Breakfast

Is there anything better than a long, leisurely breakfast to help you wake up? Well, maybe it's not everyone's cup of tea. I am an enthusiastic breakfast eater. I know there are some who are happy enough with simply a cup of coffee...but I can never understand it. In the morning I’m just plain starving! The many benefits of eating breakfast are just icing on the cake.

I can't believe I haven't tried steel cut oats yet, they're on my list. Do you think of oatmeal as delicious or boring? Try it with one of these toppings:

· Crystallized ginger and dried cranberries
· Maple syrup, brown sugar and walnuts
· Fresh fruit such as sliced banana, fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (added at the end of cooking)
· Dried fruit such as figs, dates, raisins (added at the beginning)
· Honey with almonds and dried coconut
· Crushed gingersnaps & fresh peaches
· Peanut butter and banana
· Dried cranberries, orange zest and sliced almonds.
· Chopped apple (sauté in butter and brown sugar) with cinnamon and raisins
· Peaches or pears (fresh or canned) with powdered ginger
· Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, or a spoonful of wheat germ
· Pumpkin butter or pumpkin puree with cinnamon and nutmeg

It never occurred to me to add sauteed greens to the breakfast mix. A soft-cooked or scrambled egg with greens and hot sauce will be a nice addition to the repertoire.

Photos by Jennifer Causey of Simply Breakfast. Check it out for some lovely breakfast inspiration.

Waffles get high ratings in our house. My favorite basic waffle recipe is as follows:

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cups milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Optional: Can add 1/2 tsp. vanilla and/or 1/2 tsp. lemon zest to blended mixture

Combine dry ingredients. Whisk milk, oil and eggs together. Gradually add wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just blended. (makes approx. 4 1/2 cups)