Breakfast for Dinner

What's up, friends? How's your Tuesday been? We are having the most amazing weather here in South Carolina. Clear blue skies, temps in the 70s for highs, sunny...it's enough to make a girl want to take a vacation day! But I am holding onto those days for summer and special occasions!

I am in a running rut. I really need to be running. I am just in a place where I. just. hate. it. I have been walking/running on my non-Zumba-teaching nights. I am trying to do between 2-4 miles when I go. I love walking, but I just don't feel like I get a good enough workout walking, even walking at a fast speed.

Anybody have some old tips for sticking with the running? I have done C25K before... and maybe I need to get back on that wagon. Anyways, if you have some tips, or words of encouragement, or even if you just want to commiserate, leave a comment on this post. ;)

In other news, tonight after I taught Zumba, I went with an old favorite- breakfast for dinner.

Yesterday I shredded some sweet potato in my food processor, and I had a pack of sausage from Lettuce Carry in the fridge. So I thought, why not? Breakfast for dinner. Bonus- I now have sausage and sweet potato hash to eat for breakfasts this week. Yay for being prepared!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage
• 1 shredded sweet potato (I shred in my food processor but you could certainly shred using a cheese grater)
• 1 medium onion OR a handful of sliced green onions
• 1-2 eggs

Preparation:

Melt coconut oil in a hot nonstick skillet. Add sausage and brown, breaking you as you go. Ice sausage is browned, add the onion and sweet potato. Cook until sweet pitta is softened- about 5-7 minutes. At this point, the hash is done. If you want to make it a single meal, set aside all of the hash except for about 1 cup of the mixture. Add 1-2 scrambled eggs to the hot pan and scramble with the hash.

Sweet and savory and filling! Nom.

And just a little treat for those of you reading... Check out this old pic I found of myself while cleaning last week:

This is me in college with my friend Lorne, who I just found out is moving to China for 2 years! Check out his blog that he is writing about the experience!

And just to compare... Here is what I look like now:

Time certainly does change things. That and a good hairdresser. And better clothes.

Nighty night, friends!

 

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Power Breakfast: Sausage and Asparagus Scramble

Happy Saturday, peeps! And happy St. Patrick's Day Weekend! Are you wearing green this weekend and drinking green beverages and eating green food? I know I have lots of friends who are. We have big plans to hit a kids' birthday party and possibly go to a baseball game today. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so we want to take advantage of the sun and mild temperatures!

Breakfast first, though, ok?

If you are looking for breakfast ideas... You may also want to check out some of these posts!

The Ever-Popular Mimi's Christmas Breakfast

Sour Cream Coffee Cake (indulgence!)

Paleo Power Breakfast with Sweet Potatoes and Sausage

I mentioned on Facebook and Twitter last night that I had a new favorite power breakfast. This is my third time making this meal this week. It is fairly quick and very filling, and most importantly, it is delicious!

Sausage and Asparagus Scramble

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. ground breakfast sausage (I like Earth Fare's sausage or Neese's if I am at a regular grocery store)
• About 6-8 thin asparagus spears, chopped into thirds or fourths
• A few slices of thinly sliced red onion (I just use a little for flavor)
• A few mushroom pieces (fresh)
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Then add your sausage. Break up as it cooks.
2. When sausage is starting to brown but is still a little pink inside, add your veggies. You really don't need any additional cooking fat because the sausage has its own.
3. Sauté the veggies and sausage until the veggies are crisp-tender. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low.
4. Once the sausage and veggies are done, add your eggs to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring to scramble the eggs with the veggies and sausage.
5. Serve hot (with coffee, of course!)

I added a small grapefruit to my breakfast and it was delicious!

Here is a short picture tutorial...

 

Veggie mix from Trader Joe's

 

Browning the sausage...

 

Breaking up the sausage as it browns...

 

Add the veggies...

 

Add the eggs (not pictured)...

 

Serve!

Enjoy!

 

I am looking forward to seeing where the weekend takes us! I plan to do some dancing, some running/walking, and who knows what else!

You know, back in January, I thought about tracking my mileage for this year to see how many miles I walked or ran this year. Of course, I didn't do it, so now I am trying to backtrack and think about what might be a good estimate. I think that I have probably covered about 18 miles so far. I actually think that is a low estimate, but better low than high. I plan to creat some kind of ticker that I can post so that you can keep track of my progress when you visit the blog. I also thought about setting a mileage goal, but I think for now I am going to stick with just tracking. I also have been doing lots of Zumba and dance fitness, since I teach twice a week and attend other classes from time to time when I can. I wish I could track "miles danced!"

 

How about you? What are your fitness goals for this year? How are they going?

 

Sadie has started soccer and is loving it! Here are a few pictures of her in her soccer gear as she was kicking the ball around the yard.

 

Random thought... As I was typing up this post, Sadie was watching The Lorax.

 

You know what? This movie is pretty darn deep. It really makes you think!

 

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Weekend Fun & Holiday Breakfast and Brunch Ideas

Happy Sunday! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend. We have had lots of wonderful time with family and friends this weekend. We actually had three holiday parties to attend this weekend! This year, it seems that all of our gatherings were early in December, and from here until the big day, it is not quite as crazy. Relatively speaking, of course. The holiday season is always a little bit crazy right?

A couple of pics from the weekend...

 

So, I know many of you are hosting holiday breakfasts and brunches. Or maybe you are not hosting one, but you are attending one, or maybe you are just looking for some ideas to cook for your family. I thought I would throw out some ideas! Some are my recipes...some are from around the Web. All are (or look) delicious!

 

1. Obviously, Mimi's Christmas Breakfast is my favorite. You can click here to read about this easy and delicious egg casserole that is always a hit. It is also my most popular blog recipe! (And I have to mention that Mimi is actually a reader of this blog- thank you, Mimi for this recipe!)

 

 

2. This Monkey Bread recipe from The Pioneer Woman (Pastor Ryan's Monkey Bread) looks absolutely delicious! It is a simple recipe and uses ingredients that you may even already have on hand. I think that some of these sweet rolls with a cup of coffee on Christmas morning might be just perfect.

Here is one more monkey bread recipe from Our Out-of-Sync Life that looks wonderful. This one looks a lot like the one my friend Julie made in the mountains (picture below).

 

 

3. This Cranberry + Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Casserole from The Delicious Life looks amazing. It looks hearty and sweet and tangy and heavenly. This could be a great option for a family breakfast. I love that it uses cranberries! I saw lots of ideas for strawberry stuffed French toast... But I think Cranberries are a great touch in fall and winter.


 

4. This one is another Confessions recipe: my Dixie- Style Dining Recipe for Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a perfect brunch or breakfast recipe. As you bake this, your entire house will be filled with the scent of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. It can be made in muffin tins to keep it individual-sized, or you can make a nice big dish. No matter what form you use, it will be a hit!

 

 

5. This Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole looks like it would be a definite hit. Sausage? Good. Potatoes? Good. Cheese? Good. What's not to love here?

 

6. One more- a beverage. Although I think that coffee makes life worth living is essential to a good breakfast, I will acknowledge that there are some non-coffee drinkers out there. But I think most everyone can appreciate a great cup of hot chocolate, especially on a cold morning. Caroline of The Broccoli Hut recently posted this recipe for Homemade Minty Hot Cocoa! I love chocolate and mint, so I think I will be making this very soon! Plus, it makes a great gift!

 

Hope that gives you a few ideas for the next couple of weeks! I personally love this part of the holidays... just cooking for your family (or yourself!) on lazy holiday mornings. We sometimes get so busy during this season, and we forget to slow down and enjoy having time with friends and family. This year, our family has SOMEHOW managed to be ahead of the game. This is unfamiliar territory, but I am so looking forward to the next 2 weeks and NOT having to rush around getting last minute gifts. I am looking forward to just enjoying the holiday season!

 

Invitation to Share: if you are a blogger or reader and you have a great holiday breakfast or brunch recipe, I would like to invite you to share it in a comment at the bottom of this post. Let's make a great list so that we will all have some ideas! If you are sharing a recipe posted online, post the link and a quick (one sentence) description. Thanks in advance for sharing!

 

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Paleo Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Usually, by this time of year, I would have gone through about 10 cans of pumpkin.  All of the bloggers I follow have been cooking pumpkin EVERYTHING and it all looks so delicious and wonderful.  Finally, I am joining the bandwagon.  I have been tweaking a recipe for some Paleo Muffins.  I was going to make apple muffins, but then I thought… “Apple + Pumpkin…” and these muffins were born!

These muffins are a bit more dense and have a slightly different consistency than a traditional wheat flour muffin, mainly due to the pumpkin and the coconut flour.  They are slightly sweet, but not overly sweet.  If you like them sweeter, then you could always add one more tablespoon of honey, although I have not tested them with 5 tablespoons.I would say they are slightly sweeter than a corn muffin.  I added a pat of real butter to mine (not Paleo) and that made these muffins even better.  I decided to have the husband taste-test them, just because I know he is a pickier eater (sorry Honey, but you know it is true) and he gave it a thumbs-up. 

 

Paleo Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

(adapted from Cindy’s Table’s recipe, found here.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour (found at Earth Fare or other health food stores)
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 can or pure pumpkin
• 1 apple, chopped (I left the skin on mine)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 4 Tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, spices, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine the other ingredients and mix well.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Divide evenly into 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Note: these do not rise like regular muffins, so you can fill the muffin cups to just below the tops.

I think next time, I may try a plain apple version of these.  I think that could be a delicious alternative. 

 

In other news, I just signed up to run in one of my favorite 5K Events: The Reindeer Romp!  I’ve been running some on the weekends and it feels good to be running again.  Since I have not been running as often, I am a little slower (3 miles in about 39-40 minutes) but I am hoping to improve it just a tad before the run on December 1.  I have run this race for several years, and it is always lots of fun.

(Ryan and Me in 2010)

This race is a part of Rock Hill’s annual Christmasville Festival.  I LOVE Christmasville!After the race, there are all sorts of fun events to help get you in the holiday spirit, including:

• ice skating
• carolers
• gingerbread house contests
• chili and soup cookoff
• storytime and crafts with Santa

and more!  If you are local, I have to say that this is one of the best events for kids!  I can’t wait!  You can click here to view one of my previous posts from Christmasville. 

Hashing it Out

Who’s ready for Presidential Debate #2?

I am!  I love election time.  I don’t necessarily like the constant political ads on TV, but I do love the excitement of an election.  I love watching the debates, too.  I like to see how the candidates react under pressure.  I don’t want to turn this into a political post, so I won’t reveal who I am leaning towards.  However, I do hope that this debate will be better than number one.  I was expecting the first one to be a little more heated, but it wasn’t.  Here’s to watching them hash it out tonight!

Speaking of hash, that’s what I had for dinner tonight, after sweating it out in an intense, but super-fun Zumba class!

A while back, I wrote about a breakfast hash that I like to make in big batches, so I can eat it throughout the week.  Tonight I made it again with spinach and a fried egg on top.  I’ve been using a local breakfast sausage which I love and it makes all the difference!  The flavor is better than other brands I have tried!

Chili-seasoned olives on the side.  :)

Alright folks, enjoy the debate! 

I’ll be Tweeting throughout the debate!  See the link on the right to find me on Twitter.  You may also want to follow Politifact (@politifact).  They do live fact checking throughout the debates so you can see what is true and what is not. 

Almost Burned (But Not Quite!) Turkey, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata

Happy Thursday!  Or shall we say, “Friday Eve?”  I’m feeling ready for the weekend!  Something strange happened this week… I think Fall arrived!  Seriously, the weather took quite a change.  It’s been in the 50s/60s in the morning!   I have to say that I am sad that the pool days of summer are over… they are ending just as Sadie was really getting GREAT with her swimming.  We are going to have to make a special effort to get her to the indoor pool so that she will not forget everything she has learned. 

However, there are so many things that I love about Fall.  I’m getting so excited to break out the boots soon! And making things with pumpkin!  And apples are in season! 

You can expect to see some fall-related posts coming soon.  But for now, let’s have some breakfast. 

You all know I love breakfast.

And eggs.

The frittata has become a good friend to me.

Seriously, if you’ve never made one, it’s so easy!  You can add just about anything you want.  It’s cheap.  It’s a great way to use up leftovers.  And it’s quick!  This frittata came to be because of all those reasons.  I needed to use up some leftover veggies and I also wanted to pre-make some breakfasts for the week.  And I ALMOST ruined it.  But not quite.

Turkey, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 onion, diced

3/4 cup chopped turkey slices (amount isn’t really that important—anything will work)

1 cup of cooked broccoli florets

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

5 eggs, whisked

salt, pepper

 

Preparation:

Heat oil in an small oven-proof skillet over medium heat on the stove.  Add diced onion.  Saute until soft.  Then add turkey and broccoli.  Heat until warmed through.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Spread the veggie and turkey mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet.  Add some salt and pepper (to taste) to the eggs.  Add cheddar to the eggs and pour evenly over the turkey and veggies.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the sides are beginning to thicken.  Then put the skillet into the oven.  Broil for a few minutes until the to is lightly browned.  Serve hot, or save to eat throughout the week. 

A frittata of this size will make enough for about 3 breakfasts.  I think it is great with fruit, or with some avocado or even almonds. 

Sooo… how did I almost ruin this breakfast?  I actually decided MID-BROIL that I wanted to go for a bike ride.  I was upstairs chaging, and then I came back down, I thought, “Oh no!  My frittata!”  I was sure it would be ruined.  But lucky for me, I caught it JUST in time.  It was almost too brown on top.  But it was my lucky day.  :) 

Breakfast saved.

Power Breakfast! (Paleo)

Hello friends!  I’ve been sitting on these pictures for a week now and I’ve been meaning to write up this post.  I’m still struggling with fitting in time for blogging now that I’m in a new (bigger) job.  And I have a confession to make.  I’m having a hard time making myself get out my laptop at night!  It’s so quick and easy to check email from an ipad or iphone… but unfortunately the Blogger app is not very good, so I really can’t use my mobile devices to blog.  But this morning I made myself finish up this post to share with all of you!

Let’s talk about breakfast and how it is my favorite meal of the day.  I never, ever, ever skip it.  Do you?  We’ve all been hearing for years about how breakfast is so important.  Here are just a couple of fast facts that I thought were interesting:

• If you and your kids regularly skip breakfast in the interest of saving time, calories, or getting a few more minutes of sleep, remember that eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal will probably save you time in the long run. By recharging the brain and body, you'll be more efficient in just about everything you do.
• Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but the practice is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts.

(Source: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal)

And here is another great article which explains why a breakfast with protein is important.

Prior to this year, I almost always ate a breakfast of primarily carbs.  I usually have to take my breakfast with me and eat it either on the way to work or at work. Many times this included peanut butter toast or PB waffles.  Sometimes I ate cereal or oatmeal.  However, I have noticed that those breakfasts don’t always stick with me until lunchtime. 

During my Whole30, I discovered that a breakfast hash is a great way to get in some veggies early in the morning, and I can also fit in some good-for-me sweet potatoes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 shredded sweet potato (you can use a regular cheese grater, but my food processor will shred a sweet potato in under a minute)
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 1 lb. breakfast sausage
• optional: baby spinach
• optional: fried egg

 

Preparation:

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and brown.  Once the sausage is cooked through, I add in  the sweet potato and onion, and cook until soft (about 5 minutes).  Drain excess fat.  Now, you could be done at this point—because you’ve now got sausage, sweet potato, and onion hash, and it makes a great breakfast.  However, if you like spinach, you could throw in a giant handful or two at this point and cook over low heat until it wilts.  And if you like (and want the extra protein at breakfast) you can fry an egg and put it on top of your breakfast hash.  That’s also delicious.

(breakfast hash sans spinach)

 

(breakfast hash topped with a fried egg)

 

If you are like me and have to take your breakfast with you, then you can make a big skillet of this hash and portion it out for the week.  (It makes about 4-5 servings.)

I’d love to hear about your favorite breakfasts!  Do you have great ideas for portable breakfasts?  Post comments and tell mw what your faves are.  I am sure we would all love to get some new ideas.  If you are a blogger and have posts, please leave links so we can visit your blog for more ideas!

Dixie-Style Dining: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

It’s not a mirage… I am actually cooking.  I wouldn’t blame you if you were surprised… Heck, I’M surprised.  One of my favorite things to do is cook, but lately… it has just taken a back burner for me.  It seems like the weeks go by so quickly and when I get home from school… or teaching Zumba… or church… there’s just no time for testing out recipes.  I’m looking forward to the “Summer Slowdown” and having a chance to catch up on some of the things I have let go. 

But ahh… spring break… you are such a gift.  Already you have given me…

…a chance to sleep in until 7:30 a.m….

…2 fun day-trips with my family…

…time with friends…

…and a chance to cook something delicious…

May I introduce you to Dixie’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake?

I have been wanting to make this coffee cake for months, ever since I found it in my grandmother’s recipe box.  I don’t remember eating this before, but I am definitely a fan of cake for breakfast. 

Let me tell you… it was WORTH the wait.  This cake is perfect for breakfast or dessert (or dessert for breakfast)!  It is soft, fluffy, sweet, and will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter (unsalted)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour (I used unbleached all-purpose flour)

For filling/topping:

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
• 1/2 cup sugar (I think brown or white would work, but I used white)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Cream together with a mixer: butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Add in sour cream, baking soda, salt.  Mix.  Add in flour and mix until a thick batter is formed.  In a separate bowl, mix together nuts, sugar, coconut, and cinnamon for the filling/topping.

Layer in a baking dish (9 by 13): 1/2 batter, 1/2 topping sprinkled evenly over batter, rest of batter, rest of topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center is removed clean.

Now, I know the recipe says to bake in a 9 by 13 dish.  But I used two loaf pans instead.  I had enough batter and filling to bake 2 loaf-sized cakes.  I actually had extra batter, so I opted to make 4 individual coffee cakes in a muffin tins, too.  (I just had to mix up a little bit more of the topping for those individual cakes.) 

The loaf pans worked well, but because they are a bit deeper than a square or rectangular baking dish, it took a little longer to cook all the way through. 

 

 

This is one of the softest cakes I have ever tasted.  The sour cream keeps the batter very moist, even after baking it for an hour.  This cake will not disappoint!  Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and enjoy a slice of this cake anytime!