Friday, February 27, 2009

Frugal Fridays Breakfasts



Planning breakfasts ahead of time can save you tons of money. and time. This past week while I have been without Danny's help, and while struggling with morning all-day sickness and fatigue, I am so grateful for my fully stocked freezer and pantry of breakfast goods.

A peek in my freezer:

2 dozen breakfast burritos

2 dozen pieces of French toast

2 dozen pumpkin walnut muffins (do to their extreme healthiness, the children are limited to two each)

frozen bananas for healthy and not-so-healthy milkshakes

My pantry:

homemade Granola cereal

Multi-grain Cheerios

Quaker Oat Squares (these don't last long because my kids think they're cookies)

Corn Chex (boring but helpful with morning sickness)

Rolled Oats

Canned Peaches, Pears, Applesauce

Peanut Butter (for milkshakes if it's breakfast time)

In a matter of minutes I can feed the whole tribe without too much thought. Breakfast burritos take 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave. French toast takes a couple minutes in the toaster oven. Cereal is pretty much instant. And Oatmeal takes about five minutes to do a batch for all the kids and me. Peanut Butter-banana-vanilla yogurt-milkshakes take maybe 2 minutes to assemble and blend. These are my favorite to make for the kids. I just have to remember to wash the blender.

If I eat breakfast right away in the morning with the kids, I combat morning sickness and the grouchies. Then if I'm going to run errands I won't grab a breakfast from Burger King of McDonald's out of desperateness.

Read more Frugal Friday tips by clicking here!


P.S. I feel the need to explain that I do NOT give my children all these choices each morning. The only morning they get real choices is with cold cereal. Then they get two options- three if it's a particularly happy morning for me. Otherwise their choices are like: Do you want your breakfast burrito on a purple plate or a blue plate? Do you want butter, syrup, or butter AND syrup on your French toast? What color cup do you want your breakfast milkshake in? Do you want brown sugar and milk in your oatmeal or peaches and milk?

7 comments:

bebe said...

I'm glad you're having more than one baby. You are organized and put together--you can handle it! Me? I ask from what box they want their cereal poured... Limited choices--takes the stress out of things! Hope you're feeling a little better. Have you tried raspberry jolly ranchers???

Nikki said...

I LOVE raspberry Jolly Ranchers! I haven't had them in a couple years though I think. I will put them on my shopping list though. Thanks! ;)

Tara H. said...

I wish we lived close, I would come and glean some of your organization and borrow some of those breakfast burittos :) I am glad that things are going well while you are the lone parent in a garden of kids. Hehe.
And sick on top of that.
You're amazing, simply amazing.
xoxo

momof3girls said...

okay! I have just read your blog & I want your Peanut butter,banana,vanilla yogurt smoothie recipe! That sounds so yummy & I can imagine my kiddos loving that breakfast smoothie.

Also how do you freeze your french toast?? Inquiring minds want (no need) to know. Love your blog!

SuperCoolMom said...

Great suggestions! What do you put in your frozen Breakfast burritos? Will you post your recipe for homemade granola, pretty please? Thanks!

Mom2fur said...

I make homemade French Toast for the freezer, too! I just make a big batch on a cookie sheet in the oven. (I don't have babies at home--my 'baby' is 19, LOL! But it's still nice to have something homemade ready to go at any age!)
If you like them, it is easy to make semi-homemade McBiscuit breakfast sandwiches. I use Grands because I don't make very fluffy biscuits. I bake them up, then layer them with scrambled eggs (1 egg usually works on 2 biscuits), bacon and a little cheese. Then I wrap them individually and freeze them. The 19-year-old and his 23-year-old brother love them. They just nuke them in the microwave.
Now, breakfast burritos...I bet they'd love those, too!
BTW, I hope you are feeling well these days! I remember morning sickness (I have 4 kids, btw), and all I can say is...ugh!

Shalet said...

Thanks for the reminder to stock the freezer. And I need to make another batch of granola as well.

Happy Frugal Friday!