Crockpot Recipes: Strawberry Banana Cream Oatmeal

Whenever I can, I try to serve a hot breakfast to my family. It isn’t always easy, since each of my children have a different school start time. Weekday recipes that can be prepared ahead of time are always a help. So are ones that can stay warm and ready when needed. This way, the kids can serve themselves or just eat breakfast when they get up. This crockpot recipe yields a nice creamy and comforting breakfast on a cold day. It is also wonderful for someone who has the flu, since it is soft on the throat, easy to … Continue reading →

Instant Oatmeal Mix Ins

Although I prefer making oatmeal from scratch, usually in the crockpot, I have to admit that I do keep a supply of instant oatmeal packets on hand for busy mornings or when a child wants a hot snack. The packets tend to have a lot of sugar and food coloring in them, so I often go for the ones that are plain. The problem is that my kids don’t like them so much when they are plain. Nothing surprising there of course. To solve the problem, I usually add my own mix ins to the instant oatmeal, such as cinnamon … Continue reading →

1 Recipe 2 Ways: Chocolate Chip or Cinnamon Scones

Photo credit: momtastic.com I always thought that scones were too hard to make. Then I discovered that it is okay to cheat a little bit. You can produce yummy scones that take just a few minutes to produce. No one will ever know, unless you tell them! I started with a basic chocolate chip scone. My family loves chocolate chips in everything. Having chocolate chips somewhere in breakfast is a real treat. While we don’t do it all of the time, we will have the occasional chocolate chip muffin or chocolate chip pancakes. One time I even incorporated them into theme … Continue reading →

Back to School with a Hot Breakfast

Back to school means crazy mornings, but that doesn’t also mean that you can’t serve your kids a hot breakfast. Although we do have our share of cereal mornings, I enjoy knowing that I got them out the door with something warm and filling most of the time. It also helps me control the ingredients and cut down on the preservatives and other additives that go into pre-prepared breakfast food. One of the tools that I use to help serve a hot breakfast despite a busy morning is my crockpot. I can either fill it with ingredients in the quite … Continue reading →

Valentine Breakfast in Bed

Breakfast in bed is a small luxury that can make a big impact for your valentine. Start the day off right with a celebratory breakfast. Here are are a couple of ideas. One is sweet and the other is savory Choose the one that works best for you and your love. Whipped cream is optional. Chocolate Waffles Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup milk 2 eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted Directions: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: … Continue reading →

Large Family Recipes: Pancakes

When you have a larger family, the standard recipes sometimes don’t apply. Most recipes are crafted to feed four people at a time, but what if you have more, or your family includes hungry teenagers? You need large family recipes that will work. Pancakes can be a little tricky when you upscale them. The amount of baking powder, for example will be off if you simply times everything by three or four for example. after a few experiments, I’ve come up with a pancake recipes that is delicious, inexpensive and will feed my family. Plus it gives me a few … Continue reading →

Freezer Cooking Breakfast Ideas

I love to have great breakfast items that I can pull out of the freezer and prepare quickly for my family. This saves us from expensive cereal every morning, expensive pop tarts when the kids are running late for the bus or expensive muffins or sandwiches grabbed by my husband at the office. I find that the more I can make ahead food, the more likely that I can keep our grocery bill under control. Here are some of my favorite make ahead freezer cooking breakfast ideas. Egg Muffin Sandwiches I make these in batches of 12. That is about … Continue reading →

Recipes for a Potluck Brunch

This weekend begins my family’s potluck marathon. We’ve been invited to a slew of potlucks to celebrate everything from First Communion to Mother’s Day, birthdays to high school graduations. The First Communion potluck is a brunch and I was asked to bring a sweet dish to pass. Meaning I’m responsible for making bread, muffins, coffee cake, or sweet rolls. I opted to make Citrus Honey Coffee Cake, but have also included another very simple recipe for Blueberry Bread that is ideal for potlucks, breakfasts at home, or as a gift to give a special lady on Mother’s Day. CITRUS HONEY … Continue reading →

Easy Make Ahead Easter Brunch Recipes

Growing up there were three things we always did as a family on Easter Sunday: Go to Mass, have an Easter egg hunt and gorge on a huge Easter brunch. Regardless of how early he had to wake up, my dad always made sure our Easter Sunday included our favorite sweet and savory brunch dishes. Since we went to early Mass, my dad had to time his dishes just right. Most of the brunch items that he made were put together the night before or very early Sunday morning and placed in the refrigerator. Then, when we returned from church, … Continue reading →

Kid-Friendly Brunch Recipes

My young daughter loves to cook. At 5 years old she is quite the little chef. She is remarkably skilled with various kitchen utensils and her cutting capabilities are quite impressive, so when she recently had the chance to help my mom create a late morning Sunday spread for our entire family she jumped at the chance. Knowing that my daughter was going to lend a hand in the brunch preparation my mom chose simple kid-friendly recipes. The following dishes may be easy to prepare, but they certainly are not simplistic in taste or texture: MONKEY BREAD Ingredients: 4 cans … Continue reading →