Simplify Breakfast With A Self-Serve Breakfast Bar

Glass jars
IKEA |left|, WalMart |right|

Carpet in the kitchen. Don't let it happen to you!

As a mom to two boys under the age of four, I rarely set a morning alarm. I hear their first little songs and footsteps as early as 6:30 AM, and always before 8 AM. I lie in bed with my eyes closed and listen for the sounds of a doorknob turning, and a door creaking open. Once little feet hit the hall with a thump-thump-thump-thump I know it's time for Breakfast.

I was motivated by an approaching Morning preschool schedule to create a Breakfast Bar for my 4-year-old Leap.

Hubby and I help the boys with cereal. I don't mind minimizing milk spills on a carpeted kitchen floor. Who carpets a kitchen floor?! No one with toddlers, I say. Admittedly, I'd opt for a milk spill over yogurt spill.

For perishables, I dedicated a pair of refrigerator door bins to Leap's Breakfast Bar. I prepare his bar once for the week, and refill it as needed. I find that washing/slicing fruit and veggies as soon as I get them home makes it quick and easy.

It would appear the current value of a cheese stick is two Duplos!

Glass jars + yellow plastic lids
Tai Pan Trading |under $2 each|

Leap can reach, handle, and open everything here which is exciting for him! Take your preschooler with you to find containers he/she can easily and safely hold and open. I love these glass jars from Tai Pan Trading. I love that the plastic lids come off, and that I can put the glass jar in the dishwasher. If our glass containers have you feeling unsettled, rest assured glass wasn't a concern for us on account of our fabulous brown carpet!

As a preschooler, he won't eat lunch at school. But, I'm hoping his self-serve Breakfast bar continues to be a great opportunity to

• eat [healthy] when he's hungry

• choose, and combine his meal

• exercise a bit of independence

• learn about balance and moderation

The shopping list

     Dairy | Protein bin

     • Organic whole milk yogurt

     • Low-fat yogurt

     • Organic lowfat strawberry milk

     • Cheddar cheese sticks

     • Hard-boiled eggs

     Fruit | Veggie bin
     • Raspberries
     • Blueberries
     • Strawberries, sliced
     • 100% apple juice

What would you add to our breakfast bar?

11 Breakfast Ideas For A Tight Budget

When you find yourself at the end of your budget with half of the month to go, we hope this grocery list and the following Breakfast ideas will simplify planning reasonably balanced breakfasts for you and your family.

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 The GROCERY LIST  

Apples

Apple Juice

Bananas

Beans

Bread

Butter

Cheese [optional]

Cinnamon

Eggs

Flour
Lettuce [Green Leaf, Iceberg, or Red Leaf]]

Milk

Oats

Oil [Canola]

Peanut Butter

Sugar

[Uncooked] Tortillas

In some recipes, Butter can be substituted for Oil.

If you don't like eating breakfast, try

◊ an Apple [w/Peanut Butter]
◊ a Banana
◊ a glass of [low-fat] Milk
◊ a hard-boiled Egg

Fitbie says if you don't like eating breakfast, "drink a glass of low-fat milk. If you've skipped breakfast for years, you've duped your body into thinking it doesn't need food in the morning...You need about a week of consistently eating breakfast to turn the hunger cues back on. Start with something small, like a glass of milk...then slowly work your way up to a healthy-size breakfast [Healthy Breakfasts That Taste Good, Fitbie.msn.com]."

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Meal IDEAS 

1|

Bread  +  Peanut Butter  +  Apple/Banana [sliced]

Top Bread with Peanut Butter and sliced apple/banana. [Toast your bread, make a sandwich, or use a little butter for a grilled sandwich.]

2|

The Perfect Oatmeal

Apple Juice  +  Butter  +  Cinnamon  +  [quick-cook] Oatmeal/Rolled Oats  +  Toppings [optional]

Get Chef Tyler Florence's Recipe For The Perfect Oatmeal HERE
[The only oatmeal my 4-year-old will eat, so far]

If you don't love Oats, "Brown Rice is full of energy-providing B vitamins" and is "a great source of filling fiber. Cook the rice the night before. Then, in the morning, put it in a bowl with a spoonful of Honey, a handful of Raisins, a cut-up Apple, and a sprinkle of Cinnamon for a unique yet delicious treat [27 Ideas for a Healthier Breakfast, Reader's Digest, rd.com]

3|

Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie

Banana  +  Milk  +  Peanut Butter  

Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
FitnessMagazine.com

Get The Recipe HERE

4|

Eggs On Bread

Bread + Butter + Eggs

5|

Easy French Toast

Bread  +  Butter/Oil  +  Cinnamon [optional]  +  Eggs  +  Milk

Easy French Toast

PainlessMeals.com

Get Our Recipe HERE

We used cinnamon swirl bread, but you can also use white, wheat, sourdough, etc. bread. I add a bit of Cinnamon [either to the Egg/Milk mixture or sprinkled on top of bread once dipped].

6|

 [Toasted] Bread topped with a leaf of Lettuce and [scrambled] Eggs

7|

Quesadillas

Cheese  +  uncooked Tortillas

8|

Breakfast Burritos

[Scrambled] Eggs  +  Beans [canned]  +  uncooked Tortillas  +  Cheese [optional]  +  Salsa [optional]

Breakfast Burritos

Women's Health

Get The Recipe HERE

9|

Microwave Coffee Cup Scramble

Eggs  +  [shredded] Cheese  +  Milk

Microwave Coffee Cup Scramble
DashRecipes.com

Get The Recipe HERE

10|

German Pancakes

Eggs  +  Flour  +  Milk  +  Buttermilk Sauce ingredients [optional]

German Pancakes

AllRecipes.com

Get The Recipe HERE

11|

Crepes

Eggs  +  Flour  +  Milk  +  [Canola] Oil  +  Sugar [optional]

Crepes

Get The Recipe HERE

We love Crepes because you can fill or top them scrambled Eggs, Fruit, Peanut Butter, or a mixture of Cinnamon and Sugar.

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What do you think of our list?

The Most Basic French Toast Recipe You'll Ever Find

EASY FRENCH TOAST

With Swirls & Sprinkles

photo by PainlessMeals.com

Our recipe for FRENCH TOAST is likely 

THE most basic recipe out there:

Eggs + Milk + Bread + Toppings

Notes: Medium-High heat. If you don't have a non-stick pan, you'll need butter/oil to grease your pan before you put your [dipped] bread down. Once the egg/edges look a bit crisp, I flip them. Peeking is allowed to brown them just the way you like.

◊ Eggs: For me, the one constant in this recipe.  

◊ Milk: In the Fall, I like to use eggnog/flavored eggnog.

◊ Bread: I typically buy inexpensive white or wheat bread. Now and then, I'll get a loaf of Cinnamon Burst Bread [Great Harvest], and when SMITH'S has their ^cinnamon swirl bread available, I grab a couple of loaves and freeze one.  [It's a few dollars cheaper than the Cinnamon Burst Bread that we love so much.]  

◊ Toppings: Traditionally [at our house] butter and syrup. For Birthday French Toast we added a few colored sprinkles.

If you consider eggs, milk, and bread "basics" at your house, you use them often which makes French Toast an inexpensive meal [the cost of eggs and bread slices used].

Simple Sweet Crepe with Almond Extract and Allspice

Breakfast  |  Crepes

This crepe recipe also sounds delicious.
Picky Palete's
Creamy Lemon Blueberry Crepes

gather

whisk [or fork]

mixing bowl

skillet

silicon spatula [if you have one]

whisk together

2 Eggs

1 C. [Skim] Milk

1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

1/2 C. Cornstarch

1/2 C. Flour

1 Tbsp. Oil [Canola, Vegetable]

2 tsp. Sugar

3/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

A Pinch of Ground Allspice

Refrigerate 20 minutes. Then stir.

Heat 8-inch [suggested size] skillet over medium-high heat [you may need to add a bit of butter/oil to the pan if it is NOT a nonstick pan]. 

Add roughly 2 Tbsp. batter to skillet. [I surrendered to the 1/4 cup measure.]

Tilt and rotate the pan until the batter coats the bottom of the pan. Add more if needed.

Once crepe edges look dry, use silicon spatula to lift and flip the crepe. 

After a few seconds/after the flip side is browned, transfer crepe to a plate.

sweeten the deal [optional]

Nutella + Strawberries [sliced] + a sprinkle of Confectioner's Sugar/Cocoa Powder

Touch of Butter + Syrup

notes

I found myself wishing I'd doubled/tripled the recipe, and haven't yet.

If you do,  I'd love to hear how you feel the recipe holds up.

Recipe: Family Circle, May 2013, pg. 12