31 days of Wholefood breakfast: Baked Sweet potato for breakfast?!

You know I like to serve dessert for breakfast, but thought I'd switch it up a bit.  How about dinner (or at least a side dish) for breakfast? What's that, you've never thought of a baked sweet potato in the morning?  Well, I hadn't either, but it certainly fits in nicely with the simple and delicious wholefood theme going on around here.  Not to mention warm and filling. 

It's quick, impossibly easy if you have a time bake setting on your oven and ready whenever you want. Plus, loaded with vitamins C and A - not to mention potassium which helps with stress (hello, Mondays). 

::Sweet potato breakfast::

bake 1 per person

Sweet potatoes

salt

butter

cinnamon and maple syrup, optiona

Night before: wash sweet potatoes well so you can eat the skin too!

Line them all up on baking sheet in middle of your oven.  If you have a time-bake option set for 1 hr 5 min at 350.  If not, just turn it on as soon as you get up.  

Once they are cooked: split open, and big hunk of butter (which your body needs to assimilate all those naturally occurring vitamins) add a dash of salt or cinnamon and a slight drizzle of maple syrup.  Some potatoes are sweeter than others, so that part is purely a taste preference. 

I told the boys tonight we are having them in the morning.  my announcement met with a nice rounds of "Yeah's" and even one fist pump.  Sweet all around!

Enjoy! 

  

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here and linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli
 and imparting grace

31 days of Wholefood breakfast: Macaroons!

Keeping this series real: I served breakfast from a box on Sunday morning.  Gluten free french toast sticks...and they tasted pretty good.  There's just no such thing as 100% wholefood diet when you go grocery shopping with a nine year old {darling} blond boy.

Notice any themes at our breakfast table?   Morning cookies are a hot commodity around our house.  The baintrain loves them with a bowl of yogurt, I love that they are super filling, tasty and quick. Since coconut is so nutritious and doesn't cause  inflammation like grains do, I love having it in the wholefood breakfast rotation.   

This is a modified recipe from Adrienne: her son is deathly allergic to eggs,  so the original was egg-free.  I had to get a bit more protein in them for breakfast so I tweaked the recipe and made it my own in a just few minutes.  

 :: MACAROONS ::

 preheat over to 350 

convection optional

2 2/3 c shredded unsweetened coconut

1 c coconut milk

5 T coconut sugar, xylitol or honey

2 T Flour - I used GF baking mix

1 T vanilla

2 fresh eggs

dash of salt

This is a one bowl wonder.  Simply measure and mix. I used a really high tech fork to mix it all together.  I popped the macaroons on parchment paper lined baking sheets and  cleaned the kitchen while they baked for 15 minutes - until slightly brown around the edges. 

You know how a new recipe ususally takes longer? Well, these were mixed and ready to bake in under 10 minutes.  I believe you could make them in the morning - with time to spare!

 Enjoy!

        

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here and linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli
 and imparting grace

31 days of Wholefood breakfast: A cookie to wake up for

 

Em sent me a pinterest link a few months ago that inspired me to make breakfast cookie that can also double for dessert or pre-workout protein treat. This recipe has been a big hit with boys and farm workers alike.  Made with no sugar, lots of protein, healthy coconut oil and chia, I think they might be a perfect fit into your morning breakfast program.  

:: Breakfast cookies::

makes approx 2 dozen

preheat oven to 325 

3 over ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c nut butter

3 fresh eggs, room temp

3 T coconut oil, not quite liquified

1 c ground oatmeal, or quick oats

1/4 c chia seeds

1/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 c raisins

1/2 choc chips, or just press into cookie tops

 

Mash bananas in a medium mixing bowl.  Add nut butter and stir well to combine.  Add eggs and coconut oil, then oats, chia, coconut and raisins.  Let the soupy-ish batter sit for about 10 minutes while you get the parchment paper out and line your cookie sheets. 

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls and press down a little bit.  They don't spread, so whatever shape they are when you put them into the oven they will be when you pull them out.  

Bake for about 25-30 minutes (mine take 27)- you might want to rotate your pans about half way through, but it's not necessary.  

They really are that easy to make.  You won't be disappointed, and I think with the chocolate chips, even picky eaters will try them...

I like to make these for dessert the night before I am serving them for breakfast.  It sure does streamline the morning experience to have the meal prepared!  Chocolate chips not optional in any of the baintrain's opinion.

Enjoy!

linked at WFMW 

31 days of Wholefood breakfast: {overnight} breakfast cookie

After years of developing  quick, easy, delicious and nutrient dense breakfast recipes, I finally found a breakfast cookie made with raw oats worth trying.  Thanks, Fitnessista. She called it it Something worth waking up for and I wholeheartedly agree! You know I made modifications to her recipe, but had to give her credit for the original idea.

::{Overnight} Breakfast cookie ::
makes  5 filling cookies

1 c raw oats
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

2 T hemp seed protein, or protein powder of your choice (check for GMO's!)

2 T Chia seeds

1/2 c nut butter

1/3 c organic cocoa powder

1/4 c xylitol, maple syrup or honey - or to taste
1/2 c milk
Optional add-ins: dried or frozen berries fruit, banana, choc chips, cacao nibs

Mix all that up and add about 1/2 cup of raw milk or Kefir (you could use almond, coconut or hemp milk). Then add an over ripe mashed banana and some raisins.  Or whatever you want,  that's the beauty of this recipe.  Anything will taste great in the base.  And they are getting plenty of protein; you know that's kind of my breakfast hobby horse...

Scoop about 1/2 cup onto a salad plate cover with plastic wrap and smush til it's flat.  Pop it in the fridge and in the morning there's a cookie you can eat with a spoon.

This recipe should be filed near the top of teaching your kids to be self sufficient.   Planning on putting a version of this on the menu every week!

Worth making for the extra sleep alone!

Enjoy!

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here and linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli

31 days of Wholefood breakfast: Quesadillas!

You know what happens when there's a LOT of food left over?  I am tempted to not cook breakfast.  I did that yesterday, though, and how many leftovers can rapidly growing boys eat before staging a major revolt?  I decided not to press my luck, and whipped up these breakfast quesadillas.  They met most of my wholefood breakfast criteria: simple, quick, tasty and not loaded with sugar.

::Breakfast quesadillas::

   makes 6

**I believe you could find everything except the tortillas for this recipe from a local farm - look here**

1/3 lb. breakfast sausage

7  fresh eggs mixed with a bit of milk

shredded cheese

12 tortillas - I used corn of course.

Directions: Brown breakfast sausage in skillet.  Cook until no pink remains.  Add egg/milk mixture directly to sausage in the skillet and cook just scrambled eggs. Heat up a griddle or other large pan while eggs are cooking.
 

To assemble: make quesadilla by spooning about 1/3 cup of cooked scrambled egg/sausage mixture onto a tortilla, top with shredded cheese and another tortilla shell. Cook until the cheese is melted and it's crispy on both sides.  This whole process takes about 5 minutes.  If you prefer a soft taco, just add cheese directly to the eggs and spoon that mixture into warmed up tortilla shells.  However you serve it, this recipe travels very well which makes it great for wrapping and distributing before the morning commute. 

The baintrain ate it with their favorite hot sauce. I'm sure you could serve it with salsa, a bit of guacamole or queso...but again, I threw this together at the last minute, so no time to dress it up. 

I thought after all the leftovers they consumed yesterday they'd be a bit hungrier.  However, I now have one of these sitting in my fridge. 
Left overs: you can't live with them, you can't live without them...

Enjoy!

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here and linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli
kristen
 

31 days of Wholefood breakfast: Luscious Lemon bars

There are so many tempting and delicious recipes online.  Those are links to a few of my contribution to the largest cookbook ever: the internet.  I keep a revolving to try stack set aside in my cookbook clutter.  Loose pages flutter as I search for breakfast inspiration at the beginning of the week -always  keeping my eyes peeled for recipes that are low or no sugar and heavy on the protein. Of course, being able to whip it up in about 10-15 minutes is crucial because no matter how early I get up, my mornings tend to be crazy right around "time to eat!"

I found one last week I thought of bending my time rule for and making ahead: obviously a recipe with 11 eggs is worthy for breakfast. 

::Lip smacking Lemon Bars:: 

{for breakfast}

Makes an 11x17 pan

preheat oven to 350

For crust:

 1 c almond flour

1 c coconut flour

1 t nutmeg

1 T honey/maple syrup

3 eggs

1/3 c coconut oil

1/3 c coconut milk

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix all together and press with greased hands into bottom of coconut-oiled 11x17 pan.  This is where you'll spend a few minutes, because the mixture is very sticky.

For filling:

8 eggs

juice from 6 lemons (I used 3 lemons and 4 limes)

1 T vanilla

1/2 c honey/maplel syrup

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut (optional garnish)

Re-use the same bowl you made the crust in so this a quick to make and clean up recipe. Mix all ingredients (it will be thin) for about a minute and pour into crust. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Garnish with shredded coconut while its still hot.  

Butterbain's eyes rolled back in his head when he tasted the first bite.  Taste-bud ecstasy = a successful breakfast!

Enjoy!

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here and linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli
kristen

31 days of Wholefood Breakfast: Clafoutis= french breakfast goodness

 

I've wanted to make clafoutis (clah-foo-tee) since I saw it in a magazine years ago. Just the fun name makes me want to clap for some reason! The finished product is described as a cross between a cake and custard. I never attempted it before because the recipes that caught my attention called for cherries or plums - not the type of fruit we have in abundance in Tennessee. Then last week as I rifled through Jen's Tasty Tuesday link up and found an apple clafoutis recipe. Since we are smack in the middle of apple harvesting and multiple pie baking season, I knew I'd found a new apple recipe to try.

Since I was up early over the weekend, I decided to give it a try - with a few tweaks, of course. Since it was Saturday, I used raw organic sugar, but if I made it during the week I would substitute xylitol to circumvent any chance of a pre-school sugar rush.
 

::Apple Clafoutis::

serves 6-8 

 

6 tart apples: peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 c sugar or xylitol

1 T saigon cinnamon

6 T butter

Melt butter while you peel and slice the apples. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon to pan, stirring to coat and cook till just barely soft.

While the apples are cooking, throw the following in your blender:

3 eggs

2/3 cup flour (anything but coconut will work)

1 cup raw milk

1 t saigon cinnamon

7 T one stick of melted butter

1/2 cup sugar or xylitol

1 T vanilla

big pinch of sea salt

To assemble, I removed carmelized apples from pan.   I melted a tablespoon of butter and poured the batter from the blender into my skillet. Then, I spooned the apples and all the caramel juice onto the top of the batter and baked it for 35 minutes at 400.

It made it's own crust and was all custard-y in the center...definitely tasted as good as it looked!

Though it's not a particularly quick recipe, it's deliciously worth making ahead or saving for a weekend breakfast treat!

Enjoy!

 
Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here linked to:
rachel
jen
kelli
kristen

31 days of Whole food Breakfast: Power packed pancakes

 

I've never met a Junior League cookbook I couldn't transform into a close friend.  Even if you don't enjoy cooking, they make for interesting reading with tips and family recipe history.

I grew up using my Mother's Talk about Good from the Lafayette League, which she got as a wedding gift.   I received Heart and Soul as a wedding gift and even though it's lost it's binding, I can't bear to replace it because of all the notes I've made over the years.  Until yesterday, my latest favorite was the Greek dressing from the Jackson,  League's Southern Sideboards.   From my Grand'mama I inherited a 10th edition copy of the first cookbook the Memphis League produced, aptly named The Memphis Cook Book.   

Originally published in 1952,  it contained a welcome breakfast surprise, with  more than a few recipes for whole-foodies, calling for lots of cream and other fresh ingredients.  Reading through it I was stunned by the high quality of food people ate in the 50's.

On my quest for delicious, simple and quick{ish} (I'm not asking much, really!), I had to check out what those women in the 1950's were serving up.  I hit the jackpot, with a pancake that's like a crepe, but thicker and much easier to cook.  Photo taken by stringbain, just prior to inhaling everything but his silverware! 

::Cottage Cheese Pancakes::

4 fresh eggs

1 c cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

3/4 c flour - anything but coconut will work

1 T coconut sugar, xylitol or honey

1/2 t sea salt

1-2 bananas, optional

Whisk eggs, cottage cheese and sour cream.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  The batter will be like thick cream.  Drop large spoon fulls on hot griddle and add a few slices of banana to the top of each pancake if you like.  The banana slices will caramelize when you flip the pancake - the baintrain likes that kinda thing.  They also reveled in using left over caramel sauce and whipped cream as toppings.  Not so healthy, but even whole-foodies must make exceptions!

Enjoy!

 

Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here

This post linked to Kristen, and Kelly Rachel, Imparting grace & Jen

31 days of whole food breakfast: Overnight porridge

We've recently been enthralled reading George MacDonald's Wee Sir Gibbie.  Not going to summarize the 
whole thing, but it's a precious story that will draw compassion and concern out of your kids' hearts - guaranteed.   It will also make them curious about the mainstay of the late 19th century Scottish diet: porridge and oatcakes. 

Since porridge is nothing more than oats soaked for 8 hours and then cooked I knew I'd just be renaming our regular oatmeal, but I wanted to make it simple, easy and quick. The only thing challenging about this recipe is remembering to get it ready the morning before you want to serve it.  24 hour advance breakfast prep -  I've only succeeded once at that. Still, worth having in the breakfast arsenal for those uber-organized days!

::Overnight Porridge::

      8 servings

2 cups oats - steel cut or rolled

6 Cups water, divided

dash of salt

1/4 c yogurt, buttermilk or Kefir

2 cups milk

1/4 c butter or coconut oil

1 chopped apple

1 cup raisins

1 T Cinnamon

Honey, nuts and cream to garnish

When you're cleaning up after breakfast, put your oats in a bowl with 4 cups of water, salt and buttermilk.  Cover with a cloth and let them soak on the counter til bedtime. 

Right before you get in bed, preparing to read more about food, drain the excess water from the oats that have been soaking all day.  Add them to a crock pot with 2 cups water, 2 cups milk, butter, chopped apple, cinnamon and raisins.  Set crock pot to low, climb into bed (we call ours The Money Pit) and drift off to sleep, knowing breakfast is done. 

We garnished with a handful of cashews drizzled with honey and added cold cream so it could be eaten immediately. 

Between satisfied bites, we spent our breakfast talking about eating porridge three times a day, like they do in Gibbie. All agreed while it makes a tasty meal, we prefer it only once a day. 

Enjoy!

 

 

Linking with all the other fabulous 31-dayers here

linked to
Kelli,
Rachel, Jen, Imparting grace
Kristen 

31 days of Whole food Breakfast: Cupcakes!!

The baintrain uses the exclamation cool beans all the time - alternating with their other ubiquitous word, awesome.  I couldn't think of a better title for a post that contains a recipe for chocolate cupcakes primarily made out of beans.  

I made cupcakes for breakfast a few weeks ago, and was itching to turn the basic vanilla bean cake into other tasty treats.  I adapted it last weekend, and turned it into carrot cake.   Complete and total success.  Because there's so much protein from beans and eggs, plus so little sweetener, you can have cupcakes for breakfast anytime minus that pesky sugar rush.  

 ::Chocolate Bean Cupcakes::

makes 12 mini and 12 regular

Preheat your oven to 325.  

Add to the bowl of food processor:

2 cups cooked and cooled white beans

6 eggs

1 T cinnamon

3/4 t liquid stevia

1/3 c honey, xylitol or sugar

1 1/2 t Vanilla and or same amount ground vanilla beans

Puree well, then add:

1/4 c melted coconut oil or butter

1/3 c coconut flour

2/3 c cocoa

1/2 t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1 1/2 t baking powder

Bake in greased, lined muffin tins about 20 minutes.  You know how to check cake, and these are done when puffed and slightly cracked on top.  I iced them with the leftover honey cream cheese frosting I used on the carrot cake last weekend - which was 1 brick of cream cheese, 1/2 stick softened butter 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, 1/2 c honey and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

This is the kind of recipe you cannot believe unless you try it.  I call them downright healthy; the baintrain just calls them delicious!

Enjoy!
 

linked to Imparting grace, WFMW and kellythekitchenkop

31 days of Wholefood breakast: Chocolate Coconut Granola

Aren't there days when the thought of cooking just overwhelms you? Turning on a stove just seems out of the question at times.  And no baking. Just no. 
Not necessarily because of busy-ness,  but the desire just isn't there.  However, there's the undeniable fact is that you and your family simply have to eat.  Yes, smoothies are a great option - but no human with teeth would willingly drink every meal! (Sorry, heavy juicers!)

I like having things on hand that satisfy my wholefood criteria: protein, healthy fats and a bit of good fiber and do not require doctoring up a thing.  I mean boys cannot live on oatmeal alone!

::Chocolate coconut granola::

4 c Unsweetened flaked coconut 

(you can use shredded, but must be unsweetened)

2 c ground almonds - use vitamix or food processor

1 c chopped pecans

4 T organic cocoa powder

1/3 c chia seeds 

1/2 c coconut oil, melted

1/2 c maple syrup

I made this in the time it takes a 6 year old to take three vitamins - about 10 minutes!

Preheat oven to 325 - use convection option if you have it.

Melt coconut oil, remove from heat and add maple syrup.

Throw all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.   

Pour maple syrup/coconut oil over dry mixture and stir until it all looks wet. 

Divide between two cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes, switching top/bottom sheet at 7 minutes.  Cool completely and store in airtight container.

Pair this delightful made ahead treat with yogurt or fresh raw milk and breakfast will be served, eaten and enjoyed before you know it.  Plus, you'll get a bit of cooking relief.  Obviously this requires a bit of prep when you are in the stove-turning on mood.  But it's a crunchy, chocolate-y treat worth cranking your oven up for.

Enjoy!
 

linked to Imparting grace, WFMW and kellythekitchenkop

31 days of Whole food breakfast: OH! Oatmeal

 

There are so many incredible recipes on this here internet, it seems shocking the only good recipes used to come from Junior League cookbooks.   Living in the age of apps that can take your on hand ingredients and spit out a recipe  transforming them into a meal, a printed recipe seems as antiquated apple pie.
Last week the two recipes that topped my to-try list were from Rachel and Mrs B. The recipe from Rachel had some undesirable ingredients (it was adapted from White Lily flour) and Mrs B's recipe for baked oatmeal didn't recommend soaking the oats.  As I looked over both recipes wondering which I would try first (I knew one with Crisco would require a major makeover) I decided to remake them both, blending them into one terrifyingly delicious breakfast treat.  Though not grain free, this recipe qualifies as a dessert breakfast with no refined sugar.  So go on, serve it up with a living beverage and tell me what your crew thinks!

::OH! OH! Oatmeal::

8 (fill-up-a-growing-boy) servings 

preheat oven to 350

2 c oats (gf, rolled, quick or regular) - soaked overnight in 4 c  lemon water

1 can (about 2 c) pumpkin

1/2 c coconut sugar, sucanut or xylitol

4 fresh eggs, room temp

2 T pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t sea salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 t vanilla

1/4 c melted coconut oil

Topping:

1/2 c coconut oil

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4-1/2 c coconut sugar (to taste)

1 c chopped nuts (I used almonds and cashews)

1 t cinnamon

Add all topping ingredients to small sauce pan and heat until bubbly.  While the topping is coming together, drain the oats and add to a mixing bowl.  Throw in all the other ingredients, mixing well with a wooden spoon.  It doesn't have to be wooden, but this recipe doesn't require a mixer either.  The oatmeal mixture will be a thick-ish cake batter.  Pour it into a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish and bake (with timer set) for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven (or just carefully pull out your rack) at 15 minute mark and pour topping over partially baked oatmeal.  It will kind of sink in, but you should still see most of it on top.  Hence, topping.  Bake for 15-20 more minutes.  Cool for 5-10 before serving. 

The boys were still out at the barn when this came out of the oven, so I asked Mainbain to give it a try.  He deserves credit for dubbing it terrifyingly delicious...the entire baintrain agreed!  

I think it's one recipe worth printing...

Enjoy!