Breakfast | The Lone Rager

Showing posts with label Breakfast. Show all postsShowing posts with label Breakfast. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

an olive branch: {brown bread with sorghum butter}

This winter weather and all its polar vortexes (vorti?) have been the great equalizer among inhabitants of New England. I’ll explain how and share a recipe for brown bread with you, but first I need to tell you about a recent eureka moment.

****
In discovering more about the writing craft, I’ve been learning types of stock characters. One day recently, I had an epiphany about why I didn’t fit with Bostonians. I let myself become a stock character…

A variation on the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” trope, I’m the manic dixie dream girl {pun gloriously intended}. I’m the southern girl whose only role in the narrative is to cheer up Bostonians. The bubbly, available pal who says cute things like “Y’all” and “Bless her heart.” But most importantly, I have no complex issues of my own, and I never ever complain.

This personality description is of course oversimplified; that’s the point of a stock character, right? But it does at least partly fit me and my southern roots. Where I come from, the first rule of depression club is we don’t talk about depression club. Complaining about the weather, reporting the symptoms of your cold, or whining about your stress level represent a type of self-indulgence that is strictly forbidden in polite southern conversation.

I kept my mouth shut about the weather both due to my upbringing and out of fear that locals would laugh off any dissatisfaction as typical of a wimpy southerner. Oh, how adorable. You just can’t hack the New England winter! By attempting to prevent them from labeling me, I ended up pigeonholing myself into one (boring) interminably cheerful side.

But I lucked out this time. This winter has been different. Cold, different. It’s one of the coldest seasons we’ve had in something like fifty years. Like I said before, everyone is complaining. It’s great! I’m finally able to come out of my shell, to feel like one of the gang. Because, you know what? Sometimes that damn bear eats you, and pretending otherwise doesn’t stop it from being so.

Monday, March 24, 2014

the family breakfast project

When the folks at the Family Dinner Project approached me to try out their new breakfast partnership with Cheerios, the Family Breakfast Project, my first thought was: I don’t have enough time to add anything to our breakfast routine.

At that time, we had recently made a big transition. We gave up our relaxed, cartoon-watching non-routine of summer for a fast-paced, challenging, drill-sergeant school routine. It was our first time sending a child to kindergarten, and the start-time switch from 9am to 8am was painful for all of us.

I felt pressed to get everything done in the morning. It seemed like every precious minute was spent accomplishing necessary goals: dressing, eating, packing a lunch, brushing teeth and washing up, and getting shoes and winter attire on. Oh and the kindergarten backpack with folder and any homework tucked in, too. I envisioned reading about the program, then feeling guilty for not being able to enact all the wonderful things it offered.

Although I resisted making any changes to our already packed schedule, I figured it couldn’t hurt to promote the program for other families who sought to broaden their breakfast horizons. So we agreed to participate in their commercial (we’re that first family in the clip). That was a blast! After shooting the commercial, I completely forgot about the whole thing and went about my business.
Read more »at5:22 PM 5 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast,Family

Sunday, March 23, 2014

sorghum syrup: history, health benefits, & use

Sorghum syrup from Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill

The History, Health Benefits, & Uses of Sorghum Syrup

Have you ever heard of sorghum syrup, also known as sweet sorghum or sorghum molasses*? I learned about it recently through my Uncle Ronnie, who was telling me his fond memories of eating it drizzled over biscuits as a child in North Carolina. I happened to mention I’d never eaten it, so he sent me a batch! Gotta love uncles.

{*Note: Although some people call it sorghum molasses, sorghum syrup is not actually molasses, which is a byproduct of the sugar refining process and is made of sugar cane, not sorghum cane}.
Read more »at8:57 AM 6 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast,Dixie,Family,Farm,Heirloom

Saturday, March 15, 2014

oatcakes

Our favorite local Scottish restaurant–and to be honest, the only Scottish restaurant I know about in Boston–serves oatcakes upon arrival. We go for brunch, and I love their Prosecco cocktails and gigantic egg sandwich. What was I talking about?
Oh right, oatcakes. I’d had these a few times in England too, enough to know that I love any device that allows me to get more butter and jam in my mouth. Oatcakes fit that bill nicely, indeed. I’ve enjoyed noshing on them any time of day with homemade jam (mostly from this book; the winners in my opinion are apple cranberry jam, vanilla rhubarb jam, and slow cooker blueberry butter) and Kerrygold butter.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

overnight oatmeal

Author’s Note: In honor of the Family Breakfast Project, I am sharing seven days of easy family breakfast recipes. At the end of the week, I’ll write about how the project went for our family. You can try it out too! Sign up for emails, click through on the web, or download the whole guide here. {Disclaimer: I am not being paid for sharing the program; I am mentioning it because I think it’s a great way to help you share breakfast with your family.}

Yesterday I told you that roughly half our breakfasts are yogurt. Well, I’d wager another good 40% of our breakfasts are oatmeal. Sometimes I just make rolled oats in the microwave, and other times I’ll make Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal (also a favorite for bran muffins: carrot raisin and cranberry orange).

Hot cereal is a favorite of our whole family, and we call it “porridge” to distinguish from grits and microwave oatmeal. I love steel cut oatmeal, but I used to lament that 30 minutes is just too long to spend on a breakfast that’s so similar to one that can be accomplished in less than 10. Then my Uncle Ronnie told me about how you can get around that lengthy cooking time, which brought steel cut oats back into our weekly repertoire. You just boil oats and water for a minute, cover the pot, and let it sit overnight on the stove. In the morning, a quick zap in the microwave or a few minutes on the cooktop gives you a meal in the same amount of time as the quick stuff but with fantastic texture.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

how to make yogurt at home {with no fancy gadget}

After the first two days of breakfast recipes (read: buttermilk biscones and breakfast cookies), you might believe I start every morning with a fresh, sugary pastry. But actually, our breakfast breakdown looks more like this:

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

kitchen sink breakfast cookies

Have you made cookies for breakfast? I stick them in the freezer and defrost a few at a time. Reheated for a minute or two in the toaster oven, they taste like fresh-baked indulgent treats and make breakfast on the go a snap.

I’ve shared a recipe for breakfast cookies in the past. I still love that one for its low sugar content (applesauce FTW!) and lots of grains; it’s more of a Clif bar than a cookie, really. But when I need to use up bits of baking ingredients from my cupboard, or when I feel like my kids could use a big dose of butter, adding “everything but the kitchen sink” is a great way to accomplish those goals.

Monday, March 10, 2014

buttermilk {bi}scones

I used to be afraid of making scones. Then I happened to mention my fear to a friend who knows I make biscuits on a regular basis, and she put my worries to rest. According to my friend, there was nothing different about the two. In fact, she said, making scones is even easier than biscuits.

And you know what? It turns out she was right! I should have known. When people express surprise that I make homemade biscuits, I am always quick to correct them on how simple the process is. Scones are similarly simple, except they don’t even require the folding of dough to make layers. You can cut them straight out of the bowl if you want!

When were eating my first batch of scones, Nate asked me what was different to make them so much fluffier than scones he’d had in the past. I told him that my scones employ the same tricks as my biscuits, i.e. top rack of the oven, sifting cake flour, and using a tiny bit of lard. He said I should really call them “biscones.” Upon hearing the word, I suddenly recalled I’d read the term “buttermilk biscones” once in a great Southern cookbook a while back. It guess the notion burrowed in my brain until I was ready to make scones a year later.

I have perfected a base for what I believe is the perfect scone recipe: not too sweet; healthful enough for a wholesome breakfast; and with just the right amount of biscuit-like fluffy, buttery texture. They are pure baked goodness. I am sharing this recipe with you today with the hope I can also pass along the courage to make them. Because they are so easy, it would be almost criminal for you to walk away from this post still believing scones are outside your skill level.

Like with my blank slate muffins, the combinations that can be made using this recipe are only as limited as your creativity. I’m sharing my four favorite flavors, but the sky’s the limit!

buttermilk biscones (adapted from this Taste of Home recipe
yield: 12 scones
total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 c. white whole wheat flour*
1 c. cake flour**
2 Tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. (12 Tbs., a stick and a half) cold unsalted butter***, cut into small cubes
1 c. buttermilk (or milk + 1 Tbs. white vinegar or lemon juice)
(+ any fixin’s, see list of ideas below)

*You can substitute all-purpose flour, but you won’t detect this healthier alternative.
**Cake flour=sifted all-purpose flour with 1 Tbs. cornstarch per 1 c. flour.
***I substitute 2-3 Tbs. lard for some of the butter, which adds a great texture.

Fixin’ Ingredients:
cranberry orange
1 c. fresh cranberries, chopped in food processor with 1 tsp. sugar (or 1 c. dried cranberries)
1 tsp. orange zest

ginger lemon
3/4 c. crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. lemon zest (approx. 1 lemon)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

chocolate coconut
3/4 c. flaked coconut (back off sugar in dough if using sweetened coconut)
1/2 c. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom (optional)

simply spicy
1 c. dried fruit (for adults, plump fruit with a bit of rum; for kids, boiling water)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Glaze Ingredients (optional):
1/4 c. whole milk (or you can jazz it up by brewing Earl Grey tea in hot milk)
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture is crumbly and butter is pea-sized. Stir in the buttermilk just until combined. Fold in the fixin’s of your choice (Note: If you don’t want to add anything else, the recipe is great as is, with maybe a dollop of clotted cream if you can get your hands on it)

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Pat each half into a 6-in. circle. Cut each circle into six wedges. Separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

(If you are glazing the scones, skip this step) Brush scones with milk and sprinkle them with sugar.

Bake at 400° on the top oven rack for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack.

(Optional) Glaze Directions:

Whisk together milk, vanilla****, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Dip warm scones in glaze by turning them upside down into the bowl; keep a firm grip on all sides with your hand to avoid dropping or crumbling the scone.

Return glazed scones to wire rack to drip and cool. Scones can be kept in an air-tight container on the counter for up to a week.

****If you’re like The Pioneer Woman, you can make a better-looking glaze by using a real vanilla bean; but if you’re in my house, ain’t nobody got time for that.

at9:46 AM 6 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast,Confession

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

{6/52 & 7/52}: surreal

I didn’t post the weekly update pic last week partly because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share that we were in a commercial. It seems like no matter how I phrase it, that kind of update drips with exaggerated conceit, almost too “Hey look at this impossibly cool thing I’m doing!” even for a self-important blogger like me. Then we got more snow, and I didn’t want to be that person who is all “Poor me! It is snowing AGAIN!” so I stayed away for that reason too.

But then my family shared the commercial on Facebook and said such sweet things about us, and I thought okay, reality check. We are all fine, yes. And I do want you to know about the new Family Breakfast Project, which is how we got in a commercial in the first place (note: you can see the commercial in that link). Remember when I posted about the Family Dinner Project last year? They are the same organization sponsoring this new program.

So basically, last week was surreal in a few different ways.

{6/52}: Eating cheerios while watching themselves in a Cheerios commercial. A weird unplanned coincidence.

The snow isn’t even the surreal part, although it has been a huge amount. I mostly don’t mind the snow; it is magical when falling, and after that you dress for the weather and get over it. The unfortunate part of this weather isn’t in fact the snow but the cold; it has been almost too cold even for Charlie to play in the snow, but Vivi is determined to play no matter what the temperature and will stay out there by herself for an hour or more, just digging and rolling around.

But here’s the truly surreal part. We took them sledding over the weekend, and after just a few rounds with us at the helm, the girls decided to sled on their own! They are true New Englanders. I feel the need to mention that the first time I saw this hill covered with snow three years ago, I was hesitant to go down it. Me, a grown human. And now my three-year-old is solo-traversing it. Life, man, it’s weird like that.

{7/52}: Fearless Yankees

at10:00 AM 5 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast,New England,Snow,Video,Weather,Winter

Monday, October 14, 2013

pumpkin griddle cakes {dairy-free} {gluten-free & vegan variations}

Although we adore the Trader Joe’s pumpkin pancake mix, I’ve always thought it needed more cowbell pumpkin, so I created my own recipe that ramps up the pumpkin flavor. (Note: If you like less pumpkin, just back it off and substitute applesauce).

We love our learning tower

Side note: This recipe is an adaptation of a blueberry banana pancake recipe I’ve been making ever since we lived in England. The whipped egg whites, applesauce, and pumpkin provide moisture, eliminating the need for dairy. It’s a useful recipe when you have about a half a can of pumpkin needing to be used up (usually I do after making “cheez-it bread”). It’s a simple recipe that even the kids can help make; we’re making griddle cakes this morning to participate in the Kids Cook Monday movement.

With the addition of buckwheat flour and cornmeal, these cakes are healthy by pancake standards and have a toothy bite to them. I know some people use the terms “griddle cake” and “pancake” synonymously, but in the south, griddle cakes have a cornmeal component. I grew up eating them in the mountains and love that slight crunch, but you can omit the cornmeal in favor of more flour if you prefer.

pumpkin griddle cakes {dairy-free} {gluten-free & vegan variations}
serves 4 (10-12 small pancakes)

3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. applesauce or mashed banana (~ 2 bananas)
2 Tbs. unrefined organic sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 eggs, separated*
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour**
1/4 c. buckwheat flour
1/4 c. yellow cornmeal (we like Bob’s Red Mill yellow corn grits/polenta)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves)
1 Tbs. melted coconut oil
1 c. pecans or chocolate chips (optional)
Whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and spices in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, applesauce/banana, sugar, juice, egg yolks, and cornmeal. Let it sit a few minutes so the grits soften. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. This batter can sit in the fridge/freezer until you are ready to use it.

When you are ready to make the griddle cakes, whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold into pancake batter.

Keep folding

Needs some water.

If the batter is still too thick (like mine was), add a few teaspoons of water until it has a still-thick but pourable consistency.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Grease with coconut oil. Drop on a heaping tablespoon of batter. Smoosh it down into a pancake shape with the back of a silicon spatula. After one minute, sprinkle in a few pecans if you like, or chocolate chips if you want to gild the lily. They will take longer to cook than a standard silver dollar pancake, and you can’t rely on the bubbles to tell when they’re done. I treat them like any baked good and give it the old toothpick test after about 5 minutes on each side. I also cook them on lower heat after the initial sizzle to avoid burning the outside before the center is done.
While they are delicious with maple syrup or whipped cream, our preference is to top them with spiced applesauce (recipe from the Food in Jars book). They’re also fabulous drizzled with cranberry syrup (another recipe from the wonderful Food in Jars book). After conducting a quick Google search, I’m seriously considering making cranberry apple brandy syrup or pumpkin syrup. If you’re going for dairy-free all the way, you might try whipping some coconut butter

These griddle cakes are even flavorful enough without a topping; I find that I can make them ahead, then heat them and stash them in a handkerchief for a breakfast-on-the-go, which is great for Sundays when we get up and go quickly, heading straight from church to choir practice.
*If you need the recipe to be vegan, substitute 2 Tbs. flax seed meal and 1/4 c. + 2 Tbs. water. Add this mixture when egg yolks are called for, and omit the egg white whipping step. Be sure to cook them at a low temperature so they are given a chance to cook through before burning on the outside.

**If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, substitute oat flour for whole wheat flour. Despite its misleading name, “buckwheat” flour is gluten-free.

Author’s note: This recipe was shared with the Homestead Barn Hop Real Food Wednesday, and Fight Back Fridayat7:30 AM 6 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast,Fall,Recipe

Friday, March 29, 2013

Dutch baby: a delicious “fake pancake”

I’m going to send you into your Easter weekend with a notion of the easiest hot breakfast that seems like you expended lots of energy but which actually took you all of three minutes to prepare: a Dutch baby. Until recently, I had eaten Dutch babies in restaurants (hmm, not quite the statement I prefer making) but never made one at home. I call it a fake pancake because without the flipping and bubble-waiting, it doesn’t seem like hard enough work to deserve the title. But as Vivi said when we sat down to eat them the first time, “It looks like a pancake, it smells like a pancake, and you put syrup on it. It’s a pancake.” Personally, I think she was just relieved to sit down to a food that didn’t involve babies and the Netherlands. Since then, it’s made it onto a near-weekly repertoire.

As with so many of Deb’s recipes, I didn’t need to tinker or alter the gingerbread Dutch baby from the smitten kitchen cookbook (here’s her buckwheat baby). It is perfect as is. A few eggs, some flour, milk, and seasonings, zhushed up in the blender, poured into a skillet, cooked in the oven, and topped with powdered sugar. When you feel like pleasing your family with a special weekend morning treat, you can’t get much easier.

at3:53 PM 3 comments: Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to PinterestLabels:Breakfast

Saturday, August 11, 2012

top 10 favorite breakfasts

Image Credit: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Yesterday morning as I struggled to get everyone ready and out the door to get to my 9am spinning class, I realized I’m staring at many mornings to come. Once Vivi begins 9am, 5-day/week pre-k in one month, we’ll be doing the morning rush EVERY DAY. Oh boy. How did I not consider this fact until now?
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Friday, August 10, 2012

sneaky Pete: {summer squash muffins}

I’m all about sneaking veggies into my kids’ meals. Every morning of the summer, we all drink a green smoothie, which is more accurately a neon pink smoothie as I’ve been putting beets into it lately. Vivi is obsessed with pink and will do anything to have it near her, including ingest it when combined with no less than two kinds of leafy vegetable (spinach and/or beet greens too). Popeye would be proud. Score 1 Mommy.

Even easier than sneaking vegetables into a beverage is into a bread. After our successful carrot muffins, I thought we’d try summer squash. I came into a big score of it (for a buck!) at the “seconds” stand at my local farm. Have one of these? I get some great bargains there. Sometimes the item sits in my fridge for a few days while I figure out what to do with it, but it always gets used somehow. This time, I knew just what to do when life gave me banged up squash: make muffins.
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