Paleo Breakfast Crock Pot Casserole

The crock pot makes cooking a breeze and it's even more wonderful to wake up to a delicious smelling breakfast! This is a super healthy recipe and is also Paleo friendly. It's a healthy way to kick start your day and plus there will be plenty to share. The consistency of the eggs was some what new to me since i usually eat them scrambled, but I guess it's just like eating a quiche. I am not sure how this would work with egg whites, but that might be a variation to try next time. When you don't have a lot of time to make breakfast in the morning, this is a great casserole to make so that you can just reheat and eat.

Ingredients:
8 eggs, whisked 
1 sweet potato, shredded
1 white onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
Veggies: I used bell peppers and mushrooms, but you can use anything you want
Salt and pepper

Directions:

 Start by whisking the eight eggs together in a medium bowl. Coat the crock pot bowl with coconut oil to prevent anything from getting cooked on.

 Peel the sweet potato and then use a medium grater to grate the sweet potato. Then add all the ingredients into the crock pot and stir everything together. Cook it on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. (I accidentally cooked mine one high so it got a bit brown on the edges.

Morning Muffins

Breakfast during the week is difficult because I don't always have the time or feel like cooking something to eat. However, I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I try to find things I can make ahead. I found this recipe from Yummly for Morning Power Muffins that sounded healthy and filling. There were some bananas that were becoming dangerously ripe so I figured this was a a good option to use them in a different way besides banana bread. However, if you need to use up bananas be sure to check out this recipe for two ingredient cookies. These turned out to be super moist so don't let that scare you in thinking they are undercooked and sweet without being too sweet for first thing in the morning.

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
5 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
1 cup oats, quick cook
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Note: the recipe says it makes 20 muffins, but mine only made 18 which is odd since I usually end up with more servings not fewer servings. 

Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners or spray generously with cooking spray. Peel the bananas and break into pieces. Mix on low for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add in the canola oil, applesauce and honey. Mix on low until well incorporated.

Thoroughly mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon for 2 minutes.

Next, add in the whole wheat flour and the oats. Mix only until combined. I mixed for about 30 seconds and then finished by hand just to make sure there wasn't anything at the bottom of the bowl that got missed. 

*Note: If you want to add in dried cranberries, raisins or any kind of nut, this is where you would fold them in. However, I didn't have any of that so I didn't add anything in.

Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. The muffins will still look wet when you take them out, but as long at the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before letting them finish cooling on a wire rack. You can eat these plain, with a drizzle of honey or some kind of nut butter. You are ready to enjoy your breakfast, knowing you have fueled yourself properly for the day!

The Magnolia Pancake Haus - Part 2

I have decided that no trip to San Antonio is complete without a trip to the Magnolia Pancake Haus. Let me warn you that there will probably be a pretty long wait, but it is absolutely worth it! I was fortunate enough to be able to introduce some friends to this amazing restaurant and indulge in some ridiculously delicious breakfast dishes. Let me just say that this was by no means a low fat breakfast, but sometimes you just have to live a little. Luckily for me, the friends I was with were willing to share so I got to try multiple things! (It makes me extra happy when people are willing to try and share with me) First up was the lemon poppy seed waffle, topped with a lemon cream cheese drizzle and a fresh squeeze of lemon. It was fresh, light and exactly what a summer waffle should be. The waffle was fluffy and not heavy. The lemon gave it brightness and the lemon cream cheese drizzle added some sweetness without making it super sweet.

Next was Sarki's Special omelet, stuffed with onions, mushrooms, feta cheese, calamata olives, and spinach. Sometimes omelets can be less than awesome because the topping to egg ratio is really off. That was most definitely not the case with this omelet...it was bursting with yummy goodies! The eggs were fluffy, yet sturdy enough to hold all the goodies together. This omelet had lots of flavor and is something that I will definitely try to recreate at home. In preparation for our meal, we found out that one of the omelets had homemade Italian sausage so of course we needed to give it a try. It was spicy and not too salty, but you could taste the difference between that sausage and the store bought version. If you like breakfast sausage, you need to give this a try.

It seems like the versatility of bacon is never ending - cupcakes, chocolate, potato chips, and pancakes. Another unique thing on the menu was bacon pancakes. The concept of sweet and salty is quite appealing, but sometimes you just need to take it to the next level. How does one manage that?...throw in chocolate chips and you get a life changing bacon chocolate chip pancake. The pancake batter is light and fluffy and has that perfect golden brown outside. The inside of the pancake was chock full of bacon pieces and chocolate chips. The saltiness of the bacon and the little pocket of melted chocolate chips created a masterpiece in your mouth. If you are adventurous and like bacon and chocolate you most definitely need to give these a try. I am quite certain that you won't be disappointed. It's a very good thing that I don't live closer because I would be there way too often!

Sugar Donut Muffins

I had to admit that I love donuts, but tend to stay as far away as possible because they are really quite bad for you. However, when I saw this recipe for a donut muffin, I definitely needed to try it. This is a super simple recipe, but it only makes about 10 regular muffins. The recipe is super simple and the best part was I had everything on hand. Like usual, you beat the butter and sugar together and separately mix together all the dry ingredients. Then you add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar until mixed. Add in the liquids and you are ready to pop them in the oven. They cook at 350 for about 15-18 minutes. Usually my oven, takes about 5 minutes less than the suggested cook time, but this time it was exactly 15 minutes. Once you pull them out of the oven, you brush them with a bit of butter and roll in sugar. You can roll the whole thing or just the tops. I opted for sugaring just the tops an in half of them added a dash of cinnamon to the sugar. They are a dense muffin that doesn't crumble. I would say it has a very close consistency to a cake donut and was a perfect morning pick me up! I will definitely be making these again as they are fun and something different then just a regular muffin, so be sure to give it a try.

Avalon Diner

There's something special about going for breakfast on a Saturday morning. I think it may be the fact that time seems to slow down and you get to enjoy a wonderful meal with good company before the start of a hectic day. For me, I don't get to do that very often so it makes even more special when I do get a chance to go get breakfast. I heard about a place called Avalon Diner and decided to give it a try. It is a step back in time with the traditional diner stools and wood paneled walls. You do seat yourself, so just be prepared to wait a bit. I ordered an egg white omelet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, topped with a salsa. It was served with fruit and an English muffin. I'm not sure how they toasted it, but the English muffin was perfectly toasted. The omelet was huge and the salsa give it a kick of flavor. This wasn't the absolute best omelet I have had, but it was fun to try somewhere new and enjoy a beautiful morning.

Cranberry Orange Biscuits

There are times when you just can't make biscuits from scratch, so you need something quick but that still tastes homemade. Thank goodness I found Immaculate refrigerated biscuits. I invited a friend over from brunch and thought that I could throw together some muffins, but then life happened so that muffins didn't. I found these cranberry orange biscuits that would be perfect. They are made with no bleached flour, artificial preservatives, or hydrogenated oil and only 180 calories, so not too terribly bad for you. They come in a package of 8 and are ready in about 10 minutes.They are normal sized, so don't worry about only getting a two bite biscuit. These have real cranberries in it and are flaky and soft. They also come in blueberry and they have some pretty yummy cinnamon rolls as well. This is a perfect substitute for those times you need something quick for breakfast or a midmorning snack and I promise no one will know you didn't make them from scratch. Pick some up today and give them a try.

Horizon Cafe

During my short and sweet stay in Chicago, we managed to squeeze in a breakfast outing to Horizon Cafe. It was just a place where you felt at home. I love breakfast even though it is a constant struggle and seriously one of the hardest decisions I make, especially when I go out to eat. When I make breakfast at home, it's usually eggs and fruit. However, when I go out I have to decide between sweet and savory (a very tough choice). But sometimes you just need something simple and yummy. I used to eat cinnamon raisin toast all the time when I was little, so I decided to go old school and order a past time favorite. This cinnamon french toast was filling and there was plenty of it! The plump raisins and tender, but not soggy bread was the perfect blend of textures. I am not one of those people who drowns everything in syrup, but a light drizzle added just a touch of sweetness. Horizon Cafe is the go to breakfast for my Texans in Chicago, so it was fun to see their hangouts. This is a hopping place on the weekends and it was great to just sit around and enjoy a good meal.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

Living in the South, everyone is so surprised that I have never been to Cracker Barrel before. However, after hearing that they have some fabulous Christmas decorations (yes, I did witness these first hand and they were right), I put it on my "I'll get to it eventually list". So finally I got to it and kicked off my weekend with a delicious breakfast. The other interesting thing that I have heard about the breakfasts there are that they come with a ton of food and are very competitively priced. Again, they were also right about that. Though I went a different route, you could have gotten the Sunrise Sampler, which includes eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy, fried apples or hashbrown casserole, and either bacon, sausage, or turkey sausage for about $8.00. Talk about large portions. Let me just for warn you that this isn't a super healthy place, but I don't eat breakfast like this very often, so I decided to indulge. I opted for blueberry pancakes. They were light and fluffy and filled with blueberries. They were also served with a homemade blueberry syrup. It is not like the fruit compote that has chunks of fruit or that tastes really artificial. It had a syrup consistency and wasn't overly sweet. These were really good pancakes and felt like you were in your own kitchen. It gets very crowded especially on the weekends, so be sure to get there early!

Breakfast Scones

It's always a treat when someone makes me baked goods because usually I am making them for others. One of my treats for going to visit my mom was that I got to have homemade blueberry chocolate chunk scones! They were so moist and filled with perfectly melted chocolate chunks. The chocolate had melted a bit on the outside, but still held its shape. The scone's texture wasn't so crumbly that when you bit into it, it all just fell apart which was fantastic. Eating scones that just crumble isn't very fun, but it's hard to find ones that hold their shape. It wasn't overly sweet and the burst of blueberry flavor was a perfect summer touch. The chocolate and blueberry complimented each other very well. The scone was served with a mixture of Bing and Rainer cherries, which are my absolute favorite! They not only have beautiful colors, but they are deliciously sweet. However, they are a bit on the expensive side, so I don't really buy them all that often. Though the price does seem to go down later in the summer. Bing cherries, however, are less expensive and are almost just as good. All I can say is that it was a somewhat healthy breakfast that filled me up and got me ready for the day. If only I could have homemade scones every day...

Good Morning Granola

I love granola, but sometimes it can be challenging to find one that actually tastes delicious and not just plain and boring. This granola is another gem from Trader Joe's...mango and passion fruit. Honestly, I would have never picked those two flavors for a granola because it sounds a little too adventurous right? Well it's definitely a super yummy summer breakfast that fills you up and gives you the energy you need to take on the day. It's also really great because it isn't too sweet and there are real chunks of dried mango in it. I decided to have mine with a touch of milk, though I could have thrown it in with my Greek yogurt. Let's just put it this way, no matter how you eat it, you will enjoy it. So pop open the box and pour yourself a bowl and enjoy your morning!

Tea Time

There is nothing better than the fresh smell of brewing coffee in the morning. It is an immediate wake up call and to me signifies one of life's simple pleasures. However, every once in a while a change of pace is good, so I switch over to tea. My favorite is Stash Premium Tea, but Celestial Seasonings is also a great alternative. They even have some tea bags with the sugar already in it. The pomegranate raspberry green tea has a delicious fruit flavor, but the green tea helps to put a hop in your step. The best thing about this tea is that the fruit adds a natural sweetness and doesn't require any extra sugar. Please don't think it's as sweet as the good old Southern favorite, sweet tea. If that's what you want, then you will definitely need to add extra sugar. However, the pomegranate and the raspberry really tame the bitter taste that tea can sometimes have. Stash Premium Tea also has a fantastic breakfast blend that I discovered while vacationing in Vancouver. I'm sure the honey and milk made it ten times better, but by itself the tea is a great. It is a lighter tea that makes mornings very enjoyable. So put your water on the stove and pour yourself a nice steaming cup of a different version of morning joe.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Breakfast is a meal that I could eat at any time because there are so many options. You can either opt for the sweet side, like pancakes and waffles, or the savory side, like eggs and potatoes. To me, there is something about Sunday that means a big leisurely breakfast with the whole works. I love hearing about great breakfast places and the Food Network gave me a great option. When you are in San Antonio, you absolutely must stop by The Magnolia Pancake Haus. This place is only open for breakfast and lunch, and there is always a wait! If you want to go on Saturday or Sunday, expect a long wait, but I promise it will be worth it.

When you first open the menu, you are greeted with a wide variety of pancakes, waffles, and all sorts of egg dishes. However, there is one thing that will surely catch your eye. This place offers something that you can't find anywhere else. "Authentic Munchener Apfel Pfannekuchen", pronounced fan-e-koo-kan. This is basically a Bavarian apple pie pancake that's a family recipe. Though I really wanted to try this amazing sounding dish, I have found that I like to try my good ole favorites to see how they do them. For me, this is a stack of chocolate chip pancakes. All I can say is that the batter was light and airy and the chocolate chips melted perfectly into the batter. They weren't overly sweet and had the perfect chip to batter ratio. I think they definitely nailed the pancakes! Plus they are the size of a plate, so you most likely have leftovers to enjoy again.

They also have a fabulous pecan waffle that was very light and the added sweetness of the maple syrup gave it a pecan pie like taste. As big the plate, this waffle is sure to fill you up with just the right amount of morning sweetness. I have been to a fair number of breakfast places and sometimes the hash browns are a real disappointment. They are usually dry and bland or not crispy and limp. However, I was very pleasantly surprised at how delicious these hash browns were. They were grated with just the right thickness, had plenty of flavor, and were definitely crisped to perfection. Let's just say there were no leftovers of these.

The Magnolia Pancake Haus definitely lived up to all the hype and it's a good thing that I don't live closer because I might just become a regular. If you are going to be in the area, be sure you stop by at any time and try it out because I promise it's worth it!