Breakfast Ideas

• Quiche and fresh fruit
• Cold or hot cereal with fruit
• Bacon, eggs and toast
• Yogurt w/ granola and juice
• Egg McMuffin (homemade)
• Muffins with fruit and juice
• Baked Oatmeal
• Toast w/ peanut butter, raisins & honey
• Egg casserole made w/ meat and/or veggies
• Scrambled eggs w/ tomatoes
• Pancakes or waffles
• French toast w/ fruit
• Creamed eggs over biscuits
• Creamed chipped beef over toast
• Fruit smoothie
• Bagels w/ cream cheese and strawberries
• Yogurt and fruit
• Cinnamon rolls
• Baked French toast
• Crusty bread w/ cheese and grapes
• Cottage cheese and fruit

Corn Cakes

• 1-1/3 c. buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. yellow corn meal
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 T. corn oil, or melted bacon fat

In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk and baking soda. Let set for 5 minutes; it will foam up.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt and sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg slightly and stir in the oil or bacon fat. Add the buttermilk mixture and combine well. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat until well blended. The batter will be very thin.

Preheat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat and lightly grease. Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls and fry for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per side.

Serve hot with maple syrup, or molasses. Serves 6.

Eggs with Soy Sauce over Rice

Very inexpensive, filling and tasty meal.

• 2 eggs per person
• butter
• cooked rice
• soy sauce

Cook the eggs in a little butter, over-easy. Fill shallow bowls with rice; top with eggs and drizzle a little soy sauce over.

For extra protein, and hunger-staving power, stir in some cooked black beans with the rice.

Eggs in Purgatory

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 c. canned tomato puree
• 4 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 8 eggs
• Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook the garlic and onion in the oil until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, until thickened.

With a spoon, make 8 wells in the tomato sauce. Break an egg into each well. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Serve with a crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Macaroni and Eggs

My mother would call this "a day before payday meal", meaning it's super-frugal, and made with things you already have in the house. If you need to stretch your grocery budget, this is filling, and pretty tasty.

• 2 T. butter
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 2 c. macaroni, cooked
• salt & pepper, to taste

Heat the butter in a skillet, stir in the eggs and cook as for scrambled eggs. When almost set, stir in the prepared macaroni. Season to taste. Serves 4-5.

Mexicali Quiche

• single deep-dish pie shell, unbaked
• 8 oz. Mexican blend cheese
• 1/4 c. sweet red pepper, chopped
• 4 oz. chopped green chilies
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3/4 c. salsa
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 c. cream or half-n-half
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400. Fill pie shell with cheese, red pepper, green chilies and salsa. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with cilantro. Beat eggs and cream together, and pour over ingredients in pie shell.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400, then reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Note: Make sure you use a deep-dish pie plate as otherwise it will spill over.

Oven French Toast with Nut Topping

• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1" slices
• 8 large eggs
• 2 c. milk
• 2 c. half-n-half
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping

• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Heavily butter or spray a 9 X 13 pan. Fill pan with bread slices.  In blender, mix eggs, milk, half-n-half, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Pour mixture over bread slices, and refrigerate, covered overnight. 

Make topping by combining ingredient; set aside.  When time to bake, preheat oven to 350.  Spread topping on top of bread and bake for 50 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Enjoy with a dab of maple syrup.  Serves 8-10.