As a child I didn’t think about what she was missing out on. But as a parent, I can’t help but think of all those moments she missed.  

She missed being able to see our excitement as we opened the boxes and first played with each of the toys she had carefully picked out.  She missed all the smiles, laughter, and a bit of that Christmas morning magic.

Moms deserve a special holiday breakfast idea that doesn’t take them away from all that.   And that’s why I love this breakfast burrito bar idea. 

As a kid my mom always made us goetta for breakfast on Christmas morning.   It’s totally delicious, but took her away from watching us open up gifts. 

Sausage & egg burritos can be made up ahead of time, leaving you with a hot meal without missing the memories. 

Breakfast Burrito Bar

The past few years we’ve had cherry pop-overs for breakfast, but my husband craved something a little more savory.   

This year, to go with our cherry pop-overs we’re having breakfast burritos.  The savory combination of sausage and scrambled eggs is the perfect complement to those sweet pastries.

Sausage & Egg Burrito Recipe

Ingredients:

• Breakfast Sausage (I used Jimmy Dean® Sausage.)
• Eggs
• Onion
• Bell Pepper
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salsa, Hot Sauce, and Sour Cream for Garnish (optional)

Begin by browing the sausage in a skillet.    I love the fact that the Jimmy Dean® sausage isn’t frozen because it means I don’t have to thaw it out ahead of time.  Anyone else terrible at remembering to thaw out the meat you plan to prepare?

If desired, drain sausage on paper towels.

Chop your onion and bell pepper into small pieces.  Then saute’ in a small skillet with a bit of butter.   Or, use the same skillet you cooked the sausage in and skip the butter.  

Finally, prepare your scrambled eggs.  I scramble 6 for our family of 4.  

You can eat your burritos right away, or cook it all up the night before and then refrigerate until ready to eat.

In the morning, simply heat up the sausage, egg, and onion and pepper mixture in the microwave.  

Serve the ingredients in large bowls, allowing people to make their own breakfast burritos, just the way they like them.  (Burritos are always tasty!)

To assemble your breakfast burritos, spoon a small amount of scrambled egg in a line down the middle of an open tortilla. 

Add sausage, cheese, onion, and bell pepper. 

Garnish with hot sauce or sour cream if desired. 

Roll into a burrito and enjoy.

Want to add a bit of sweetness?  Pair the savory burritos with a bowl of homemade yummy muffins.

The holiday season is busy!

What I love about this holiday breakfast idea is that all the ingredients can be made a day ahead of time and reheated in the morning, meaning  you won’t miss any of the Christmas morning magic trying to get breakfast on the table.

Plus, setting it up this way allows your family and guests to make it the way they like.

Kids don’t like onion?  They can skip putting it on. 

Have a picky eater who doesn’t like food touching?  Let them dish up individual ingredients on a plate and eat it with a fork.

The holidays are for spending time with family.  This year treat your family to your very own breakfast burrito bar and don’t miss out on the memories.

You may also enjoy:

• Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas
• Easy Salmon Patties Recipe
• White Chicken Chili

The post Savory Sausage & Egg Burrito Bar: Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfast Idea first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

 When I married, I continued the family tradition with my husband and eventually our children.

This year, though, time got away from me, and I decided if it was between making goetta and spending time just relaxing a bit before the big day, relaxing was going to win.  And a new tradition was born:  goetta for New Year’s Day.

Wait, you mean you don’t know what goetta is?

Well, dear readers, let me introduce you to the yumminess that is goetta!

Goetta (pronounced get-ta) is a German-American breakfast sausage that consists primarily of pinhead oats, ground beef and ground pork.

Growing up we always looked forward to our first batch of goetta on Christmas morning.

Today I am going to share with you the recipe that my mother taught me; it is the same recipe that she learned from my grandmother.  (But, in truth, most goetta recipes I’ve found are strikingly similar.)

Goetta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I’ve also done it with just 1 pound)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 1/2 cups pinhead oats (sometimes called steel-cut oats)
• 8 cups of water
• 1 large onion – diced into small pieces
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 3 tsp. salt and pinch of pepper
• Several handfuls of instant oatmeal

Directions:

1. Bring the 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot with a heavy bottom.  Add salt, pepper and pinhead oats.
2. Turn the mixture down to low, add lid, and cook the pinhead oats for 2 hours, stirring often (every 10-15 minutes) to keep it from sticking.
3. Thoroughly mix the ground beef and ground pork together.  (I usually use my hands to ensure it is evenly mixed.
4. Once the pinhead oats have cooked for 2 hours, add the meat mixture, onion, and bay leaves.  Make sure you mix it together very well!
5. Continue to cook your mixture on low, with the lid on, for one more hour.  Once again you will need to make sure you stir the batch often.
6. Once the meat has been cooking for an hour, you will notice some liquid resting on top of the goetta mixture.  This is where the “handfuls of instant oatmeal” come in to play.  Toss in several handfuls, stir, and wait a few minutes.  The idea is for the oatmeal to soak up some of the extra moisture so it will rest up well later.  If it still has quite a bit of moisture, add another couple handfuls (only add 2 handfuls).  This year I think I wound up adding 6-7 handfuls of oats in, to give you an idea.
7. Now, before you can put your goetta into pans, you need to find those bay leaves!  Make sure you get each and every one out!  (Bay leaves can cut the sensitive areas inside the mouth.)
8. Tired yet?  We’re almost done!  Now you will spoon your goetta into pans to set up.  Mine fit into 2 loaf pans and one 8X8 pan this year.  Cover with foil and refrigerate.

   

Goetta can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week.  You can also freeze it for several months.  (The goetta we had in July was actually from December, and it tasted yummy still!)

To prepare the goetta for breakfast,  slice 1 inch thick slices and place in a hot skillet with butter (some people use bacon fat).  Fry on both sides until browned.  You have to have patience when frying goetta!  If you turn it too soon, it will fall apart.

Here we serve our goetta with ketchup, jellied toast and oranges or orange juice.  (Another family tradition — I just can’t eat it without toast and orange juice or oranges!)

Goetta is a delicious winter breakfast! (And a labor of love…)  

You may also like:

• Breakfast Burrito Bar — A tasty make ahead breakfast for busy holidays
• Simple Salmon Patty Recipe 
• Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas

The post Goetta Recipe first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Usually my husband makes breakfast on the weekends.  But last week the kids and I wanted to do something special for him on Father’s Day.

French toast was requested, but I didn’t have enough bread – that is until I checked the freezer and found a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread.

I decided we’d have super easy cinnamon raisin French toast!

I just followed my usual, very easy French toast recipe.

• I beat one egg and then scrambled in about 1/3 cup of milk and a dash of vanilla extract.
• Once the griddle was good and hot, I melted some butter in the pan.
• Then I quickly dipped each piece of bread into the batter.  (Just dip and pull out right away so it doesn’t get too soggy!)
• There should be enough batter to make 5-6 pieces of French toast.  Just brown on both sides in the griddle.

Serve it warm with butter and syrup.  Fresh fruit is also a yummy topping.  Or serve it my kids’ favorite way (mine too) with butter and powdered sugar.

Yum!

The post Cinnamon Raisin French Toast first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I am stiring the cocoa mix into my much-needed cup of hot caffeine goodness.

Peanut is still asleep and Monkey is watching my every move.

“What doing?” he asks in his littlel 2 year-old voice.

“Mommy’s making cocoa,” I answer.  “What do you want for breakfast?”

“I want cocoa, too,” he says, quickly finding his plastic mug in the drawer of sippy cups.

I use a spoon and put a few spoonfuls in his mug to cool off.  “Do you want peanut butter toast for breakfast?”  I ask.   (It’s his favorite thing to eat in the morning.)

“No.”  (That’s unusual….)

“How about dinosaur oats?” I ask.

“No, oats are hot,” he says.

He starts to rumage through the cabinet where the cereal is.

“How about some dry graham cracker cereal (Golden Grahams)?”

That’s when he pulls out the Pop-Tart box.  “Want Pop-Tart…”

Not wanting his breakfast to consist merely of cocoa and a Pop-Tart (all that sugar so early in the morning could spell trouble after all…) I try again….  “What else do you want?  How about some oats with your Pop-tart?”

He looks at me like I’m crazy.  “Pop-Tarts are good!”  he assures me.

I open the box and start to pull out the plastic baggie with the open sleeve of Pop-Tart goodness.  He is pulling out other wrapped Pop-Tarts at the same time.  “How about the one we already have open?” I ask.

“Want boo-berry,” he says, still searching.

“This one IS blueberry,” I assure him.

At this point he starts licking his lips. (I try hard not to laugh at his eager anticipation.)  “Oh!” he says, still licking his lips.

Breakfast continues with him telling me how you have to “munch the Pop-Tart” carefully.  I make sure to follow his directions, blowing on my cocoa when he worries it may be too hot for me.

I am well aware that all too soon these innocent moments will be long gone…

A Pop-Tart and a few sips of cocoa are well worth it to be able to slip into his world for a bit, and that’s what I’m thankful for this Thankful Thursday.

 ***

This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop:  Capture what it’s like to spend a day or a moment talking with your kiddo.
(inspired by Big Mama Cass)

The post Pop-Tarts and Talking to the 2 Year-Old first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Here are some delicious muffin recipes for muffins with mom.  They’d be perfect for kids to share with mom or to make and enjoy with a mom friend. 

Muffins are perfect to serve as a yummy addition to a quick dinner idea, or just as a treat on their own.  

Make these muffins with the kids.  You can make it even more fun and show the kids how to make your own butter to go with it.

Muffin Recipes for Muffins with Mom

Muffins for Mom is a fun celebration that some schools do near Mother’s Day each year.  Moms are invited to come in and share muffins with their child at school.  

Even if your child isn’t in a preschool or kindergarten that celebrates this, you can have fun celebrating at home with your own kids.  After all, muffins are always fun to make and eat!  

Savory Muffin Recipes

Muffin Tin Omelets —  A savory breakfast muffin 

Sausage and Egg Muffins —  Make ahead for a grab and go breakfast on busy days

Spinach Muffin Recipe — A yummy way to sneak a few extra veggies into your kids’ diet

Corn Dog Muffins —  Make lunch fun this week!

Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza Muffins — Perfect for pizza lovers

Sweet Muffin Recipes

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins —  The perfect combination 

Orange Oatmeal Raisin Muffin Recipe  —  You will love the citrus twist on this classic muffin.

Carrot Muffin —  A fun way to sneak in veggies

Gluten-Free Granola Muffin Recipe — A gluten-free option for breakfast on the go

Carrot-Apple Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Filling — So many delicious flavors in one bite

Pancake Muffins — A quick breakfast idea for kids that love pancakes

Easy to Make Apple Muffin —  Easy and delicious

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins —  The perfect use for the over-ripe bananas

Pear and Cinnamon Muffins — Freeze them and pop them in a lunchbox for a special treat!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins —  A yummy twist of berries and chocolate

Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffin — Skip the bakery and make those muffins at home. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins —  A yummy option for those that are gluten-free

Banana and Berry Muffins — Fun to make at home with the kids

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins with Granola Topping —  You won’t be able to resist these.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins —  Perfect for fall or any time of the year

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffin Recipe —  Kids won’t even notice it has veggies.

Healthy (no oil) Pumpkin Muffin — A healthy and yummy muffin you’ll feel good about eating

Triple Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins — A delicious mix of flavors

S’mores Muffins —  Just as good as it sounds

You may also want to check out:

• 10 Simple Meatless Dinner Ideas 
• Delicious Spinach and Berry Salad 
• 12 After School Snack Ideas 

The post 25 Yummy Muffin Recipes Mom Will Love first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.