Easy Breakfasts for School Mornings

It is getting to that point where there are only two more weeks of school before the Christmas Holidays, and I need to entice my nearly six year old out of bed in the mornings with something delicious and nutritious.

Below are some of his favourite ways to start the day- and my three year old approves too!



This DIY pancake mix is super easy to put together, and makes pancakes ready to go when you are! This is the best pancake mix I have come across, and I have added fruit, chocolate and different sauces to the base mix depending on what we have in the house.

My eldest boy loves Egg In A Hole, and this is a great way to get some carbs, protein and fat into a small serving if your child won't eat a huge amount at breakfast time.

If you want to cook one meal for everyone (because who has time to make four different breakfasts in the morning!) these Easy Egg Tacos can easily be customised but all cooked in the same pan. You can also serve this with baked beans, breakfast sausage or some bacon if you have a large appetite.

We have an abundance of strawberries in our garden at the moment, and these Peanut Butter, Strawberry and Banana Quesadillas are on high rotation! More filling than a peanut butter and jam sandwich, and I use wholegrain tortillas for extra fibre,

As it is summer here, sometimes we don't want anything hot for breakfast. That is where these Breakfast Banana Pops come in handy. The boys can help make these quite easily, and they are also great for mornings where you need to eat on the run.

So there you have it, five delicious breakfast ideas! I would love to know which one you would try.

WCW Tropical Teacakes

Those pesky bananas are still lurking in my fruit bowl as my 2 year old insists on buying them every time we go to the supermarket! 

I decided to whip up these teacakes instead of the usual muffins or bread. I used a pretty baking mold but you could use a mini loaf pan or muffin trays instead. These are dairy and egg free, and perfect to whip up for a quick afternoon tea.

Tropical Teacakes

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tablespoons Healtheries Black Chia seeds

4 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/4 cup cold water

2 small bananas

1/2 cup orange and mango juice

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

extra 1/4 cup orange and mango juice

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together. Create a well in the center and set aside.

Mix the water, flaxseed and Black Chia seeds to form a paste. Mix in mashed bananas and juice and add to the dry mixture. Mix well.

Fold in the coconut and add extra juice if needed. You want the mixture to be quite runny, about the consistency of pancake mix.

Add a dessertspoon full of the mixture to each mold or muffin tray. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned.

Serve warm or keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

Plans for a weekend of Love

Valentines Day is coming up, and so I have planned some fun things for my family to do with love. I tend not to be too worried about the commercial side of Valentines Day, to me it is a time to remind my husband and boys how much I love them and a great way to reconnect as a family. My husband and I also celebrate our wedding anniversary just before Valentines Day, so it is great to be able to use this time to show my entire family how much I love and appreciate them.

 image via Bento School Lunches

Lucas is a school boy now, and I want to make sure he eats his lunch on Friday. I will make an easy love themed lunch similar to this with simple heart shaped sandwiches, some strawberries and fresh fruit. Some Babybel cheese and strawberry yoghurt will be perfect additions to a delicious, nutritious and fun lunch.

Valentines Day falls on a Saturday this year, so we have the whole day to celebrate. We do have some dance classes in the morning, so we need a fuel-filled breakfast. I plan on making some berry smoothies and also giving the boys some berry cereal.

 

We like to snuggle up with some books before nap time, so I will be reading Splat The Cat Funny Valentine and Foxy in Love.

To keep the boys entertained, we will do some Heart Stamping using toilet rolls and red paint. I will also mix red and white paint to make pink to teach the boys about primary and secondary colours.


 Image via I Can Teach My Child

As part of my Pinterest Resolutions, the boys will be receiving these love coupons.

An afternoon treat of Strawberries cut into heart shapes will suffice- my boys love fruit!



Image via One Good Thing By Jillee

The night will be finished off with a special family dinner inspired by One Good Thing By Jillee, as she has provided table decor ideas, a menu with printables, recipes and even a family activity.

Lastly, we will settle down and watch Madly Madagascar together- my 5 year old loves the penguins and this movie looks to be popular with all of us!

What have you got planned for Valentines Day?

Breakfast Bounty at The Shroom Room

I was lucky enough to try out one of the newest cafe attractions to Lyttleton in the new Albion Square- The Shroom Room- for a birthday breakfast.

Walking in, the atmosphere was very inviting and I was taken by the striking black decor and rock n' roll vibe. Handwritten chalkboard menus showed the specials, and the cabinet food looked divine. The selection of pizzas, muffins and sweet treats in this vegetarian and vegan inspired eatery will leave even the meat eaters happy with the options supplied!

It was a bit too early in the morning to be having pizza, so we opted for the breakfast menu. But first came the coffee- a great size and a great price too!

 Photo courtesy of Melissa 
The menu had a great selection of breakfast fare, and a lot of the ladies chose to go with the hash breakfast. Poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, spinach and homemade hash cakes that were generous in size, delicious and well presented.

I opted for the muesli, berry compote, fresh fruit and yoghurt. The presentation was amazing, with a cute chopping broad, springs of lavender and even a fancy milk jug. The food itself was delicious and I may have sparked fresh fruit envy!

Sunlight streamed in, and this cafe boasts an excellent indoor/outdoor flow. You could sit inside on colder days, but the courtyard looked extremely inviting and looked out onto the action. On Saturday the Lyttleton Farmers' Market was running, which meant that the cafe was busy but we did not feel it was too noisy or crowded. It was still a very peaceful place and I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast.

All of us raved about our meals, and it is safe to say we will be experiencing The Shroom Room again! I can't wait to take my husband and boys here, The Shroom Room has got a perfect combination of healthy, flavoursome food and a relaxed atmosphere that is popular with locals and visotors alike.

For more reviews, check out what Anisa and The Press have to say about The Shroom Room.