Flash Parfait

A most beautiful thing to come out of thirty seconds of work!

● Fresh berries
● Yogurt
● Granola   crunch
Serve it in fancy glasswear to give your work its just display.  Then, sip your coffee while the family goggles.   Now, a few things about brands.  I've searched the minefields of the grocer's yogurt and cereal sections, reading nutritional labels and comparing prices, and because I'd rather go low sugar than anything else, I recommend Ralph's Carbmaster yogurt with only 3g of sugar and Bear Naked Fit Granola at 4g for 1/4 c.  

RECIPE

Breakfast for the Junior Conquerer

Sunday is Prep Day for the rest of the week here and so we start the morning with a big batch of waffles that can be frozen and reheated as the week drags onward. To boost up the nutrition for those long days where school runs immediately into sport practice, I mix 1:1 white flour with flour from a high protein grain. My favorite is emmer, also known as farro. Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum for you gardeners who love latin names) is the original ancient wheat. It was first cultivated in the Middle East then migrated to the Mediterranean where it literally fed the Roman Legions. Why were they so successful in building their Empire? Emmer flour contains twice the protein of regular white wheat flour!!

We get our emmer flour from a local farm, Bluebird Grain Farms but other local wheat producers are popping up all over the country to sell specialty flours. If you can't find emmer flour, look for flours made of "hard" winter wheat. Unlike wimpy generic cultivated wheat, these wheats are genetically programmed to survive harsh conditions by storing more nutrients-all the better to build strong healthy kids! The whole farro grains are fantastic on their own too, but I'll sing their praises on another day.

Protein Packed Waffles

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups flour (one cup white, one cup emmer or other hard wheat variety)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk wet ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients together separately. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Pour into prepared waffle maker.

RECIPE

Spinach Egg Bites in Two Minutes

Chopped spinach, egg whites, a pinch of shredded cheese and then microwave in an egg poacher for two minutes. No oil needed. Get creative, add any veggie you have on hand. I find that it's easier to get veggies in the morning within some egg white concoction then to eat raw. Shredded lowfat cheese is another flavor savor, but also my vice. I limit where I can, but find that if I add a smattering (pinch, dusting, sprinkle) of cheese to eggs or a salad, I am delighted not deprived.
I added the garnish of cilantro for show, but loved it with the eggs. Note, the small plate to tell my eyes that I'm getting a lot of food.

RECIPE

Saturday Morning Pancakes

Kids don't refuse pancakes, they beg for them. Let's use that motivation to do some good. "You get them started," I told my 9 year old son, Griffin. He did most of the work while I read the paper.I arrived in time to sprinkle the pancakes with flax seed meal before he flipped them.
I portion the syrup into small bowls because I once saw Griffin dipping sausage into syrup. Also, we're big on the real deal maple syrup. It is higher in sugar content than the 'lite' versions, but it's real and not loaded with chemicals. A little goes a long way in flavor. Ah, maple syrup -- a fine flavor savor in flavoring baked goods and salad dressings.
Sliced berries and a glass of milk (carb + protein for peak energy).


Today's Pancakes, Tomorrow's Toastercakes

RECIPE

Smoothies: One Batch, Three Treatments

Smoothies are fool-proof and easy, especially when you give them several presentations. Motto - make everything in bulk and reincarnate. This smoothie, one of my go-tos, serves as a breakfast beverage, a frozen to-go drink, and a popsicle.





Ingredients*

Frozen Strawberries
Vanilla yogurt (yea protein)
Banana
Orange Juice (lowest sugar possible)
ice cubes

*don't fret measurements, just play

Future smoothie ingredient

This weekold pineapple would get major complaints at the table...but not when I slip it into a smoothie. Make sure to freeze the fruit flat so you don't get a frozen fruit blob that makes your blender explode. Smoothies are not healthy for your walls!

RECIPE