Hurricane Irene: My poor eggs!!

Well, we have done all we can. The yard is tied down, free of flying grills and picnic tables (we hope). We have plenty of water, flashlights, batteries. The list goes on and on. Rick has enough water to survive a nuclear invasion now that I think of it.

I was just about to settle in on the cozy couch and wait the night out like the rest of the East coast, when baby girl declares she is hungry and wants a waffle. Umm, you had 3 for breakfast. I think we need to add some color to your day.. Before I groan and moan, as I just sat down, I realized it was actually lunch time. Ok, fair enough.

Of course, this brings me to my fridge. As I started to dig for lunch ideas, I got a bit distracted and started to shift my food around. I pulled out any food that needed to be thrown out anyway and started noting food we should probably eat sooner rather than later, in case the power does go. "At risk" I like to call it.
I threw things like cheese, milk, bread, in the freezer. These will keep for later in the week, depending on  need and severity of the outages.

MOM!!! oh yeah, she's still hungry..

But what to do about the eggs? I'm a bit over cupcakes and whoopie pies at the moment. What can I make with all these egsg?  OOH, quiche.

Simplest recipe ever. Eggs, cream, pie shell, and left overs. In my case, broccoli and some of that cheddar I just put in the freezer. Back out you go little orange man.


If you have left overs like this, go for it. Now is the time, before the storm digs in, and even if we don't lose power, who wants to cook? I am sure you will be up late tonight too.

Karma Quiche

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (or eggs substitute)
• 1 cup cream (preferably heavy, but whole milk or even a low fat version of fat free evaporated milk works) 
• 1 frozen pie shell 
• 1 cup chopped left over broccoli (bacon, potatoes, or mixed veggies also works)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 small to medium onion minced (1 teaspoon onion powder works too)

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Crack and mix the eggs, cream and salt and pepper, cheese and onions to a bowl
• Mix well until all is incorporated
• Line bottom of pie shell with broccoli or left over of choice
• Pour the egg mixture into shell
• Carefully place in center rack of oven and bake for 45 mins or until the top is lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean from center when tested.

Enjoy and good luck

Fast Breakfast on a Cold Day.-Oatmeal with a twist!

Want something super easy, super healthy and warm on these chilly winter mornings? Try oatmeal.

Yeah, yeah, I know, mornings suck. But even with my fire drill mornings, to shower, get 3 people motivated to get out of bed, sock chasing and train catching marathons, I still know breakfast is the most important meal. 

Last Christmas, while shopping, I found this tiny $5.00- 5 cup crock pot at Walmart (yes, I can break away from Target..). I couldn't resist. It was the foodie version of a woman finding a pair of Jimmy Choo pumps for $5.00. Even if they are a size too small, she's buying them. Just out of principal.

Anyway, this thing rocks! I've made rice, oatmeal, chili, this list goes on.

So, I toss all my ingredient in right before bed and turn it on. When I get up, yummy, thick, fragrant oatmeal, ready to scoop and go.. Pennies on the dollar compared to the store and healthier cause you can control the sugar.

Here's a great boost that I discovered. Lemon Zest. Just a hint goes a long way and adds this incredible taste to the oatmeal.

Try it one morning and let me know how it works for you.

Prep: 5 mins

Cook Time: Overnight.

Ingredients:

• Steel Cut or Instant Rolled Oats. Plain.
• (I prefer steel cut to rolled as they are not as mushy, have a bit more fiber and have a lower glycemic index than instant, which causes a lesser spike in blood sugar.
• Cinnamon to taste
• Brown Sugar to taste
• Pinch of lemon zest
• Milk ( quantity will depend on manufacturer's instructions) 
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Pam cooking spray
• Optional ingredients:  Apples (raw), Rasins, Almonds, Chocolate Chips.. anything you want basically.

Directions

• Spray entire inside of pot with cooking spray. This prevents any oatmeal from sticking to sides.
• Select serving size on back of Oats package.
• Follow manufacturer's instructions for oats, milk and salt. Add about 1/4 more milk then directions stay
• Cinnamon to taste. If including fruit, add it in the beginning. If including sugar, add it when cooked.
• Stir
• Turn crock pot on low for 8-9 hours. 

Enjoy.

Thumbs up from Jake and Charlotte.

Work Friendly Breakfast: Egg Sandwich- Don't over pay again!

Here's something I bet you didn't know: In a pinch you can cook a pretty decent batch of scrambled eggs in the microwave! Not only is it fast, and work friendly you can save about $2.00 every morning and make it yourself rather then buying it from the guy with the cart. Yes, yes, I know we should all be encouraging the economy, but I would rather save my $2.00 at the cart and use it to spend on the movies, or a new pair of shoes.

Here's what you need at work:

Paper cup or microwave safe mug or bowl. I prefer the cups so I don't have to clean a dish..(apparently this post is neither environmental or economy boosting friendly).

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1-2 eggs
• 
  
  salt and pepper (optional)
• 
  
  2 slices of toast, kaiser roll, wrap or croissant.
• 
  
  splash of milk
• 
  
  Add favorite fixings: Tomato, cheese, bacon, etc.

Prep: 5 mins

• 
  
  Crack eggs into cup
• 
  
  add pinch of salt and pepper
• 
  
  Add milk
• 
  
  Stir with fork
• 
  
  Cook in microwave in 45 seconds. If egg is still watery, cook for an additional 10 seconds.
• 
  
  Sandwich on your favorite bread with favorite fixings.

**Prep tip: short on time in the office? you could crack egg into small sealed storage container and bring to work to cook, it will stay safe to eat for the trip into the office. You could also toast bread ahead of time and wrap in tin foil.

Enjoy!

Don't tell my Aunt (Jemima) that I found someone new.

I love found new recipes in a pinch. While I will admit, my last few postings have revolved around breakfast meals, it's too good not to share. And hey, don't the experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

My day's during the week are pretty fast and furious. I am often up and out the door in about 30 mins, barely having enough time to fix my own food basket for the day let alone get food in the munchkins bellies. I rely on my husband and mother in law to help ;which they thankfully do).

So I have been on a mission to find wholesome (not jacked up with preservatives) breakfasts that are fast and well frankly no thinking required for my husband.  One of my favorites is pancakes. Once I got this recipe, I decided to never go back. It's fast, easy, and all ingredients I can pronounce. Best part, I make up a huge batch on a Sunday morning and then freeze the one's we don't finish. These babies will last in a freezer safe baggie for well over 2 months at least. We have never been able to really make it past that point before finishing them.

These pancakes have all the ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard and it costs pennies on the dollar. You tell me which sounds better?

Aunt Jemima's Ingredients

ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE (A SOURCE OF CALCIUM).

Or our recipe:

Makes about 18 small pancakes

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Heat pankcake griddle to 350 degrees or use hot frying pan with 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (4 if using pan) *use 3 in recipe and 1 for pan
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Beat egg until fluffy.

2. Add milk and melted margarine.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with a little butter on a paper towel. Or heat pancake griddle and skip greasing..

5. The pan/griddle is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan.

6. Pour a small amount of batter onto pan/griddle. I like to use a pyrex measuring cup or other pourable cup.

7. Flip over when you see the surface of pancakes start to bubble and break.

Result..

See for yourself

Baked Cinnamon Squares

Such a yummy start to the day. And middle and ending if we are being totally honest..

This morning's challenge was to find something new, simple and yummy for breakfast. I'm not typically a sweets person, but my husband and daughter are. In fact Charlotte just hears the word cake, donut or just plain sweets and her little-fat-2 year old feet come running as fast as she can from wherever she is. 

For this reason, sweets are at a minimum in the house.

I stumbled onto this great recipe a few weeks ago from Cooking with my kid, and thought that it might be a nice alternative to the store bought options and the recipe is really easy, light and surprisingly not chucked full of fat or sugar.

OK, OK.. I know its also not full of any kind of nutrition, but not everything we eat has to be perfect. How else are these kids going to learn Good Karma Balance, if I never show them the dark side?

Since I don't have a donut pan (although these nearly put me in a trance straight to William Sonoma to pick one up) I made them into what I hoped were donut holes. They came out more like squares, so for now, that's what I am calling them.

Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1 6 oz container of non fat organic vanilla bean yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the cinnamon and sugar together, put into a ziplock bag (shake and bake style) and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.

In another bowl stir together oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, egg and yogurt.

Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole.

Gently fold everything together until combined.

The batter will be pretty thick and airy.

With a spoon ice cream scooper drop dough onto greased pan.

If do have a donut pan, fill each pan with dough at this point.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm.

Dip each donut into butter and then place in bag of cinnamon sugar. Shake and place on plate (or directly into mouth)

Makes 6 donuts or 15 squares.

** could use powdered sugar as well.

Results
Love all around! 8 thumbs up.. Jake was more into the plain version so I wish I left more plain. He just didn't want to get messy he said. .