Breakfast Recipes

I think I blinked too long because what the heck? It's the last week of September already! I've had a serious bout of busyness lately, so I have been lax in many things.

A few thoughts before I proceed to my post of quick breakfast recipes that I promised a long time ago. First of all, I have an inspiring person who I've been so blessed with. She comes to me to talk about struggles she is having, and I always come away feeling like I got the better end of the deal, nuggets of wisdom. She and I were discussing the importance of prioritizing. You know that analogy with the rocks and the sand in the jar? Well, I was reminded once again that I need to take another look at how I spend my time and make some changes. It takes time and effort, but I can go to sleep knowing that the most important stuff is done. I need to write the things down, not so that they can be checked off, but as a reminder of what is most important. One priority is exercise. Not only do I want to do this for my health, but I also want my kids to have that example. I decided instead of saying, "I'm going to exercise 3 times a week", giving me permission to skip this day or that...instead I'm going to do something physically active every day, even if it's 5 minutes of stretching. So far, it has really helped.

Do you have trouble with priorities sometimes? If so, what have you done to stop and rearrange and start again? What helps you focus on what is most important?

Okay, onto breakfast recipes. The kids have been in school for a month and a half now, and we have not had store-bought cereal at all! The kids leave home feeling satisfied and happy. Here is a list of what we do:

Granola!!-Serve this with fresh fruit, sprouted sunflower seeds and some almond milk for a scrumptious, filling breakfast.

Toast-We serve toasted whole wheat bread with organic (or freshly made) peanut butter, a sprinkling of chia seeds (which are very filling and a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and is great for fighting depression as well!), and sliced fresh fruit. We've had a lot of peaches and plums lately. Pears, apples, bananas are all nice, too. We top it with a sprinkling of cinnamon and the kids are happy as clams.

Scrambled eggs-this is maybe a once a week to every 10 days, but take FRESH eggs, mix with almond milk, sea salt, fresh pepper and scramble. Sometimes I add sundried tomatoes, spinach and parmesan with some ribboned basil leaves for something different, or some salsa and black beans with cilantro. Anything to add variety!

Steel cut oats-this is wonderful for those chilly mornings. Rinse a cup of steel cut oats really well and put in 3 1/2 cups of boiling water with a dash of sea salt. Boil for about 20 minutes, maybe a tad longer. 1 cup of uncooked oats is enough to feed 1 adult and 4 children when you add fresh fruit, cinnamon, raw honey or agave nectar and a dash of almond milk. You can also add some raw nuts if desired. It is delicious! Oh, watch for the reboil. Sometimes it will boil over, but if you watch it closely that won't happen.

 Overnight oatmeal-soak 2 cups of regular rolled oats in 2 cups almond milk and a dash of vanilla extract overnight in the fridge. The next morning, top with nuts, peaches (or other fruit) and a drizzle of raw honey or agave nectar. Simple and nummy.

Green smoothies-I usually do these in the afternoon, but if it seems like there is a cold coming on, we've done these in the mornings, and it helps during the day as the body fights it off. I need to knock on wood but it's been nearly a year since any of us have been to the doctor because we were sick! Woo Hoo! With 5 children, I can't count that as coincidence. I believe that what we eat plays a major role in our ability to fight off illness.

Leftover pancakes-about 2 or 3 times a month, we'll do pancakes for supper. I usually make lots of extra to freeze, pull out a couple per child, toast in the toaster oven and top with fresh fruit and drizzle with a smidgen of Grade B Maple syrup, fresh honey or agave nectar. Sometimes just fruit and a dash of cinnamon is enough!

What are some of YOUR favorite breakfasts?

Pear Salad

We had this scrumptious salad for lunch today before church. It was filling and light and wonderful!

1/2 pound spinach (or more)
3-4 fresh pears, diced
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c raw shredded coconut
sprinkling of raw sesame seeds
1/2 c chopped raw almonds

Mix and use a sweet dressing. We used this one:
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 c raw apple cider vinegar
1 c olive oil
1 T mustard
1 t sea salt
1/2 c onion
1/2 c alfalfa and red clover sprouts
Blend all together in your high powered blender and then add 1 T poppy seeds.

This makes A LOT of dressing. I usually cut the recipe in half, and we still have enough for 3 humongous salads.

Pear-adise

This recipe is for my son who said, "Mom, you need to call this 'Pear-a-dise'". Cute, huh?

Lots of spinach crammed into blender jar
1 1/2 c water
1 banana
2 fresh ripe pears
fill the rest with frozen strawberries

Blend blend blend!

This has a mild but sweet flavor. Very yummy!