Breakfast ideas

When I tell people my kids only eat dry cereal once a week, if at all, they look at me with a blank stare. What do you feed them? Well, I feed my kids a variety of wholesome breakfasts that will give them the best start to their day. That means whole, unrefined foods. It means foods that are full of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and protein. Here are some of the things we have been eating:

1) Good quality yogurt (farm fresh, traditionally prepared) plain or with sweetened with maple syrup and homemade granola

2) Hard boiled high quality  eggs (from the farm, cage-free, antibiotic free)

3) Grain-free Pancakes from the blog – www.simplybeingwell.com . The recipe on the blog calls for 3 eggs, 2 tbsp. of nut butter and one banana. I have found we like to swap the numbers to 3 tbsp. nut butter (sunflower, almond, cashew), 2 eggs and 1 banana. Loaded with protein! Great for snacks too, or the lunchbox.

4) Gluten-free pancakes from the blog www.cookusinterruptus.com . These are amazing. You just need to soak at night. We do it on Friday to have pancakes every Saturday. The yogurt and oats make these so nutritious.

5) Pecans (done the way from Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing traditions. Soak over-night with some salt. Then dry in oven on warm for 8-12 hours. The taste is amazing.) We always have on hand and some in the freezer. Serve with some fruit or yogurt and/or toast.

6) Toast with coconut oil on it. Whole grain or sourdough bread. Can use gluten-free if needed. We have been using the chocolate spread lately —  full of antioxidants! Serve with a piece of fruit.
7) Scrambled eggs. (again, a high quality egg)

 8.)  Apples (organic or farmed with minimal pesticides. Hard to find local apples that are organic) with peanut butter or other nut-butter on them. I have cut in half scooped out core, and filled with nut-butter. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with homemade granola.

9) Oatmeal with highquality butter and maple syrup. We use steel cut gluten-free oats. Somtimes we soak the oats over-night with a tbsp. of yogurt and water to add nutrients and beneficial enzymes. (but not neccessary!)

10) Quiche- left over from dinner before or out of the freezer. You can make any variety- but here is one I posted: quiche

11) Healthy muffins of “cookies”. I do not recommend refined grain product often, especially for breakfast. But everyonce in a while it is a nice treat! I try to pair with a protien to balance out the lack of nutrients in a refined grain, and the crash that can come with it. I also add things to the actual baked good to up the nutritional ante. Here are some examples: GF/Egg free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, oatmeal carrot cookie, oatmeal cookie, GF zuchinni muffins, GF sweet potato muffins, pumkin muffins.

Yes, we do occasionally serve a high quality cereal (whole grain, low sugar) , a frozen waffle (fewer than 5 ingredients, whole grain, no sugar), or a granola bar (could make your own homemade granola bars. But for the most part it is what is listed above.

**You can pair fresh fruit and/or smoothie with any meal. We often do green smoothies, but have also done yogurt/kefir smoothies with nut-butter and banana on days we need protein (ie toast day?) We also have a good quality bacon or sausage from time to time.

Have fun! There are a ton of foods to feed your kids in the morning that will give them a better shot at getting through the day healthy and happy! These are just a few suggestions.

Kombucha

I finally did it. I am brewing my own kombucha! I met another mom in the local organic grocery store, and we were both buying Kombucha. She was telling me she rarely buys it, as they brew it at home. I decided this was my time. I asked for her contact info, if I could come get the mother, scoby, mushroom – whatever you want to call it, and actually followed up. I went to her house, brought that odd, organ-like living thing home with me.  I followed her advice and watched this:

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/03/video-thursday-how-to-make-kombucha/

I  followed the video exactly. At first as it was brewing, I thought I had developed mold. I was nervous about ruining a batch, or making my family sick. My new friend came over, checked it, and it was fine. My first batch brewed for 8 days. I bottled it and my husband LOVED it. My second batch was even stronger. I knew my family would be drinking a lot of this, so the next time  I doubled the recipe. The blog listed above has another way of making in bulk,  but I have found one that works for us.

There are many opinions on how to make Kombucha.  I have found what is easiest for me and always take advice from others. I am starting to notice the nuances between the brews, and what taste we like. The brew takes a different amount of days depending on many variables, so we go by taste. I am so glad to have added this to my kitchen repertoire.

Chili

Everyone has a version of chili. Mine tends to vary and evolve, and recently, a few teachers I cooked for asked for the recipe. This is hard to do as it is ever-changing, but I am making it now, so thought I would snap a few photos and give it a shot!

Gluten free zucchini muffins

These muffins are adapted from “the edible perspective”. They are vegan as well. If you substitute the almond flour they could even be nut free!!! A lot of ingredients, but worth it.

Tempeh Tacos

I read a recipe in a magazine awhile back that was for tempeh taco filling. I tried to remember some of it and recreate. Tacos are so fun for the kids and these were delicious!

White beans and eggplant

2 cups of white beans
4 baby eggplant (diced)
1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped (I used a green I had never heard of that I bought at the farmer’s market and I cannot remember its name!)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes, diced

Simple Asparagus

Ok, it is not as simple as just steaming it, which is how I usually do it. My husband actually prefers it that way. However, I went out to Rustico for dinner a while back (when asparagus was beginning its season here in VA) and they served it sliced up with lots of butter and some salt. My kids ate 2 orders. I thought that even though they love it plain, it would be fun to change it up every now and again! I used olive oil and sea salt.

Gluten free Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet potato muffins are usually something I reserve for the fall, however, being Jasper’s favorite food, we have them on hand often. I needed to use them up, so this is what we did with them. It is modified from the Gluten Free Bistro Blog.

Dressing up left over lentils and rice

I had a magazine on the table yesterday, and on the cover were stuffed tomatoes. Jasper (my 6-year-old) thought they were beautiful and wanted to know if I could make them. Well, yes, in fact I could!

Watermelon lime-ade and popcicles

With the heat where I live, I am always trying to keep the kids hydrated. Watermelon is a great snack for this on its own for this. However, putting it in a blender with lots of lime makes this go-to summer snack something spectacular! You don’t need to add any water, as the juice from the fruit is enough. You can drink as is out of the blender, add ice to the blender to make a slushie-type drink or add at the end to cool it off.  We like to put in popsicle molds for a refreshing snack. For an adult only variation use your imagination!
Bring this on your next picnic and it will surely be a hit.