dishing up creative goodness
We love quick and kid-friendly breakfast ideas in this house. So these sausage pancake bites featured on Someday I’ll Learn are the perfect solution as a bake-ahead breakfast option that we can just pop in the toaster oven, heat up, and go.
If you’re looking for more easy-to-make or make-ahead breakfast ideas, here are a few great options:
I absolutely love multi-purpose kitchen gadgets. If it doesn’t do more than one thing, I don’t want it in my kitchen taking up space! When I was asked to check out the latest Zojirushi rice cooker and see how it fared compared to my smaller rice cooker I knew i wanted to find more ways to test it out than just make rice. So I figured out how to make oatmeal in a rice cooker. And I have to say… I’m pretty impressed!
I already loved the Zojirushi brand and own one of their bread machines (all the way back from when my husband and I first got married) and the smaller rice cooker so including this larger capacity rice cooker into our home was perfect. The Zojirushi NL-AAC10 is a great multi-use rice cooker. And I’ve not only made rice and oatmeal in it, but I’ve also used it to steam things as well. Hello delicious dumplings and pot stickers!
Making oatmeal in a rice cooker is a piece of cake! As simple as dumping the ingredients in, adjusting the settings for porridge, and letting it cook. The rice cooker does all of the work. Wait… did I just give that all away in the beginning of the post? Well let me just show you the pretty pictures and talk about this awesome machine.
Aided by microcomputer technology, this category of rice cooker takes having rice on your menu from “occasional” to “serious”. Basically, the microchip does all the thinking for you, as far as adjusting cooking times and temperatures according to the type of rice you are cooking, and timing the pre-soaking of the raw grains and the final “wait” period during steaming.
That means you’re left with perfectly cooked food that every family member will love! No more burnt rice on the bottom. And it also means that you can make a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner using the same rice cooker.
1. Add 2 cups of old fashioned oats into the rice cooker*. Then add in 3 cups of water (or milk if you prefer a creamier oatmeal). Add any mix ins or flavors and stir together to combine. I added 1 diced apple, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a tablespoon of brown sugar.
*For this recipe I consulted my rice cooker’s manual to see if there was a minimum amount of oats I needed to use for this rice cooker. I also wanted to make sure I was using the correct amount of liquid. If you’re using steel cut oats, double check the manual to see what the minimum amount is as well as what the liquid level should be.
2. Using the menu button, set rice cooker to porridge setting (bottom right). Once the setting is selected, hit the start button. A melody should play letting you know that the rice cooker has started the cooking process. Sit back and relax as your food cooks.
3. When the rice cooker is done cooking the oatmeal it will play a melody again. Don’t worry if you aren’t immediately available – the rice cooker will go to the warm setting after it’s done cooking. When you’re ready to eat, open the lid carefully and scoop out your oatmeal.
This 5-1/2-cup rice cooker and warmer makes 10 cups of cooked rice and includes a variety of cooking functions including white rice/sushi, mixed rice, porridge, sweet, brown, steam, and quick cooking.
If you’re looking for a great rice cooker to add to your kitchen definitely check out the great line of Zojirushi rice cookers.
Love what you see? Try these recipes!
Vanilla Raisin Oatmeal Squares
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothies
There’s one thing I’ve been obsessed about for months. Something that’s healthy for me that I actually crave at times. And you’ll think I’m crazy, but they really are good. What am I talking about? This green monster protein smoothie.
No, seriously… this protein-packed green machine is something I blend up in the morning and enjoy sipping until the very end. I have to thank the frozen banana and teaspoon of PB2 for that.
Haven’t heard of PB2? Well it’s basically powdered peanut butter and is much more calorie friendly than your typical jar of Skippy or Jif. You can find it on Amazon or on select store shelves. You can also find another version from Just Great Stuff that tastes very similar. And? It also comes in chocolate peanut butter form too!
I’ve spotted the Just Great Stuff brand at Target and Whole Foods but there are specialty stores around town that carry PB2 as well. And the protein powder? I pick up the Whole Foods generic brand, 365. It was recommended by a few people and I enjoy the taste.
Oh, and this whole huge 24oz cup? 6 WW+ points! How awesome is that? Definitely a breakfast I can dig before a workout. Then, when I have more time at lunch, I enjoy some scrambled eggs after my workouts. [Read more…]
Come Christmas morning the last thing I want to do is bake. So over the past few years I’ve simply planned ahead and made a casserole to serve for breakfast on Christmas morning. These Christmas breakfast casserole recipes are the perfect solution for a delicious meal on Christmas morning without having to futz in the kitchen for too long.
Plus, just about all of the recipes can easily be tweaked to your liking to create a dish that’s perfect for your family (and any dietary restrictions you may have)! From egg dishes, to bread dishes, to vegetarian and meat lovers, each of these casseroles are delicious in their own way. [Read more…]
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Hawaiian Host, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HawaiianHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO
Ever since I had my kids Christmas morning has been a time I dedicate to spending with them. No more driving from one relatives home to another. Instead we give an open invitation to any family members wanting to come over in the morning and then host Christmas dinner.
Since a few family members show up outside of our immediate family I love trying new brunch recipes and ideas. And since my dad and step-mom just got back from Hawaii over Thanksgiving I thought it might be nice to treat them to a little taste of the islands with this Hawaiian Host AlohaMac Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce for Christmastime. [Read more…]
This is a sponsored post
One thing I absolutely love about my friends is that I can call them up at a moments notice and invite them over for an impromptu play date. If my youngest is driving me up the wall because she’s “bored” while her brother is at school I can simply hit up my friends and tell them to bring their kiddos over for a fun morning.
And, of course, that’s the perfect time for us mamas to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company while sipping on coffee and treats. Because caffeine is a must at play dates.
With the holidays fast approaching I also always try and use these play dates to my advantage by testing out fun recipes with my friends to see if they make the cut for the holiday baking frenzy to come. This past week I had a few friends over for some homemade sticky buns I made using my favorite flavored creamer, peppermint mocha. It’s great in coffee but also makes a great addition to baked goods.
There’s something magical about sharing a meal with friends. Being able to sit down together, take in a few laughs, and really enjoy each others company.
Over the past few years of running my playgroup I’ve come to know these ladies quite well. So much so that I feel comfortable enough with them, and them with me, that we allow our kids to enjoy playing in the playroom or living room while we catch up. No need to hover or follow our kids every step.
It does help that the kids know our home well and know where their favorite toys to play with are. And my daughter so looks forward to these mornings filled with fun and laughter.
On a recent trip to Walmart I picked up some Peppermint Mocha creamer to replace the Pumpkin Spice creamer I had just run out of. Tis the season for delicious coffee and I need my creamer!
I figured that the creamer would not only taste good in my coffee but in the sticky buns I was making as well. And I was right! These sticky buns were so delicious. They definitely hit the spot and were a huge hit with the moms and kids.
One thing I can always count on with these ladies is a good time. And they’ll eat pretty much anything. Even when I had to sub crescent roll dough for yeast dough in this recipe because my yeast dough was still too cold to work with!
The recipe still turned out absolutely delicious and tasted great with a nice cup of coffee. With some peppermint mocha creamer, of course.
One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving, besides the giving thanks and being with friends and family, are the leftovers. The delicious, tasty, easy to heat up and eat whenever you please leftovers. I love Thanksgiving leftovers so much that when I started writing up this post I realized that I had no Thanksgiving leftover recipes of my own. Because I just eat the leftovers as is! Or in a huge, Dagwood style sandwich.
So I reached out and asked my blogging friends what they do with leftovers. And I’m so glad I did. Some of these dishes may sound a little weird, and others sound absolutely amazing. But they all have one thing in common. They’re delicious! [Read more…]
I love cereal. Like LURVE cereal. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Too bad the husband doesn’t do breakfast for dinner. But that’s another story…
So when I received a few boxes of Vanilla Chex to try out in the mail I didn’t hesitate to jump in and indulge in a bowl (or two). And when my daughter saw what I was doing she demanded that I share. I almost didn’t.
I told her I was going to make something for our playgroup’s halloween party with them and her eyes got big. She was so excited to see what I was going to make. And I’m pretty sure I made her day when I showed her these Vanilla Chex Cranberry Pecan bars I threw together.
They were pretty darn good!
So maybe it’s become an obsession. But I’m pretty darn in love with pumpkin about now. The one thing that makes the cool crisp weather better are these healthy pumpkin muffins with a cup of hot coffee.
Simple to make, tasty, and a favorite amongst my playgroup, these muffins really hit the spot.
I drizzled a simple mix of powdered sugar, milk, and pumpkin pie spice over the top for a little extra sweetness. It definitely made the muffins tastier. [Read more…]
In celebration of the premier of Julius Jr on Nick Jr (you can see my post over at Someday I’ll Learn if you didn’t hear about the show) the kids and I got in the kitchen and started baking up some muffins with the bananas that were browning on the counter. And since there was an open can of pumpkin puree in the fridge we decided to give it a go and make these pumpkin banana muffins.
Everyone knows that when you’re watching the premier of a children’s show starring a monkey, you have to eat banana-themed food!
These muffins were absolutely delicious! Moist, fluffy, and very kid friendly. I think both of my kids ate at least two each! We might even be adding some mini chocolate chips next time I make them for an added kick. [Read more…]
She enjoys sharing her family life in San Diego and features everything from delectable recipes to sharing DIY tips around the home and garden, what she's crafting and more.
