Weekend Breakfast Ideas

The depths of Winter make us hanker for warmth. We turn up the heating, cover ourselves in thick layers of clothing, subject our sensible self to the likes of slankets, etc., all in a bid to keep warm.

And yet the one thing that so many people neglect to do is eat regularly and properly; keeping enough fuel in our bodies to stoke the internal fires. We all have our own personal central heating system, why do we neglect it so readily by not bothering to eat breakfast? Breakfast is one meal that is missed by too many people; favouring an extra ten minutes in bed to eating after a twelve hour fast is not a good option. There's a reason why it's called 'break'-'fast' you know? Eating a really good breakfast can set up the digestive system, and metabolism, for the rest of the day and prevent gorging later on.

I've been lucky enough to have been sent two beautiful hampers of breakfast goodies recently; one from the National Breakfast Week campaign and one from Warburtons. Both contained a plethora of breakfast ideas from granola, fresh fruit, porridge pots, crumpets, a range of bread and breakfast buns, and crumpets. There was certainly something to suit everyone!

It got me thinking of ideas for breakfast; ways to engage adults and children in eating what I consider to be the most important meal of the day. I always eat it (I'm one of those that needs to eat within half an hour of waking up or I feel ill), but on weekends I have more time to be creative. So here follows some weekend breakfast ideas.

Basic Pancake Recipe

• 110g/4oz of plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 200ml/7 fl oz of milk
• sweet pancakes: 1tsp vanilla bean paste, 1tsp of cinnamon and 1tsp of nutmeg (all optional)
• savoury pancakes: black pepper and parmesan (both optional)

There are plenty of convoluted methods of whisking this and that first, but I tend to find that as long as the eggs are done first, then all the other ingredients can just be thrown in and whisked together. Melt a knob of butter (oil is disgusting when cooking pancakes) in a hot frying pan and keep the pan hot with a high gas to cook the pancakes quickly. For savoury pancakes I add black pepper and parmesan, occasionally spinach or pesto, and then use fillings like goat's cheese, stir-fried pepper, ham slices (or Quorn if veggie like me). My favourite sweet filling is cherry sauce and chocolate drops, with Lyle's Golden Syrup drizzled over the top (just don't tell my Jenny Craig consultant).

 Breakfast Sundae

• fat-free vanilla yoghurt
• granola
• fruit (I choose cherries and a banana)

Layer the granola, fruit and yoghurt in a sundae dish with multiple layers of each. Finish with a sprinkling of granola and fruit.

Breakfast Cups

• a slice of wholemeal bread (one for each cup)
• 1 egg
• sausage
• bacon (or Quorn)
• black pepper

(I first saw this recipe on Domestic Goddesque's blog and adapted it to suit our tastes)

Cut out a circle from a slice of Warburtons' wholemeal bread and roll this flat using a rolling pin. Press into a muffin tin and fill with slices of sausage and bacon. Whisk an egg and pour over the top to below the surface of the cup. Sprinkle some black pepper on and cook on 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

Children's Cooked Breakfast

• slice of bread with a hole cut out the middle (perfect if making the breakfast cups!)
• 1 egg
• sausage
• grated courgette
• baked beans
• knob of butter for frying

Cut out a circle from a slice of wholemeal bread and place in a hot frying pan. Place the grated courgette at the top of the space, lay two sausage slices as eyes, and half a sausage cut sidewards as the smile. Carefully and gradually, pour the whisked egg in to fill the gaps, taking care it doesn't run outside the hole. Cook lightly through, carefully flip to cook the other side. Serve with warm baked beans.

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Warburtons have conducted a study into the chaos of breakfast faced by multi-tasking mums. As a result of their findings they would like to combat the weekday stress and are asking you to share your tips on Facebook to help create a Breakfast Rush Hour book.

I was sent two hampers of products to help promote National Breakfast Week and the Warburtons Campaign. I was also sent some golden syrup for pancake day but missed the boat! My opinions and ideas are my own.