Due to an unforeseen turn of events. The first Around Town in 52 Breakfasts article will be posted October 3, 2010. I’m sorry about the delay. I hope everyone had a great weekend and is starting their week with a great breakfast!
Five for Friday – Breakfast in Motion
This is going to be a crazy busy weekend for me. Having so much activity planned has me thinking about breakfast on the go. Whether you’re gearing up for a hectic weekend or a non-stop busy week, having quick breakfast choices is crucial. It will help you keep things moving without sacrificing the most important meal of the day. Here are a few reminders and a new idea or two. At a minimum each of them will provide some morning nutrition. Try combining a few of these ideas for a quick yet balanced morning meal.
- Breakfast Wraps – Keep whole wheat tortillas on hand to wrap up a quick breakfast. Roll your tortilla around some turkey bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs and low-fat cheese for a great start. Add diced peppers, fresh spinach, onions, tomatoes or whatever else you like to make it even better.
- Hard Boiled Eggs – I once sent out a tweet that said, “The best convenience food just might be a hard boiled egg. It’s compact, it travels, it’s low carb and its only 70 calories.” I stand by that statement. An egg alone is certainly not a balanced breakfast, but it can provide protein to start your morning. I definitely prefer having one or two of them to skipping breakfast altogether.
- Non-Traditional – Not a ‘breakfast food’ person? Choose things like low-fat cheese and crackers, trail mix made with both dried fruit and nuts, or make fruit salad ahead of time and grab a cup of it to go.
- Sandwiches – The sandwich is the original hand-held meal. A healthy breakfast sandwich can be made with a couple of whole grain waffles, whole wheat bread or toast, or whole grain English muffins. Fill it with your choice of lean breakfast meat, eggs, and your favorite breakfast veggies for a great meal to go.
- Convenient Containers – Single serving containers of yogurt, cottage cheese, packets of instant hot cereal and breakfast bars are all great grab and go choices. Just be sure to choose a nutritious breakfast bar that isn’t high in sugar. My if-all-else-fails solution is to keep a box of them in the glove compartment of my car.
FRIDAY BONUS ITEM: Smoothies – They put those cup holders in your car for a reason. I’m thinking the breakfast smoothie is one of the best reasons. If you read my earlier Five for Friday post about smoothies, you already know how I feel about them. If you haven’t already, check it out for great tips on making smoothies.
The keys to this whole thing are having the ingredients on hand and making whatever you need to ahead of time. There you have it; no more excuses for skipping breakfast. Have a great weekend!
Around Town in 52 Breakfasts
Around Town in 52 Breakfasts, is a year long series dedicated to experiencing my city (and your city) by enjoying some great breakfast places. We all have our beaten path. Where ever we live, we tend to get into a routine of going to the same basic places and doing the same basic things. I’m writing this series as a challenge both to myself and to you. It’s a challenge to try something different. I’m just as guilty of getting into a rut as the next person. This will be a wonderful way to experience new places. I am blessed to live in a city that is well known for great food. When I think about all Kansas City has to offer, I know I have enjoyed relatively little of it, especially when it comes to breakfast. That is about to change.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
This will be a Sunday series since Sundays seem to be the best day of the week for me to explore new places. I plan to share how I discover new places to try, what my experiences are at each venue, and suggestions for enjoying more of what your city has to offer. I hope you’ll join me on this food adventure.
My first stop:
First Watch
19321 E. Highway 40 #L
Independence, MO 64055
816-795-0814
Check back on Sunday for this post.
Something About a Man Who Makes Breakfast
I’m sitting in the big comfy chair watching him. He’s wearing sweatpants, no shirt and his hair is slightly a mess. He walks over to me with a hot cup of tea and the little bear shaped honey bottle and asks, “What do you want for breakfast.” “Surprise me.” I say. He gives me a smirk and starts pulling ingredients from the refrigerator and cabinets. A few minutes later he comes back over with plates for each of us. We cuddle with our plates on the couch in front of the TV to eat, talk and watch whatever is on. The food is as warm and wonderful as the man who made it.
Experiences like this have made for some of my favorite weekend mornings. I can say without question, there’s just something about a man who makes breakfast. Most of the time, women are the care-takers and nurturers in the relationship. We find this particular moment of role reversal touching on a number of levels. Rachael Ray says on her show all the time “Men who cook are sexy”. She’s right. If you are a man who thinks about cooking and says “I’m just not that guy”, trust me, you want to be that guy.
Want to be a man who makes breakfast? Here are a few tips:
- DO serve the meal after you prepare it. The idea is to make her feel cared for and pampered. There’s something almost magical about how good you look walking over with a plate of food.
- DON’T try to make something fancy and impressive if that’s not your forte. Whatever you make will be appreciated.
- DO toss in a little good natured bragging about the meal, even if all you can make is a hard boiled egg. Confidence is always a turn-on.
- DON’T leave the mess for her to clean up after the meal.
- DO involve the children sometimes if you have kids. Teach your kids that Mom should be appreciated more than just one day a year and show the woman you love that you know this as well.
- DON’T make it a once in a lifetime event. If you approach it with the “I’m going out of my way here, and don’t get used to this” attitude, you might as well not do it at all.
- DO enjoy the meal with her. Unless this is about giving her some “me time”, share the food and have good conversation with her. Relationship bonds of all kinds are often strengthened over a meal. Let sharing breakfast be one of those moments in life that help you become closer.
I thought about writing this post as a Five for Friday, but I decided to post it earlier in the week so you could start thinking about it now. Guys, this would be a great weekend to have one of those moments when you do something unexpected when there isn’t a special occasion. Ladies, if your guy could use a little nudge (and he’s not going to see it as nagging), there’s nothing wrong with emailing or texting a link to this post. I hope everyone reading this has a great week and an even better weekend.
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Five for Friday – Five Tips to Smooth Out a Busy Morning
I love smoothies. On busy days, it takes just minutes to blend my ingredients and I’ve got nutrition to go. Today I’m giving a few tips on how to make breakfast smoothies a quick and healthy morning option.
Keep Frozen Fruit on Hand – Fresh fruit is ideal, but it isn’t always practical. I keep my freezer stocked with frozen blueberries, strawberries, and other fruits. I also freeze bananas. The banana peel will turn dark brown in your freezer, but the banana is still good and is perfect for smoothies.
Use an In-Cup Blender – I’m not generally a fan of extra appliances, but this is one worth having. Several companies make them and being able to blend and drink my smoothie in the same container is much cleaner and faster than using a separate blender. I personally use a Magic Bullet and I’ll never go back to using a traditional blender for smoothies.
Don’t Forget the Add-ins – Fresh or frozen fruits are already packed with healthy benefits. You can get even more from your smoothie by adding a scoop or two of protein powder or ground flax seeds.
Try Different Ingredients – Add a few new things to your smoothie. Try adding a little spinach. We all know that green leafy vegetable are great for our health and you won’t even taste it in most recipes. Nut butters will make your smoothies creamier. Cashew butter is a good choice because it’s mild flavor won’t over power the other ingredients. Ginger root is another great thing to try because it will give your smoothies a little extra kick.
Make it Ahead – If I know I’m going to have a particularly hectic morning, I put my combination of frozen fruits and other ingredients that can be combined ahead of time into one of my blender cups. I leave it in the freezer overnight and the next morning I simply add my liquid ingredients and my pre-measured dry ingredients and my day is off and running that much faster.
Have a great weekend!