Question:

breakfast

NO BAKE GRANOLA BARS

½ cup honey
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup peanut butter
Granola cereal

Mix honey, powdered milk and peanut butter together.
Form rolls about ½ inch wide and 3 inches long.
Roll in granola cereal.

Makes 2 dozen

PRE-MADE OATMEAL PACKETS

Serving Size: 8
3 C Quick-Cooking Oats
Salt
8 Plastic Sandwich Bags
Put 1/2 C. oats in a blender and whirl at high speed until powdery; reserve in a small bowl. Repeat procedure with an additional 1/2-C. oats. If you're using a food processor, powder the 1-C. of oats in one motion.
Into each sandwich bag put 1/4-C. un-powdered oats, 2 T. powdered oats, and a scant 1/4-tsp. salt. Store in a box or airtight container.
To serve:
Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 C. boiling water; stir and let stand for 2 minutes.
For thicker oatmeal, use less water; for thinner, use more water. (I microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 minutes or until done on high)

Variations:
Apple-cinnamon: To each packet add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and 2T. chopped dried apples.
Cinnamon spice: To each packet add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and a scant 1/8 t. nutmeg.
Raisins and brown sugar: To each packet add 1 Tbs. packed brown sugar and 1-Tbs. raisins.
Wheat germ: To each packet add 2 Tbs. any kind of wheat germ
Fruit and cream: (This is my own to satisfy the kids) To each packet add 1Tbs. Dry milk and 2Tbs. Dried fruit or fresh fruit after cooking or jam.

PURPLE COW BREAKFAST SHAKE

Blend together grape juice and milk. Serve with toast.

BREAKFAST BANANA SPLITS...

Use oatmeal (or any hot cereal) instead of ice cream
Still use toppings. I use crushed pineapple, strawberry preserves (or thawed frozen strawberries) and of course, chocolate syrup and a little whipped cream... Of course you make these a size to fit the kids, so they can finish them all, but my kids love it! At least for a change of pace.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FRUIT DIP

1/2 cup low fat Cream Cheese
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (undiluted)
1 tbsp sugar

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl (or food processor) until smooth. Serve with whatever sliced fresh fruit you have around.
-apples, pears, bananas, kiwi.....

Makes about 3/4 cup of dip and doubles well.

CORN PANCAKES

For breakfast on Thanksgiving day we have Corn Cakes. We just use a regular Jiffy cornbread mix, but cook on a griddle. We make them small--"silver dollar size"--and the kids may have as many as they want. We also made our own butter one year, which was fun.(see my "Meals and Snacks category for the recipe). In the days before Thanksgiving we look for some different "spreads" to go on our corn cakes. We usually end up with honey and several kinds of jellies and jams. We have apple juice to drink.

MONKEY MILK BREAKFAST SHAKE

Blend a banana and 1 cup of milk, add a little yellow food coloring. Serve with toast.

BACON AND EGG BREAKFAST CUPS

I love the idea of this!
Great little 'muffins' for kids and adults alike.

6 slices bacon
6 eggs
salt and pepper -- to taste
1 tbsp. butter or margarine -- divided
1/4 c half and half -- divided

Partially cook bacon; drain on paper towels until slightly cool. Cut a 1-inch piece from each bacon slice, and place a piece in the bottom of each of 6 muffin cups. Wrap remaining bacon strips around sides of muffin cups, and break an egg in center of each. Top each with salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp. Butter, and 2 tsp. Half-and-half. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 25 min.
To make removal easier, loosen edges with a knife.

EGG MELTS

Peel and chop three hard boiled eggs

Add 1 tbsp. yogurt, 2 tsp. Mayonnaise, 2 tsp. green onion, and 1 tsp. Mustard.

Season with salt and pepper.

Slice bagels or muffins in half and toast.

Spread egg mixture over top, and sprinkle with bacon bits and grated cheddar cheese.

Grill in toaster oven or under broiler until cheese bubbles.

Serve warm.
Makes 4 snack-size servings (about 1/2 per child)

BREAKFAST ON TOAST

Place cottage cheese on toast and top with canned fruit. Mandarin oranges or crushed pineapple work really well, but bananas are a favorite in my house.

NO BAKE OATMEAL COOKIES

2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa
1 stick margarine
½ cup milk
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ cup peanut butter
3cups oatmeal

Cook in saucepan until well blended, sugar, cocoa, margarine milk and salt.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla, peanut butter, and oatmeal.
Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.
Cool.

APPLE CRUNCH TOAST

Butter
Wheat bread
Shaker of cinnamon-sugar

Slice and peel the apples. Have the child spread the butter on the bread. Have them place the apple slices on the bread. Then have them sprinkle the sugar mixture on the apples. Place in the toaster oven, and toast till slightly brown. Enjoy!

TASTY PAINTED TOAST

Using liquid food coloring, a clean paint brush and white bread you can make beautiful toast! First dilute liquid food coloring (about 50%) and let your kids "paint" a picture or design on a slice of white bread, being careful not to get the bread too soggy. Go ahead and toast the bread in your toaster as usual. The colors turn out bright and the kids really enjoy eating their masterpieces! Great idea for holidays or toasted sandwiches!

POTATO BIRDS' NESTS

Plop small mounds of potatoes on a greased cookie sheet, making a well in each mound. Crack an egg into each well and bake for about 15 minutes at 375, until the egg is cooked through. This is great for breakfast or lunch!

SMILEY FACE PANCAKES

Using a spoon, drop dots of batter in a hot skillet forming eyes and a strip of batter for a smile. Give them just a few seconds to brown a little then pour on batter for pancake. When removed from skillet pancake will have a smiley face on it.

QUICK BREAKFASTS FOR BUSY KIDS

Although it's been proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, often convincing a child of this is an entirely different matter. Here are a few ideas of foods that appeal to kids and help you to get out the door on time. Most of these are of the "take with you" variety, and just a couple will do the job on a very hectic morning.
1. A piece of fruit
2. Muffin
3. Toast
4. Bagel
5. Peanut butter and raisin sandwich
6. Yogurt
7. Baggie with dried cereal
8. Slice of cold pizza
9. Breakfast bar
10. Cheese strings
11. Milkshake drink

HOMEMADE INSTANT OATMEAL

Did you know you can make your own instant oatmeal?
Ingredients per person.
1/2 cup instant or "quick-cooking" oatmeal
1/2 cup water or milk
1/4 cup or less of sugar (to taste)
dried fruits of your choice- raisins, blueberries, cherries, apples, apricots, dates, etc.
Fresh fruit Optional - bananas, berries, etc.
Spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice,
Squirt of honey, jam, or chopped fruit for garnish

1. Combine all, according to taste.
2. Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until oatmeal is thickened.
3. Garnish as desired (with honey, syrup, chopped bananas, marshmallows, sprinkles, whatever!)
Possible combinations-apples and cinnamon, pumpkin pie (use canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie spice), peaches and cream, strawberries and cream, peanut butter and jelly, tropical (bananas, pineapple, mangoes, dates, coconut, whatever you have), lemon-blueberry, maple syrup and brown sugar, maple syrup and pecans.