“If one gets up early to exercise, by the time one is finished, one is famished!” Jabber declared.
At least I am. Trying to avoid the local fast food fix, I’ve decided to build an ‘arsenal’ so that breakfast is all-but- ready when I get back home. Call me Mrs. Patmore. Or not.
(I know. I know. One should eat something before going to workout. I do. I ‘eat’ a glass of water and at least one cup of coffee. Bad girl! Bad girl!)
This would work for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s not expensive, it’s easy to prepare ahead (most of it), and it’s fairly good for a body, too. (And if this is just too simplified for you, you’re a better woman/man than I am. I sometimes forget that the simplest meals can be the best!)
Scrambled eggs Florentine with a bit of sautéed onion and a bit of shredded cheese. Serve on top of an English muffin.
Hints:
You can buy reduced calorie English muffins.
Do it.
Slit them in half and then place back in the package. Place them in your freezer. They’ll keep for about a month that way.
(I regret to inform you that these aren’t. Reduced calories. But they’re still not too bad on the calories. They also never last for a month. They are eaten before that.)
Chop up an onion. Place it in a plastic bag (I double bag it) and pop into the freezer. Do the same with some hard cheese—actually, I use leftover cheese and do this. You will be able to quickly grab a pinch or two of each for your eggs Florentine breakfast.
If you have leftover veggies you like in your scrambled eggs—such as peppers, asparagus, even tomatoes—chop them and freeze them as well. Sneak in those veggies! They add flavor and make your breakfast colorful and more nutritious.
Onions and cheeses ready for freezer
Cook a package of chopped frozen spinach in the microwave. Drain very well. Place in a container in the fridge.
(“I don’t recommend freezin’ Alfred! as it would be one big glob you’d have to defrost. If you did not defrost it and decided to use it in the skillet as-is, you would have a blob of cooked spinach flavored with eggs and onions and cheese. I don’t recommend that, but if you try it, let me know how it turns out. It’s okay to freeze spinach, however, if you are going to add it to your homemade veggie soup or a casserole. At the moment, I’m talking about being prepared to quickly make breakfast. But you know that. Right? Daisy! Help Alfred out here…….” Mrs. Patmore.)
You’ll need eggs (or Egg Beaters), so be sure you have some of those on hand along with the butter/margarine of your choice.
(I feel a Downton Abbey episode lurking in the back of my brain………….)
Do I really need to explain how to do this? Well, alright:
1. Grab your bag of chopped onions and shredded cheese out of the freezer. Throw about a tablespoon of chopped onion in a pan which has some type of oil in it (I used about 1/2 T of butter). Let sauté.
2. Whip up one to two eggs (or if you like, use the Egg Beaters variety), add about 1 T of shredded cheese and about 2 T of spinach (more if you like or anything else you want to cook in your scrambled eggs).
3. Grab a half an English muffin from the freezer and pop that into the toaster or toaster oven.
4. Cook up the eggs (on LOW HEAT—always cook eggs on low) and scramble around in the pan.
5. Serve your eggs on top of your toasted English muffin half.
OR
6. Put about 1/4 pat of butter (or margarine of your choice) on your muffin and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. That’s another tip—you can mix this concoction up with Splenda or if you really want to be healthy, try Stevia. Voila! No sugar!
(I keep a container of this on hand. It really is better for you than sugary jam or jelly—or even honey.)
Sometimes the easiest, quickest and least expensive meals can be the healthiest. This meal would take about 7 minutes to prepare assuming you had all the ingredients ready—but how long will it take you to eat it?
Like everyone else, I tend to eat without thinking. At least I tend to eat without thinking about eating—there is always some sort of gibberish going on in my brain. So another reminder for you (and me) (but not Alfred—he has to serve) is to chew each bite about 30 times. It will take longer to eat, but your food will digest better and you likely won’t eat as much.
If you can, take the time to sit at a dining table, enjoy your food and eat slowly. No! You may NOT eat standing up at the counter! and certainly you may NOT eat standing over the sink. We are NOT cave people!
Put your food out on a plate, too, by the way. Eating out of the pan is not desirable. For one thing, Security (or whatever it is you call your particular pet) is likely to stand around growling at you, demanding her fair share. At least put the food on a plate. And the leftovers in her/his bowl. I mean, really people! Would Lady Mary do this?
“Pretend you are a member of the Crawley Family in Downton Abbey. You have just been seated to dine and been served by the First Footman. You are to have a napkin on your lap and eat like a gentleman or lady whilst thinking witty (if inane) thoughts. Warning: do not share these thoughts with others at the table unless you are quite sure that said thoughts won’t unduly disturb the rest of the family. You know. Like don’t tell your parents you’re going to leave them for the driver or your butler or anything like that. For heaven’s sake, don’t tell them the foreigner guest with whom you surreptitiously slept last night died, but here you are bright and early ready for breakfast! Such serious discussions should be reserved for the drawing room. Be careful with your British accent. It can be so, well, soooo pretentious! Be aware of the wait staff listening. In my case, be careful of Security watching my every bite listening.
What do you mean you don’t HAVE a drawing room? Well, then just avoid all such disturbing discussion entirely, my dear.
We ARE just pretending! Right?
RIGHT?
HALLO!! SNAP OUT OF IT! Start counting how many chews per bite again.)
Have some water with your meal.
When you are finished, daintily dab your lips, carefully place your napkin on side of plate, and wait for the staff to assist you in getting out of your chair.
(I am having trouble snapping out of it.)
Got some additional tips for me? Please!
harpethview 