Quick breakfast ideas

[budgetmom]

I am not a morning person. I can seriously become a real bear in the mornings. Sometimes I actually feel like I'm not fully functional in my day until 2 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I have two morning people kids. I need some ideas for breakfast that are fast or that I can sometimes prepare the night before and put them in the refrigerator. They are getting so tired of cereal and oatmeal. I have a picky three year old and a little one that has been eating soft solids for a few weeks now. Does anyone have any ideas?

[JanH]

Do they like waffles? You can make the batter the night before and drop it in the waffle iron the next morning.

[budgetmom]

Don't have a waffle iron, but I have thought about doing that with pancakes. Pancakes are my three year olds fav. I am wanting to find something nutritionally balanced that is fast. I don't buy a lot of convenience foods. I like to make my own because it costs less and I have the time to do it, that is when I'm fully awake. Last weekend I was going to make them pancakes and was out of milk. I figured I could use some water and evaporated milk as a substitute. In my morning daze, I grabbed the sweetened condensed milk instead and ended up with the pancakes carmelizing to my pan. It was not a pretty sight...

[JanH]

ouch! lol. My mom is definitely NOT a morning person. In high school, I started making our breakfasts cos she burned them all the time. But we love her silly. She's awesome the rest of the time.

[JanH]

I use Hodgson's mills buckwheat pancake mix (Walmart here has it) and I love it cos it's nutritious. I think some people make open faced peanut butter "pizzas" with added ingredients like raisins, bananas, whatever for the kids--just open faced sandwiches. I got desperate for awhile and cut pancakes and stuff into shapes with cookie cutters.

[JanH]

I think there is homemade granola recipes talked about here and one in the tightwad gazette book I have thought of trying. Make some bran muffins with fruit in them, maybe?
That could be done the night before.

[LuxLiving]

OnceAMonth cooks did a lot of breakfast burritos and then froze them if I recall correctly.

I'll tell you what my boys liked when they were little. Weird I know, but they liked it. Heat up a bowl of FROZEN green peas and corn mixed and w/added butter - just enough to lightly coat. Salt and Pepper. YES, for breakfast. Not canned peas - ick, but frozen ones. They also liked a bowl of cooked potatoes also lightly coated with butter. Don't hate me because we like real butter. These were growing little boys and it wasn't slathered or anything, a moderate amount of fat is needed for growing kids. Mine are neither one overweight, actual beanpoles is now a fitting description.

What would be wrong with a bowl of fruit cocktail with some granola sprinkled on top? Sounds easy enough.

[Jacklad]

Banana muffins! Make them the night before and just give them a few seconds in the microwave if you want them warm. They're also very portable, so you can eat on the run.

Mix together well:
3 medium mashed bananas (the riper the better)
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk

In another bowl, mix together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet and mix just until blended. Batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin tins half full and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

For a variation, stir in a quarter cup of raisins, or replace the milk with orange juice and add a quarter cup of dried cranberries. Lots of fibre, and not too sweet.

Or breakfast cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6 Eggs
1 cup honey
9 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup dried milk
2 cups dried fruit (golden raisins, snipped apricots, chopped dates, dried cranberries, whatever you fancy)

Directions:
Cream peanut butter and butter together. Cream in sugar. Add other ingredients in order given. Use a tablespoon to make large scoops and flatten to 3/4 of an inch. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Do not overbake. These can be frozen on the cookie sheet then removed to a sealed freezer bag so you can just grab what you need. Makes about 4 dozen.

You can vary these, too. When I was out of dried fruit, I cored some apples and chopped them in the food processor (skin and all). You can add coconut instead of some of the fruit, too. If I have walnuts or almonds, I'll throw some in. You can even add some variety to the cereal - instead of all oatmeal, substitute half of the amount with Grape nuts, crushed corn flakes or bran flakes, etc. It's a pretty forgiving recipe.

Jackie

[jodi]

This morning I made a quick bowl of "yogurt parfait". I cut up some bananas, put some (homemade) yogurt on top, then sprinkled with (homemade) granola (I have already posted this recipe in my blog if you are interested). It took less than a minute to make since I had all the ingredients on hand. I even let my ds1 put some sprinkles on top, just a few, to involve him and make it more fun.
I like bananas sliced lengthwise, spread with peanut butter, and put back together like a sandwich. Muffins are always quick when made the day before or popped out of the freezer (there's also a muffin thread in the recipe section with some of my favorite recipes).
I don't make this often, but there are a lot of recipes out there for egg casseroles that you prepare the night before then pop in the oven in the morning (I don't make these because my kids are ready to eat first thing and don't want to wait 45 minutes for something to cook). Check out recipezaar.com for ideas.

[PrincessPerky]

I let my kids 'snack' while I 'warm up' then we eat together....call it second breakfast, and you are now a hobbit . Though I have the advantage of not needing to be anywhere early most mornings (for church or events, we have english muffins, and my oldest can cook them.)

one weird thing I did ......peanut butter and grapenuts..mix and munch
I know it sounds weird, but the kids loved it, and high in all sorts of stuff.

[Squantum]

Steel-cut oats in the crockpot overnight. Wake up to tasty oatmeal.

[frugalmomof1]

Granola Recipe from Jodi's blog.