I officially declared today Baking Day at the Gordon house.  Jason was at the Downtown Campus working on the sound system, so I took the opportunity to get some “bulk preparation” done.  Our work-weeks are pretty hectic, so the idea is to get some baking/food prep done today to provide some easy breakfasts and snacks, as well as speed up dinner prep.  The game plan? (Links to the recipes)

• Blueberry Muffins
• Yummo Granola
• Banana, Apple, Carrot Muffins
• English Muffins (to use for breakfast “McMuffins”)
• Freezer Breakfast Burritos
• Precook Ground Chuck
• Precook Brown Rice

See, I am not a morning person.  I have tried to be…but not very successfully.  We need quick and healthy breakfast ideas, and Abbie is always hungry when she comes home.  Again, some healthy snacks are key–and she gets tired of carrots and apples and celery.

So here are my thoughts after the day…

I LOVE these Blueberry Muffins.  I tried a new recipe (and actually just used a small container of blueberries), and really was pleased.  The cinnamon and nutmeg give it a nice depth of flavor.

This granola is INCREDIBLE!  And pretty healthy too.  I used 1.5 cups of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) and omitted the sesame seeds.  You can pretty much change the general recipe around to your preferences.

When I first saw the name of these muffins, I thought…hmm, strange.  But I thought I’d give them a go to use up some of my carrots and bananas on hand.  They are actually really good!  I think next time I might cut the nutmeg and cloves a little, just to make it slightly less “spice-y”.  This is a super-healthy option for snacks…and would be great as mini-muffins too!

This week Kroger had Ground Chuck for $1.77/lb., so I picked up 6lbs and precooked it today.  Having pre-cooked ground beef is such a time saver, because you can grab it from the freezer and use it for pasta, tacos, chili, or anything you would normally use it for!

My experiment for today was the brown rice.  I love brown rice and nutritionally, I prefer to use the “real deal” instead of instant rice.  The problem is, I rarely have an hour to devote to cooking it!  So, I devoted the hour today, and put four meals worth in the freezer.  We’ll see how it goes reheating!

Sitting here typing this all out, I realized that I completely forgot to add my “freezer” waffles to the list this morning!  I may have to make some tomorrow if I’m up to it.  Those are great to have on hand to throw in the toaster, just like an Eggo waffle (only healthier)!