Works for Me Wednesday: Easy Breakfasts

Marvin started taking early morning seminary this year. Which means he needs to leave the house by 6 am. I'll happily get up that early to see him off and make him a lunch, but I just don't have it in me to make him breakfast that early. Since he is gone almost 10 hours, he really needs to have a good breakfast before he goes.

I love how having freezer meals makes my dinner making easier, so I thought I would apply the same approach to making breakfasts. So, I spent Monday morning making muffins, pumpkin nut bread, wheat bread and freezer biscuits. (And some frozen ginger cookie dough.) I can just put out a frozen item on the table the night before and it is thawed and ready to eat in the morning.



Freezer biscuits were served at a victorian bed and breakfast in Iowa. They are a very clever way to have quick, hot, homemade biscuits in the morning. No prethawing required.



Another easy breakfast is to layer yogurt, fruit and granola to make a breakfast parfait. If we make one in disposable cup with a plastic spoon, it makes a great on the go meal. ItyBtyFrog has a great crock pot granola recipe on her blog.
Here are the recipes for the muffins/pumpkin nut bread, freezer biscuits, and just because ItyBty is looking for one, for General Tsao's Chicken.




Pumpkin Nut Bread/Muffins

(I double this and it makes 3 dozen muffins, a medium loaf and 4 mini loaves. And its absolutely incredible with chocolate chips added!)

1 cup oil
2 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin, pureed
1 cup orange juice
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray 2 large and one smaller loaf pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with waxed paper. Spray waxed paper.

3. Cream oil and sugar.

4. Mix in eggs, pumpkin and orange juice. (If fresh pumpkin is not pureed, blend eggs and pumpkin in blender first.)

5. Pile flour on top of wet ingredients. Stir remaining dry ingredients into flour.

6. Pile one cup of the chopped nuts on top of dry mixture, then mix dry ingredients in with wet until just moistened.

7. Pour into prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with remaining nuts.

8. Bake 50 to 55 minutes for large loaves, 35 minutes for mini loaves, 20 minutes for muffins till pick done. Cool on wire rack 10 min. Remove from pan and cool completely.




Freezer Biscuits

4 cups flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

1. Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives till shortening is pea sized.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir till just combined.

3. Generously flour two cookie sheets and with floured hands, pat out half of the dough on each. Cut into 2 inch squares. (Can also cut out using a biscuit cutter)

4. Put cookie sheets in freezer. Once biscuts are frozen, transfer to an airtight freezer bag.

5. To bake, place desired amount of frozen biscuits on greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 min in an oven preheated to 375 degrees.




General Tsao's Chicken

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (opt.)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 cups oil
1/4 cup scallion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat oil. Cut up chicken into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Coat with beaten egg. Then coat with cornstarch.

2. Fry in oil till golden. Remove from oil and put in strainer. Gently loosen pieces with large spoon. Return to oil for 30 sec. more.

3. Remove and drain.

4. Mix first eleven ingredients to form brown sauce.

5. Heat brown sauce with scallion till thickened. Add chicken, stir and heat through.

6. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil and serve.

For more great Works For Me Wednesday Ideas, check out Shannon's blog!