It's a New Day!

I love January 1st because it offers all kinds of possibilities, promises and hope for the year ahead.  It's a chance for new beginnings...and I intend to take full advantage.

So in keeping with the theme of "beginnings," I'd like to share some of my favorite breakfast ideas with you.  It's no secret that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Eating it revs your metabolism and sets you up for success throughout the day, skipping it leaves you feeling ravenous later on and making poor food decisions.  One of the best things you can do for yourself, your mood and your health is to get a good breakfast into you within an hour of waking.

Here are five of my favorite ways....

Suzanne's Granola
I like to make a big batch of granola on the weekend, so that I have it at the ready when I'm pressed for time in the morning.  Store-bought granola is often chock-a-block with sugar, so I prefer to make it myself and load it up with nuts and seeds.  When berries are in season, I add them to my cooked granola, the rest of the year I add banana chips, raisins and dried cranberries (go easy on them, though, because they are high in sugar.)  You can find my recipe here 

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The Puffy Omelet
I love eggs, and usually I just scramble them with a bunch of veggies, but one day something else happened.  I started out just making my usual veggie scramble, but then I probably got distracted ("shiny, sparkly"), put a lid on the pan, and when I came back I had this beautifully puffy omelet.  My kitchen accident became one of my favorite egg dishes.  Here's the recipe-non-recipe.

 

Huevos Rancheros

When I go out for breakfast or brunch, if I see huevos rancheros on the menu, it's all over.  I don't even  bother looking at the rest of the menu.  The best I've ever had is at Redd in Yountville.  My original recipe has changed because of Redd's dish; now I dip the tortillas into enchilada sauce in a skillet to coat the tortillas...that's the trick.

 

 

Breakfast Pizza

This raised a couple eyebrows (of doubt!) when I suggested it for breakfast, and I couldn't understand why.  Who doesn't love pizza?  And why would it not work for breakfast, silly monkey?  I made my own dough, but you can use a Boboli.  A little sausage, a little gravy made from the fat (OK, this lands in my 80/20 wheelhouse!), some scrambled eggs and scallions. BOOM!  Get the recipe-non-recipe here.

 

 

Soaked Apple Oats

Doesn't get much easier than this twist on oatmeal.  Soak 1/2 cup of rolled oats in a 1/2 cup of apple cider for about 20 minutes (go take a shower and it'll be ready). Stir in a pinch each of cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and salt.  Add chopped nuts and seeds and whatever fresh fruit is in season.  There's no excuse for missing breakfast with this easy option.

 

 

So here's to great beginnings!  Hope you have a healthy, happy, delicious 2014!

 

Cook Happy!