Cause you gotta eat

Last night while I was tucking my 4 year old in, he asked if we could eat cookies for breakfast. Of course he would want cookies, and while I am sure he meant the traditional chocolate chip or sugar cookie, my spin on the breakfast cookie is what he got.

I looked around on Pinterest of course, but I didn't have all the ingredients for most of the recipes. So, I improvised, combined some recipes and substituted some ingredients for things I had on hand (the is NO way I am going to the store again today, only once a week thank you very much). Here is what I came up with...

Logan's Breakfast Cookie
INGREDIENTS:
3 ripe bananas (masked until creamy)
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1/4 milk
1 t vanilla
2 c quick oats
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chocolate chips
1 t cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cookie sheet with oil.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, then add the last 4. Let sit for a few moments (so the oats soak up some of the moisture). Then scoop spoonfuls on your oiled cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 min, depending on the "doneness" you like. Take out of oven, allow to sit on cookie sheet for a few, then move to cooling rack. ENJOY!

I remember summers in KC at my grandparents. Well, actually what I remember most is my grandpa's waffles. He made them from scratch, no waffle mix at his house. For a long time I used his buttermilk waffle recipe... That is until I wanted waffles and didn't have any buttermilk. I know you can "make" your own with milk and vinegar, but it just doesn't taste the same. So I went on a search for waffles that were just as good... And I found one!! My whole family absolutely LOVE these waffles. I still will make Grandpa's buttermilk ones, but most of the time I make these.

Best Waffles

Ingredients:
1 1/3 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 c butter, melted
1 3/4 cups milk

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the dry ingredients, and place the whites in a small mixing bowl. Beat whites until moderately stiff; set aside.
Add milk and melted butter to the dry ingredients and blend (you want this a little lumpy). Fold in stiff egg whites. Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron. ENJOY!

Breakfast can be tricky. I refuse to give my kids cereal every day, although once a week I don't see the problem. This means that I cook/fix breakfast for them every other day. It really isn't a lot, because breakfast is one of the easiest and cheapest meals of the day!!  I sat down with the kids and asked them what they liked most for breakfast. And to my surprise it isn't the sugary cereal.

Anyway here is how it broke down, we do the same thing every week, but with different things to eat each day it works.

Muffin Mondays (I buy those $1 muffin mixes, so for 3 months worth it is only $12-$13!!)
Toast Tuesdays (This is either French Toast, Cinnamon Milk Toast, or Toast with a nut butter of their choice. You can make your bread and save more money, but meal usually costs me $15 for the 3 months.)
Waffle Wednesdays (I make our waffles from scratch, and do a double batch to freeze half. That way I only have to cook these every other week. This meal costs about $8 for the 3 months, pretty awesome!)
Eggs Thursday (I know, eggs doesn't with a T but, we love our eggs, and they are sooooo cheap. So another 3 months is a little over $8.)
Fruit & Yogurt Fridays (Name says it all, I typically don't buy the individual cups, because it is a much better deal to get the big tub of it then top it with what ever fruit you have. All in all I spend about $10 for the 3 months worth)
Cereal Saturdays (Cause it is fun! But it does cost a lot!! I spend about $30 for the 3 months on cereal!! So if you are giving your kids cereal every day, think about how much you are spending!!)
Smoothie Sundays (We go to Church at 9, so we need something really quick. I put a cup of yogurt in with some frozen fruit and milk.Costs about $20 for the 3 months)

If you don't already have a menu for breakfasts, I would totally recommend one. Use mine or figure out one that works for your family. Please remember that the prices given are for just me and my younger boys, so 4 of us, 3 kids and 1 adult, as my husband gets up before the rest of us and has his own smoothies that he makes. Adding all this up, looks like I spend about $104 for 3 months of breakfasts, that is $35 per month... Or just under $9 per week! Not bad.