The Gourmet Mama

It`s been a hectic week around here with my youngest son turning 2 and a lot of work pouring in for both Cherith and myself. And everyone knows the secret to being productive is a great breakfast! Well, that`s what our recipe roundup is focusing on today. If you`ve been finding yourself lacking in ideas for that first and most important meal of the day, here are some ideas to get you going.

First up, a classic breakfast, or two. Here are some delicious, diner-style recipes for Buttermilk Waffles and Sour Cream Pancakes. I`m not a huge fan of pancakes, but there are some little people in my family who would go nuts for these!

A great way to make breakfast once and eat for a week is to take the time to make some granola. What I love about this is that you can totally customize it, adding dried fruit and nuts of your choice, yogurt covered raisins, chocolate chips, or other grains and spices to taste. Plus, it keeps for quite some time and makes a great snack, too.

Another make ahead breakfast that sounds divine are these Strawberry Lemon Muffins. Rest assured they will be making an appearance soon in our home since we are fans of both flavors!

Cranberry Granola Cookies are a great way to fool your kids into thinking they`re getting a treat for breakfast. Though these really do sound like a treat . . . maybe we`re not fooling anyone!

And last, but not least, here`s a raw breakfast smoothie recipe. Even if you aren`t a raw foodist, having a nice smoothie once in a while will give you an energy boost and get you going in the morning.

I`ll leave you with a shot of my son`s birthday cake that I made for him on Sunday . . . which we had for breakfast on Monday!