Prep breakfasts

[Radiance]

Helllo,

This is my typical list of breakfast options for me and toddler
Oatmeal
Scrambled eggs and toat
Fruit pancakes
Muffin and milk
Fruit smoothie and oats

I know I can prepare muffins in avance, but I prepare the others the same morning. Do you know if I can prepare them in advance and how to store and revive?
Oatmeal, for example, I noticed it gets too thick from one day to the next...
Feedback is welcome

A sleep deprived single mom of a theething baby

[disneysteve]

Oatmeal - Prepare it fresh but use the microwave. You can cook it and eat it in the same bowl which minimizes clean up plus you can do other things while it is cooking, rather than having to stand over the stove and stir it. Just be sure and use a deep bowl because it has a tendency to bubble up and overflow if you aren't careful. Don't leave out a dash of salt because that helps prevent that.

Pancakes - Make a big batch and freeze them. We do that all the time. After you cook them, lay them out on a cooling rack or just a plate and freeze them for an hour. Then you can stack them and seal them in a ziploc bag and they won't all stick together. To reheat, put 2 or 3 on a plate and microwave for 20-30 second intervals until they are hot.

Fruit smoothie - Do you use frozen fruit? If so, cut up and portion off ingredients for each serving into ziploc bags or containers. When it is time to make a smoothie, just dump the contents into the blender, add juice and blend.

[Radiance]

[pancakes...]To reheat, put 2 or 3 on a plate and microwave for 20-30 second intervals until they are hot.

Don't they get all saggy?

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Radiance

Don't they get all saggy?

If you do it in short bursts just enough to heat them, it isn't too bad. The plate tends to get wet from the moisture so I just lift up the pancakes and dry the plate (or transfer to another plate) before I eat them.

It isn't quite the same as fresh off the griddle but it is still very good and saves you lots of time. When you have the chance, you can make a batch and have them for days when you haven't got the time. I've been known to cook up a batch of pancakes at night when we aren't going to eat any of them right away.

[Daylily]

Ditto on freezing the pancakes. I always freeze some whenever I make a batch.

I mostly eat quinoa for my daily breakfast. Every Sunday I make a batch of it in the double boiler (one part quinoa, one part water, one part soy milk, nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, sweetner and cinnamon). I then portion it into five servings and reheat in the microwave. Quinoa is a more expensive alternative to oatmal but it might be a nice change. It is less expensive if you can buy it in bulk. I've never tried freezing this and I don't think I would.

When I'm not eating quinoa, I sometimes will make a big batch of scrambled eggs and do the same thing with regard to portioning. Then I just reheat in the microwave when I get to work. I've never tried freezing scrambled eggs either. I just make enough for 3-4 days.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I like putting my frozen or made the day-before pancakes into the toaster, rather than the microwave.

(I really just posted to make you laugh at my breakfast today: Boiled cabbage, cold refrigerator pickle slices, and spaghetti squash with butter and pepper. It was a very pale breakfast. Do not try this at home. Experience with strange breakfasts required. )

[aurielle]

I have made smoothies ahead of time and froze them. I use the plastic Dixie cups for this - those big ones that are red or blue. Make your smoothie, pour into the dixie cups, put a square of plastic wrap on the top and secure with a rubber band. You'll have to remember to pull them out of the freezer and put in the fridge the night before to thaw - if still too frozen in the morning, I just zap it in the micro on the defrost setting until thawed enough.

[PrincessPerky]

We occasionally do corn bread with honey, or biscuits with maple syrup. (and a side of fruit)

Both made the night before (generally they are leftovers from dinner) they heat up well enough

[FrugalTexan75]

Originally Posted by Daylily

Ditto on freezing the pancakes. I always freeze some whenever I make a batch.

I mostly eat quinoa for my daily breakfast. Every Sunday I make a batch of it in the double boiler (one part quinoa, one part water, one part soy milk, nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, sweetner and cinnamon). I then portion it into five servings and reheat in the microwave. Quinoa is a more expensive alternative to oatmal but it might be a nice change. It is less expensive if you can buy it in bulk. I've never tried freezing this and I don't think I would.

When I'm not eating quinoa, I sometimes will make a big batch of scrambled eggs and do the same thing with regard to portioning. Then I just reheat in the microwave when I get to work. I've never tried freezing scrambled eggs either. I just make enough for 3-4 days.

I love Quinoa! Usually though I'll eat it for supper and make it fresh each night. I wonder if I could do something similar to the double boiler in a crockpot?

For eggs what I've done is to make "egg muffins" - just whip up a mixture of eggs, cheese and chopped/frozen veggies and pour into muffin tins - bake at 350 until lightly brown - then freeze. I'll take out one or two of them (put in a ziploc bag after flash freezing in muffin tins) to go with whatever else I'm eating - toss them in the micro for 30 to 45 seconds.

[Daylily]

Originally Posted by FrugalTexan75

I love Quinoa! Usually though I'll eat it for supper and make it fresh each night. I wonder if I could do something similar to the double boiler in a crockpot?

I've never had quinoa for an evening meal. I always have it sweet with breakfast but I am interested in trying it savory in the evening. I have a box of the red quinoa but I haven't tried it yet. I think that would be good prepared as a savory dish.

I can't help with the idea of using a crockpot for quinoa. Perhaps it would be overkill to use a slow cooker for a quick-cooking grain?

[disneysteve]

I've never had quinoa as a main course for any meal, always as a side as a substitute for rice or pasta. We tend to use it during the Jewish holiday of Passover when we can eat quinoa (a seed) but can't eat grains like rice and pasta. I'll serve grilled veggie over quinoa, for example, or have it as a side with chicken.

Sorry, that has nothing to do with breakfast.

[stressedmama]

French toast and waffles can also be made ahead of time and freeze well. Other quick breakfasts at our house include granola bar and yogurt, fruit and peanut butter toast, banana/pumpkin bread and fruit.

[Daylily]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I've never had quinoa as a main course for any meal, always as a side as a substitute for rice or pasta. We tend to use it during the Jewish holiday of Passover when we can eat quinoa (a seed) but can't eat grains like rice and pasta. I'll serve grilled veggie over quinoa, for example, or have it as a side with chicken.

Sorry, that has nothing to do with breakfast.

Thanks for sharing. I'm always interested to learn more about dietary law of any and all religions and that's one that I didn't know.

[FrugalTexan75]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I've never had quinoa as a main course for any meal, always as a side as a substitute for rice or pasta. We tend to use it during the Jewish holiday of Passover when we can eat quinoa (a seed) but can't eat grains like rice and pasta. I'll serve grilled veggie over quinoa, for example, or have it as a side with chicken.

Sorry, that has nothing to do with breakfast.

Steve,

I do something like that too. I'll mix veggies in with the quinoa, or perhaps have half a sweet potato with it. I cook it in nutritional yeast and add a little Mrs. Dash for extra flavor - or sometimes will add a little honey to it.

[sarah]

What is Quinoa? I've not heard of it and it sounds very interesting

[zakity]

It is a seed, like chia or millet.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by zakity

It is a seed, like chia or millet.

I've never had either of those. What is nice about quinoa is that when cooked, it softens up and has a consistency kind of like cous cous so you can use it in place of rice or pasta in a lot of dishes. High in protein, low in fat, high in fiber.

[happygirl]

Originally Posted by sarah

What is Quinoa? I've not heard of it and it sounds very interesting

It's gluten free and it's a great source for protein. I eat it as an oatmeal substitute sometimes, and as a dinner with veges other times. It's a rather bland tasting grain so it's a good base to build a meal around.