Sharing Life’s Lessons

I watched a video on Facebook showing a breakfast coffee cake that made me gain 5 pounds just looking at it! We’ve heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast schedule may mean eating at 6:00 a.m. before work or school. Maybe you have a more leisurely schedule that means eating around 8:00 or even 9:00.

I personally don’t diet, but I’ve read about one that includes a 16 hour fast. They said breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can be any time as long as it’s your first meal. After all, the meaning of breakfast is to break your fast. Who decided what breakfast should consist of? If we eat pancakes or eggs for dinner, we call it a “breakfast dinner”.

When you order breakfast in a restaurant there are many questions. How do you want your eggs? Eggs might be scrambled, over easy, boiled, sunny side up, cooked in an omelet or frittata. When I was growing up, we just requested soft or hard. Soft meant a fried egg you could dip your toast in. When I was little I asked for a “dippin’ egg”.

Hash browns or American fries? Hash browns might be shredded or diced. If they include peppers and onions, they’re O’brien. American fries are slices of potato. How I wish I could fry potatoes like my mom did. That is one thing I have never mastered.

Toast? White, wheat, or rye? Kenny orders white if I’m not with him, but if I’m there, he’ll look at me first, then order the healthier wheat. Of course, he always slathers it with jelly – preferably strawberry.

Pancakes and waffles require butter and maple syrup. Add fruit topping, flavored syrup and whipped cream and you have a gourmet dish. You can use your imagination and mix any number of ingredients into the batter. I like blueberries, nuts, and coconut. The grandkids want chocolate chips.

I like oatmeal but I never order it in a restaurant because I’m picky about my oatmeal. Growing up I put sugar and milk on it. Now my preference is lots of cinnamon, brown sugar and a little Crème Brule coffee creamer and milk. No raisins, thank you. I use quick cooking oats. I read the ingredients on instant oatmeal and decided I didn’t need the extras. I will order grits in a restaurant. I like those with butter and salt.

Donuts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and coffee cake of all kinds are great in the morning even if they aren’t the healthiest choice. I have a couple recipes I’ll share but don’t hold me responsible for the sugar or calorie content!

BREAKFAST ROLLS: (This is a recipe my sister-in-law shared many years ago. It’s a good “plan ahead” recipe because you can prepare it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next morning.) 24 frozen Parker House style rolls; ½ cup butter; ½ cup brown sugar; 1 small box Butterscotch pudding (NOT instant); 1 tsp. cinnamon. Put rolls in a wellgreased bundt pan. Sprinkle pudding on and around rolls. Melt in pan – butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour over frozen rolls. Let stand 6 – 8 hours or overnight. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

JAM DANDY MUFFINS: Combine: 1 2/3 cup flour; ½ cup sugar; 2 tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. cinnamon. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening. Add 1 egg and ¾ cup milk. Mix until just thoroughly blended. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Place 1 tsp. jam on each one pressing into batter slightly. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes until top springs back. Serve warm!

Enjoy with coffee, milk or hot chocolate!