Bored with Breakfast?

Impossible! With so many great ideas, whether they are for a simple, quick breakfast, or a get-together breakfast, these ideas can help you with getting the most out of the most important meal of the day!

There's a book called "Retro Breakfast" and I don't have it on my shelf? I love breakfast, and it's probably one of my favourite meals of the day, seeing as it is so veristile; breakfasts can be sweet (pancakes), savoury (eggs) or a combination of both (eggs, sausage with pancakes)! Certain beakfasts can also be unhealthy, so the question comes to mind; what is a healthy breakfast option?

A healthy breakfast option includes all food groups: grains, fruit & vegetables, milk and meat/alternatives! Opting for a breakfast that can fill you up throughout the day is important, especially if you are busy each morning/afternoon. Having a breakfast such as oatmeal with nuts and fresh fruit can help to fill you up until lunch time. Although eggs and bacon on a daily basis could do some coronary artery blockage, having eggs and bacon for breakfast once in a while can be okay, just use grapeseed oil instead of butter for the eggs, and always drain your bacon. Adding some fruit or vegetables on the side could help too! A grapefruit? Maybe some green peppers with those eggs?

The options are limitless, and if a healthy breakfast is something that you feel you cannot achieve because you are busy in the morning, try preparing some homemade granola one night, and eat it for breakfast with fresh fruit and milk for the rest of the week. A much healthier breakfast than a sugary donut at Tim Hortons, or no breakfast at all!

For more breakfast ideas, click the "breakfast" tag under this post, I will continue to update and add more recipes/ideas as I go along!

Banana Loaf

This banana loaf, which is essentially more like a banana cake, is one of my favourite quick breads! This recipe differs from other conventional banana bread recipes because this loaf is a lot more moist and rich! It's great as a breakfast, but also wonderful as a dessert!



Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large, very ripe bananas (brown), mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup toasted nuts such as pecans, walnuts, almonds (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chocolate and nuts (if using)

Combine mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture, gently. Do not overmix the batter.

Bake immediately for 60-70 minutes, using a skewer to test if done. The loaf should be a little moist on the inside.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cups

Quite an amazing recipe, a really rich chocolate mousse. Surprisingly without the addition of eggs, or meringue. I saw this recipe on Chef Michael Smith's "Chef at Large". I actually whipped this up last minute with some ingredients I had lying around at home, and it turned out to be a really great dessert! Although the recipe includes making the milk chocolate cups and piping the mousse into them, I didn't bother with that. Instead I just poured the mixture into seperate cups and chilled them!

Ingredients:

For the Milk Chocolate Cups:

8 oz milk chocolate, chopped
For the Dark Chocolate Mocha Mousse
1 lb. 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup brewed coffee
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups 35% whipping cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the White Chocolate Drizzle
4 oz white chocolate, chopped

Method:

For the Milk Chocolate Cups
Gently melt the milk chocolate in a medium bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. Meanwhile line your choice of four ramekins, very small bowls or muffin pan molds with plastic wrap. Press the wrap evenly into the mold of your choice paying particular attention to the bottom corner where the sides meet the bottom. Spoon two or three spoonfuls of melted chocolate into each mold. Swirl it up and around the sides to form an even coat. As it cools it will thicken slightly and adhere to the sides. Refrigerate until set.
For the Dark Chocolate Mocha Mousse
Gently melt the dark chocolate in a medium bowl set over a small pot of simmering water, you may reuse the milk chocolate bowl. Add the coffee and stir until melted. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and let cool. Meanwhile whip the 35% cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold the cooled chocolate and coffee mixture into the whipped cream and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the mousse has set.
For the White Chocolate Drizzle
Gently melt the white chocolate in a clean medium bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. Remove the milk chocolate cups from fridge and carefully ease them out of their molds then peel off the plastic wrap. Place them onto a serving platter. Scoop the mousse into a piping bag or a freezer bag. Cut off the corner and pipe into the chocolate cups. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the top of the chocolate mousse with melted white chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

Oreo Truffles

This amazing recipe which has gotten my whole family (and friends who have tried it!) hooked! These oreo truffles are unbelievably easy to make, and taste rich and delicious (you wouldn't even know they were oreo!) I originally found this recipe at Bakerella's blog, and thought it seemed simple so I just had to try it out. I'm glad I did, because it turned out to be one of my favourites!

Prep Time:
30 min
Total Time:
1 hr 30 min
Makes:
3-1/2 doz. or 42 servings, one truffle each

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet or White Chocolate, melted

Method:
MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.
DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Ofcourse you can always try dipping them in the white chocolate and sprinking some extra cookie crumbs on top! Pretty simple! Try it out today!