The Most Important Meal of the Day

I promised in this post that I would share some recipes that are packed with essential nutrients for pregnant ladies. So here it goes! These are a few of my favorite breakfasts that Aaron and I eat on a daily basis.

• Greek yogurt with fruit and/or rolled oats (you can also use homemade granola)
  Greek yogurt is packed with more protein that regular yogurt, and it also has a good amount of calcium. I buy plain yogurt because most flavors have as much sugar as a candy bar... Rolled oats taste great mixed in and do not have as much sugar and oil as granola.
• Breakfast burrito with eggs, salsa, and avocado
  I buy pastured eggs from a local family (only $2 a dozen!) so the nutritional content is higher than commercial eggs (read here). There is a whopping 6 grams of protein per egg, along with substantial amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium, and omega 3 fatty acids. Along with 2 scrambled eggs, I put 1/2 of an avocado which has 5 grams of fiber, 7 grams monounsaturated fat (the kind needed for healthy brain growth), potassium, folate, vitamin K, and vitamin E. Salsa also has nutrients, but it's mainly for flavor :)
• Oatmeal (made with rolled oats) with ground flax, walnuts, honey, and milk
  Ok, pregnant ladies know that it can be a challenge to maintain a healthy digestive system. That was putting it nicely. Oatmeal a few times a week is enough to help maintain a healthier digestive system, here's why: 1 cup of rolled oats has 11 grams of protein (wow!), 8 grams of fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. Flax and walnuts have healthy monounsaturated fats as well as fiber and iron. Yay fiber!
• The "Real Deal" Cereal with nuts and dried fruit
  I found this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots. This cereal is 50% millet and 50% quinoa. The thing I love about this cereal is that it is great for people with a gluten-intolerance. Millet has a neutral taste and is one of the easiest grains to digest. Quinoa has protein, fiber, iron and folate. The cool thing about these two grains is that they not only blend well together, but they can be cooked together as well.
• Huevos Rancheros--corn tortilla topped with cheddar cheese, egg (flipped over), black beans, salsa, and avocado
  I'm not going to repeat the same info from the breakfast burrito (eggs, avocado, salsa), so what I'm going to focus on is the black beans (1/2 cup, cooked). These amazing little guys were made for pregnant women: 9 grams of protein and fiber, folate (37%), iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese. With all those nutrients combined with the egg and avocado you have a powerhouse breakfast for you and your babe.
• Green Smoothie
  Since there is a lot of variation in the fruits and greens you can add to a smoothie, I will not even attempt to list the different nutrients. However, during the summer when fruit and greens are in season this is a no-brainer for breakfasts or snacks. Greens veggies have tons of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. Here is my favorite basic recipe for green smoothies!

*I only mention a nutrient if the food contains over 10% of the daily recommended intake

RECIPES

Breakfast Burrito
Serves 2

4 eggs (pasture/free range is best)
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 avocado
salsa
cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat skillet and mix eggs together with salt and pepper to taste. Cook eggs in pan and when done sprinkle cheddar cheese over top. Fill tortillas with eggs, avocado, and salsa.

Oatmeal (the healthy kind)
Serves 2

2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
Mix-ins: dried fruit, ground flaxseed, nuts, milk, sweetener of choice (maple syrup, brown sugar, honey)

Pour water in small pan and bring to boil. Add rolled oats, cover, and turn heat down to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Once done, turn off heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.


The "Real Deal" Cereal
Visit My New Roots blog for the recipe!

Green Smoothies
Here is my favorite basic recipe for green smoothies, straight from the Diva Dish!


Huevos Rancheros (my version)
Serves 2

2 corn tortillas
2 eggs
1/4 cheddar cheese
1 cup black beans, cooked, rinsed, and drained
1 avocado
salsa

Heat skillet and heat tortillas until warm and slightly browned on both sides. Place in sealed bag to keep from drying out. Next, cook eggs according to preference (flipped over, sunnyside up, etc.) and in the mean time warm up beans in the microwave. To prepare: sprinkle cheese over tortillas, place hot eggs over cheese, and then layer beans, avocado, and salsa over the top. Eat with fork or hands :)

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Buttermilk French Toast

I absolutely love mornings, especially breakfast.

Aaron, on the other hand, does not like mornings. One word: Mr. Grinch.

I have learned that once Aaron gets some food in his belly he feels much better. I usually indulge him by getting up early and making pancakes, waffles, hot cereal, or buttermilk french toast (which is one of our all-time favorites).

A few months ago, I found this recipe for buttermilk french toast, and we have made it at least once a week since then. Why does buttermilk make a difference?
Well, let me tell you! The buttermilk adds a tangy flavor that compliments the cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup. Plus, it makes the egg mixture a little thicker, which makes it stick to the bread better and makes the bread less soggy. Yay for buttermilk!

Moral of the story? Feed your man, tame the beast.

Buttermilk French Toast

Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. muscavado or brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 slices whole grain bread (1/2'' slices if using fresh)

Butter or coconut oil

Maple syrup

In a glass pie pan or square pan whisk the egg and vanilla very well. Whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, salt and buttermilk until completely combined.

In a cast iron or pan of choice, warm a small pat of butter or coconut oil over medium heat, to coat the bottom of the pan. Dredge the pieces of bread in the custard, flipping a few times to be sure they're coated. Allow any excess to drip off, and add the bread to the hot pan. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes on one side, when the bottoms are golden and toasty, flip it to the other side, cover and cook another 2-3 minutes until the bottom is toasted dry and when you push on the center, you can tell it's not soggy. It will be tender, but no liquid should squish out.

Drizzle with maple syrup and whatever toppings your heart desires. 

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Basic Granola

Hey hey! I'm going to give a quick update before Aaron and I leave for Idaho tomorrow (Spencer's farewell).
Three words that describe this week: busy, study, homework.
Yeah, we're that spontaneous.
I've been working on my research presentation and academic proposal, studying for two tests, working, and figuring out food for our family of two. Oh food. It seems like Aaron has hit a second puberty, I just can't keep him full! Aaron's theory is that his body was in starvation mode for too long and now it's trying to catch up. Plausible...
In reality, he has been working so hard this week at school and at work, his brain probably just needs extra nourishment. Anyway, we're still alive and trying to find time to enjoy life. Aaron's had a busier week than usual and is looking forward to the summer when he will only be working two days a week and studying for the GRE and first actuary test. We're planning some fun adventures for the spring and summer and can't wait!
We hope everyone is having a great week and enjoyed their holiday weekend :)

Oh yes, here is a basic granola recipe I found from the Food Network, it is a really good base for most flavors of granola. I've tried at least four or five other granola recipes and this is my favorite. If you have any ideas for flavor combinations leave it on our comments! We love getting new suggestions.

Granola 
Adapted from Alton Brown's Granola Recipe

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup nut #1
1 cup nut #2
3/4 cup misc. add-ins*
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener such as honey, agave, or applesauce)
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried fruit (DO NOT ADD UNTIL AFTER GRANOLA IS COOKED)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

*you can divide the 3/4 cup into any combination of add-ins that you want (1/4 sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup coconut, 1/4 cup wheat germ, etc). Just keep the dry/wet ingredient ratio the same.

Nuts:
Slivered almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Peanuts

Add-ins:
Flaked coconut (unsweetened)
Sunflower seeds
Ground flaxseeds
Oat bran
Wheat germ
Chia seeds
Sesame seeds

Dried Fruit:
Raisins
Craisins
Blueberries
Cherries
Strawberries
Apples
Dates

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Crepes

Basic Crepe Recipe
I created this crepe recipe and oh how glorious it turned out to be. These are the exact ingredients and proportions that I used. The result was a tasty, perfectly pliable crepe. If you don't have coconut oil it should still work well, but I can't guarantee it will be the same :)

2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar or 1 Tbsp honey (leave out if doing savory crepes)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/3 cup dairy or non-dairy milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Heat 10-12 inch skillet on medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour small amount of batter into pan (1/4-1/3 cup depending on size of pan) and twirl pan around clockwise until batter has been dispersed to all four corners. Cook for about a minute and then flip. Cook for another minute and then place on paper towel so that condensation does not cause sogginess. Fill with delicious toppings:

Sweet

• Nutella + Bananas
• 5 cups berries + 6 Tbsp cream cheese + 1/4 cup sugar
• whip cheese and sugar first, then add berries.
• Lemon juice + sugar
• Apples + cinnamon + sugar = Apple Pie!
• Pumpkin Pie
• simply make a crustless pumpkin pie and after it is baked and cooled whip it for about 30 seconds, then fill crepes. 
• Peaches +  a sprinkle of sugar

Savory

• Scrambled eggs + breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, ham) or veggies + cheese
• Egg salad
• Chicken salad

Do you have a favorite crepe filling? Please share so our crepe adventures can continue!

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Tips for Making Better Muffins

This past week Aaron was on campus until 9 for most nights.
I spent one of those evenings cleaning and making large batches of muffin batter to use for breakfast the rest of the week. I found these tips from Simple Bites to be very useful. The basic recipe is really good, but I made a few adjustments to fit my taste. I'm including my recipe for muffins, but the tips are applicable to any muffin or cupcake recipe.



Tips for the Best Muffins Ever

1. Start with ingredients at room temperature, eggs, milk, etc.
2. Take care not to over mix the batter; use a flexible spatula to gently fold ingredients together.
3. Batter should be stiff enough to hold a spoon upright; if it seems runny, gently fold in a few extra tablespoons of flour.
4. Use the freshest spices as possible when they are required.
5. Grease the entire muffin tin, not just the holes. More often than not, the muffins expand over the sides, and if those sides have not been properly greased, you’re going to run into trouble when you try to remove the muffins.
6. Fill muffin tins three-quarters full; the tops are the best part, so don’t be shy with the batter.
7. Slide a baking sheet under the muffin tin to help prevent the bottoms from getting too dark in the oven. This also helps with cleanup in case there is overflow.
8. Take care not to over-bake the muffins.
9. Allow muffins to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing them, especially if they contain soft fresh fruit.
10. Enjoy them fresh. If you must, freeze them, although I prefer to freeze the batter (without add-ins), then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake the muffins fresh in the morning.

Basic Muffin Recipe

Be sure to read the recipe all the way through before getting started. You will note that the oats soak in the milk 1 hour prior to assembling the rest of the ingredients, so take that into consideration before starting out.
Makes 12 medium muffins

• 1 cup milk*
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly (sometimes I use coconut oil, depending on add-ins)
• 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour (I use 3/4 WW and 1/4 + 2 Tbsp all-purpose)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• add-ins of your choosing

Combine milk, vinegar and oats in a large bowl and let stand one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a twelve-cup muffin tin and line with cupcake papers.
Crack the egg into the oat and milk mixture; add brown sugar and mix to combine. Stir in melted butter.
Sift remaining ingredients into the bowl: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, & spices. Gently fold into batter, taking care not to over mix.
Sprinkle add-in and flavorings of your choice and combine muffin batter gently.
Use a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake until light brown and tops spring back when gently touched, about 10-12 minutes. Note: Muffins will take slightly longer to bake if you are adding fresh fruit such as blueberries or rhubarb.
Remove from oven and cool in tins. To remove, run a sharp knife around the edges and pop muffins out. Enjoy!
*You may also substitute 1 cup buttermilk, and then omit the vinegar from the recipe.


Muffin Add-Ins

• 2 bananas (mashed), 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup diced apples, 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated carrot, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup coconut, 1/4 cup walnuts, 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup blueberries, 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp lemon zest 
• omit vinegar and add lemon juice with milk and oatmeal

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