To my college scheduling horror, this spring semester I am signed up for eight am classes. Every day. Don't ask me how this happened but I have been through the online register multiple times and there is no way around early classes. Last semester, my earliest class was at ten am with nothing after it until three in the afternoon. Let's just say, I got used to sleeping in and I got used to rolling out of bed for class with the plan of rolling right back into it afterwards. That's not happening next semester as I have classes straight until noon each day. I might not survive.
So far this winter break, I've slept in until ten or eleven or two in the afternoon without any thought about it. I don't have to go back to work until next week and there's honestly not anything worth waking up early for right now. Except for the thought of those pesky eight am classes that will be here way before I'm ready for them. Right now, I have twenty-four days to train myself into at least waking up at seven. That's not an easy feat. My mother thinks it's actually quite impossible - and laughable. (She's had years of experience in trying to get me out of bed for school.)
But I have to say that my bigger fear for this coming semester is actually in feeding myself before I step out the door (er, or run out the door). I am notorious for forgetting to eat anything before the afternoon hits. If it's not coffee, it's probably not happening. But breakfast is known for being the most important meal and when you're on the go constantly until lunch, it probably should be happening.
So this evening, while on my usual pinterest-spree and ogling clothing that I will never be able to own, I discovered TheKitchn. This website is a sister-site for the amazing Apartment Therapy, and it's full of no-nonsense recipes and cooking advice. Tonight alone, I've learned how to cook a steak in the oven, which is a heaven-sent tip for those of us apartment-ers that don't have grills, how to select the best quality fruit and vegetables from the grocery store and how to make so many delicious and easy looking breakfasts.
My favorites recipes from TheKitchn and their recommended websites are:
1. Breakfast Nachos by Joy the Baker
As Joy says, "put an egg on absolutely anything and call it breakfast" and while this may sound a little far-out, it looks absolutely delicious. And nachos are one of the easiest recipes to make.
These scrumptious looking quiches "freeze great and reheat in minutes as hot breakfast bites." Mini-quiches are great because you can toss anything in them, from sausage to diced asparagus to seasonal vegetables. And something this size can be eaten while getting ready or while driving to classes.
Because I've never been and probably will never be a fan of cinnamon rolls, these breakfast bars look like the perfect alternative for me. Warm cinnamon and cream cheese turns breakfast into more of a dessert experience. Yum! This recipe freezes well so they can be made ahead of time and thawed out in the morning before you leave.
4. Customizable Bread Bowl Breakfasts by Perfecting the Pairing
This seems like a great and quicker take on a breakfast pizza. Hollow out a dinner roll, fill it with yummy ingredients, top it off with an egg and bake. It requires much more time than a pizza does, about a half an hour instead of ten minutes, which has to do with the cooking temperatures. But if you pop these in before you even shower, they will be ready in time and are great for cold days when you want something hot to start your day off with.
5. Breakfast Pasta by Spoon Fork Bacon
I'm adopting the "don't knock it until you try it" mentality. I love pasta. I love breakfast. I have never heard of combining the two. But this recipe includes linguine, eggs that scramble up while cooking, crumbled sausage and/or bacon, peppers, potatoes, and cheese. It's unique and the pictures look delicious. Plus Jenny and Teri know what they're doing. I don't think one of their recipes has steered me wrong.
