Five Favorite Breakfasts!

Happy Friday everyone! Today I thought I would share what has been happening in our kitchen lately for breakfast. I have basically banned my easy routine of grabbing a breakfast bar and I'm leaning towards things that are freshly prepared. Go figure...as if I need to add something else into my morning routine! But, I have to say, I really enjoy a healthy breakfast. I think its the easiest meal of the day to eat healthy. Here is what I have been making lately, all on rotation according to what is in the fridge. 

ONE:

Scrambled Egg Tortilla 

Beat two egg whites {or use liquid egg whites} with a fork, pour in a non-stick pan that is already warm over med-low heat. Once they begin to set, I sprinkle with mexican shredded cheese. Scramble with a spatula until they are fluffy. Cut one high fiber/low carb tortilla in half and add to skillet. Move the eggs into the tortilla shell. Lightly toast on both sides. Enjoy!

TWO:

Omelet Style Egg White Tortilla 

This is essentially the same thing as the Scrambled Egg Tortilla, except I let the eggs set and then fold over in half, and over again like an omelet. Place inside one half of a high fiber/low carb tortilla, add american cheese slice and toast on both sides in skillet until cheese is melted. So, so good. Enjoy!

THREE:

Avocado Toast

Such a delicious, healthy breakfast that I have mentioned before. Mash ripe avocado and spread on piece of toast {I love sourdough!} Sprinkle with pepper {salt is optional} and enjoy! 

FOUR:

Sunrise Smoothie

Another breakfast I have enjoyed and mentioned last week. I can't get enough of it y'all. It is so refreshing. The full post is here, but this is the rundown:

SUNRISE SMOOTHIE

1/2 ripe banana

1 heaping tbsp honey vanilla greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup water

6 small ice cubes (or 3-4 regular size cubes)

Place in blender or smoothie maker...blend. You can add ice, water or oj according to taste. Enjoy!

FIVE:

French Toast from Leftovers

I have been making this French Toast for Weeks and finally tried more than a bite this past weekend. Oh my gosh- seriously, amazing. Don't be scared that the bread comes from hot dog and hamburger buns- I will probably buy them from now on just to make French Toast! That good.

FRENCH TOAST {slightly adapted}

-3 Eggs

-Leftover Hamburger or Hotdog Buns {I've used both, I used slider buns in the pictures below}
-1/4 cup milk
-1 tsp cinnamon sugar

Beat together eggs, milk and cinnamon sugar with a fork until well blended. Dip each side of bun in mixture. Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Place buns in skillet and cook each side a few minutes. Serve warm with powdered sugar and syrup!

The best part about this recipe is that it freezes wonderfully!! 

I usually make as much as my mixture will allow/as many buns that we have leftover. I place them on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper and pop in the freezer for about 30 minutes until they are no longer "sticky". Then I wrap two or three at a time in the paper and put in a freezer bag. 

To reheat, we put in the toaster on a low setting a few times and then microwave a few seconds to make sure they are hot! Perfect for a little toddler meal! 

What are your favorite breakfasts?

Linking up with the ladies of Five on Friday!

Enjoy your weekend!!

My Favorite Sunrise Smoothie

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up a bit, I am much more likely to make a smoothie for my breakfast after a good work out. I don't know about y'all but I love a good smoothie. I can drink one down and feel full and satisfied {if I am having one for lunch I usually grab a handful of crackers to satisfy the crunch}! I tend to make one favorite over and over again until I am tired of it. {My old favorite was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake}. Lately, I am much more into cramming it full of fruits. This is my latest....and y'all, it is amazing!! I made one for Stephen yesterday and asked him what came to mind as he tried it. He said tropical drink. So, if you want a really refreshing treat and want to pretend you are beaching it for the day, mix one of these up. There is something so refreshing about the combination of pineapple, orange and banana. Feel free to mix up the proportions as well according to your tastes. If you prefer more banana, use a whole one instead {I usually stick the other half in the freezer for another smoothie} and use less of the pineapple. If you think it is too thick, add a little more water. I love that about smoothies- SO easy to tweak to your liking!

 I use my Magic Bullet to make all my smoothies. I've had mine over a year, use it all the time. It's held up great. I have also used it for grinding oatmeal, chopping spinach etc. If you are looking for an entry into the smoothie appliance world, I think it's a great one to start with!

SUNRISE SMOOTHIE

1/2 ripe banana

1 heaping tbsp honey vanilla greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup water

6 small ice cubes (or 3-4 regular size cubes)

Place in blender or smoothie maker...blend. You can add ice, water or oj according to taste. Enjoy!

My Not So Green Smoothie

A little late to the party, but I finally gave the green smoothie a go! 

I followed this diagram....

(I had a hard time sourcing this correctly)

And picked the following to try for the first time:

-Spinach

-Banana

-Raspberries

-Vanilla Nonfat Yogurt

The verdict:

Loved the way it tasted!

The color, not so pretty. In fact, it wasn't green at all. I followed the proportions correctly but I think the raspberries changed the color. I couldn't believe how there are 2 cups of hidden spinach in there. Totally can't even tell in the slightest. I would have a hard time eating 2 whole cups of spinach in a salad, so this is major! I just prefer my salads in smaller portions, I don't love to eat a gigantic salad.

The second day I made the smoothie I upped the spinach a little and went a little less on the raspberries and yogurt. I actually preferred it this way (and the color was a little more green!) I kept Stephen's with more raspberries since he was still a little uneasy he was having a "salad fruit smoothie" for breakfast.

 My only concern is that it seems rather expensive compared to my usual breakfast! That breakfast, as in cereal, granola, yogurt etc. We got 4 smoothies out of one bag of frozen raspberries, one container of spinach, one large container of yogurt, and one bundle of bananas (with a few to spare). Any tips on that? Do you make green smoothies and what is your favorite combo?

Breakfast Traditions

The very first weekend I found out I was pregnant we shared the exciting news with my parents on a trip home.  After discussing the lifestyle changes that I was already making {coffee, certain cheeses, deli meat, seafood, you name it, etc}, my parents told the story of how my Mom started getting hot tea served to her every single morning. She had morning sickness when she was pregnant, and the only thing that could curb that was a hot cup of tea. My Dad took the task upon himself and is still fixing her a hot cup of tea to this day.

That very next Monday morning, what did I get in bed? A hot cup of tea. One of the sweetest gestures of my entire pregnancy. Stephen just took it upon himself to be my tea maker, and continued to do so throughout my entire pregnancy. I'm still getting hot tea fixed for me too! Sometimes in bed, sometimes running around the house with a baby in one hand and a burp cloth in the other.

I think I mentioned how much I loved donuts in those last few months of my pregnancy. I even had other people craving donuts. {You know who you are!} I mean, lets be real, not much can beat a really good donut. It sort of turned into a tradition for us- every Saturday morning Stephen went to Dunkin Donuts and got us our fix. Chocolate iced was my favorite. {To be clear, the regular donut with chocolate icing, NOT a chocolate donut. Don't make that mistake Dunkin.} I could probably have eaten two or three in one sitting, so it's a good thing I only ordered one.

Fast forward to this morning, what did we have for breakfast?

It's funny how traditions are born. Not saying that we will have donuts every single Saturday morning {I wouldn't mind} but I don't think I will ever eat another donut with out thinking about such a sweet time in my life.