Traditional breakfast foods are among my favorites and they run the gamut of healthy to ridiculously unhealthy with delicious being their common bond. The breakfasts of my childhood (my grandmother was a firm believer in a hearty breakfast) were wonderful things featuring biscuits, eggs, meats – sausage, bacon, fatback and for special company she served fried pork chops and gravy! I was a skinny kid and could handle those foods, but now it’s a different story.

  A muffin or a piece of Ezekiel bread and a poached or boiled egg is one of my favorite breakfasts these days. I also enjoy oatmeal with fresh fruit or for an occasional treat give me a few whole grain pancakes with a fresh fruit topping.

  Try these out and email me at mickie@henrycountytimes.com with your favorite recipes. I would love to see what’s on your breakfast plate!

Banana and Bran Muffins

• Vegetable cooking spray or paper muffin tin liners
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3 large bananas)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg white

  Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. In a medium  bowl stir together flour, bran, baking soda, salt, and pecans. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together the banana and oil. Add brown sugar and egg white and beat until completely mixed. Stir in dry ingredients just until blended. Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in tins for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to complete cooling.

  Serving size: 1 muffin   Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories:160, Carbohydrates: 27 g., Protein: 3 g., Fat: 6 g., Saturated Fat: <1 g., Sodium 106 g., Fiber: 3 g.

Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• Nonstick cooking spray

  Blend flours, baking powder, and brown sugar. Add oil, beaten eggs, and buttermilk and stir until well-blended. Spray griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Measure 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Yield: 9 pancakes.

 Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories:108, Carbohydrates: 12 g., Protein: 4 g., Saturated Fat: 1g., Sodium 148 g., Fiber: 1 g.

Blueberry Sauce

  In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar (or equivalent amount of Splenda Sugar Blend works well also), 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and a dash of salt; gradually stir in 1 cup boiling water. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils; cook 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups fresh blueberries, return to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in 3 Tbsp. lemon juice. Cool. Makes 3 cups.

 *You can substitute 10 oz. frozen, thawed and drained blueberries and increase cornstarch to 3 Tbsp. Stir in blueberries with lemon juice. Do not heat after adding berries.

Easy Morning Glory Muffins

  My disclaimer for this recipe is that I make these for my family and friends who can consume a muffin (or even two) that contains a high number of calories without fearing how it will affect their weight or perhaps not caring (You all know who you are!). My picky sisters gave these a #1 Favorite Muffin rating.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 apple – peeled, cored, and shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla

  Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin cups with liners.

  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in raisins, carrots, nuts, coconut, and apple.

  In a separate bowl, beat eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.

  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

  Per serving: Calories: 421, Fat: 25.4 g., Carbohydrates: 45.3 g., Protein: 5 g., Cholesterol: 46 mg., Sodium: 289 mg.