Give them roots and wings

My last breakfast post has been long overdue. The truth is that I am still struggling with breakfast for my children. However, I have people around me whom I can always depend on to either pressure me with their “orders” or help me with their talents and enthusiasm.

I am always inspired by my friend, Michele who whips up such lovely and appetite-inducing food, which she shares on her blog (Eat a piece of cake).

Look at the stuff she made!
They are sooo cute!
The Japanese steamed eggs in egg shells,
and the Doraemon cupcakes (I love Doraemon)!
She made the Kenny Rogers corn muffins (I must try that one day!),
and delicious looking chocolate almond cookies (no butter!)
And she actually took 18 hours to bake the Kueh Lapis!

Today I have invited her to share with me some of her secrets and recipes.

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Easy Breakfast Ideas

As a mum, I am always rushing around with never ending  to-do list. Regardless of whether you’re a Stay at Home Mum or Full-time Working Mum, time is tight and doing things as efficiently as possible is a priority.

Despite a hetic schedule, feeding my family well is important. I try my best to provide home-made breakfast for my kids as much as possible. I don’t always have the luxury of time in the mornings,  so breakfast has to be either instantly assembled with healthier store-bought ingredients or made the night before (and has to be easy and delicious!).

On mornings when there are no cakes or bread, an instant breakfast of plain yoghurt, organic cereals and fruits are what my kids enjoy best. Instant oatmeal is also very quick to prepare and  delicious when drizzled with some honey and topped with fruits like banans and strawberries.

On weekends, I like to make pancakes or waffles for my kids. However, starting the preparations only that morning can be stressful when a bunch of hungry kids waiting for breakfast. I love recipes where you can prepare the ingredients the night, which means you’ll only need to cook in the morning. Many pancakes and waffles recipes can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. The next morning, all you have to do is heat up the frying pan or waffle maker and you’ll have the breakfast ready in less than twenty minutes.

There are nights when I realise there is nothing for breakfast the next day only when it’s 10 o’clock. These are times when I would fall back on several easy-to-make muffin or cake recipes where all you have to do is stir together a few ingredients and in it they go into the oven. Below is my kids’ favourite chocolate banana muffin recipe which can be ready for the oven in less than 15 minutes.

Although it’s a little more work to prepare breakfast from scratch, I love seeing the kids enjoy what I make. These days, they have their own ideas and would “order” items in advance! I remember with much fondness the food that my mother and grandmother prepared for me during my growing up years. I hope that my children will grow up remembering the meals I’ve prepared and the comfort of home, even long after they’ve left home.

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Thank you Michele! Your family is indeed blessed!

Michele is a full time working mum with three kids, who are eight, six and four. She blogs at www.eatapieceofcake.blogspot.com.

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Banana chocolate chip muffins (makes 8 regular muffins)

Ingredients

• 220 g all-purpose flour
• 150 g sugar
• 5 g baking powder
• 5 g baking soda
• 3 g salt
• 1 egg
• 50 ml vegetable oil
• 190 ml plain yogurt
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 150 g mashed ripe bananas
• 125 g semisweet chocolate chips

Method

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
• Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
• Bake at 170 degrees C for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.