waffle Muffins (perhaps we will call them Wuffins, though we hesitate to get carried away). And who knows what else this summer will bring as we avoid turning on the oven and test our waffle iron to the limits.

Today, I show you how to make Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles. These are hearty and filling, naturally gluten/grain free, can be adapted for each family member’s preferences, and are fun to serve. The only difference is that there is no obvious way to cleverly rename these because saying Washbrowns is just weird.

Simple Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles

Simple Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 6 eggs
  • 1½ pounds frozen hashbrowns (or freshly made, see link below)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • Add in options: chopped meat, chopped veggies such as onions, pepper, mushrooms, or asparagus
Instructions
  1. Whisk eggs and stir in all other ingredients.
  2. (For picky eaters, leave the add-in options separate to add to each waffle individually.)
  3. Scoop ½-3/4 cup of egg/hashbrown mixture into waffle iron.
  4. Top with add-ins.
  5. Close waffle iron and cook for 3-5 minutes until brown and crispy.
  6. Serve as is or with hot sauce if desired.
3.4.3177

Want to make your own hashbrowns to keep in the freezer? Learn an easy method here!

Simple Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles

Recipes for your Waffle Iron

  • Whole Wheat Waffles (it is so obvious)
  • Overnight Waffle Batter (great to have on hand and use as needed!)
  • Cookies or Brownies in your Waffle Iron (seriously fun!)
  • Waffle Omelets (my family loves these like crazy!)
  • Waffle Muffins (coming soon)
  • Strawberry Shortcake Waffles (also coming soon)
  • Look out because I’m on a waffle iron kick. What else will I come up with?!?!

Have any ideas for me? What creative ways have you found to use your waffle iron?

If you haven’t picked up your copy of The Prayer Mugs we’d love for you to get this 96-page parenting prayer packet full of lessons, stories, encouragement, printables, scripture, study guides, and prayer prompts! (Read more about this beautiful resource here.)

PrayerMugsprev

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49 Favorite Breakfast Freezer Foods

September 11, 2016 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Bunches and bunches of our favorite breakfast freezer foods…coming up!

49 Breakfast Freezer Foods

First, some of my favorite breakfast tips (that my family supports 100%):

Biscuits and Gravy Made EasyYum

You know how Biscuits and Gravy is one of those breakfasts you save for special occasions because it takes quite a bit of effort to prepare? What if you could follow these Freezer Biscuit instructions and have Turkey Sausage made ahead of time so you can quickly put together Sausage Gravy while your effortless biscuits are in the oven? Then you can have Biscuits and Gravy on the table within just a few minutes without breaking a sweat. My family loves it when I do this! (More details here.)

Biscuits and Gravy

Breakfast Casserole Made Easy

And Breakfast Casserole. That sounds intense right? Except that it’s not intense when you use this recipe and make it ahead of time.

cinnamon_muffins_with_casserole

Cinnamon Rolls Made Easy

How about Cinnamon Rolls? Well now those are for special occasions. Yes, because of the sugar. But not because of the work. Try these No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls that you can make ahead of time and freeze!

cinnamon_rolls

Muffins Made Easy

We’re all in love with the fact that we can mix up muffin batter and freeze it in muffin cups for easy fresh muffin baking! If you haven’t tried this yet, get all the details here. You will LOVE IT!

Freeze Your Muffin Batter 3

And now, from oatmeal cups to muffins to burritos, here are 49 great, real food recipes that can be made ahead of time and frozen.

49 Favorite Breakfast Freezer Foods

  • Applesauce Bread
  • Bacon Cheese Muffins
  • Baked Oatmeal Cups
  • Banana Bread and Muffins
  • Blueberry Streusel Muffins
  • Breakfast Burritos
  • Breakfast Cake Muffins
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Chocolate Swirl Bread
  • Chocolate Swirl Muffins
  • Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  • Cinnamon Swirl Bread
  • Cracklin’ Oat Bran Cereal (Not as much a freezer food as a food that can be made ahead of time for ease. But you can freeze this if you like!)
  • Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  • Crustless Breakfast Quiches
  • Easy Breakfast Casserole (I usually put this together and freeze it un-baked.)
  • Eggnog Muffins
  • Giant Breakfast Cookies
  • Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls
  • Hashbrowns
  • Honey Cinnamon Muffins
  • Honey Whole Wheat Bagels
  • Lemon Bread
  • Mini Apple Pies
  • Mini Breakfast Pizza
  • Multi-Grain Pumpkin Waffles and Pancakes
  • Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
  • Orange Muffins
  • Pancake Muffins
  • Pancake and Sausage Muffins
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Peanut Butter Pancakes
  • Poptarts
  • Pumpkin Breakfast Cake
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Simple Whole Wheat Pancakes
  • Snickerdoodle Muffins
  • Strawberry Bread
  • Strawberry Cream Muffins
  • Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins
  • Turkey Sausage (I like to make 10-12 pounds at once and freeze it in 1 pound packages.)
  • Vanilla Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping
  • Whole Wheat and Honey Zucchini Bread and Muffins
  • Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
  • Whole Wheat Waffles
  • Zucchini Carrot Bread

Time Saving Tip: These Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls are tasty and wonderful, but they only save time if you make a bunch ahead and freeze them to warm up later. If you haven’t made them ahead and want ham and eggs for breakfast, I’d skip the cute bowl making step and just quickly scramble ham, eggs, and cheese together. :)

Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls

Did you see the 24 Favorite Main Dish Freezer Meals I shared last week?

Coming up during the next few days, I’ve got some great new freezer breakfast food tips!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Valentine Breakfast in Bed? Or Just Breakfast.

February 10, 2016 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

heartpretzelssm

Heart-Shaped Pretzels.
I don’t have time to make these this year. Maybe you can.

Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday this year is messing with me. Some people are like, “Yay, Sunday! I’ll have more time to make it special.” Me? I’m like, “Oh goodie. I get to try to make something special out of our busiest day of the week, which is followed by a day away from home at basketball games, which comes at the end of a crazy busy last ten days.”

Pity party much, Laura? Eh, more like simply trying to find my wits while figuring out the logistics of making Valentine’s Day fun for my fam. Sure we could wait and celebrate on the 15th – except that we can’t because that is Justus’ 16th birthday and we’ll be all about Justus that day.

Making Valentine’s Day special is going to be a family affair this year – which works just fine because our boys are big and capable. We’ve all been in cahoots, and if you recall, we plan to make a big fried chicken dinner together that day. This is ultimately a terrible plan for a Sunday meal for us since it takes so long to prepare and we are all usually starving by the time we get home from church. But whatever. I guess we’ll come home from church, start the chicken frying, then eat our salad course while we wait. I plan to have the mashed potatoes made ahead of time. The boys can make a dessert on Friday before we go to basketball games. There, that oughta do it.

So breakfast.

There will not be time for me to stand at the griddle making our traditional heart-shaped pancakes that morning before church. Plus I’d prefer not to dirty up the kitchen at breakfast, rush out the door, then come home to make fried chicken around a bunch of breakfast mess.

I’ve decided instead to make one of our family favorites: Oatmeal Breakfast Bars – with a few chocolate chips sprinkled in (because chocolate chips turn these into something Valentine-y, right?). I can bake them Friday since I’ll be gone all day Saturday. If I have time Sunday morning, I’ll make strawberry smoothies to go with the bars.

While thinking about breakfast for Valentine’s Day, I remembered a menu planning resource I created a few years ago. This has 31 Real Food Breakfast Ideas, all of which are linked to the recipes you’ll need. Help yourself! Hopefully it will give you some breakfast inspiration if you need it (for Valentine’s Day and beyond)!

31 Days of Real Food Breakfast Ideas

I wanted to also remind you of a fantastic gift for Valentine’s Day that doesn’t involve the kids. (I mean, we love ’em – but Valentine’s Day night we anxiously shoo them off to bed so we can finally have some alone time.)

A MELT Massage For Couples package is so much better than any other gift I can think of. Most other gifts are eaten (chocolate) or die (flowers) and become only a memory. The MELT series is a forever gift. You can enjoy it on Valentine’s Day, the day after that, every other Tuesday, during times of joy, during times of stress… See? A forever gift.

I love (and need!) massages, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. Matt and I have really enjoyed the MELT Massage For Couples videos and lessons. As I’ve said before – these are very tastefully done so you don’t have to worry about anything weird. They simply teach great massage techniques to bless your relationship!

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My New Year’s Resolution to Stop Making Breakfast

January 5, 2016 by Laura 16 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

egg_casserole_meal
For all of my (18+) parenting years I have been making breakfast for our family. Cereal has been a rarity, saved only for the “I can’t even” mornings. Big breakfasts for our family have been necessary and good for the following reasons:

  • Our growing boys need to eat something substantial to keep them full until lunchtime.
  • Fixing one big breakfast for everyone has been easiest up until now.
  • Eating our meal together has been a special time as we begin our days together with yummy food and Bible time.

I’ve always been a careful planner, adding a breakfast plan into our overall meal plans for the week. I’ve worked to make breakfast foods the night before to make the mornings simpler. This has all been working well for years and years. It’s been working so well, in fact, that it has been a part of our nightly routine for the boys to ask in anticipation, “What’s for breakfast tomorrow?!”

The past few months, however, I’ve been growing a bit burned-out on breakfast prep. Our days are constantly full, our evenings are super busy, and lately when the boys have asked the nightly question, “What’s for breakfast tomorrow?” I’ve had an unseemly urge to grunt loudly and throw a pillow at them. Sweet, huh? Bet you wish I was your mom.

Breakfast? I am so over it. Ask me again in a few years when my daily life-with-teenagers schedule demands aren’t so…demanding. Of course, by then there will be fewer people here to feed in the mornings and I’ll not know how to make less than a triple batch of waffles. So basically I’ll be having breakfast issues for the rest of my life.

It’s Time for a ChangeYum

I am giving in to a new way of doing breakfast around here. My morning God time before all the boys get up is so dear to me and basically necessary to my family’s survival – even more than food. This mom needs her quiet chair time in which she spends time seeking Jesus while drinking coffee and soaking in the Word. My sanity depends on it, so I think we can all agree that staying in the chair for as long as possible each morning is much more important than baking muffins.

Instead of cutting into my sleep (no, no, no, no, no!) or my God time (we’ve been through this already) I’m checking breakfast off my to-do list. I’m not done eating this meal, mind you. We will all continue to eat breakfast. I’m just done regularly cooking big breakfasts for everyone on a regular basis. Deciding this has been a pleasantly nice relief. I didn’t even know it was bothering me that much. (The urge to throw pillows woke me up to the truth.)

The New Breakfast Plan

We still need to eat breakfast. We still want to eat this meal as a family. We still want to have our family Bible time together first thing in the mornings. But from now on, the boys will figure out their own breakfasts (except for the rare occasion I find my sanity at an earlier hour and surprise them with French toast).

Remember how I told you that teaching your kids to cook when they are young (or old) comes back to bless you one hundred fold when they are older? This is one of those glorious times. My boys are so capable! They can all prepare a simple breakfast for themselves each morning. Then we can all sit down together as normal and instead of starting my day overwhelmed, I’ll sit down with everyone and enjoy our morning devotional.

Breakfast Food Options

There will almost always be eggs and fruit for the boys to start with as they figure out their breakfast plan each morning. They can all scramble or fry eggs. Here are other options that will be available (though not always at the same time):

  • Stir-n-Pour Bread

    Because this bread is so easy to make, we frequently have some hanging out and ready to eat. It toasts up nicely and makes a tasty part of breakfast.stir and pour bread loaf 5
  • Granola ~ 5-Minute Stove-Top Version
    I can easily whip up a batch of this or have one of the boys do it. It keeps for quite a while too, so making huge batches is a good idea – then we have it for breakfast options for a few weeks.5-Minute Stove-Top Granola
  • Muffins or Bars (loads of recipes here!)If one of us finds ourselves with time the afternoon or night before, we can prep some baked goods to go with breakfast the next day. It is so helpful to have these on hand IF we can squeeze it in.raspberry_bars_8
  • Homemade Instant Oatmeal
    I always have a big jarful of instant oatmeal ready for the boys to make for themselves. It is a life-changing recipe. Make some of this if you haven’t already.Instant Oatmeal in a Jar
  • Giant Breakfast CookiesOne of the boys can mix these up and bake them. Then we can keep them in the freezer to pull out as needed.
    breakfast_cookies

Those basic options, along with eggs and fruit will take care of our breakfasts just fine. When I do have time to make pancakes or waffles, I’ll be sure to make extra for the freezer for additional options.

So there you have it. My new breakfast plan for our family. I no longer feel like throwing pillows. Now to figure out a new and improved laundry system…

How do you do breakfast at your house?

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5-Minute Stove-top Granola Recipe – It is Too Easy!

October 12, 2015 by Laura 26 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Stove-Top Granola

Once upon a time, I spent five minutes stirring together melted coconut oil, sucanat, and oats in order to top an Apple Crisp. (I was making it dairy free for a friend.) While making it, I didn’t measure my ingredients (surprise, surprise) so when it came time to top my apples, I had too much topping. Oh well. I’d store them for later. Into a jar they went (surprise, surprise).

Later, my 13-year old came into the kitchen and saw the jar of apple crisp topping, about which he said, “Ooh, what kind of granola is this?” It was at that moment that I realized that all we had to do was stir in coconut flakes, almonds, dried fruit – whatever we wanted – and we’d have granola.

It was in the next moment that I decided that I might make granola like this every single time because it only took five minutes and it was too easy.

Friends, I present to you:

5-Minute Stove-Top GranolaYum

Make it on the fly. Make it ahead of time. Serve it with add-in options. It will be one of the easiest breakfast or snack options ever.

4.7 from 3 reviews
5-Minute Stove-top Granola
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
Author: Laura
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 cups whole oats
  • ¼ cup sucanat
  • 1 cup coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Melt coconut oil in a medium-sized pan on the stove.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in oats and sucanat.
  3. Serve immediately, or allow it to sit a while to dry somewhat. We like it both ways.
Notes
Add-in options:

Nuts like almonds, pecans, or walnuts
Coconut flakes
Dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, or blueberries
Chocolate Chips
3.4.3177

When you make granola this way, you can set it out with a variety of add-in options and have a Granola Bar. (Like my play on words there?) This is wonderful for people with food allergies or simply to appease people’s taste preferences.

5-Minute Stove-Top Granola

I’d love to hear your ideas for Granola Add-In options!

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5 {Easy!} Real Food Breakfast Plates for About $1.00 Each

September 30, 2015 by Laura 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to put together five different real food breakfast plans that are super simple and cost about $1.00 per plate. We’re going to save money, save time, and eat well…all at the same time.

Confession time – my family of teenage boys eats BIG. Three of my boys cannot eat these foods for $1.00 because they eat such a freakishly large amount of food in one sitting. I do all I can to keep our costs down, but their plate quantities are something else. So just know that when I say $1.00 per plate – we’re talking about normal people plates. Not active, growing, hungry all the time, teenager people plates. (Not that my boys aren’t normal. But just, you know.)

Other Disclaimers: Your costs and my costs are not going to match up exactly. Fruit prices fluctuate, so I recommend price-matching (if it is an option for you), ordering from Bountiful Baskets or Azure Standard (if it an option for you), and buying in season and on sale.

5 Real Food Breakfast Plates for About $1.00

1. Fried or Scrambled Eggs, Whole Grain Toast with Butter, Fruit

I love that this meal can be prepared and put on the table in such a short time – and that is so packed with nourishment from protein to vitamins to minerals.

fried egg breakfast

2. Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

Make this inexpensive meal easier than ever by making ahead Instant Oatmeal Packets or Frozen Oatmeal Cups. Add any fruit you have, whether fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried.

One Dollar Breakfast 2

3. Muffins, Eggs, Fruit Smoothies

Make muffin batter ahead as described here, then bake in the morning. So easy! Scramble or fry some eggs. Throw frozen fruits into the blender for a smoothie. Voila! Our favorite smoothie recipe is: Pineapple Mango Smoothie. It is so delicious! We also love Green Machine Milkshakes and Creamy Orange Coolers.

One Dollar Breakfast 3

Creamy Orange Cooler

4. Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal, Fruit

This is super easy to make ahead of time, and the cereal is very filling! Throw berries into your cereal bowl or eat fresh fruit on the side. Need some protein to finish this off? How about a hard boiled egg? Perfection.

One Dollar Breakfast 1

5. Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls, Fruit

My family can’t get enough of these, and you can make them according to your veggie preferences. These can be made ahead and re-heated in the morning if you like. They are great for a grab and go breakfast!

ham and egg cups1

I’d love to hear what your inexpensive real food go-to breakfast plates look like! Because my wheels are turning now, I feel like I could put together another post with an additional 5 Breakfast Plates for About $1.00. I’ll see what I can come up with – and I’d love to include your ideas too!

Stay tuned for 5 {Easy!} Real Food Lunch Plates for Less Than $1.00 Each and 5 {Easy!} Real Food Dinner Plates for Less Than $1.00 Each coming up in the next couple of weeks. (If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our free newsletter so you won’t miss out! This one is daily; this one is weekly. Join us!)

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Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

October 16, 2013 by Laura 60 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Easy_Oatmeal_Bars

Yum

What’s great about these Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars?  You can eat them in a house. You can eat them in a rush. You can eat them in a car. You can eat them near or far. Inside outside upside down. Sam…I am.

We’re in the process of trading in Seuss for Shakespeare at this point in our lives, so apparently I felt the need for a Dr. Seuss flashback. I mean, I could have gone with Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet and said, “All that glitters is not breakfast” or “An oatmeal bar by any other name would smell as sweet” but those didn’t make nearly as much sense within the context of this post. And as all of us who have ever come across a nooth grush on our tooth brush can attest to, Dr. Seuss always makes perfect sense.

You might look at this recipe and ask, “How is this one different from your Breakfast Cake, Giant Breakfast Cookie, and Oatmeal Cookie recipes? I would answer by telling you that they are all similar, except that this recipe uses the fewest ingredients and is easiest to throw together. It’s also a little gooier and chewier and at this point in my life, since it’s so fast and easy, it has become my favorite of them all.

I usually try to make these at night before going to bed so that when we get up in the morning, breakfast is ready to eat right away. Which leads me back to how you can eat them in a rush, in a car, with your coffee, wherever you are. Parting is such sweet sorrow. I’ll stop now.

Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sucanat or 1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)

Stir together melted butter and sucanat. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in oats and flour until well combined. Spread mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Feel free to stir 1/2 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter before baking!

To Freeze These Bars:  Bake as directed and allow them to cool completely. Cut into bars, then wrap individually. Place wrapped bars in a freezer bag in the freezer. Thaw for at least one hour before eating.

Who do you enjoy more? Seuss or Shakespeare?

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