CULINARY MAKEOVER #22 – FROM BROWNIES TO FUDGE BROWNIES
Old Brownies – dried out
For those of you who have been reading my ‘Makeover’ Articles, you probably know by now that I love to recreate new dishes from old leftover (yet viable) ones. This addiction started when I purchased my first Blender many years ago. The Blender of course, then advanced to the Food Processor which has been a ‘must have’ in my kitchen almost ever since it hit the U.S. market.
Our household now consists of only two people and our appetites aren’t what they used to be and even if they were, we would be pounds overweight if we consumed everything that I baked (let alone cook) and since I hate to throw away good food (especially when i created it), I have the fun of turning these dishes into new ones.
This weeks was turning my Husband’s Brownies into new Fudge Brownies. Ev is supposed to watch his sugar content but he still loves his chocolate and has to have his fix every night after dinner (even if it is smaller than what he had been used to in previous years.) Sometime I manage to remember to divide the batter in half and freeze one and bake the other one. Of course, this takes smaller pans to do so and it isn’t always feasible.
So I took the leftover Brownies which were dried out but still good and cut them up into small pieces which I then put into the Food Processor with the Chopping Blade. I pulsed the Brownies pieces until they were broken up into much smaller pieces. I then turned the Processor on full speed and chopped up the small pieces to resemble a coarse flour or meal. Next step was to measure the resulting Chocolate Crumb.
The ingredients including the Chocolate Crumb are listed below:
2 cups Brownie Crumbs
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream (1/2 cup Butter can be used instead)
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Marshmallows (quartered)
DIRECTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Return the Chocolate Crumb to the Food Processor.
Measured Crumbs in Processor
2. Add the Flower, Cocoa Powder and the Sugar.
Remade Batter
3. Pulse, just to combine the ingredients.
4. Add the Eggs and Sour Cream (or melted or softened Butter) and Pulse, just until the
ingredients are combined.
5. Stir in the Chocolate Chips.
6. Butter or Spray a 9 x9″ baking dish; add the quartered Marshmallows to the bottom of the dish.
Cut Up Marshmallows
7. Spread the Batter evenly over the Marshmallows.
8. Bake in a preheat (350 degree) oven for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. The Brownies may be served warm or cooled. And they are delicious served with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Remade Fudge Brownies
Categories: Cales, Cookies, Cooking for Kids, Culinary Makeovers, Dessert Ideas, Family Fun, Leftovers, Main, Quarantine Cuisine Tags: baking, Children's Cooking, Chocolate, Cookie Recipes, Dessert Ideas, Eggs, kids cooking, Leftovers
CULINARY MAKEOVERS – # 20 – Pancake and Egg Breakfast
We love Pancakes as I assume most people do. When I was cooking for 7 or 6 or 5 and so on – there were not usually any leftovers when I made Pancakes or Waffles. Now that we are only 2, making a small batch of Pancake or Waffle Batter is almost impossible and rather useless. You can always use the leftover Waffle Batter to make Pancakes or more Waffles the following day or two and you can always use the leftover Pancake Batter for more Pancakes. Unless you make your Pancake Batter somewhat thick, you’d better not use it for Waffles the next day. I like my Pancakes on the thin and light side, so the leftover batter does not do well in the waffle iron. So this morning for Breakfast, I took yesterday’s leftover Pancake Batter and made Pancakes and Eggs with it. A very simple thing to do.
I used my Omelet Pan and made two Pancakes, one for my Husband and one for myself. Next I made Easy-Over Eggs and put one on top of each Pancake. Add a couple of strips of Bacon, a glass of Juice and a cup of Coffee or a glass of Milk and Voila, you have Breakfast. Easy, Simple and Fast and no wasted Pancake Batter. The Pancakes take the place of Bread. Very simple, like 1 – 2 – 3 and you are done!
Pancake Side One
Pancake Flipped
Egg Cooking
Egg Flipped
Pancakes and Bacon
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking with Children, Culinary Makeovers, Dairy, Eggs, Leftovers, Main Tags: Bacon, Breakfast, Children's Cooking, Eggs, Leftovers, Pancakes
CULINARY MAKEOVERS – # 19 – Chocolate Pizzelle Brownies
I love crispy wafer-like cookies and I get them when I make Pizzelles. Pizzelles are a wafer-like cookie or pastry if you will, made in a flat decorative iron. They are Italian in origin but are very similar to the Norwegian Krumkake which is also made in a flat decorative iron, though as thin as the Pizzelle is, the Krumkake is even thinner.
The recipe that I have for the Pizzelle is quite large and makes a large quantity. The reason for the large quantity is that the cookie is so thin that it only take a tablespoon or less for each one – and they are at least 6″ in diameter. This time that I made them, I made them Chocolate so that both myself and my husband would be able to enjoy the treat. Ev loves Chocolate and I love anything thin so the Chocolate Pizzelle were perfect. Because the recipe makes such a huge quantity, I only made a half recipe. (Next time I will make a third recipe) Since the recipe calls for 6 eggs, dividing it half was pretty simple. Dividing into thirds will also be simple, but if I make it any smaller, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to do it.
In addition to loving thin crispy cookies, I also love Marshmallows and if you have ever had homemade Marshmallows, you would never ever eat a commercially manufactured one again. To most people it would seem that Marshmallows are difficult make, but the opposite is true. The main ingredients in Marshmallows are Egg Whites (only 2), Sugar and Gelatin. You can get at least 16 2″square Marshmallows out of one recipe.
Since I like Pizzelle and love Marshmallows, I also made some Chocolate Pizzelle/Marshmallow Treats which were like little sandwiches with Marshmallow in the middle and Chocolate Pizzelle on the outside. But since we are only a household of two and we don’t have company every week you eventually either get tired of eating the treats that were made or they get stale. The Pizzelle were still edible after one week but they were getting a little soft and we were ready for something else.
As I said previous;y, Ev, my husband loves Chocolate and I make him a Chocolate Treat every week. Sometimes it is Chocolate Chip Cookies, sometimes it is Brownies and this time it was Pizzelle but as I said, after a week we were getting somewhat tired of the Pizzelle and even the Marshmallows so I decided to reinvent them or create a new treat, thereby coming up with Culinary Makeover #19 which was Chocolate Pizzelle/Marshmallow Brownies.
To make the Brownies, I first pulverized the remaining Pizzelle in the Food Processor and then transferred them to a Dry Measuring Cup (1 cup size)
Broken-up Pizzelle in Food Processor Workbowl
Pizzelle Crumbs
Next, I broke up the Pizzelle/Marshmallow Sandwiches and chopped them up.
Pulverizng Marshmallows
To make the Brownies I used my ‘Go-To’ Brownie recipe for Fudge Brownies. The only difference was that I had 1 cup of pulverized Brownies. The 1 cup of Pulverized Brownies replaced one cup of the Flour in the recipe. So we had 1 cup of Pulverized Brownies and 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour. I also reduced the Sugar to less than 1 cup.
Pizzelle Crumbs and Flour
After making the Brownie Batter, I folded in the chopped up Marshmallows and baked them as usual.
Folding in Marshmallows
The result was a delicious, moist Brownie that had a cake-like texture but was very good and enjoyed by both my husband and myself.
Baked Brownies
You can use any kind of stale cookies to make the Brownies – doesn’t have to be Pizzelle and other leftover baked goods can be utilized in the same manner. Try it yourself and experiment to create totally new delights. This treat is also good with Ice Cream!
Categories: Baking, Baking Tidbits, Cookies, Cooking for Kids, Culinary Makeovers, Dessert Ideas, Leftovers, Main Tags: baking, Brownies, Children's Cooking, Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert Ideas, Makeovers
NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH
July is ‘National Hot Dog Month’ and nothing is probably more American than a Hot Dog except for perhaps a Hamburger. These two popular foods though made thoroughly American have their roots in Europe and mainly Germany. It’s just that we have so thoroughly Americanized these products that if this were a hundred years or so ago, they wouldn’t even be recognized in Europe. Thanks to vastly improved communication, Hot Dogs and Burgers are seen not only in Europe but all over the world.
We all have our favorite Hot Dogs and will probably remember at least one Hot Dog Stand as ideal. Since as a child I never had Hot Dogs outside of our home (except once) I cannot remember one single Hot Dog Stand. However, my sons have a whole repertoire that they can recite to you – many of which are of course my adult favorites too. The most recent addition to our locale is Dayne’s Chicago Dogs. Dayne’s is located on Thousand Oaks Blvd. in the city of Thousand Oaks and their specialty is the Chicago Dog. What makes a Chicago Dog different from other dogs? The points are listed below.
1. A Chicago Dog has to be in a natural casing – it just isn’t a Chicago Dog unless it has that crunch to it.
2. It also must come with Tomatoes, Green Relish and Peperoncini in the bun along with the Dog. And of course don’t forget the mustard.
Dayne’s Chicago Dog
Also pictured with Dayne’s Dog is Garlic French Fries. If you are a Garlic Lover these are ‘Heavenly’.
One of the oldest Hot Dog Stands in the city of Los Angeles is Pink’s which is on La Brea and ironically is practically right next door to where I went to school. Oddly enough, I never heard of Pink’s until maybe a dozen years ago. However, I’m sure I did have a Pink’s Dog unknowingly which was given to me by the Aunt of a girl who I was playing with at the time. This was the first time I had ever had a Chili Dog and quite honestly at 9 years old, I did not like it. More recently though, I did a class that featured the most popular Hot Dogs in and around the Los Angeles area. While I do not like Hoffy Dogs (which Pink’s uses) the toppings at Pinks were outstanding but oddly enough the item I liked best at Pink’s was their Coconut Cake.
Probably my favorite San Fernando Valley Hot Dog was Cupid’s. I first noticed the Cupid’s stand when I was about 11 years old and we had just moved to the Valley. By the time I got around to eating at Cupid’s their main stand was at Victory and Tyrone and it is still there today. The other stand that they have that I have frequented is across the street from Cal State Northridge. For years, Cupid’s only sold their Dogs one way and that was in a bun with mustard and Chili and Onions. As I recall the last time I was there they have added a few things to their dogs such as cheese.
My favorite Dog to cook at home has to be a Kosher Dog with a crunchy skin. I usually buy Vienna as they fit the bill. Boar’s head is second best for at home purchase. Today for lunch I had a Coleslaw Dog made with Boar’s Head Hot Dogs, Homemade Coleslaw and home-grown Yellow Roma tomatoes.
Last year when we were on Kauai, I had a Pineapple Dog – certainly something you would expect to get in Hawaii if nowhere else. It was delicious – just the right amount of sweet/tangy compliment to the Hot Dog.
Pineapple Dog
If you have a favorite dog and pictures of such please feel free to comment and share your photos.
On an ending note, Hot Dogs can be boiled, grilled, barbecued, baked with beans broiled and/or wrapped in pastry. Take advantage of ‘National Hot Dog Month’ and frequent your favorite local Hot Dog Stand.
Categories: Cooking for Kids, Dinner Ideas, Family Fun, Lunch Ideas, Main, National Food Days Tags: Buns, Children's Cooking, Chili, family dinner, Hot Dogs, kids cooking, National Food Days
VALENTINE POPS TO MAKE WITH YOUR CHILDREN
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the weather is wintry – rainy, snowy or windy! What better way to spend an indoor afternoon or morning making Valentine Lollipops with your Children. Children very often make paper Valentine’s to give to their friends, but Chocolate ones are even better. They taste good and Chocolate is good for you!
What you will need to make these treats is:
Candy (Heart-shaped Lollipop Molds) – available at your local Cake Decorating Store or Craft Shop such as Michael’s or JoAnn’s.
Lollipop Molds and Sticks
Pre-tempered Chocolates (Wilton’s)
Candy Melts
A sheet of waxed paper or a flat pan to put the molds on.
A melting pot or double boiler If you don’t have either you can make a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Melting Pot
To make the Pops first set up your molds. Make sure they are clean and dry. Water and chocolate do not mix and your pops will not set up properly. The best thing to do is to wash and dry them 24 hours before you are going to use them. When you are finished with them, wash (DO NOT USE SOAP) just hot tap water and dry and then after 24 hours place them in a sealed plastic bag so that the next you need them they will be ready to go.
Lollipop Molds and Sticks
Place the molds on the waxed paper or sheet pan. Place the sticks in the molds (make sure that at least one inch of the stick is in the candy portion ) If you are using a Melting Pot place the Candy (the melting pots will hold a 12 oz. bag of candy) in the Melting Pot and set it to MELT. Once the Candy has thoroughly melted turn the setting down to WARM.
Melted Chocolate
Once the Candy has melted you can then spoon it into the molds. Be sure and completely cover the Lollipop Sticks. DO NOT fill the mold to the top. Once they are about 3/4 full, stop and tap the molds to get rid of the Air Bubbles. If there is still space left in the mold slowly add additional candy until the mold is full.
Allow at least an hour for the candy to set at room temperature or about 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator or 15-20 in the freezer.
Melted Candy in Molds
Once the Candy has set up turn the molds over onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper and gently press on the backs to un-mold. If they are not going to be eaten right away place into bags (lollipop bags can be purchased at Cake Decorating Stores, Party Stores or Craft Stores). Tie with red curling ribbon. These lollipops are a great replacement for Valentines.
For heat loving Valentine recipients you can add a little bit of Chili Flakes (Old Boney Mountain Grotto Dust) available at http://www.oldboneymountainhotsaucecorp.com/
Bagged & Tied Valentine Pops
GINGERBREAD HOUSE WORKSHOP
The December Holidays are coming up very fast and what better way to help celebrate them than to build a Gingerbread House. It really help to have a little expertise, someone who has built many over the years and has overcome all the pitfalls that hinder the novice. I have been teaching people (Adults and Parent/Child Teams) how to make Gingerbread Houses for the last 26 years. This year I am going to be teaching my Gingerbread House at the Academy of Culinary Education in Woodland Hills. You will learn how to make the Dough, how to make house templates and how to cut out the house parts from the dough in an efficient manner.
After the House parts are baked and after lunch and a short demo, each team or participant will build and then decorate their house according to their own specifications. Not only will the class be fun and enjoyable, but you will learn skills that you will be able to use throughout your lifetime.
Come to our Gingerbread House Class at the Academy of Culinary Education in Woodland Hills.on December 6th – this is an all-day class starting at 10:30 and ending at 5 with a lunch break in-between.
For photos of Gingerbread houses please go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/sylveeeskitchen/sets/
The class is open to singles or pairs – parent/child or spouses or partners or an older sibling with a younger one.
To sign up for the class go to http://www.academyofculinaryeducation.com/singleclasses.html
Categories: Food as Gifts, Holiday Ideas, Main Tags: baking, Children's Cooking, Classes, gingerbread, Gingerbread House Class, Holidays
NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER MONTH
November is ‘National Peanut Butter Month‘. Peanut Butter as we probably all know is made from grinding Peanuts. Now, technically Peanuts are not actually nuts. The Peanut does not grow on a tree but rather from plants that are much like Vegetables. Peanuts are also known as ground nuts because of this reason. But to repeat, Peanuts are not actually nuts; they are legumes. Unlike legumes, Peanuts are not usually cooked as a vegetable or even as a main dish. Instead, they are treated much like the tree nuts – they are roasted and salted and eaten out of hand. They are chopped up and added to baked goods. But probably the most popular use for Peanuts is that rich spread we all know as ‘Peanut Butter’.
Peanut Butter has long been a favorite of kids and adults alike. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches not withstanding, how many different ways can you think to use Peanut Butter?
My favorites are Peanut Butter Cookies, Thai Peanut Sauce (made with Peanut Butter) and Reese’s Pieces. There is Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Brownies just to name a few. So to observe ‘National Peanut Butter Month‘ I am going to share with you a couple of my favorite recipes. If you have any favorite recipes using Peanut Butter please feel free to share them with my readers.
/One of my very favorite things is the Peanut Butter Sauce served with Chicken and Beef Satay in Thai Restaurants. Technically, Satay is an Indonesian Dish but it has become a popular mainstay in Thai Cuisine. And it is the sauce that really makes the dish! Try this recipe – if you don’t like Chicken you can always substitute Beef or Pork or even Lamb! chicken-satay-with-peanut-butter-sauce/
For lunch today I made a Salad with leftover Shrimp Taco Ingredients. The salad consisted of shredded Lettuce, diced Tomatoes, Cilantro with a squeeze of Lime and Dressed with Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing. Very delicious and taste bud pleasing.
Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing
Growing up, Peanut Butter Cookies were always a favorite in our household. Probably the most intriguing thing about Peanut Butter Cookies is those ‘Criss-Cross’ marks made with a fork. Why, I don’t know but if the cookie does not have them, there is definitely something missing! It is those tell-tale marks that tell us that the cookie is a Peanut Butter Cookie. I know of very few other cookies that use this decoration. Instead of plain Peanut Butter Cookies, try this recipe that mimics that childhood favorite – the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. cookies/peanut-butter-jelly-cookies/
Everybody loves Rice Krispy Marshmallow treats and what better than Rice Kirspy Marshmallow treats with Peanut Butter added to them! Try it for yourself or your kids and you will never make them without the Peanut Butter again! /peanut-butter-rice-krispy-candies/
In Hong Kong there is a favorite street food known as Hong Kong Waffles. They are soft waffle that can be rolled up. Before they are rolled they are usually spread with Nutella or Peanut Butter. They are quite delicious and not at all hard to make if you have a waffle iron. deserts/hongkong-style-waffles/
Last but not least there is Chocolate/Peanut Butter Fudge. This contains two favorites – Chocolate and of course Peanut Butter. This is a really simple fool/proof fudge recipe that anyone can make in a very short amount of time. So if you are a Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lover, be sure and try this recipe. candy/peanutbutter-chocolate-fudge/
Then there are the items that we don’t need recipes for. Celery stuffed with Peanut Butter, Crackers with Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter and Jelly or Honey Sandwiches, etc.
All in all, enjoy ‘National Peanut Butter Month’ and see which ways you come up with to enjoy this all time favorite.
APPLE VARIETIES – ‘NATIONAL APPLE MONTH’
October is ‘National Apple Month and what better time to talk about, eat and use Apples in Desserts, Snacks and Meals. Here is an Alphabetical list of some of the Apples available. There are so many, it is almost impossible to be able to keep track of them all. We all have our favorites but it may be fun to try a new one or two. Keep on eye for some of the ones listed below. There is at least one for every letter of the Alphabet except for the letter ‘X’. If anyone knows of an Apple beginning with an ‘X’, please let me know. At the end of this list are links to Apple Recipes in this Blog.
- A Ambrosia, Anna Apple
- B Beverly Hills, Burgundy
- C Crab Apples, Cameo, Captain Kidd, Candy Crisp
- D Delicious, Dawn, Davey, Dayton
- E Epicure
- F Fuji
- G Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, Gala
- H Hayes, Hampshire, Hawaii
- I Irish Peach, Idared
- J jonathan, Jonagold, Jester, John, Jonadel
- K Kary, Kent, Katya, Keepsake
- L Lady, Liberty, Limelight
- M McIntosh, Maiden’s Blush, Macon
- N Nectar, Niagra, Norfolk
- O Oliver, Opal, Ontario
- P Pippin, Pink Lady, Pacific Rose, Pacific Beauty
- Q Quebec Bell, Queen Cox
- R Razor Russet, Red Delicious, Red Baron
- S Scarlet, Scarlet Surprise, Scarlet O’Hara
- T Taylor, Telstar, Tickled Pink
- W Winesap, Waltz, Wellington
- X
- Y Yates, Yellow Transparent, York Imperial
- Z Zari, Zest
APPLE BREAD – http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/breads/apple-bread/
APPLE COOKIES - http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/cookies/apple-cookies/
CARAMEL APPLES - http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/cookies/apple-cookies/
Categories: Baking, Bread, Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Dessert Ideas, Family Fun, Halloween, Main, National Food Days, Pastry Tags: Apples, baking, Children's Cooking, family dinner, Fruit, National Food Days
NATIONAL APPLE MONTH
October is ‘National Apple Month’ so I decided to look up and see how many different kinds of Apples there are. Wow, I did not expect to find the number I did – there are literally dozens and maybe hundreds – the only letter in the Alphabet that does not bear the name of an Apple is ”X”. There are numerous kinds of Apples for each and every letter, however most of us are familiar with only a small number of them.
The most common Apples are the Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Pippins and Granny Smith. The best for eating are the Delicious, of course and the Gala and Fuji. The best for baking are Granny Smith and Pippins. The last two are not terribly sweet and have a firm flesh which lends them well to baked goods such as pies and pastries. For cooking and Applesauce the Winesap and Gravensteins are excellent.
My favorite use for Apples is to make Pie and of course, there is nothing as American as ‘Apple Pie’. I also love Apple Turnovers made with Puff Pastry. Puff Pastry is a pain to make but you can purchase frozen Puff Pastry Sheets which work very well. You can also use Pie Crust or even Yeast Dough for your Turnovers Shells.
There are also many other ways in which we can use Apples and so I am going to explore some of them here and reference several really great recipes. The first one is for Apple Bread – what a good way to use up those Apples from your tree or even the ones you bought. You can even use Applesauce. Try the referenced recipe. This recipe makes two to three loaves, depending on the size of the pans you use. You can also make Muffins from the same recipe. If there is too much for your family to consume at one time, these loaves freeze well or you can share them with your friends. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/breads/apple-bread/
Apple Pie can be made in various ways – there are French Apple Pies with a streusel topping and then there are the traditional ‘American’ type Apple Pies with both a bottom and a top crust. The referenced recipe is for a French Apple Pie which always easy to make because there is only a bottom crust and you don’t have to worry about getting the top crust to fit and look beautiful. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/pies-pastry/
Apple Turnovers are absolutely my favorite way to go! You can eat them out of hand without utensils; they are good for Breakfasts on the Go or for snacks or Desserts. You can use Puff Pastry or Pie Crust or any of your favorite pastry doughs.
www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/pies-pastry/apple-turnovers/
Apple Brown Betty is an old fashioned dish which can also be used for dessert or for Breakfast. There is no Pie Crust to worry about, just a cumbly topping. It is fast and easy to make and is great with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream on top. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/deserts/apple-brown-betty/
Caramel Apples are one of my favorite ways to eat Apples. I love Apples and I love Caramel and nothing goes better together than Apples and Caramel. And since Halloween is this Month what better treat than Caramel Apples to share with the kids. This recipe is simple to make and the Apples are fun to eat. The best Apples to use for Caramel Apples are Granny Smith or Golden Delicious. Pippins are also good, but make sure that they are somewhat ripe or they will be to tart to eat, even with the Caramel. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/halloween-recipes/caramel-apples/
Remember, October is ‘National Apple Month’ and there is no better time to buy and eat Apples than now. Even better is if you can pick your own, either from your own trees or nearby orchards. Play around and experiment – Apples are a wondrous fruit and don’t forget ‘An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away’. Try a different Apple Recipe for the Month of October – ‘National Apple Month’. And another reason for eating and using them now is that later on, the Apples you buy will all have been in cold storage which makes them mealy and less tasty. So take advantage of ‘National Apple Month.
Categories: Baking, Baking Tidbits, Bread, Main, Pastry Tags: Apple Pie, Apples, baking, Caramel, Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Dessert Ideas, Fruit, holiday recipes, kids cooking, kids recipes
BREAKFAST
September is ‘National Breakfast Month’ and this is a particularly good time for it. With the kids back in school, it is a good time for parents to emphasize the fact that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The word Breakfast literally means to break a fast. That Fast is the time between when you eat your last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day. This usually is a period of 10-12 hours. This is the reason that your body needs to replenish its fuel supply to run and to feed your brain. Automobiles can’t run without fuel and neither can the human body. Therefore, skipping breakfast is not good for your body or your brain.
A healthy Breakfast should contain some Protein and some Carbohydrates. If you eat wholesome nutritious foods they will also contain the vitamins you need along with essential fatty acids.
All cultures have a breakfast menu, although some do not call it as such. Breakfast foods as we know them in the West are not necessarily what people in the Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures eat. The typical American Breakfast is actually based on the English Breakfast which traditionally consists of Eggs, some kind meat such as sausage or bacon and maybe potatoes plus fruit and a beverage. And don’t forget the toast!
In Asia most breakfasts include rice of some kind. In China, it is Congee, a porridge made with rice but in other Asian countries rice is just used as one of the ingredients for the breakfast.
Since we could elaborate for miles and miles on the different breakfasts around the world I am going to stick with the Western Variety. This would include, of course European Countries as well as North America.
In Spain and Germany, the first meal of the day is usually just a cup of coffee and a pastry and a larger more elaborate breakfast is eaten a couple of hours later.
In American, many families have opted to have dry cereal for breakfast along with milk poured onto it. This is certainly faster for people in a hurry, but it is not necessarily the best or tastiest way to go.
My favorite breakfast stems back to my childhood when my parents and my brother and I usually had eggs for breakfast. To this day, Eggs are still my favorite food for breakfast.
Since this is ‘National Breakfast Month’ we will devote one blog a week to Breakfasts around the world. This month will be American Breakfasts such as we know them. The traditional American Breakfast at least as I knew it was Fruit Juice or Fresh Fruit, Eggs, Toast and Milk or Coffee for the Adults. Of course, there are many other variations such as Pancakes, Waffles, Crepes (one of my favorite filled with fruit), cooked Oatmeal (with Raisins! or dried Apples!) and the proverbial dried Cereal with Milk and fruit such as Bananas added.
Whatever your favorite Breakfast, just don’t forget to eat it! Remember, Breakfast is the most important meal of the Day! Especially for children who go to school and need the fuel and brain power that a good breakfast provides!
To give you some ideas and recipes for Breakfast Items check out the Breakfast/Recipe section of this Blog: recipes/breakfast-items/
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking for Kids, Main Tags: Breakfast, Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Fruit, holiday recipes, Pumpkin, Waffles
