Breakfast Haskell Style

As most of you know, breakfast is our favorite meal. Breakfast items will actually make appearances at lunch and dinner too, just because we can't get enough of them.

I'm gonna share with you all just what it is that keeps my kids coming back for more (besides the traditional bacon and eggs).
First, we have some yummy choices for oatmeal. I got most of these ideas from MckMama (http://www.mycharmingkids.net/) , so I must give credit where credit is due. Here are the choices (click on the pic to make it bigger so you can read the labels):

Steel cut oats are awesome if you have never tried them. They have a very unique texture, and it took Caitlin several attempts to be fully okay with eating them. She prefers just the traditional rolled oats, and that's fine with me. I will eat anything, and the 2 smaller C's could really care less what it looks like. I cook the steel cut/rolled oats either on the stove or in a small crock pot. Nothing says "Good morning!" quite like a crock pot full of yummy hot goodness!

I like to add this to the oats:

That's right. Agave nectar and brown sugar really do make it taste awesome! Some people put just plain ol' maple syrup in theirs, but I think agave nectar has a better taste. I also believe it's better for you. It comes in light or amber color, and we like both.


Now as you can see from the picture, I also use flaxseed meal. It adds sort of a nutty flavor to the oatmeal, and of course we all know it's good for the body. :) I add flaxseed meal to pretty much everything I can--like yogurt, applesauce, and other hot cereals. I'm certain there are millions of ways (ok, probably not millions, but more than what I've figured out) to use flaxseed meal, and I hope to expand my use of it.


My family also totally digs the Red Mill 10 grain pancake and waffle mix. My gosh, it has a great flavor and cooks up nicely in my George Foreman waffle maker (if only I got paid for all of the plugs on my blog for different foods/appliances...). Of course, I add the flaxseed meal to this mix, and let me tell you---we are a very "regular" bunch around here. Haha
The kids could care less what Momma puts in their stuff, as long as it tastes good. We use agave nectar on our waffles too, just in case you were wondering (and I know you were!).


And here you see my 2 smaller C's enjoying a nice hot bowl of steel cut oats:

For those of you who live in Amarillo, you can find all of the above mixes and extras at Drug Emporium or Natural Grocers. Love those places!

I am also really working on sticking with organic items. It's hard in today's world to make EVERYTHING organic, but I want to make healthier choices for me and my babies. Bob's Red Mill (the brand of oats and such we use) does have an organic line, and I am going to start buying that once we are totally out of the above bags. It's not that much more expensive either.

I promised John that I'd work on cooking more when he's away at boot camp. We'll see if that works out or not. :) Seriously though, I'm starting somewhere, right? No regular sugary cereal for this clan!

~Mel