A Mom Hack: Breakfast

Writing is a slow business these days (by choice--sometimes the brain needs a break) so I'm working on making my daily routine more efficient. 

Breakfast is my Achilles Heel. When I'm trying to dress myself, my squirmy three-year-old who wants to play with his truck, and my two-year-old who insists on wearing the pinkest, sparkliest thing in sight (with her snow boots) and getting out the door by 8 AM to get said truck-obsessed three-year-old to school, breakfast needs to be quick, easy, and preferably nutritious. 

I have no guilt about the quantity of Eggos my children ate. But the habit gets expensive and there are healthier options. 

Breakfast Hack #1:
Homemade Waffles: not just for Sunday Brunch anymore. Make up a double or triple batch of waffles using your favorite mix or old fashioned recipe, let cool completely, wrap in the quantity you'd use in a morning in plastic wrap (I wrap mine in twos), and place them in gallon freezer bags. Thaw in a toaster oven and  BOOM. A much heartier breakfast than store bought frozen waffles. My kiddos love them with apple butter or Nutella. 

Breakfast Hack #2:
French Toast: Pretty much the same drill as above using your favorite French Toast recipe. America's Test Kitchen has a slick recipe called French Toast for Sunday Brunch which provides a clever method for making a large batch of French toast in one clatter. To paraphrase it, heat oil on a rimmed baking sheet and let eight pieces of bread soaked in batter cook for four minutes on each side at 400 degrees. Cool and freeze as described for waffles above.

Breakfast Hack #3: 
Dr. Weil's Multigrain Scones: Some odd ingredients in this one that you probably don't have on hand, but it's a good option for a fiber-rich breakfast on the go. Exactly the same amount of effort as making a batch of cookies. I make a double batch and they last a good long while in Tupperware. 

Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00240/multi-grain-scones.html

The zesty lemon topping is a very nice touch. Caveat with this recipe: If you give them to a child who is not potty trained, changing the next few diapers will be very much like cleaning out a dirty birdcage. You've been warned.

I managed to make all three of these recipes in an afternoon and had three weeks of breakfasts as a result. I supplement with fruit on other healthy sides and it's one less headache on busy workdays. 

Share with me: What are your time saving tricks?