Some of My Favorite Breakfast Hacks

In my current state of life the one thing i'm always trying to find more of is time. My entire day consists of thinking up ways in which I can cut a corner somewhere to add more time to something else to be able to fulfill the unending task list that is my life and apparently my family's task list as well (is there a twinge of resentment in my tone...we'll address that at a later time, couch time is full today). But in my relenting battle to defeat father time I have devised many hacks that help my cause. One being breakfast. I'd like to tell you that yes breakfast is the most important meal of the day and therefore I make sure I and all parties in my household eat whole balanced meals everyday (i'd also like to say that such truth varies dependent upon whose listening to the speech ), but let's face it this is my blog and some i'm going to be as honest as I always am with you. There are many a days that a yogurt, a donut and a carton of organic milk in the car while speeding up 85 is the meal of the morning for all in the car, but for the days i'm feeling especially guilty about what i'm feeding everyone I've devised some make ahead meals that can still be eaten in the car while driving haphazardly up 85 with a little less food shaming. Two words...overnight oats. I can make enough for the week in less than 10 mins, customize them to everyone's food allergy in the house ( and believe me the list is long), use a hodgepodge of items that may be sitting in my cabinets, stay within an exceptional range of caloric intake for a meal and cut down on container waste by storing them in mason jars that I can reuse over and over again (winning). Couple of my favorite recipes are below (you can substitute any dried or fresh fruit, soy milk, almond milk, dairy, etc and add flax seed or even protein powder if that's your thing). The possibilities are endless, try it and share with me some of your favorite variations. Happy Eating!

Apple Spice Overnight Oats

• 1/2 cup Oats

• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk, soy milk or dairy

• 1/2 cup diced apple, or dried apple pieces

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 tablespoon almonds, pecans

• 1 tablespoon flavored protein powder

Add oats to your container of choice, pour in liquid, and add in apple. Top with honey, nutmeg, protein powder, and cinnamon before refrigerating overnight. Top with nuts in the morning.

I'm always looking for fast and easy breakfast foods that I can make ahead of time and munch on during the week for the days when I find myself rushing out the door in the morning. Scones are that perfect dish. The base recipe for a scone is only 4 ingredients and the possibilities are endless for add in ingredients to make the pastry your own and which you can very based on the season and what's currently in season. The rendition i'm sharing today is a a blackberry lemon scone, full of blackberries and lemon zest, two of my personal favorites, in terms of baking ingredients. Below you will find a little history on the fruit known as the blackberry and the recipe for this easy, cost efficient and crowd pleasing baked good. Enjoy! (-:

Blackberry Lemon Scones

• 3 cups self-rising flour

• 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

• 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 1/2 cups blackberries

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat. Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.