Found: 1 egg, leftover cottage cheese, browning banana, leftover sweetener from coffee run

Made: Yummy breakfast muffins

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 cup cottage cheese
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
2 tsp. no-calorie sweetener
1/2 tsp. baking powder 
1 banana
1 cup oatmeal, old-fashioned   

Instructions:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly. Pour (two-thirds full) into a muffin pan coated with cooking spray or lined with muffin liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Makes 8 muffins.

1 lb. breakfast sausage
1/2 onion, chopped fine
2 baby bell peppers, or 1 large
Grated cheese to your taste
4 eggs -- I use 1 cup Egg Beaters
1 c. Bisquick mix -- I use Heart Smart
2 c. milk
Salt, pepper

Cook sausage with onions and peppers, drain. Put sausage mix in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Mix together eggs, milk and Bisquick. Pour over sausage and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.  Bake 20-25 minutes, 350 degrees.

To make ahead, follow instructions above up to cooking point.  Freeze.  Thaw overnight, bake 40 minutes, 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
8 c. peeled, chopped apples
4 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
½ c. water 
½ c. Stevia or sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:  Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until fruit is soft enough to mash with a fork.  Remove from heat and cool.  Use a blender or a food processor to blend until smooth.

There is the wonderful scene in the movie Spanglish, where the husband/chef played by Adam Sandler, after a long, hard day in the kitchen at his acclaimed restaurant, prepares the perfect midnight snack — a fried egg sandwich.  He is only cooking for himself, but every maneuver is so graceful, so lovingly executed.  That scene sticks with me, and when tempted to cook breakfast for myself by merely warming up a slice of cold pizza, I remember that scene, and every once in a while, treat myself to the same loving, nurturing food that I give to my family.  This morning, I savored every moment of in the making of baked eggs and sweet potato home fries, just for me and no one else.  Would you like to treat yourself to some (food) self-love?  If so, I hope you'll enjoy this recipe.  xox

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, chopped into cubes
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1 T. bacon grease (or butter)
2 T. olive oil
2 eggs
1 slice ham, chopped fine
1 leaf basil, chopped fine
1 T. grated or shredded parmesan
1 T. butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, and add 1/4 cup water.  Microwave for 5 minutes.

Heat skillet over medium high heat, adding bacon grease and olive oil.  Drain microwaved sweet potatoes, pat dry and add to skillet, along with the onion.  Cook covered for first 4 minutes, then cook until your desired doneness.  As you can see from the photo at left, I like mine really caramelized, so total cooking time for these homefries was 12 minutes. Drain on paper towel and salt to taste.

Start the baked eggs.  In microwave, melt butter in a small baking dish (I used a large flan dish.)  Layer basil,  ham, and cheese in the baking dish.

Carefully break the 2 eggs over the other ingredients.  Cook for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.  I like the yolks to be runny, so I cooked my eggs for 12 minutes.  Garnish with basil if desired.

Cutting back on eating out (and saving money) requires planning and creativity.  Duh!  Look who just caught up!  :)

I do love the food at Starbucks, and so I decided to try to develop a recipe at home that is similar to one of my favorites: the chicken sausage wrap.  It's not quite the same, as who has time to roast veggies in the morning?  But I think it came out great!  If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think!

  
Instructions:
Warm 1/2 tsp. olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms and peppers until soft and yummy-smelling.  Mix in the pesto and chicken sausage until warmed through.  Remove veggie/sausage mixture from skillet and set aside.

In same skillet, add second 1/2 tsp. of olive oil.  Pour in egg whites, cook 1 minute, turn,  cook 1 additional minute or until lightly browned.  

Warm tortilla, fold egg white omelet in center of tortilla, top with veggie/sausage mixture.  Fold in edges. Serve.  Smile.

Yield: 2 wraps
WW Points+: 7 pts per wrap

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
 
In a small pan, heat syrup and peanut butter over low heat. Whisk together until peanut butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Serve warm over waffles or pancakes.

Note:  This is great with Flaxseed & Oat Waffles and Biggest Loser Pancakes.

These are so yummy I just have share the link.  They don't even taste like they are healthy!

http://www.biggest-loser-recipes.com/oatmeal-pancakes.html

Related:
Flaxseed & Oat Waffles
Peanut Butter Syrup

Ingredients:
2 cups quick oats
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup ground pecans
2 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
2 1/2 tsps salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup oil (flax seed oil best)
2 tsps vanilla

Instructions:  Grind oats.  Grind pecans.  Sift together all dry ingredients.  Beat eggs, buttermilk and vanilla then add melted butter & oil.  Gradually add dry ingredients to just moistened.  Let mixture set for 15 minutes.  Bake in waffle iron.

Notes:
* Yields 20 waffles
* I freeze them for quick breakfast -- toast in toaster oven
* Zoe likes to dip waffle sticks (cut waffles into strips and put on popsicle sticks) in peanut butter syrup

These cranberry pumpkin muffins take less than an hour to make and are great for breakfast, brunch or snacks.  I frosted these with a cream cheese honey frosting and finished with finely chopped pistachios. 

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
6 oz. dried cranberries
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg

Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease or paper-line 12 muffin cups.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin, sweetened dried cranberries, vegetable oil, milk, molasses and egg in separate medium bowl. Add to flour mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cup, filling 2/3 full.  Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden  pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to  wire rack to cool slightly. 
 
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
16 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
Finely chopped nuts for garnish

Instructions:  Beat cream cheese, honey, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Chill until stiff enough to spread.  Ice cooled muffins and sprinkle with chopped nuts of your choice. 

This is my good friend Anne.  Isn't she beautiful?  And she's even more beautiful inside.  Our family was nurtured this Sunday when we visited her family for breakfast in Buda.  Anne always makes healthy, yummy food with creativity and love.

Anne's Cranberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Anne made these pancakes for us, and we LOVED them!  The cranberries add 
sweetness.  Thank you, sweet friend!  Note: Anne uses a Vitamix, but I was able to recreate it in my food processor.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups soy, almond or rice milk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup flax seed meal
3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Instructions:   Place first six ingredients into the Vitamix container or food processor in the order listed and secure lid.  Blend for 20 seconds. Add oats,
cranberries, and sunflower seeds and replace the lid.  Grind for 15 seconds, using the tamper if necessary to press the ingredients  into the blades.  Let batter sit
for  5-10 minutes before cooking to yield best texture and flavor.
  

And the boys entertained Zoe while we were in the kitchen!