Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you need to make sure it’s a good one!

The kids are heading back to school next week, so we are enjoying the last few days of having “weekend breakfast” during the week, and today was no exception!

I came across a recipe for Mayan Hot Chocolate… something that I have always loved. Yes, the Aztecs invented hot chocolate, or Xoclatl as they called it. This isn’t completely authentic as it often had red peppers in it as well, but this gives you a good “south of the border” flavor. There is mote history on the linked page…

2 ounces (squares) 100% chocolate (baker’s or unsweetened)
1 cup hot water
3 tablespoons honey
dash salt
3 cups hot milk
4 sticks cinnamon bark
Chop the chocolate and heat it in the water until melted. Add honey, salt, and beat the hot chocolate water with a balloon wire whip as you add th warmed milk. To make it more frothy and give more food value, you can beat up an egg or two, add hot chocolate to it, then pour it into the chocolate cooking pot and continue to whip, (but this isn’t authentic). Serve the hot chocolate in mugs with cinnamon-bark stick stirrers in each.

Of course, with the kids drinking it, I had to add a bit more sugar to it, but this dark-chocolate loving girl thought it bordered on the divine! I used a dash of ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks because that’s what I had.

Alongside this delicious confectionery one of the small ones wanted pancakes… and eggs… oh, and why not toss some bacon into the mix too!

So, I got out the bacon (from a locally raised pig – so much better than the store bought stuff!) and started that in the pan while I mixed up the ‘cakes. When the bacon was done, I cracked a few eggs into the pan with the leftover bacon grease (in my opinion, the hands-down, best way to have a fried egg!) and set them fry with the yolks intact. Then I flipped them and smashed that yolk bubble. Yum!

Once the eggs were done, giving the pancake batter a few moments to rest of course, I made some good, thick pancakes.

With all of the ingredients, the obvious choice was a pancake sandwich! Yes, pancake, fried egg, 2 strips of bacon, a sprinkling of shredded cheese and another pancake. Delish!

Of course, if you are a die hard syrup person, you can pour syrup over the sandwich and eat it with a fork, but there is something fun about eating pancakes with your hands in this way! It must satisfy that kid that is buried deep down inside.

No, this is not the most heart-healthy of meals, but the kids sure do love it! Perfect for Saturday mornings…

This is a quick, easy recipe that will have you staying away from those little boxes at the store in favor of homemade! Really, it only takes 5 minutes. I will warn you, this is a darker chocolate pudding when made with coconut cream, but even my “I hate dark chocolate” daughter loved it. Secretly I think she says she doesn’t like it dark because I do, and Grandma doesn’t… but that is another story!

Ingredients:

1 can coconut cream*
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp corn starch

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the coconut cream and milk on the stove. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. When the milk begins to bubble, remove from the heat and pour some of it into the dry ingredients and mix. Pour everything back into the pan and return to the heat. Stir until everything is dissolved and add the vanilla.

Serve immediately over pound cake, angel food cake, brownies or ice cream, or pour into snack cups or bowls and chill until set.

In my experience, these don’t get the traditional “pudding film” but if you want to make sure they don’t, put plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding.

This pudding will do a soft set, but stay very creamy. Make it the day before for the hardest set. It will not get as thick as the snack cups you can buy at the store.

This is a great snack for kids – after school, mid-morning, or to take in their lunch boxes! And yes, it’s a great snack for us bigger kids too…

*Coconut cream can be found at Asian markets, and occasionally at good grocery stores. Coconut milk could also work, it just won’t be as thick.

This is a recipe that’s been passed around our family for a few years. I’m not sure where the original came from, but we’ve tweaked it a bit… You will be asked for this recipe!

These cookies are wonderful for Christmas cookie plates, a special Valentine’s Day treat for your sweetie, bake sales, you name it, they work wonderfully!

1 box Devil’s Food cake mix with pudding
½ cup butter – softened
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together all ingredients. Roll dough into small balls and place on un-greased cookie sheet (or a silicone lined cookie sheet), gently flatten.
Bake at 350ºF for 8 minutes.*

*I usually take them out a minute or so early & let them finish on the cookie sheet – makes them softer & moister – they are just right when they get all crackly.

Enjoy!