breakfast Archives - A Byte of Life

The Gluten-free Gobble Waffle // Krusteaz Blogger Bake-Off

The folks over at Krusteaz asked me to be part of their “Krusteaz Blogger Bake-Off” to promote their new line of Gluten-free boxed mixes. They sent me two boxes each of their four new gluten-free mixes and all I had to do was create a brand new recipe that’s never before been created. My reward, the joy and satisfaction of writing a new recipe and a chance at winning their grand prize of a Crate and Barrel Gift Card. Kitchen time, a great topic for a blog post, recipe writing… I’m IN! Just to keep you reading, this is the ultimate Thanksgiving leftovers recipe! Read on!

I took a few days to look over each of the boxes, researched the recipes that have already been created and submitted and then did what I usually do when I want to talk about recipes; I called my trusty recipe consultant (aka mum) and talked through a few ideas. I received two boxes of each mix below and there were two that caught my eye: the cornbread and the pancake mix. I went through a few recipe ideas and this one just came to me the day after Thanksgiving when I took a box of the pancake mix home to make brunch. We had two gluten-free guests so I figured what better time to test a gluten-free mix than with a full house AND a few gluten-free eaters sprinkled in! We took a poll and everyone preferred waffles to pancakes so we were off. I made three batches of waffles so we could test flavors and have some fun with the mix-ins.

The first batch was just plain waffles with the mix. In the second batch I mixed in some fresh homemade apple sauce and the third was the crème de la crème: the gobble waffle. Now, before I get too far into the gobble waffle I wanted to talk about the plain and the apple sauce waffles for a minute. We made the plain waffles so we could test the taste and texture of the mix. I’m happy to report that all four men fully approved! If I hadn’t broadcast that they were gluten-free no one would have noticed! The plain one had a nice simple taste that was great with or without syrup. Delicious, tasty, crunchy on the outside and everything a waffle should be. The batch that had the homemade apple sauce added into the batter beat out the plain waffles by a landslide. The flavor of the cinnamon and pureed apples were a perfect addition to the tasty batter and were just amazing. It had the taste of white cake batter! But, this was all before the gobble!

What is the gobble waffle you might ask? Well, the gobble waffle is the ultimate Thanksgiving day left-overs brunch recipe. It combines a box of the tasty, simple, pantry-ready Krusteaz Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancake Mix with some left over turkey, gluten-free stuffing and a bit of gravy and/or cranberry sauce in place of syrup. Just when you thought that left-overs couldn’t get any better, you discover something like the Gobble Waffle. It’s crunchy, tasty, thanksgiving goodness all in one brunchy bite. My mum has used the Krusteaz pancake mix for YEARS but I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about the gluten-free mix. They just have that association of being not quite “there” for taste and texture but both the cornbread and the pancake mix blew my socks off! My gluten-free waffles were specifically requested for Christmas leftover brunch so you know they’re good! Thanks for being my secret weapon Krusteaz!

You can click THIS link to learn more about the mixes, find recipes and a retailer near you. I’ll be stocking this amazing, tasty gluten-free mix in the pantry for SURE!

*Krusteaz Gluten-Free GIVEAWAY*
Krusteaz has agreed to partner on a giveaway! Stay tuned this week for details!!!

Gluten- Free Gobble Waffle
Prep time: 5 minutes | Total Bake/Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8 people |Level of difficulty: easy

Ingredients
1 box of Krusteaz Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancake Mix
2 cups cold water
2/3 cup almond milk
1 1/2 tbsp oil
4 egg whites
Leftover turkey
Leftover Gluten-free stuffing ( Recipe here using Krusteaz Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix)
Gluten-Free Gravy or cranberry sauce to use in place of syrup if desired

Directions

Get out your waffle iron and pre-heat it. Pour the dry mix into a bowl and mix in the cold water, almond milk, oil and egg whites. Break up the turkey into small pieces and add into the waffle mix. Add the left over gluten-free cornbread stuffing and mix. Pour onto pre-heated waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

Serve with heated gluten-free gravy or cranberry sauce!

Banana Bread {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free}

It feels like fall in the city. The weather had been grey and gloomy all week, which is quite a change from last weeks sunburn weather! Grey clouds always get me in a comfy cozy mood, and inspire me to drink tea and curl up with a good book and a blanket. But, what’s tea without a little tea treat, am right?

This amazing banana bread entered into my heart a few weeks ago when I had a day off and went to go visit my sister at work. She’s been on this “Paleo Kick” that I usually roll my eyes at, but I have to say this recipe immediate became a kitchen staple and has now replaced my tried and true Banana Bread recipe that is YEARS old! It’s THAT good kids!

Gluten-free cooking is nothing new to me. I LOVE baking with Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour and have made quite a few goodies with it. Most recently I made a Strawberry Basil Bread, Gingerbread cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, amazing Vanilla Cupcakes, and even tried my hand at Vegan Gluten-Free Donuts! To be clear, I am NOT a big believer in following every food fad that comes along, and most definitely did NOT jump on the Paleo band wagon when it came in vogue, nor am I on that bandwagon now. This bread is quite simply one of the most delicious healthy baked goods I’ve ever had. It’s mainly bananas and eggs, a little homemade almond butter, gluten-free flour, and some apple sauce to hold it all together. That’s it! No added sugars. No two stick of butter and 5 cups of refined white flour. Just simple, regular ingredients you can pronounce and happily eat.

There are many variations you can try with this recipe and I list a few at the end of this recipe. Next time I might throw in some blueberries, or try coconut flour to make a bit more of a dessert style bread. What variations would you, or are you, going to try?

Paleo Banana Bread
Adapted from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations Recipe
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups yellow bananas, mashed (approx. 4 bananas)
4 eggs
1/2 cup homemade almond butter
4 tablespoons Apple sauce (original recipe called for melted grass-fed butter or coconut oil)
1/2 cup gluten-free flour
2 tsp cinnamon (original recipe called for 1 tbsp but that’s a little heavy for a summer bread)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free or homemade)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Instructions
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2. Combine your bananas, eggs, and nut butter, and apple sauce and mix well
3. Add in in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt and mix well
4. Grease a 9×5 glass (see notes) loaf pan with a fat of your choice (I use Rice Bran oil)
5. Pour in your batter and spread it evenly throughout
6. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (If you use a metal pan it will probably bake in 35-40 minutes so start checking at 35 to ensure the middle stays moist)
7. Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack
8. Slice and serve

Variations
1. Alternate Nut Butter: You can use any almond butter you desire: coconut, sunflower seed, macadamia nut, etc
2. Alternate Flour: My sister uses coconut flour, but I bet that almond flour or macadamia nut meal could be delicious
3. Flavors: Cranberry Orange – Only use 3 tablespoons of butter. Add zest of one whole orange diced, juice of one whole orange, and 1 cup dried cranberries or fresh if you want
4. Flavors: Chocolate Blueberry – Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
5. Flavors: Pumpkin Pecan – Reduce the almond butter to 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of roughly chopped pecan pieces

If you want to make these into muffins, use the same recipe and for mini muffins bake approximately 25 mins and normal size muffins 30-35 minutes.

Morning Things: Muffins and Coffee

Some days you just wake up and want a muffin and a nice BIG cup of coffee. This was one of those mornings. Luckily, it’s also a weekend morning so I was able to enjoy all of the above, in the comfort of my PJ’s and completely homemade. Whenever I get a hankering for muffins, it’s usually for carrot raisin or bran muffins. Some people might protest and say that if it has vegetables in it, it’s not a “real muffin”. Well, most store bought muffins are really just cupcakes without frosting or generic blueberry. Neither of which are very appealing to me. I love to bake, and I do love a good muffin, but I need my PROTEIN in the morning to get going. Protein and a large cup of coffee. That’s where these little guys are a life saver for me. I use chickpea flour, which has higher protein that other flours, greek yogurt, AND walnuts! It’s got everything you need: protein, carbs, healthy fats, it’s filling, convenient and delicious. I don’t taste the chickpea flour but I love the extra protein that these little guys pack in!

Check out my muffin recipe here: Carrot Raisin Muffins
And if you love the mug, you can get a handmade one here: Hand Painted Mug on Etsy

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

It’s 3:15 am… a time of… well not really day OR night… it’s a time no person should ever experience let alone when they’re SO worn out and sleepy all they want to do is go back to sleep. I’ve you’ve been following A Byte of Life, you’ll have read the post on Spain (also found here) which was a MOST incredible trip! We were seriously debating how long we could just fall off the grid and NOT come home! But alas, common sense or something to that nature won and we got on the multiple planes home. Oh hey jet lag, how are you? Are YOU the reason I’m up at 3:15am!?

Turning to my tried and true comfort, I started googling for recipes. If I can’t sleep I may as well bake right!? My love for lemon poppy-seed is almost as strong as my love for a good bottle of red wine, and thankfully, the mister LOVES a good lemon poppy-seed ANYTHING! The request was made and I had a mission ahead of me: your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a delicious lemon poppy-seed baked good that’s not super sweet and melts in your mouth Well, now that’s a fun challenge!

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
—-
1/4C canola oil
1/4 C honey
1/4C applesauce
1/4 C soy milk
zest & juice of 1 lemon
—-
2 C Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs poppy seeds
1 C fresh blueberries (put in freezer for about 30 minutes before using)
—-
Pre-heat oven to 375
Combine the oil, applesauce, soy milk, honey , lemon juice and zest in a bowl
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the poppy seeds and mix to combine.
Add to the wet ingredients and incorporate
Fold in frozen blueberries. Note that the batter will be thick
Place into a greased loaf pan, sprinkle raw sugar on top
Bake at 375 for 35 minutes(turning once half way through cooking)

Tasting notes:
It’s not your typical fluffy, white flour, white sugar lemon loaf you’d get at Starbucks. This is a more rustic bread and it was quite good! The gluten-free flour lends to a bit more of a mealy texture. Next time I’d add a bit more lemon juice. It’s not a sweet bread at all, so you’d need a lemoncello glaze, or blueberry jam/lemon curd/clotted cream to make it more pastry-ish.

All in all, it’s a good solid rustic breakfast bread…and…I better go taste another slice before posting this review 🙂

Kale Smoothies

Kale and Mixed Berry Smoothie from MyWholeFoodLife.com {Photo from MyWholeFood Life.com}

Okay, let’s pause for just a moment because some of you are already wrinkling up your noses and saying, “KALE!? SMOOTHIES!? Alright that’s just GROSS!” I too though that would be a combo that I would only ever “choke down” because I mentally knew it was good for me but would never actually enjoy. I’ve never been more happy to report that I was wrong!

I’m not sure what started the kale kick, maybe I was just drawn to how fully and richly colored the kale has been at the farmers markets this year. Or, maybe it was a particularly delicious kale salad I had earlier this summer, or the fact that mentally I know it’s good for me. Perhaps it was the sudden realization that it’s SEPTEMBER and I better get started on those new years resolutions! Whatever the reason, two massive bunches of fresh kale decided to come home with me from the farmers market last weekend. The past few weeks I’ve tried to start mixing up what we make at home. I get into a comfort rut where I buy the same veggies and prepare them the exact same way and because I apparently need more of a mental challenge in life (careful what you ask for!) I decided to try using the same veggies we always buy but cooked or prepared in a different way.

Enter the kale smoothie! Now, I consider it a feat that not only do BOTH of us consume these smoothies but we actually ENJOY them! I think the mister has actually had more of them than I have! “I you PLEASE make me one of your amazing smoothies” is not a joke, he really says it! Today one of my girlfriends asked me for my kale recipe when she saw the gorgeous massive bunch of kale peering out proudly form the top of my market bag and I started to tell her about the kale smoothies. She asked for the recipe and I figured, maybe someone else would want to experiment with kale smoothies so I’m putting it out there in the bloggosphere and hoping that someone else will also be able to enjoy kale in liquid form! I’ve started reading up on kale, and there are many different opinions on whether it’s healthier to cook it or eat it raw and I think that a healthy balance of both is important.

Warning, this smoothie will not LOOK pretty. It will however, taste delicious! Here are a few nutrition fun facts about this smoothie. The blueberries and kale do not make for a lovely look, but the nutrition is out of this world! Blueberries are a super food packed with antioxidants which can prevent heart disease can help with memory. In addition to fiber and vitamin c, they also have Manganese which helps with building healthy bones and metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Kale contains both protein and fiber, which help you feel full, and also contain cholesterol-lowering traits. It also contains Vitamin K which is vital for blood clotting, Vitamin A which helps with vision and Vitamin C which helps with healing wounds. It also contains many minerals which are helpful for healthy body functions and health. Bananas are a good source of potassium, fiber, manganese and vitamins B6 and C. Oranges are high in Vitamin C and fiber. Apples not only help with sweetening the smoothie, but they contain phytonutrients that are excellent for helping regulate blood sugar and contain fiber which also helps to keep you full. (Nutrition info from WebMD)

Kale Smoothie

1/2 apple
1-2 cups chopped kale, ribs removed
1/2 c blueberries
1 Orange or Oj, to your liking for consistency (water or almond milk also works)
1/2 banana (I like to freeze bananas to make the consistency a little thicker

Wash all ingredients and place in blender and mix until you reach the consistency that you desire. If it’s too thin, you can freeze the fruit or add ice cubes.

Here are a few more recipes for using Kale in smoothies that you can try! Post in the comments what your favorite kale smoothie recipes are, I’d LOVE to hear them!

And here is a great compilation of Kale smoothie recipes:

Chocolate Milkshake Kale Smoothie Recipe

Kale Smoothie With Pineapple and Banana from Real Simple

Parsley, Kale, and Berry Smoothie from Bon Appetit

That’s a Wrap…Simple Quick and Tasty Breakfast Wraps

Nut Butter, Fruit, Jelly, Granola Breakfast Wrap — Nut Butter, Fruit, Granola Breakfast Wrap

Getting up when it’s still dark out is a lot less appealing than hitting the snooze button and curling back into that warm spot under the covers. Once I finally roll out of bed and throw some make up on, I barely have enough time to do breakfast and opt for the go to meal: protein (Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese) + Carb (usually honey toast or English muffin) +whatever fruit is in the fridge. But I also get bored eating the same thing every morning so it was time to mix it up, but still get my precious snooze time!

Enter the breakfast wrap! I build my wraps with the same breakfast criteria: protein +Carb + fruit. I love doing wraps to clean out the fridge because you can you can build all kinds of different tasty breakfasts out of leftovers in the fridge, wrap them up in a convenient easy to manage wrap and you’re ready to go!

One of the fun parts about doing wraps for breakfast is that you get a chance to start the day off with some veggies as well! This is one of my favorite in the “quick and easy breakfast” category and an excellent way to use up tortillas after Taco Tuesday. It is also a great way to clean out the fridge before going out-of-town for the Holidays.

Building Your Wrap
1. Choose your Protein: eggs, cheese, bacon/turkey bacon, sausage, cheese, beans (black/navy/garbanzo), cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, humus, nut butter
2. Add a Carb: tortilla, flat-out wrap, pita pocket, pita bread, lavash wrap
3. Add Fruit, or in the case of a wrap Veggies and other delicious ingredients!

A few ideas:

Mediterranean: Kalamata olives, Roma Tomatoes, Spinach, Avocado, Feta cheese, Pesto, Humus, Basil or Rosemary, Roasted Peppers
Thanksgiving Leftovers: Cranberry sauce, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato, Grilled Veggies
Mexi: Black Beans, Hot Sauce, Salsa, Avocado, Cheese, Cilantro, Peppers, Spinach
Cottage Cheese, Banana, Granola, Pineapple, Whole Wheat Wrap
Greek Yogurt, Berries, Wheat Germ
Peanut/Almond Butter + Honey or Fruit (Banana, Pear, Blueberry, Strawberry, Apple)- and a few chocolate chips doesn’t hurt!

Check out other quick and easy breakfast ideas on my Pinterest Board Breakfast on the GO

Caprese Breakfast Wrap from The Nesting Project with Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Pesto and Scrambled Egg

Mediterranean Feta Egg Scramble Breakfast Wrap from OurBestBites.com garlic, basil, oregano, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, green onion

Protein Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Walnuts & Raisins

Who doesn’t love muffins? Delicious, warming, hearty and the thing I love the most is the crunchy muffin top! On more than one occasion I’ve eaten the muffin top and left the rest, usually because there isn’t enough goodness throughout the rest of the muffin to keep my interest. I might have muffin ADD. That’s one of the reasons I LOVE making muffins at home, not only does the whole house smell amazing, but I love baking and it’s fun to make them exactly how I want and they are a wonderful easy breakfast option!

Wednesday night I roasted my own pumpkin (you can read the post here) in the effort to prepare the delicious pumpkin for baking. Pumpkin muffins have been on my mind for WEEKS! Well, last night was FINALLY the night! We had dinner plans with friends so it was the perfect time to make them and then LEAVE them to cool while we went out. This was my tricky methodology to keep myself from eating one… two …tasting my wonderful pumpkin creation!

I…LOVE…BAKING!! Fresh roasted pumpkin!? Check! Throw a few raisins and walnuts in there… let’s see what other spices can I throw in this bowl? Cloves are one of my favorite holiday spices because it always remind me of gingerbread, which is tied for first favorite holiday flavor right along with Pumpkin and Gingersnap.

The first words as he walked in the door were: “It smells like CHRISTMAS in here!” Holiday baking is one of my favorite hobbies of the entire year, and that declaration my foodie friends made my little baking heart well up with joy! Those muffins smelled as amazing when they were cooking as they did this morning for breakfast! Now, he’s NOT a pumpkin fan so I figured I’d be eating a dozen by myself (Oh darn), but dolled out some high compliments this morning as we both enjoyed them for breakfast. I reduced the sugar from the original recipe and they were still the perfect mix between spiced, pumpkin and sweet flavors and hearty enough to be satisfied with one muffin and some yogurt. It was the perfect fall breakfast! The garbanzo flour and Greek yogurt gave an extra protein punch which I appreciate in a muffin. I can’t WAIT to get home and eat another ~~one~~ ~~two~~ wonderful pumpkin creation! 🙂

Protein Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Walnuts & Raisins
Yield: 12 muffins

pumpkinMuffins — Photo from: Green Lite Bites

Adapted from Green Lite Bites Recipe

1 ½ c. Flour ( I like garbanzo, Whole Wheat or Almond but any flour will do)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg (you can also use ground if you have/prefer)
2 cups of fresh roasted pumpkin (or 1 15oz can of pumpkin)
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. honey (double if you like sweeter muffins)
1 egg
2 egg whites
¼ c. unsweetened applesauce
½ c. vanilla Greek yogurt
Raisins and crushed walnuts to taste
¾ cup Wheat Bran

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease your muffin tin or line with festive muffin cups

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl. The recipe called for double sifting, but since I don’t have a sifter and I’m way too lazy I just too my pastry blender (or you can use a whisk) and added a little fluffing to it!

In another large bowl, add the pumpkin, molasses, honey, egg, egg whites, applesauce and yogurt. Beat until all ingredients are mixed well.

Add the wheat bran to the flour mixture and mix.

Pour the flour/bran mixture into the pumpkin mixture and combine until just moistened. Don’t over mix. Add raisins and walnuts if you like them and pour into greased muffin tin. These muffins are pretty moist and I like the crunchier outside so I don’t use the paper cups since the muffins tend to stick. Don’t worry, they’ll be full and the pan will feel a bit heavy but they bake up with nice muffin tops! Optional: sprinkle the top with oats, wheat bran or pumpkin seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes in pre-heated oven. Muffins are cooked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cook on wire rack and enjoy!

Breakfast Sandwiches & Snooze Buttons

I love breakfast, a good cup of coffee and sleep. What’s wrong with that equation? They don’t always belong in the same sentence. The snooze button is my best friend. Which, means I wind up eating the same thing for breakfast EVERY morning because opening a yogurt and making a slice of toast is quick! But, BORING! Especially for someone who actually enjoys cooking.

Life is too short to be boring and breakfast is a very important meal! It sets the tone for your whole day, gives you the energy you need, gets your metabolism going, and reduces hunger throughout the day.

There is more than a bowl of cereal or yogurt for breakfast! Put down the McBreakfast, refrain from that high-sugar muffin staring through the pastry case and yes…that Starbucks breakfast sandwich can’t compare! Making breakfast can be fast, simple AND cost effective! You’ll get your snooze button, save money and eat healthier! Have I addressed all of your excuses yet?

English Muffin w/ Tomato, Spinach, Egg, Cheese & Avocado

I love a good breakfast sandwich! Homemade breakfast sandwiches are typically healthier for you and are made fresh in your very own kitchen, with real ingredients instead of assembled, frozen and re-heated. Fresh food always tastes better!

So, I decided a little planning ahead needed to happen so I could have it all: the snooze button AND a delicious quick breakfast sandwich! I promise, they’re simple and delicious! Give it a try see how much more delicious breakfast can be!

Breakfast Sandwiches
1 English Muffin
1-2 Eggs
Avocado
Heirloom tomato slice
Avocado

While your egg pan heats (over medium heat), slice your tomato and avocado and get out any other toppings or spreads you’ll use. Split the English muffin and place in toasted, but don’t toast yet.
(Go about your morning routine while the pan heats)
Once the pan is warm (hover your hand over the pan and you should feel the heat), scramble the eggs into your pre-heated pan and stir so that they get all cooked.
Push down your English muffin and spread your avocado once it’s toasted then assemble the rest of your sandwich (veggies, spread, herbs, etc) and decide if you want your cheese melted on your eggs or right on the English muffin.
Place the eggs on top of your prepared masterpiece and enjoy!!

See!? Swift, simple and delicious as promised! Enjoy a wonderful breakfast at home, saving money and eating healthier!

Even the best egg sandwich can get boring so I wanted to include a few other ideas for those who want to mix it up or might not be thrilled with English Muffins!

Breakfast Sandwich Variations:

Carb: crumpet, whole wheat wrap, corn or flour tortilla, pita, slice of toast or rustic bread
Protein: eggs, tofu, cheese (feta, mozzarella, cheddar), dairy-free cheese (my favorite that actually melts is Galaxy Mozzarella (review here), turkey or Canadian bacon, ham
Veggies: spinach, arugula, tomato, roasted peppers, sun dried tomato
Spread: avocado, pesto, Dijon, Cholula
Herbs: basil, cilantro, or parsley (fresh is best but dried is great and can be mixed into eggs, tofu, spreads, etc)

Your Homework
If we can’t eat together, we may as well be together in social spirit! Post what your favorite homemade quick breakfast idea or breakfast sandwich variation is with a picture on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and tag with #socialbreakfast to get ideas and inspiration! We can enjoy each others company for a lovely breakfast by photo! Invite others to social breakfast and let’s see what breakfast ideas others have!

I’ll be gathering the pictures into a Pinterest board and linking back to other blogs so you can also nominate your favorite blog or breakfast post.

Make Ahead Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches (Amys Kitchen Creations) — Make Ahead Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches (Recipe and Photo from Amy’s Kitchen Creations)

Spinach feta sun dried tomato breakfast sandwich (Smells Like Home) — Spinach feta sun dried tomato breakfast sandwich (Recipe and Photo from Smells Like Home)

Don’t forget to check out My Pintrest Boards if you need a little more breakfast inspiration:

Quick Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. I LOVE everything breakfast related…scones, muffins, breads, eggs, savory roasted veggies! There’s something so relaxing about a good cup of coffee to get your day started that can only be enriched by a delicious breakfast to accompany it! You might find it odd, then, that breakfast is one of the most stressful times of day for me during the week.

Living in Seattle I’ve grown accustomed to seeing grey drizzle outside which makes it THAT much harder to crawl out of a warm bed. Once I do finally drag my lazy butt out of bed the last thing that I want to do is race the clock to get out the door and off to start my day. The typical morning looks something like: WakeupgetreadygetbreakfastCOFFEEneedfood! This leaves me a ball of stress when it comes to breakfast during the week. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who needs some good, healthy and QUICK breakfast options! Well rest assured I’ve got your back!!!

Quick Breakfast Sandwiches from Macheesmo (Photo from Macheesmo.com)

I used to love grabbing one of the English muffin breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks because they were quick and mostly healthy. Until I realized one morning as I unwrapped that wonderful warm bag and got the first whiff of my toasted breakfast sandwich as I sunk my hungry little face into the sandwich…I have EVERY ONE of these ingredients at home! Why did I just pay $3 for something that I could have literally made so easily before walking out of the house. Getting on the budgeting bandwagon I decided that with some planning ahead I could have a delicious breakfast at home while staying budget and health conscious! It just takes a little planning ahead!

Off to the recipe boards I went googling, blog scouring, pintrest-ing away and here is a little showcase of the handiwork. Above you’ll see the English muffin breakfast sandwich from Macheesmo and I LOVE that he illustrates how you can make them ahead and freeze them! Such a time saver!! You can find the recipe here: Quick Breakfast Sandwiches from Macheesmo.

One of the best things I found to equip my kitchen for mornings was a little Egg plan! It was the PERFECT size for an English muffin breakfast sandwich! Simply heat the pan, scramble an egg and let it cook while toasting your muffin and continuing to get ready! SO EASY! One tip for the pan is that it can be a little larger than some English muffins so the egg will hang over the side of the bread a little which I actually don’t mind. Oh, and I’d only use one egg… two can get a little… souffle over the pan-ish! 🙂

My Pintrest Boards (if you need a little more inspiration):

Update: I JUST found 365 days of breakfast and I LOVE it!! LOVELY breakfast food photography that could make you hungry even after a Thanksgiving feast! I LOVE scrolling through their photos and getting some inspiration for breakfast meals!

And since we ALL love food pictures, here are a few other ideas for quick breakfasts:

Make your own fruit on the bottom yogurt cups — Make your own fruit on the bottom yogurt cup

Breakfast Banana Split with Yogurt and Jam

Featured Blog of the Day on Foodista!!

Well, after what seems like weeks away, endless airports, taxis and train, we’re finally home from our two weeks of gallivanting around Spain! The house is buried under piles of laundry to be done, the camera is glaring at me with thousands of pictures to sort and days of e-mail to catch up on, we’re home! I’ve posted a quick preliminary write-up on our two weeks in Spain which you can read here.

A Byte of Life featured as the Blog of the day on Foodista

BUT, the point of this particular post is to announce that A Byte of Life was featured as the Blog of the Day over at Foodista last Thursday! I didn’t have time to write a post in time since that was our 20 hour travel day home but I was HONORED to be included as a featured blog! Foodista is great for recipes, pictures, community and inspiration! You can also follow them on Facebook.

View the Foodista feature post here (its real time so you might have to scroll down to see the post). They chose to feature “Seafood Breakfast for Dinner: Potato Parsnip Pancakes with Shaved Crab, Poached Eggs and Breakfast Cocktail Sauce“.

Thanks Foodista!! It’s an HONOR!!!