The Ultimate Breakfast

What is the best thing you can possibly eat for breakfast? Well, I am sure this is up for debate but if it were up to me I would vote for anything you can grow or produce right from your own backyard.

Eating fresh vegetables ( I mean, really fresh!!), is probably the best thing you can add to any meal. In this video I showcase what has become one of our favorite little breakfasts.

Since getting our six backyard chickens we have started to find more and more ways to eat our very own fresh eggs. These haven't been shipped across the country, they haven't been refrigerated for days or weeks, they come from chickens that have excellent living conditions, and we get to literally grab them within a few hours or laying. These are fresh eggs! There are some many ways to prepare eggs but the best way to combine fresh veggies is with an omelets. We start this meal with an open faced omelet made from two fresh eggs for the kids and three for adults.

In this quick breakfast I am adding in some fresh veggies from the square foot pallet garden. Starts with a fresh onion, some roma tomatoes, and some basil. I also grabbed some tiny bell peppers from the aquaponics system as well. You can also add spinach and sometimes we grab some kale from the aquaponics system as well.

I like to use butter to cook eggs but the SSL Mom prefers olive oil for it's health and taste benefits (also sometimes coconut oil as well). A squirt or two of oil in the pan and spread it around to evenly coat the pan. I am using our favorite Lodge cast iron here which has been perfectly seasoned and is non-stick. Even with eggs (which are a pretty stick food to cook) they slide around in the pan as if it were premium non-stick cookware. Cast iron ensures we get an even heat and allows cooking at lower temps which saves energy (and money!)

Open faced omelets are a breeze to cook, much easier than trying to flip or fold eggs in a pan! Whip up the eggs, pour in the heated pan, sprinkle with cut up onions, peppers, tomatoes, and basil, and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese (if you like that kind of thing), a touch of salt and pepper and you are done!

I also grabbed a fresh Honey crisp apple from our apple tree for a little vitamin C, fiber, and awesomeness. The kids love these little quick open omelets and they allow us to use up our eggs daily while providing a healthy meal. Is this the ultimate breakfast? what do you think?

 

Below are some of the items that we have and have found to be of high quality and American-made.

The five piece set - http://amzn.to/1N7mEvY
Dutch Oven - http://amzn.to/1CKD0cN
Griddle - http://amzn.to/1CKD10C
Lodge scrub brush - http://amzn.to/1IldX0m
10" frying pan - http://amzn.to/1Ile24a
5" Frying pan - http://amzn.to/1LP1U0E
Lodge Cookbooks -
http://amzn.to/1IsXgQP
http://amzn.to/1xfDZ3Y


All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the Simple Suburban Living General Store

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Music - "Go" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/Go

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Why Everyone Always Has Room For Dessert

I've been a stay-at-home mom now for about two and a half years.  When I worked, I never really thought of myself as a cook but more of an assembler.  I bought pre-packaged meals, processed food and lots and lots of frozen food.  We also had carry-out several times a week as well.  With me being home and not working, that way of life just wasn't sustainable anymore.  We spent almost three times the amount on food each month that we're spending now and I cook all of our meals at home now.  I went from dreading cooking to actually enjoying it.  I love it that I can help us save money, and at the same time, provide my family with healthier food.  I get great satisfaction from cooking now, and to be honest, it's shocking to me that I cook almost every single one of our meals from scratch.  If my friends and family are surprised, I would have to agree with them.  It really surprises the heck out of me, too, that I'm cooking as much as I am now.

With all that said, my dear children finally solved a great mystery for me.  I've always wondered why, even though they are completely stuffed full with dinner (yeah right), they ALWAYS have room for dessert.  My girls explained to me that their stomachs have a "dinner side" and a "dessert side".  Can you believe it?  All these years I've been starving their poor dessert sides.  Because it took all I had just to put dinner on the table for the past couple years, I rarely made them anything for dessert.  Their "poor" little tummies.  Although not the most accurate explanation, it got me thinking.  And I decided it was finally time to start including a dessert into my dinner plans. 

And not just once in awhile, I wanted dessert to be required just like their vegetables. 

You see, everybody LOVES dessert.  It's special.  It is always the highlight on those rare occasions when we get to eat out.  Dessert tastes GOOD.  I want my girls to remember how special it is when we all sit down for dinner together.  I want them to know how special they are to us.  I want to create memories and traditions they will want to share with their own families someday. 

About three weeks ago, I told everyone we were going to have dessert after every dinner.  I cannot tell you just what that small change has done to our dinnertime.  Everyone, including me, looks forward to that special treat afterwards.  And it's a great motivator to get everyone in the "clean plate club", especially our three year-old.  It has also given me the opportunity to venture out and try new recipes I've never tried before. 

Some of our favorites that are super easy to make:

Ice Cream
Apple Crisp
Cinnamon Rolls
Cookies
Frozen Organic Blueberries and Milk
Greek Yogurt with Granola

After only three weeks, I think this tradition is a keeper.  And desserts can be healthier if you try to keep them organic and made from scratch.  To make it easier, I also try to make enough to feed us for a few days.  No one ever complains when we have dessert leftovers!

This post has been shared at:  HomeAcre Hop, Homestead Blog Hop, Country Fair Blog Hop

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