So, after mentioning panCOOKIES yesterday, I spent the next hour or so walkingclicking DROOLING down memory lane via my Recipage! While I seem to have been on a holiday recipe hiatus these last few weeks, I DO have quite a collection of delicious eats from holidays past…and UNsurprisingly, most of them are breakfast!
I mean, it IS the most important meal of the day! 😀
Since my family decided on doing brunch for our Christmas Day meal, I’ve been going back and forth on what to make, but I finally “decided” on going with something that will ALSO pair well with eggs and bacon and the other half-dozen items my mom will inevitably put on the table…
So I’m thinking I may not be the only one out there with some life-altering decisions to make. In case you need some ideas for Christmas morning, I’ve put together a little roundup of some of my favorites. Whether you want to start the day decadently like me or go a little lighter to save room for dinner, I’m sure I’ve got something for you! Why don’t we take a gaaaaaander?
Though you wouldn’t be able to tell it by the weather WE’VE been having! It’s been crazy with sporadic storms and yesterday, it got up to 75 degrees with tornado warnings! Umm, happy first day of winter? 😕
Anywho, I’m not sure if you guys have seen this survey yet, but when I spotted it over on Amanda’s blogyesterday, I just KNEW I had to snatch it up…I’ve been having a bit of a hard time getting (and staying) in the Christmas spirit this year, but I have to say seeing Spoons all done up in red and green, did put a little twinkle in my eye! 😀
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Do you send out Christmas cards?
When I was married and felt like I had to be all domesticated and stuff, I did, but since then, I usually don’t even remember until ohhhhh today! Whoops?
How soon do you start shopping?
I’m notorious for waiting until the last-minute (usually the week of) but for the last couple of years, I’ve been scoring deals on Cyber Monday so I guess that’s my new thing now. Gotta love a bargin…and being able to shop in my pj’s! 😀
Do you have a lot of gifts to buy?
No. Typically, I only shop for my parents and my sister…and of course now I have the man-friend! <3
Do you bake cookies?
Negative, ghost writer. But wait, do PANcookies count? 😉
DECORATIONS
Do you put up a Christmas tree?
Usually…but year, I opted for something a little non-traditional…
If so, is it fake or real?
Honestly, I always grew up with fake trees (I think we had a real one ONCE), but I just don’t think they’re worth the extra work. I’ll just stick to my pre-lit tree with my evergreen scented plugin behind it! 😉
Do you like tinsel? Oh this one makes me laugh! Growing up, my dad was ALL ABOUT the tinsel…although we called them “icicles”…the tree was not finished until it was COVERED in those damn things! And you never could get them all off the tree afterward! Nowadays, I wouldn’t even THINK of ruining my crisp green plastic branches with them!
Do you use homemade or store-bought ornaments?
Store-bought…most of which were bought the day after Christmas the year before…what was that I said about loving a good bargain?
Do you put Christmas lights outside your house? Unfortunately no, but I’ve always always ALWAYS wanted to. I know I’m an independent woman and we are SO beyond the times of gender-specific roles, but I can’t help but always think of that as “the man’s job”. I think it would be the best thing ever if I came home one day to a fully decorated house…hint hint WINK WINK, man-friend! 😉
Do you put lights on the tree? Two words: PREEEEEEEEEEEE LIT! Never will I EVER string lights on a tree again!
How about popcorn and cranberries?
And waste perfectly good popcorn and cranberries? How about a bowl for eating WHILE I decorate the tree with somethingthe mice WON’T eat!
Is there a wreath hanging on your door?
Not this year…I know, no tree, no wreath…I sound like such a Scrooge, but it’s really hard to appreciate all that stuff when you live alone AND work nights.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Do you celebrate it?
Yup! The tradition growing up was that every Christmas Eve, my sister and I would open ONE gift (which would always be Christmas PJ’s) and then, after we put them on, we would meet my mom on the couch and she would read The Night Before Christmas to us. 😀
Do you hang up your stocking?
Yep! And every year, it’s filled with cuties, travel sized bath stuffs, makeup, and other mini-sized goodies!
Have you ever left cookies out for Santa?
We always set out Oreos before going to bed when I was little…mom somehow just KNEW they were Santa’s favorite I guess! 😉
FAVORITE
Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story! I LOVE that it marathons every year on Christmas Day!
Character from any Christmas Movie?
Max!
Christmas Song?
Honestly, it’d be easier to pick my LEAST favorite song: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus…makes me CRINGE!!
Christmas Memory?
I entered an essay contest one year through my mom’s work and won a train set with an engine that blew real “smoke”! My dad helped me put it together and we spent the whole night playing with it at the base of the Christmas tree! 🙂
Christmas Cookie?
Back when I DID bake cookies (and give them as gifts), these candy cane cookies I found in a little recipe book in the check out lane of the grocery store have always been my favorite…they’re almond shortbread with crushed candy pieces on top!
THIS OR THAT
Give or Receive?
Give…I LOVE seeing the look on people’s faces when they open their gifts!
Ham or Turkey?
We typically do turkey on Thanksgiving and ham on Christmas, but this year? This year, we’re doing BRUNCH!! Cue happy dance!! 😀
Star or Angel?
I always grew up with an angel, but every tree I’ve decorated since living on my own, I’ve put a big bow on top!
White Lights or Colored Lights?
I think white lights look a lot prettier…and they don’t clash with all my ornaments.
Blinking Lights or Still Lights?
Still…blinking lights make me antsy.
Were you Naughty or Nice this year?
I’d like to say I was nice, but well, I don’t know if Santa would approve of my language! 😉
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever gotten?
You know those paddles with the rubber ball attached to them by a string? Well, every year, my grandmother would get us kids one for Christmas and every year we would try to hide them from our parents so they didn’t end up seeing our backsides! Lol
Do you like wrapping gifts?
I usually procrastinate and complain about doing it, but once I get in the middle of it, I’m like a gift-wrapping NINJA! I love it!
RANDOM
Can you name all the reindeer? ♫ Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen…but do you recaaaaaaaaaaall the most FAMOUS reindeer of alllllllllll?!?! ♫
Have you ever gotten a kiss under the mistletoe? Yep! My mom hangs some above the entry to the kitchen every year!
Do you go caroling?
Umm, does anyone outside of a Lifetime movie ACTUALLY do that?
Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights?
I do! That’s actually one of my favorite things to do…and now that I think about it, I haven’t done it this year…YET!
Have you ever had a white Christmas? Almost. We had a HUGE snow storm a few years ago a week before Christmas, but it was pretty much all melted by the 25th…boo!
Who do you celebrate Christmas with? My mom, dad, my seeeester, Tori…and the man-friend! 😀
Have you ever had your picture taken with Santa?
Who hasn’t! Aww, I wish I could find one to share!
What part of Christmas do you look most forward to?
Christmas morning! But not because I want to tear through some wrapping paper. I just love the feeling in the air…the love, the giving…there’s just something so great about that!
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
What’s the BEST gift you’ve ever received?
Feel free to answer any of the other questions too! 😀
What do you do when you have a MAJOR craving for French toast but there isn’t a single slice of bread to speak of in your kitchen? Or maybe you DO have bread, but you’re just entirely too lazy to drag out the skillet and too impatient to wait while drooling all over yourself for those little toasts to cook!
That’s cool…I gotcha covered! 😉
Remember when I mentioned a new oat recipe I wanted to share? Well, I’ve kid you not when I say that I’ve been working to perfect the ratios in this for months…but as of last week, I FINALLY got it and even though the words are not flowing as freely as I would like them too right now, I can’t wait any longer to share! So how about I just throw some adjectives your way?
Thick…CREAMY…warm…buttery…CUSTARDY!
The secret is in two ingredients…a WHOLE egg stirred in while cooking and the addition of butter extract…no exceptions! You can find butter extract/flavor in the baking section at most stores. I get this brand from Wal-Mart for only a couple of bucks. The strong flavor is incredible (a little goes a long way) and it is also one of my favorite ingredients to add to mug cakesand pancakes!
French Toast Oats
By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 minutes
Keywords: stove top breakfast high protein high fiber #strangebutgood
Ingredients (Serves 1)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter extract
1 large egg
Toppings: sliced banana, hemp seeds, and maple syrup
Instructions
1. Combine oats, milk, and extracts in a small pot and set over high heat.
2. Once boiling, crack egg into pot and stir vigorously with a whisk until smooth.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes or until oats have reached desired consistency.
4. Transfer to a bowl and top with fruit and/or nuts and don’t forget the pure maple syrup!
These are incredibly filling and totally cured my craving for French toast on multiple lazy day occasions. And while I’ve been adding eggs to oats for years now, I think pre-blogging me would have totally thought this to be the weirdest strangest thing ever soooo…
After way too many weeks, I’m back and celebrating Friday with my Laura and my favorite bunch of foodies…where the eats are sometimes strange but ALWAYS good!
And yes, in case you didn’t notice, that IS my new scarf in the background! 😉
Am I the only one who grew up thinking flavored oatmeal was only possible if it came in a brown paper packet? No offense Mom, but your “cafeteria lady porridge” was not what I had in mind!
What are your plans for the LAST weekend before Christmas? I volunteered to work a shift on Saturday (cha-ching!), but before I go in, I’ll be celebrating Christmas early with my dad’s side of the family…and I’m getting together with the besties tonight! 😀
My name is Heather! I'm a southern gal with a passion for food, fitness, and photography...and alliteration if you didn't notice! Here you'll find a mix of random musings, delicious recipes, and hopefully a chuckle or two! Check out my "About' tab to learn more!
I mean, it IS the most important meal of the day! 😀
I always grew up with an angel, but every tree I’ve decorated since living on my own, I’ve put a big bow on top!
I usually procrastinate and complain about doing it, but once I get in the middle of it, I’m like a gift-wrapping NINJA! I love it!
