Breakfast

We love to make our own snacks at home because they’re so much more cost-effective than buying pre-made treats at the store. Plus, it’s usually a fun family project and by making everything at home, I know exactly what’s in my food. No preservatives or high fructose corn syrup here! Plus, I love the fact that I can add in exactly what I feel like, from dried blueberries to pistachios or coconut (just be sure to add any fruit after everything else has cooked in the oven and cooled).

The other day, my mother-in-law showed me something. Something epic."Would you like a muffin with your coffee?" she asked."Um, sure?" I make a regular habit of raiding their cabinets every time I enter the house (a hazard of the both fact that I’m always starving from round-the-clock breastfeeding and the fact that Heidi cooks like nobody’s business), and I hadn’t seen any muffins. How on earth had I missed the muffins?!

I love those milk and cereal bars that you get at the grocery store, but the ingredients? Not so much. High fructose corn syrup, sugar, malto-dextro-no-thank-you. So I decided to make a homemade version with ingredients I can actually pronounce.

Every time I log onto Pinterest – the online style board for craftyfoodiemomswithtoomuchtimeontheirhands I feel like a crappy mom. Let me clarify: I am the model of the type of mom that would have the time to create those perfect, all time consuming, handmade, works of art that should be in museums across the globe. I am a stay at home mom, I am crafty, I have the time, I have the materials but I…just…don’t wanna do it.

I have been hearing the word Chia a lot lately. I first ran into someone making chia bars and then I starting seeing photos of Chia pudding pop up all over Instagram. I realized it was time to try out this healthy foodie favorite. I did a quick search to learn more about Chia seeds and found out they are native to Mexico and Guatemala. A serving of chia seeds contains 9 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. Whoa! They also pack a ton of calcium and are similar in nutritional content to flax seeds.

I haven’t had much time to bake from scratch lately, but my cravings for pastries and baked goods have been FIERCE. This oatmeal muffin in a mug satisfies my need for something light and fluffy in the morning. In under five minutes, I can have a hot and healthy breakfast for anyone in the family – and it’s fancy enough to impress overnight guests without making a big mess in the kitchen.

We’re in the final stretch! Just a month and a half until our third baby is born, and I’m trying to make healthier choices like quinoa for breakfast instead of a craving-induced binge of Cocoa Puffs and peanut butter. Not that I’ve ever tried that combo after waking up inexplicably famished at 3am.

I was craving Nutella french toast the other day, and then I realized I didn’t even know if that was a real thing that exists. Have I ever actually had it before, or did my pregnant brain just make this genius concoction up? There must be some way to combine these two decadent flavors, right?

When I was a kid, breakfast-in-bed was a really special treat. My sister and I would get up early and tinker around in the kitchen. We loved concocting coffee mixtures for my mom after we scrounged around for "sugar" (salt) and "powdered creamer" (flour). She drank those clumpy lattes like a champ!

The busiest season of the year is rapidly setting in on us. I have a jillion things to get done before baby number three shows up in December! Lately I’ve been ALL about easy, hearty meals that I can prepare quickly without a ton of dishes. Gluten-free breakfast casseroles have long been a favorite go-to solution for our family. I’ve been making them in bulk and serving them for dinner, too.

Sometimes we can get a little rushed in the mornings with getting ready for school and for the day. So we need great breakfast ideas for kids that not only are easy, but are something they’ll eat. These Sausage Pancake Bites are something I can make ahead on a Sunday and then just pop in the toaster oven on a weekday for a simple and delicious breakfast.