Egg, Pepper, and Cheese Omelet

This is one of my favorite things to eat for either breakfast or lunch (and sometimes dinner if it's leftover night and my family eats all of them or if I've eaten too many calories during the day.)  

I break TWO large eggs directly into a nonstick pan and then use a little fork to scramble them up.  Then I toss in some sweet pepper strips (about a cup of them) and keep the temperature on medium heat.  Also add a little salt and pepper at this point.  

These are the sweet peppers I use.  They are about $2 for a bag and the bag lasts for at least three omelets and I don't have to buy each pepper individually when they are out of season or cut them up.

I use a large spatula to flip my omelet because I don't like any runniness in my omelet. Wait to flip until the edges are all set which usually takes between five and eight minutes.

 When you flip it, the cooked side looks like this.  The second side only takes a minute or two to cook, so don't leave it!

I add a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese and fold it in half.  Doesn't that look delicious?  

It's so tasty and good for me with just 283 calories!

2 Large Eggs 140 calories
1 cup C&W Pepper Strips 33 calories
1/4 cup Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese 110 calories
Let me know if you try this or if there's something you like to add to omelets that maybe I haven't thought of.

FAST Microwave Oatmeal

I used to buy those little packets of oatmeal in the store and tear them open, dump them in a bowl, add water, and then throw them in the microwave.  Many times the water I added would be too much and it would overflow the bowl.  I finally realized that I could just make this myself for SO much cheaper (especially since I had a 25 pound bag of oats to use up!)

I make my oatmeal in the microwave because it's fast and easy.  I'm busy in the mornings. It keeps me full until lunch (especially if I eat a banana on the side) and it's just over 100 calories (breakdown at the end).

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Quick Oats

1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon-Sugar (or just cinnamon, if you wish)

1 Tablespoon Honey (I actually was comparing online on My Fitness Pal and using brown sugar is less calories because you don't need as much of it. I use 2 teaspoons of brown sugar as a replacement for honey.)

Small handful of crasins

1/2 cup water

I keep the baking stuff all in one cupboard, so I don't have to open and close a bunch of cupboards.

 Sprinkle cinnamon on top of oats.

 Add honey or brown sugar. (I don't actually measure.  That takes too long and dirties dishes.)

 Throw in some crasins (or raisins, coconut, almonds, apple pieces, whatever you like in your oatmeal.)

 Measure 1/2 cup of water and pour it in on top (then put it right back in the drawer because it only had water on it.)

 I don't even stir it before putting it in the microwave for one minute on high. (Use that minute to put on makeup or take care of something else.)

Unstirred straight out of the microwave.

 When it comes out it's still a little runny, so if you have something else to do for two or three minutes, now is the perfect time.

Many times, I make this just after I get out of the shower when I'm still in my robe and go get dressed while it cooks.
Nicely thickened, just the way I like.  If you add milk or anything else, do it now.

 Now is also when my toddler comes over and tries to make me share my breakfast.

YUM!
1/4 cup Oatmeal 37 calories
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 calorie
1 Tablespoon Honey 64 calories (or 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar 30 calories)
1/12 cup Crasins 33 calories
1/2 cup Water  0 calories

Oatmeal with Honey option = 135 Calories
Oatmeal with Brown Sugar option = 101 Calories
 

German Chocolate Oatmeal

Pinterest is so good at sharing healthy food and exercise ideas right next to treats that are full of way too much stuff that's delicious, but not super good FOR you.  

I keep seeing pictures of this and this and so many others while I'm starting to count calories and am weaning myself from so much sugar and treats.  I'd look for more yummy treats, but I can't eat any more food tonight, so I'd better stop!

Here was my solution to this problem.  I tried this recipe for microwave blueberry oatmeal (like cake in a cup, but healthy) and had to make it over a little.  I added some coconut and chocolate chips.  It was so good and filling because of the oatmeal.  

I'd like to say that this was just as good as the other treats that I'd still love to eat, but wouldn't be able to control myself, but it's not.  It IS good, but it was probably 'just enough' sugar when I'm still accustomed to too much sugar.

Here's what I did:

Put these ingredients right into a mug:

1/4 cup Quick Oats 

1 Egg 

1 Tablespoon Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Coconut

1 teaspoon Honey (or brown sugar)

1 Tablespoon Milk

Microwave that for two minutes and it's done.  

I tried a recipe with Hershey's Chocolate syrup just after this one, but it didn't work out quite like I hoped.  I might revisit that idea another time.  Maybe Chocolate syrup instead of chocolate chips and in place of the honey and milk???

Blueberry Applesauce Loaf

This recipe came from Seneca. The line just before the recipe says to use applesauce for healthy baking. This makes one large loaf (9x5x3 pan) or two small loaves with the 6 inch pan.Ingredients:
1/4 cup Butter, Softened
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Applesauce (I used a wild berry cup and ate the last few spoonfuls.)
1/4 cup Apple Juice
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 3/4 cups Flour
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (I only had 1/2 cup of frozen, so I added Crasins too.)

Topping:
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, applesauce, and apple juice. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder and add to creamed mixture just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I checked mine at 30 minutes and it was starting to brown up on the edges a lot, so I put a piece of tin foil over the pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

I think this bread is delicious. Try it and tell me if you did.

Bagels

One of my classmates from high school posted on Facebook that she made her own bagels. It had never occurred to me that I could make my own bagels. They seemed too fancy to make and I had no idea that I could. I looked at the recipe and it was easy. There are many steps, but the end result is perfectly delicious!
Sorry about my pictures. I don't have a lot of light in my kitchen and took 41 pictures just for these ones.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm milk or water (I used half water and half milk.)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, sugar, salt and egg yolk. Mix well. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.Punch dough down. Shape into 12 balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-in. hole. Place on a floured surface.Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Flatten. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Drop bagels, one at a time, into boiling water. When bagels float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and place 2 in. apart (I did less than that and they were fine.) on greased baking sheets. Boiling the bagel makes the special smooth texture on the outside of the bagel.
After boiling and ready to go in the oven.Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Halfway through baking.All done. The lighting is bad, but this is how they looked.Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. I've never eaten a warm bagel before, but YUM! They are so good! I think this recipe would work well for pretzels too.

I made several smaller bagels and several bigger normal sized ones. The smaller ones were perfect for Vincent to hold and just the right amount to eat. I made 13 bagels total. I'm going to double the recipe for the next batch. Everyone loved them!
The batch I took pictures of is a doubled batch. It made 28 bagels. They are slightly smaller than the average bagel, but perfect for us. I love using my special $5 bagel cutter that I found at Big Lots years ago. It's product name is Ronco, so anytime we use it we say "Ronco!" over and over.

Fluffy Pancakes

I didn't like pancakes growing up. I did like waffles. I ran out of the pancake mix a few months ago and have been making my own (which is really not hard at all) and LOVE them. I make a batch or double it and save them for half the week's worth of breakfasts. It's great.Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Flour
3 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 1/4 cup Milk
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter or Margarine

Instructions:
In a medium sized bowl (big enough to hold 2 quarts or so I'd say), combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 25-40 seconds. Heat up griddle if you have one to about 300 degrees or prepare frying pan or whatever you use to make pancakes. Add milk and egg to flour mixture and then add butter. Mix well. I like to use a rubber or silicone spatula. Use a 1/2 or smaller measuring cup to scoop batter out of the bowl and pour half of it onto the griddle, depending on how big you want your pancakes to be. I like mine kind of small because I have kids and because they are easier to turn with the spatula. When they all have bubbles on the top (2-3 minutes), it's time to flip them. I use the back of my wide spatula to push them down a little when I flip them to make sure it all gets cooked. Wait about 2 more minutes and they will be ready to eat.While they cook I usually get the plates and table ready so we can eat.
Pour on the syrup or whatever you like on your pancakes and enjoy.
I went to a friends' Pig and Pancake party where everyone was to bring a topping for pancakes and I brought caramel and chocolate ice cream topping. It was SO good. Try that if you want, but add a strawberry or something to it so it feels more healthy. =)This is the mixing bowl I like to use. It's from Dollar Tree, so I don't care much about it, but it works very well and even has a little bit of the rubber stuff on the bottom so it doesn't move around. I have six of them, I think.

Double Oat Breakfast Cookies

I found this recipe the day one of my friends asked if I wanted to go on a morning hike and eat breakfast at the top of a hill around us. I just tried it out and they are so good. Try them and see for yourself. Someone is so smart to combine something we all love with another meal that makes it easy to eat and fast. Now, I don't have to feel so bad about eating cookies in the morning.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1-1/4 cups Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspooon Salt
1/4 cup Water
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1-1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Golden Raisins and/or Milk Chocolate Pieces (I used Mini Chocolate Chips and Crasins)
3 cups Round Toasted Oat Cereal (such as Cherrios)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in water, egg, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour until combined. Beat in as much of the rolled oats as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining rolled oats. Stir in raisins and oat cereal.
Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased (I greased mine) cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store cookies in tightly covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 24 (2-cookie) servings.
Recipe found on Better Homes and Gardens website or in their September 2009 issue.

Banana Chocolate Chip Crasin Muffins

Banana (whatever you want to add) Muffins
Ingredients:
3 Mashed Ripe Bananas (I save mine in baggies when they are ready and mash them inside the baggie. Then I freeze them until I have enough. Just write on the outside of the baggie how many are inside, freeze them, microwave them for about a minute and they are ready to go.)
1 cube (1/2 cup)Margarine
1 1/2 cups Sugar (I reduced this from 2 cups, it seemed too greasy that way, but if these don't turn out right for you, you can change it back.)
2 Eggs
½ cup Milk (or Applesauce which I've been using lately)
1 tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 ½ cups Flour
1 cup Chocolate Chips/Nuts/Crasins or other dried fruit (optional)

Instructions:
Mix together bananas, margarine, and sugar. Add eggs. Add milk, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and flour. Sometimes I just sprinkle the chocolate chips on top after they are in the muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees in greased muffin tins 30-40 minutes. Fill pans only ½ full. You could also make bread. Mine never cooks in the middle though. You could even freeze them if you don't eat them all right away.