Breakfast For One

Good morning!  I have been wanting to share my tips and tricks for Breakfast For One for a while.  I truly wanted someone else to take the pictures, mainly because I'm kind of busy during this process.  But alas, today is the day and it's up to me.  So here goes.

This Breakfast For One, as I call it, isn't because I'm single, because I'm not, but only because I cook breakfast for Shaun on the daily and I eat something else.  He needs a more "stick to your ribs" kind of start to his day.  So, I am sharing one of many breakfasts that I cook for him.  

This is for scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage gravy which today also features onions and mushrooms.

First... a tip.  It makes more sense to me to cook the eggs first.  Mainly because your pan is pretty full after the gravy.  So, I first get a bowl, pour some water in it and heat it on two minutes in the microwave.  When my eggs are cooked I pour the water out and put the eggs to rest in their warm bowl inside the microwave while I cook the sausage and gravy.

  Well thank goodness my microwave is semi clean.

Next I go ahead and chop up my onion and mushrooms while my pan is heating with a little butter in the bottom.  Even though I use a copper skillet I have little faith in "nothing" sticking, especially when I cook eggs.

And on to my next tip... I use a rubber spatula for this whole process.  It is so much easier to scrape around the sides of the pan.  And since I'm not flipping anything over it just makes more sense.

I always whisk my eggs with a little water in a measuring cup or bowl and pour them in when the pan it decently heated.  The spatula also helps to scrape around the sides of the eggs.  To scramble well I gently pull from the center while also working around the edges and turn over when necessary.  It truly only takes a couple of minutes to cook eggs.

 Look Ma!  I love my birthday mug from Cracker Barrel!!

When they're done, pour your water in the sink and place them in the bowl in the micro until you're ready to serve.

Now... on to the good stuff... gravy for one.

I precooked my mushrooms and onions in butter for just a minute then added my sausage.  I find it easier to twist the bottom of the tube of sausage and pinch off how much I need.  Let it cook until lightly browned.

You can see it really doesn't make a whole lot of grease if you use a decent quality sausage.

Here's what I use for my gravy, plus milk.

Toss in a tablespoon or a little more of flour right onto your sausage.

I like to throw in a pinch of chicken bullion and black pepper.  Toss it around with your spatula until you can't really see the flour anymore.

Then add your milk.

If I had to guess how much it's probably about a cup of milk.  Let it come to a boil.

Scrape around the sides.  I tried to get a picture of this next step.  Did not work.  When my gravy has begun to change colors to more of a tan than white and feels like it is thickening I like to take my spatula and drag it from the side inward.  When the gravy comes together slow then it's done.

Put your piece of toast on your plate next to your warm eggs and pour the sausage and gravy over the toast.  And WaaLaa!  Breakfast for one!

Kiss Kiss Hugs Hugs Have a good day!!

oats

Holy Moly.  I love steel cut oats.  I eat them every day.  How do I love thee... let me count the ways.

1. with frozen berries - blackberries, blueberries, raspberry combo

2. frozen berries - strawberry, mango, banana version - especially love the mango

3. fresh mango

4. dried cranberry, sliced almonds, white chocolate chips

5.  apple, golden raisins, cinnamon

6.  currently... I love with banana or apple, raisins, almond butter and a honey drizzle... yum 

for breakfast each day I use 1/4 cup organic steel cut oats and 3/4 cup water

I put that in a small sauce pan and turn the heat to high

when they begin to boil I turn the heat down

usually they are in full blown boil mode before I remember that I've started my own breakfast

I do too much at one time

after I turn them down they are done when almost all of the water is absorbed

I reckon it takes about 7 minutes?

I usually transfer them to a wide mouth jar to take them to work

I always (if I remember) pour almond milk on them

they are too dry otherwise

I add my toppings and enjoy

every day

you can literally make up your own recipes and additions

bacon

Y'all.. I wouldn't kid you.  Bacon this way has literally changed my life.  I cook breakfast every morning.  I get up, walk in the kitchen and turn on the oven, take a shower, go to the kitchen and put foil on a sheet pan for my bacon.  Then I put a small piece of parchment paper out for two frozen biscuits and put halves of bacon on the foil.  Put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  This gives me time to finished getting ready.  When the 20 minutes is about up I am back on the kitchen cooking two eggs and making my lunch for the day.  It's my routine.  I used to stand here frying bacon.  This process is much easier.  I'm telling you.  And oh-so good!

And the clean up is a snap.  Just let the grease cool and throw it away. 

the morning of the swap meet

So the boys left early this morning for the annual Super Bowl Sunday Swap Meet at the fair grounds.  Shaun's advice to Country was to make a list of things you are looking for so's you don't forget things you need.  Sounds like us girls when we are headed to the flea market or BellBuckle!  Boys.. and car parts... I was invited but since my normal getting up time is 4:45 A.M. during the week I thought I'd opt out on the 5 A.M. alarm.  Wouldn't you know once he got up I couldn't go back to sleep.  My thoughts were that I deserve a special breakfast on the Swap Meet Sunday. 

I made a small and easy batch of lemon curd from THIS recipe (that I halved).  Let it sit in the fridge for an hour while I started laundry and sang songs as loud as I pleased.  Then I found an easy crepe recipe in my Better Homes cook book.  I popped some bacon in the oven, got out my skillet and warmed it for the crepes, sliced blueberries and got out my teeny sifter for the powdered sugar.  The crepes are fast and fun to make.  You just pour the batter into a warm slightly greased skillet and let it sit for a few minutes and they are done.  I placed one on a plate, spread out some lemon curd at one end, added fresh blueberries , flipped the other side over to cover and gave it a sprinkling of powdered sugar.  By then the bacon was done and I proceeded to have the most girly breakfast I could think of while savoring every bite.  Of course Katie Bug got a little of the bacon.  Sweetie pie.

This is my current favorite song to sing as loud as I please.

On The Menu

So.. we have a long weekend four wheeling trip coming up and I'm already in the planning stages.  Not like getting the four wheeler ready or packing clothes!  I'm thinking about food!  Last year, this trip to the big fall jamboree was just a boys trip.  This year, because I haven't been anywhere in a while and I do love to four wheel in the mountains, I decided to go.  I'm not the only chick going... I don't think.  It would be ok if I was the only girl.  I feel like I fit right in sometimes... they even call me Larry.  Not in an offensive way!  One of Shaun's buddies little girl can't say Laurie real good so she says Larry and Shaun.  Sweet thing!  Anywho... the boys trip last year didn't involve much food from what I've heard.  More of a "pork chop in a can" kind of trip.  All I can say is... not if I'm going... or at least not for me.  They can do what they want.  When we went for our Christmas vacation last year I cooked breakfast and planned suppers and such so the guys pretty much had a cook with them.  Nice huh?!?!  It's the shorter trips that the guys don't want me to worry about cooking and say "Awe.. it's no big deal".  But this girl's gotta eat!  When we've been on the shorter trips we usually get those frozen breakfast bowl things with the meat, eggs and gravy.  They're ok if that's all you've got but this time I've found a couple of recipe that I am going to make ahead of time, for quick breakfasts, that we can just heat up!  Brilliant!  And with the help of the internet I've found a few that I am going to try.  I might not even take my skillet with me.  I'm making a face.  No bacon??  Maybe I'll take it just incase.  (click on the name or picture to be directed to the recipe.)

Egg Muffins

 

Egg muffins look super easy and super good.  I can just see a whole Ziplock full of these cuties ready to go!  Found on hellobee

 

 

 

French Toast Sticks

I absolutely LOVE French toast sticks!  Back when I ate fast food, Burger King used to have some good fast French toast sticks.  All I will have to do it take along a little thing of syrup!  These will be made THIS weekend!  Found on iowagirleats.com

 

 

Refrigerator Oatmeal

I've been a big fan of overnight refrigerator oatmeal for a while now.  It's so easy and nutritious.  I don't know that I will lug jars of it four wheeling but these are some good variations and who knows... I might!!

 

 

Bacon Hashbrown Roll Ups

Ok no picture here but these sound very easy and delish.  I can't decide which to use!!

 

 

Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

I am a fan of make ahead burritos in lots of styles and have taken lunch burritos four wheeling with us before.  These will probably be made and packed to go with us.  Too easy and good not to.

 

 

 

 

 



On The Menu

Here we have some vegan recipes that I have come across simply by going to Pinterest and typing in "vegan breakfast".  Truth is, I am being urged (by no one but myself) to actually do the 108 day, The Ultimate Yogi program.  The program not only consists of daily yoga and meditation but also a big change in diet, for me anyway.  Lots of juices, no processed foods (which I try my best to stay away from already), vegan, raw, and no alcohol.  It would be tough until I got the hang of it.  But this morning I wondered... what to vegans eat for breakfast?  I eat pretty healthy and switch my breakfasts from my berry-beet smoothie, my favorite green smoothie, over night oats and rye toast with almond butter, banana and flax seed.  Sounds like I would do ok I reckon.  As I was browsing, I found a few recipes I'd like to have a go with.  I actually tried making the 3 ingredient biscuits Sunday morning and not sure if the one container that I used to keep self-rising flour in still contained SR or not, I used it anyway and turns out it wasn't SR flour.  Not sure what it was actually.  Tasted pretty salty and smelled like play dough.  My fault.  Worth a try though!

3 Ingredient Coconut Oil Biscuits

Photo and recipe from: gimmesomeoven.com            

Breakfast Cookies

Photo and recipe credit: diary of a mad crafter... obvi                             

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Photo and recipe from: veganfreezerexchange.blogspot.com  

  

These burritos remind me of a lunch variety of burritos that I made for myself to eat on the trails four wheeling.  I actually haven't eating any lunch meat (processed) in over a year and didn't want to spoil that being in a pinch for picnic food.  So I made "make ahead lunch wraps", ate them cold and truthfully enjoyed the heck out of them.  This version has tofu which I will admit I have never tried and am a hesitant to do so.  I'm not real sure what tofu is exactly and since we mentioned processed.... it sounds like tofu would have to be processed somehow.  I've often stared at it at the grocery store with a difficult look on my face wondering... soft? firm? what am I going to make with it? will Shaun come near it?  So I wind up leaving it there.

Do you have any vegan breakfast ideas or suggestions? Lemme have em please!

banana pancakes

have you tried these?  i am a oat and fruit breakfast eater until i went through a stomach "thing" over the weekend and honestly... saw my breakfast again.  it led me to not wanting it yesterday or today... or the day before yesterday.  but i still had the fruit that needed to be eaten.  i remembered a tiny recipe i read over at a cup of jo blog and recent had my sister bring up almost the exact same recipe so in a pinch for time i thought i'd try it.  i found them truly easy, two... ok three ingredients if you count the butter and really, really good.  I made them, covered the plate and took them to work with me.  yesterday they were still hot.  today they were cold because i had to drive black rose to work and she'd been sitting out in the dew with no top on all night so everything was damp including the windshield (inside and out) so the drive took a few extra minutes, driving with my head out the window, and was a little chilly... a.k.a. cold pancakes.

to make the pancakes, you simply mash half a banana with a fork and stir in an egg.  melt a small pat of butter in a skillet on med-high and pour in the mix.  i also stirred in a few of the tartest blueberries i've ever bought.  flip them over to brown the other side.  they truly are good.  try them today!

hey and you can listen to the song banana pancakes while you make them!

a healthy start

My breakfast of choice since all the changes to my diet includes a bowl of cheerios (for whole grain), 1/2 banana, raisins, dried strawberries, ground flax seed and almond milk.  Well, last week I ran out of cheerios.  My gut reaction, or the devil on my left shoulder, said "just eat whatever you fix for Shaun", which would have included a bread, sausage and eggs.  Two of which I have cut out... sadly.  I thought for a moment about what I could substitute for my cereal.  My doctor suggested once that I eat cheerios or oatmeal with three fruits for breakfast.  I am not an oatmeal fan although the thought crossed my mind that it wouldn't kill me just this one day.  Then I had another thought... I have been buying whole grain, white Bunny bread since my changes and so that would be the base of my breakfast and I would get my whole grain.  My creation actually turned out fantastic and left me wanting another piece!  Probably because of my new favorite thing... almond butter!