It’s maple syrup time in the Northeast.  Enjoy a wholesome way to enjoy this natural treat for a special breakfast occasion.  (But remember, it’s a treat – not for every weekend).

• 2-3 large baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground allspice
• 8 slices wholegrain or multigrain bread (sliced thick if desired)
• 3-4 eggs (or use 2 egg yolks and 4 egg whites)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp. natural vanilla

1. Add a little butter if desired (just a bit) to a frying pan and heat apple slices until tender.  Add brown sugar, maple syrup and spices. 
2. Stir and cook til sugar dissolves. 
3. Pour apple mixture into a glass baking dish and put bread on top. Reserve this aside. 
4. In separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and vanilla.  Pour over the bread mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight. 
5. In the morning, remove from fridge and and let stand 45 minutes. 
6. Preheat oven to 375o and bake French toast 30-35 minutes til firm and golden. 
7. Remove from oven and cut out French toast slices. 
8. Cover with apple mixture from the baking dish. 
9. Add a little maple syrup if desired. You can also add fruits on top as garnish.
   

Makes 8 servings.
(Recipe Adapted from Rise and Dine Canada, by Marcy Claman)

After a long and hectic week, one of the most enjoyable weekend activities can be savoring a Sunday morning in the kitchen. Cooking a delicious (and, of course, healthy!) breakfast can be fun for the whole family. While thinking outside of the Bisquick box can be difficult at first, putting a nutritious spin on your family’s favorite meals is totally worth the effort.

Plus, unlike traditional bacon-and-egg meals that leave you feeling like you need to crawl back in bed, these morning pick-me-ups will give your family the energy they need to keep going all day!

Green Eggs and Ham (makes 4 servings)

• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 4 handfuls baby spinach
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into pieces
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut bacon into small pieces. Sautee bacon and spinach on medium heat until spinach is wilted and ham is warm all the way through. Add eggs and stir until eggs are cooked to desired consistency. Sprinkle cheese throughout until melted. Remove from heat. Add avocado. 

Now you have a delicious breakfast perfect for St. Patrick ’s Day, full of fiber, vitamins, protein and healthy fat — and not a bottle of food coloring in sight!


Better French Toast (makes 4 servings)

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 5 egg whites, beaten
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
• Splash of milk 
• 4 slices whole-grain bread
• Organic Maple Syrup

Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Soak bread in mixture until well absorbed. Place in non-stick skillet and “fry” until golden brown on each side. Top with organic syrup and, if desired, a bit more cinnamon.

The protein in the eggs combined with the fiber of the bread keeps tummies full until lunch, while cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar throughout the day.

Whole-Grain Pancakes (makes 9 pancakes)

• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flower
• 1 ¼ Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 4 egg whites
• 2 ½ cups buttermilk 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 ½ Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• Organic Maple syrup

Place eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and honey into bowl. Combine all dry ingredients, except raspberries, into another bowl, and add wet ingredients slowly, until just blended. Let sit for 30 minutes, so oatmeal can soften. Cook on griddle or in pan until edges are slightly brown.  Top with maple syrup and raspberries.

These pancakes are also great heated up the next day, so make a big batch on Sunday, and have a special breakfast on Monday too!

Making memories in the kitchen doesn’t have to leave your family feeling bloated. Teach your kids about the health benefits of the ingredients going into their breakfasts and why they are so important. Now that’s a Sunday morning worth remembering! 

Maybe yours is the kind of family that just can’t get on board with a meal that doesn’t involve meat. Or maybe you can’t get going without a hot morning bite. Or maybe anything but coffee settles in your stomach like a lead brick. Whatever your breakfast dilemma, one of these make-ahead meals is sure to be perfect for you and your family. 

Quite often, I prepare the entire week’s (non-smoothie) breakfasts in advance, so there is always something on hand that can be popped in the microwave. 

For mornings when time is even tighter, keep some hard-boiled eggs, organic string cheese and bananas on hand. That way, if you find yourself in a more serious time crunch, there is always something healthy to grab and go!

Omelet on a Bun (makes 1)

• 1 whole-wheat English muffin
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• ¼ cup chopped onions 
• ¼ cup chopped broccoli
• 1 slice mozzarella or provolone cheese
• 1 slice cooked crumbled bacon
• Cooking spray

Spray pan with cooking spray. Sautee chopped onions and broccoli until tender, about 3 minutes. Add egg whites and cook until firm. Spread egg mixture onto English muffin, top with cheese slice and crumbled bacon. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. When ready eat: Put sandwich in microwave for 1 minute or until hot.

This recipe is a great way to get your bacon fix without clogging your arteries. Crumbling the bacon means you get a little crunchy taste in every bite!

Breakfast Burrito (makes 1)

• 1 small whole-wheat tortilla
• 3 egg whites
• ¼ cup canned black beans
• 2 Tbsp. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp. salsa
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• ¼ cup chopped red pepper

Scramble egg whites, black beans, salsa, onion, pepper and cheese together and spoon into tortilla. Wrap, place in fridge. In the morning, microwave for 45 seconds on each side. 

If you have time to spare, this burrito is even more delicious when heated in a pan until hot all the way through.

Simply Fruit 

If you just can’t stomach a heavy breakfast, then fruit for breakfast might be perfect for you. There are people out there, specifically Skinny Bitch authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, who contend that fruit and fruit alone is the perfect breakfast. The magic number? Three delicious, vitamin- and fiber- filled servings. 

Grapes, bananas, apples, raspberries and blueberries are all super-easy, no-prep fruits that can be eaten anywhere, anytime. Or slice kiwi, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, watermelon or cantaloupe into portable containers and store in the refrigerator. Toss into your bag, and you’ve got breakfast on the go. It’s as if Mother Nature knows how busy you are!

Between making sure the kids have their homework finished, feeding the pets, answering the phone and sliding a few last-minute bills into the mailbox, some mornings it can feel like a miracle that you even made it to work with your shoes on. For those of you who (like me) sleep until the absolute last possible minute, it can feel next to impossible to squeeze breakfast into the equation. 

As you read last week, however, squeezing it in is essential, especially if you don’t want your child to have to repeat the 1st grade! So how do you make sure the entire family gets fed without having to set the alarm clock back an hour? Make smoothies!

Pre-measure the frozen fruit the night before and store it overnight in the freezer by itself, so it’s ready to go in the morning. Pour the other ingredients into the blender the night before, cover, and store in the fridge. In the morning, put the blender on its base, pour in the fruit, blend until smooth, and you have a healthy, delicious breakfast in 2 minutes flat.

The recipes below are a guideline, but feel free to get creative and come up with your own delicious combinations. And remember, these measurements aren’t meant to be precise. An extra handful of fruit never hurt anyone! 

Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Calcium Cooler 

• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ½ cup frozen raspberries
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal)*
• 1 Tbsp wheat germ
• 4 oz. mixed berry yogurt

* If your child doesn’t like the texture of the flaxseed in his or her smoothie, substitute flaxseed oil.

Chocolate Shake 

• 1 cup chocolate soy** or almond milk
• ½ cup frozen strawberries
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed 
• 2 scoops chocolate hemp protein powder***

** When buying soy milk or soy protein powder, make sure you splurge for organic brands. Often, soy is genetically modified. If it carries the organic certification, it can’t be

*** Hemp protein is perfect for vegans because the more popular whey protein is made from a milk derivative. Plus, its Omega-3, protein and fiber combination is hard to beat. Play around with different protein powders — whey, soy, hemp— until you find a taste and texture that is right for you. And remember, every brand doesn’t taste the same, so if you don’t like one brand, try another!

Peaches ‘n Cream 

• 1 cup vanilla soy or vanilla almond milk**** 
• 1 cup frozen peaches
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 Tbsp wheat germ

**** If you are watching your family’s calories, you can always replace half of the liquid in any smoothie with water.

Now that you’re armed with a few good recipes, head off to the kitchen and get blending. Fixing breakfast might just become the easiest task on your to-do list!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes Recipe


Ingredients

2 cups low fat cottage cheese 
4 eggs yolks 
1/4 cup sugar 
6 tbsp. all purpose flour 
1/2 tsp. vanilla 
pinch of salt 
8 egg whites 

Directions

• Drain cottage cheese in sieve to remove excess moisture. 
• Stir together cottage cheese, egg yolks, sugar, flour and vanilla in a large bowl until blended. 
• Add salt to egg whites in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until you see soft white peaks forming. 
• Gently fold the egg whites into the cottage cheese mixture in until the streaks of the white are gone.
• Spray a large non stick skillet with non-stick vegetable oil spray, heat over medium heat. 
• For each pancake pour 2-3 heaping tablespoons of batter onto pan. 
• Fry for about 2 minutes or until bottom are slightly golden. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. 
• Pancakes will be a golden brown. Keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven until it's done.

Baked Artichoke Frittata Recipe


Ingredients

1 cup canned artichoke hearts in water 
6 eggs 
1/4 cup half-and-half 
1/4 cup milk 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon pepper 
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 


Directions

• Spread artichokes in well-greased individual au gratin dishes. 
• Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top. 
• Beat eggs with milk in a bowl, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 
• Pour mixture over artichokes & cheddar. 
• Top with Parmesan. 
• Bake at 350°F until frittata is puffy and lightly browned and center feels firm (about 20 minutes). 

4 Servings. Serve immediately