Eggcellent back-to-school breakfasts

An actual Nicholas Family omelette cooked in my Cuisinart skillet. Look at that gorgeous toasted cheese!

Last Christmas, The Hubs got me a subscription to MasterClass. If you’re not familiar, it is a series of video short courses, taught by some of the best and brightest. For example, David Sedaris (swoon), James Patterson and Joyce Carol Oates all teach writing short courses. There are courses on marketing and leadership and diplomacy, among many others. But one of my favorites has been a cooking course with bad boy chef Gordon Ramsay. With a little bit of charm, lots of explanation and some nice camera work, he has renewed my dedication to making breakfasts during the school week. By hand, y’all.

Both my babies are in middle school this year, and having a balanced breakfast is more important than ever. It improves their energy levels, brain function and, frankly, their moods. Middle school hormones are no joke, folks. Parker would eat his weight in cereal if I let him, and while the occasional bowl is fine, most healthy cereals don’t really taste good.

Just Call Me Julia

We don’t have a lot of time in the mornings before we bolt out of the door, so I wanted to find a few easy things I could make in the morning to get everyone off to a good start. (And that don’t leave me with a full load of dishes to wash.)

My daughter isn’t much of an egg person. My son never met an egg he wouldn’t eat. But omelettes are a hit with them both. Now, I’ve been making so-so omelettes for years, in a giant non-stick frying pan. They never turn out the way I want them, so this year I set out to find the perfect (and affordable) pan. I think I found the perfect one in the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Nonstick 8-Inch Open Skillet. It makes the perfect three egg omelette. I start by melting a tablespoon of butter, add whisked eggs and then throw in some cheese and chopped bacon. I’ll throw in veggies and salsa if I make one for The Hubs. He’s healthier than the rest of us.

I am also going to do an easy baked oatmeal, topped with fresh fruit. Baking it in the gorgeous blue pie dish I got The Hubs for his birthday makes it taste even sweeter.

Yogurt parfaits with granola, fresh fruit and local honey are also a hit. I also like to make smoothies for the kids. I use a Premier Protein as a base, then add fruit, ground chia seeds, PB2, frozen kale and ice. The chocolate with PB2 and frozen banana added in is a hit, here. I use an easy-to-clean immersion blender, like this one.

And if we oversleep, we never go wrong with a pb&j and glass of milk in the car. It's not rocket science over here, but it's all delicious and pretty healthy, too!

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