Applesauce Walnut Breakfast Cake

coffee-cake

coffee-cakeIngredients:

1/3 C of brown sugar, packed
1/2 C walnuts, chopped and divided
2 C baking mix
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/3 C of milk
1 C chunky applesauce

How to Cook It:

In a bowl toss together the brown sugar and half of the walnuts then set aside.
In a separate bowl put the baking mix, the remaining walnuts, cinnamon, milk and applesauce.
Mix for 30 seconds or until the dry mix is moistened through.
With a non stick cooking spray lightly grease a round microwave safe dish.
Spread out the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the top.
Place in the microwave on high 6 minutes or until the top springs back when touched.
Cool slightly and cut into wedges before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 5 minutes
Microwave Time: approximately 8 minutes
Total Time: approximately 13 minutes

This is a quick satisfying microwave coffee cake that makes a great quick breakfast. It will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

A Quick Breakfast Can Be More Than a Bowl of Cereal

granolafruit

granolafruitQuick breakfasts can be more than you ever thought. Most people think of breakfast as a bowl of healthy cereal and a glass of milk or cup of coffee with some juice. There are many alternatives to this thought concept that are just as quick and easy. It takes planning ahead and some time on the weekend, when you aren’t rushing around getting kids ready for school and getting ready for work.

Fruit is a wonderful alternative. Cut up some fresh strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, some kiwi, some watermelon or even bananas and place in easy to go snack bags made for the refrigerator. Grapes are another great way to start the day.

You can add almost anything to a tortilla to make a great breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly is a great choice. Honey, cream cheese, some cut up raw vegetables or salad mix with your favorite dressing, even applesauce will make breakfast tortillas a favorite with your family. Use your leftover steak or chicken in a sandwich form or in a tortilla with some shredded cheese and some low fat mayonnaise and roll and go.

Cereal bars or breakfast bars that you can find at the grocery store are wonderful to start the day. Add a juice box of orange juice for the car and you have healthy breakfast for them to consume.

Grocery stores have granola bars, graham crackers, and even single serving yogurts in easy to serve packages. Try taking a graham cracker and some honey or cream cheese and making a sandwich out of it. The kids will crave them. They also have yogurt in a tube like a Popsicle that is easy to eat and very nutritious. Nuts are a great source of protein. Take a graham cracker sandwich and a handful of nuts and your kids are good to go for the day.

Bagels are another quick morning meal. Add some cream cheese or even a regular slice of cheese and you have a healthy, well-rounded breakfast to start their day off right. Top them with jelly, apple butter or honey for a special treat.

Breakfast isn’t for cereal anymore. In today’s fast paced world with two parents working environment, you need to think ahead and try to give them the best beginning for the day that you can. Sometimes, ingenuity and having ingredients on hand can be the start of a beautiful day. Just thinking outside the box can make all the difference in the world.

On the Go Cheese and Sausage Biscuits

biscuits

biscuitsWhat You Need:

2 C baking mix
1 lb. sausage
2/3 C of milk
1 1/2 C of cheddar cheese, shredded

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and allow it to preheat.
Mix the baking mix, sausage and milk together well in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cheese and mix until blended in well.
Place the batter by spoonfuls onto an ungreased rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the biscuits for 18 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown.

Makes 24 biscuits

Use crumbled bacon or bits o ham in place of sausage if you prefer. Brush with melted butter before serving for a special touch.

Preparation Time: approximately 5 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 18 minutes
Total Time: approximately 23 minutes

Sausage Is a Versatile Breakfast Meat

sausage

sausageSausage is a wonderful breakfast ingredient. There are many ways to use sausage in a lot of different recipes to make breakfast a tasty treat. You can use sausage links, patties or even just ground sausage to make a lot of different breakfast meals for families that are on the go. Below are some ways to use sausage in a quick breakfast setting.

Take a scrambled egg and add ground sausage or sausage patty and roll them in a tortilla. You have a great burrito for breakfast. Add a little hot sauce or some salsa to it and you have created a new flavor to savor with a southwestern burrito.

Put a cooked sausage patty inside a couple of pancakes for a great griddle recipe. Add a fried egg and you have 2 great breakfast ideas for an on the go morning.

Try a meat cup. Take a couple of eggs and some ground sausage and pour them into muffin tins and cook for about 20 minutes at a 350F oven. Remove and eat. If you make more than you can eat, simply freeze and reheat at a later time when you are running late.

Slice a croissant or breakfast bagel in half, insert a cooked sausage patty and you have an easy and quick breakfast idea. You can add an egg or sliced cheese if you so desire and create your own special treat for your family.

Pillsbury biscuits are a great ingredient for breakfast. Simply unroll the package of biscuits, add some uncooked sausage and roll. Cut into pinwheel shaped pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and cook 15 minutes and eat. Again, freeze leftovers and use at a later time.

Take 1 pound of cooked ground sausage and add 2 C of your favorite shredded cheese. Add in 4 cups of baking mix and stir together in a mixing bowl. You will need to add some water, 1 C so that you can form the mixture into balls. Grease a cookie sheet and cook for 15 minutes in a 375F oven. Remove from oven and let cool a bit. Eat your fill, but freeze leftovers and use later.

Pita pockets are a new thing. Sausage pitas are a great morning starter. Cook about 1 pound of sausage and add about 6 eggs beaten to a skillet. When done spoon into a pita pocket, you can add some shredded cheese and some wonderful spices to complete the meal.

Toast a couple of pieces of bread and roll some sausage links inside. Kids like this easy taste treat. Or you can go all out and make sausage roll ups. Use a package of crescent rolls, roll a sausage link and a small slice of cheese in the crescent and cook like the package instructions say. Quick, easy and tasty is the verdict.

Awesome Apricot Filled Danish

danish

danishIngredients:

2 C of baking mix
1/4 C of butter, softened
2 T sugar
2/3 C of milk
1/4 C apricot preserves
3/4 C of powdered sugar
1 T of warm water
1/4 t of vanilla extract

How to Cook It:

Allow the oven to heat to 450 degrees F.
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl put the baking mix, margarine and sugar.
Cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender or 2 forks until it becomes crumbly.
Slowly add the milk to the mix until a soft dough forms and then stir 15 times.
Drop the dough by a tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving 2 inches between the Danish.
Make a well in the middle of each of the Danish with the back of a spoon.
The well is filled with the apricot preserves.
Put in the oven and bake 12 minutes or until a golden brown.
Take from oven and allow the Danish to stand on the cookie sheet until cooled.
In a mixing bowl put the powdered sugar.
Stir in the vanilla and warm water and stir until the mixture is smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the Danish.

Makes 12 Danishes

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 12 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

No More Plain Toast Mornings

eggtoast

eggtoast

Mornings, what can you say? All the rushing around with the kids, trying to get ready for work, can’t find their homework and the dreaded “I’m hungry.” The favorite food for these mornings is toast, but did you know that toast doesn’t have to be just a toasted piece of bread with butter on it? Your kids learned to toast a while ago when they couldn’t burn themselves, right? Here are some variations that will make their mouths go wow! Just remember they might need a little help from you in creating some of these great morning toast ideas.

Slice some healthy fruit like bananas, peaches, strawberries, apples, kiwi or melons. Toast a slice of bread and add some cream cheese. Top with one or more of the fruits mentioned and you have a whole new spin on morning toast.
Toast a piece of bread and add some pizza or spaghetti sauce along with some cheese. Stick in the microwave for just a few seconds and you have a great breakfast on the run. Add some left over crumbled sausage for a special treat.

Have some boiled eggs handy, slice them and add them to your toast, Top the toast with some mayonnaise and you have a hearty, healthy breakfast. How about some extra tuna salad, chicken salad or egg salad? All you need is a couple of pieces of toast and breakfast is ready. Breakfast is what you make it.

Breakfast sandwiches are easy to make if you think ahead. Try cooking extra sausage or ham ahead of time. Stick them between two slices of toast and instant breakfast. How about a toasted egg sandwich for breakfast? It’s easy to make. Add some cheese and a piece of meat and you have a whole breakfast in one hand.

There are other, not so traditional ingredients that you can use to make some great breakfast sandwiches, like cream cheese and chives, peanut butter and jelly, or honey and bananas. Add some applesauce, apple butter or even sliced cheese. If you use whole grain bread, then the toasted sandwiches are even healthier for your family.

The next time that morning breakfasts become a head-ache, think about toast and all the things you can do with it. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a stressful time when you work together to make it a family time.