Mommy Mondays: Mommy Mornings

Mornings are hard.   They were hard before kids, but at least then they were predictable.  All you had to do was get yourself ready.  You knew how long that would take and could plan accordingly.

All bets are off when kids get thrown into the mix.  Will you be able to get a shower in before they wake?  How long will it take to convince your 4 year old he doesn't need to wear 3 pairs of underwear?  How do you get ready while simultaneously fishing the baby out of the dog's water bowl?

Breakfast often gets thrown to the wayside, which is a shame, because as you may or may not know, it's supposed to be the most important meal of the day.    Thatkid usually eats in the car - toast and yogurt or a smoothie.  I often use breakfast as a way to keep Thatbaby entertained while I get ready for the day.

Fruit is a big go-to.  Some days I'll just ply him with bananas and berries until we're ready to go.  French toast is also an easy breakfast.

But what I like most of all, is something that I can make on the weekend for easy reheating during the week.

"Egg cups" are one of my favorite morning meals.  I chop up some vegetables and cook them with egg and cheese in muffin cups.  Small, easily reheatable, and even transportable for mornings when I need to bring my breakfast with me.

This is Ina Garten's version of the egg cup.  Everyone in the family likes this one, and the bonus is that it's loaded with greens.  Breakfast taken care of?  One less thing to worry about in the mornings and one step closer to getting you out the door.

Mini Italian Frittatas (From Ina Garten)

2 Tbsp olive oil

 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks

4 oz sliced Italian proscuitto, coarsley chopped

8 oz baby spinach

2 1/2 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 cups grated Italian Fontina cheese

8 eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

salt and pepper

4 Tbsp frehsly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Add the leaks and saute for 3 minutes until tender.
2. Add the prosciutto and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking it up with a fork.
3. Add the spinach, tossing with tongs, then cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes, tossing once while it cooks, until the spinach is wilted.
4. Off the heat, stir in the basil and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.
5. Divide the mixture with tongs among the 12 muffin cups, leaving any liquid behind.
6. Sprinke the Fontina evenly on top.
7. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  
8. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the filling each cup to the top.
9. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes