BREAKFAST!



Importance of Breakfast

Breakfast Tips




Avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper by following these quick tips from USDA's Human Nutrition




No time? Build a breakfast around foods that are ready to eat or take little preparation time. There are plenty that qualify: fresh and canned fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, ready-to-eat cold cereals and instant breakfast mixes. Take it to go...Try celery stuffed with peanut butter or a meat or cheese spread, dried fruits or vegetable juices. Perk up cereals...Top cereals with fruit or stir chopped nuts such as peanuts, pecans and walnuts into cooked cereal.

Not hungry yet? Drink juice. Something is better than nothing. Have some bread or crackers later in the morning, then drink some milk and eat some cheese, an egg or peanut butter.

Don't skip if you're on a diet. There's no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, studies show that most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. Some even select more calorically-dense foods than those who eat breakfast.





Importance of Breakfast




Selecting optimal diets are critical to the aged, many of whom are trying to lose or control their weight for effective disease management. Other elderly, however, are at risk for undernutrition due to social and physical problems. Cereal, milk and fruit provide the best nutritional profile overall.

According to Tufts researcher Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., the vitamin-fortified breakfast cereals, as well as the vitamins in milk, helped participants in a study reach the recommended dietary allowances for calcium and vitamins B6, riboflavin and folate.

The nutritional benefits of breakfast cereals also were shown in a recent survey of more than 4,000 households by General Mills, Inc. Adults who ate cereal for breakfast consumed an average of 10 percent fewer calories than those who selected other breakfast foods, with only 20 percent of their calories coming from fat.

Moreover, those who ate cereal for breakfast maintained a better nutritional profile over the entire day than when they opted for other breakfast menus. For example, on days when participants ate cereal for breakfast, they ate fewer calories from fat throughout the day and 40 percent less cholesterol. They also consumed 20 percent more of essential vitamins and minerals than on non-cereal days.

Thus, for kids as well as adults, balanced breakfast choices can help provide the healthy edge needed for optimum physical performance. For those who don't yet consume breakfast, it's never too late to wake up to a healthy start.

Copyright (c) 1996 Boston University Medical Center and Amit K. Gupta









Ok, now that we got the importnt things over with, its time for the good stuff!!!!

Remember that these recipes are for one or two servings. If you want to increase them to feed more than one or two and you dont know quite how to do that, drop me a line and let me know. I will be more than happy to help you out....NOW ENJOY!!!






SAUSAGE

This one's easy! Pick out the number of links that you will eat, and fry em up! Just kidding silly! Of course you will need a skillet and some kind of heat source, preferably your stove top. Unlike bacon, sausage doesnt make its own fat when you fry it, so you will have to add some sort of fat to your skillet before frying. I use a small amount of olive oil. I feel its the healthiest, being mostly unsaturated, but any will do. Heat the oil to medium heat and add the links or patties. If you are using bulk sausage, make your patties in the thickness and the size that you will eat. If you purchase roll sausage, just simply slice thru the package into the desired thickness, and you are ready to fry. Brown your links or patties on both sides, and cook slow enough that the inside gets down before they burn on the outside. Just a nice medium heat. Sausage will "toughen" when it is done and you can poke with your finger and tell. Remove sausage from pan onto a plate and set aside. Now we are going to make some bacon!



BACON


I always fry, for my family, one whole pound, but as this is a site for one serving or two, i would suggest maybe just a couple or three strips. Place the leftover bacon in a zip-lock or bacon keeper in the meat drwer of your fridge for keeping and rest assured that it will keep for at leat a week. Bacon is a very fat meat so you dont have to add any oil or fat to the skillet. I like to use a large skillet, because bacon is long and thin and will stay that way if your dont crowd it into a small pan. Lay the strips along side each other and set the heat to medium. I always find something to do in the kitchen while the bacon is frying so that i can keep and eye on it and turn it every three or four minutes or so. Some folks like their bacon crisp and some like it sort of underdone and thats the part that is up to you. If you want it crispy, just cook until the desired crispness and then remove from the heat onto a paper towel. It will get crispier as it cools. Man, does anything smell better than some bacon frying in the morning? Now get ready for some eggs!



Good Old Scrambled Eggs


3 Eggs 1/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Melt margarine in skillet over medium heat while scrambling eggs in bowl with milk.You can use a wire wisk or fork. When margarine is melted, slowly pour eggs into skillet and and stir constantly, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of skillet. When desired consistancy is reached, remove from heat.

Add salt and pepper to taste. There are many ways you can enhance scrambled eggs.
Here are a few: Crumbled, crispy bacon, chopped ham, cooked sausage, salsa and sour cream. Stir shredded Cheddar or American cheese into the skillet when cooking is done. Add 1/2 chopped green pepper and chopped onion BEFOE cooking. Think of things that you think would taste good with eggs and add it in. Almost anything works.





FRIED EGGS


Three fried eggs are enough for anyone, yes? Gather the amount of eggs that you choose and grab a large skillet. Some folks prefer to use butter, some oil and then again, some, like me, enjoy their fried eggs cooked in bacon fat. You know that good old Emeril saying "Pork Fat Rules!" Melt your fat or heat your oil over medium heat and start to crack your eggs. I knock the two eggs together to crack but some gently tap on the edge of the skillet and then some tap on the counter top, but somehow you have to get those darn things open! Once you have established a crack in the shell, gently poke your thumb in the crack and pull apart over the skillet so that your egg falls out of the shell into the hot fat. This will take some practice to get it in the skillet in one piece, but after a few times, you'll be an expert just like the best of chef's!

Now, how do you like your eggs? Here are a few different ways:

SUNNYSIDE UP: These eggs are broke into the skillet and left alone. When the top of the white is done, remove from the pan to your plate.

OVER EASY or SOFT: These are broken into the skillet and with a spatual or spoon, gently push the hot fat onto the egg until the yolk turns white but is still soft.

OVER MEDIUM: Same as the over easy except that you want to cook the eggs a bit longer so that the white is well done and the yolk is still soft with a small ring that is beginning to get solid.

HARD: This is the easy one! As soon as the egg is broken into the skillet, break the yolk with the corner of your spatula and let the egg cook until solid.