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Summer 2009 Theme: Summer Breakfast Lovin'

Happy Summer Breakfast Lover,

We've got some great things cooking at MrBreakfast.com. We're happy to announce the launch of our new, improved website and the unveiling of The Cereal Project. Tell all your friends... and even people you don't know. Regular newsletters are set to resume this fall. Talk to you then. Have a fantastic summer.

Your pal,
Mr Breakfast

Recipe Of The Month: Easy Banana Bread

This issue's featured recipe is a simple, basic banana bread that's received super high marks from the great breakfast lovers who have left comments on MrBreakfast.com. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Easy Banana Bread

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 medium bananas
8 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

This recipe makes 6 servings.

Cream sugar and butter, mash the bananas and add to the mixture.

Beat and add the eggs. Slowly add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Pour into a loaf pan.

Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes.

Easy Banana Bread

Cooking Notes:

This recipe makes one 9 1/2 X 5-inch loaf or three 6 X 3 1/2-inch mini loaves.

That's all there is too it. Let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment on this recipe's page on MrBreakfast.com.

More Featured Breakfast Recipes For Summer

Let us know what you thought of the recipes by posting a note on MrBreakfast.com.

Grapefruit Crunch

This is a simple way to add spark to a healthy breakfast of grapefruit. You'll really like this.

Green Eggs And Ham

In this recipe, it's avocado and green onion that give the eggs a greenish hue. Fun for St. Patrick's Day or after reading the famous book to kids (please leave out the bourbon if serving to children).

Red Flannel Hash

Top with poached eggs to make the meal complete.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

I like these with butter and maple syrup. But since they're more savory than sweet, they are also terrific with a fried egg and grated cheese on top. You can also try adding some chopped parsley or basil for color - or spice them up with jarred roasted red pepper or jalapenos! Delicious!

Flax Seed And Nut Granola (Low-Carb)

For more low-carb recipes try Mr Breakfast's Low-Carb Breakfast Index.

Better Blueberry Waffles

A good reliable blueberry batter. These waffles are great with a thin spread of butter topped with a few fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Great with maple syrup too.

To Find Your Perfect Breakfast:

MrBreakfast.com now has 2788 breakfast recipes. (And don't forget the 22610 restaurant reviews.)

There's Over 325 Ways To Make Toast

Over the last three years, MrBreakfast.com visitors have submitted their recipes for toast. Check it out: 326 Ways To Enjoy Toast.

10 Tips To Make Perfect Waffles

Respect Your Waffle Maker. Be sure to read the instruction manual for your unit thoroughly. Different waffle makers are designed to cook waffles differently. Some people may tell you to coat your waffle maker with cooking spray. There's a good chance your manual will have different advice. If you bought your waffle maker in the last 5 years, chances are you should not use cooking spray.
"Non-Stick" Is In The Batter. The amount of oil or butter in your batter will determine whether or not your waffles will stick to your waffle maker. If you are consistently making waffles that stick, try increasing the oil or butter.
Separate The Egg Whites From The Yolks. If a light and fluffy waffle interior is important to you, separate your eggs. Add the beaten yolks to the wet ingredients of your batter. Then, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the eggs whites gently into the final batter using a spatula.
Avoid Violent-Mixing. Waffle batter is a tricky character. It should be smooth enough to flow freely through the dimples of the waffle plate, but it should never be over-mixed (over-mixing turns the flour into gluten which produces a chewier, less-fluffy texture). The solution is gentle patience. Using a rubber spatula (or a spoon if you don have one), mix the wet ingredients of your batter into the dry ingredients as if the batter had tiny, breakable items in it that you don't want to break. Using a gentle motion and a couple extra minutes, mix the batter until smooth.
No Buttermilk / No Problem. A lot of the more interesting waffle recipes you'll find ask for buttermilk. The problem is most people don't keep buttermilk around. Regular milk can always be used in place of buttermilk. The difference in the texture of the completed waffle is negligible. If your dying for that extra bit of tanginess that buttermilk adds, you can make an easy buttermilk substitute by adding a Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk. The acidic ingredient will cause the milk to curdle. Let it stand 15 minutes and there you go. Some people will probably even prefer the kiss of freshness that lemon juice can add.
Don't Lift The Lid Too Early. As a general rule you should always wait until your waffle maker says it's okay, by way of its indicator light or beeping mechanism. If you have a waffle that's sticking to the plates (see tip #2 to avoid), lifting the lid too soon could cause your waffle to rip, leaving one poor half of a waffle stuck to the top and the other half sadly adhered to the bottom.
Steam: A Waffle's Natural Kitchen Timer. If your waffle maker doesn't have a doneness indicator, watch the steam coming out of the unit as you cook. When the steam stops, lift the lid. The waffle should be done. Chances are that it will be well-done. On our test waffle maker, complete steamlessness matched a setting of 8 out of 10 on the doneness dial.
Everybody Dig In (At The Same Time). If you're cooking for more than one person, you'll probably want everyone to eat at the same time. But your waffle maker only makes one waffle at a time. Is all lost? Is all hope gone? No way. Set your oven to 250 degrees at the same time that you pre-heat your waffle maker. As you pull completed waffles from the maker, transfer them to the oven. A short time in the oven can actually improve the crispness of a waffle. Think of it as giving your waffles a light toasting right after you make them.
Don't Waste Waffles. Only wild, wacky women with weird ways and wide wallets waste wonderful waffles. If you make too many waffles, just place them in a freezer bag after they've cooled. Place wax paper between multiple waffles and squeeze as much air from the bag as possible. When you're ready to eat them, set out the preferred number of waffles and let them defrost for about 10 minutes. Then, heat the waffles in your oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. If the waffles fit comfortably in your toaster, go for it. Just defrost them and toast at a medium-low setting. Note: If you're purposely making waffles for later use, cook them at a setting slightly lower than you'd ordinarily use. Then, they'll be just the way you like them when they're hit with more heat.
No Mess / No Regrets. If you clean your waffle maker shortly after it's cooled, you'll guarantee your machine's future waffle success and it will be much easier to clean than if you waited. For a list of tips on cleaning waffle makers, click here.

BONUS TIPS:

Always have softened butter or margarine and warmed (at least room temperature) syrup ready for your waffles. There's nothing worse than sitting in front of a perfect waffle and trying to spread cold butter on it. Your picture perfect waffle will rip and tear like nobody's business.
Use a plastic or rubber utensil to remove your waffles from the waffle maker. A fork or knife may be more handy, but over the long haul those seemingly harmless stabs at the waffle plates will cause havoc on your waffle maker.

NEW PRODUCT REVIEWS

C Is For Cereal
From Post

This new cereal appears to be an attempt by Post to grab some of the toddler snack market from General Mills' Cheerios cereals. A head-to-head battle between Buzz Bee (Honey Nut Cheerios' mascot) and Sesame Street's Elmo (the character that appears on this new product).

The complete name of this cereal is Post's Sesame Street C Is For Cereal A is For Apple Cereal. The cereal pieces are shaped like X's and O's (which some could interpret as shorthand for "hugs" and "kisses".)

It's marketed directly toward toddlers and their parents and it's described on the package as "Ideal Food For Little Ones!"

When I poured a bowl of this new cereal, I was struck by how light the cereal pieces are. It's almost as if they float from the box into the bowl. Holding a handful of the pieces feels like holding a handful of styrofoam. Unfortunately, eating this cereal as a dry snack also felt like eating styrofoam. As an adult, I did not like this cereal dry. I'd be anxious to hear what toddlers think about it as a snack.

In milk, the pieces absorb a little liquid and become more dense giving them a mouth-feel similar to Cheerios. Now, we're left to critique the flavor.

What flavor? The apple taste is so subtle - you could eat an entire bowl and not realize that it's supposed to be apple flavored. In my imagination, I picture that the cereal is flavored by a little guy with a spray bottle. But for some reason, the guy is afraid of the cereal - so he approaches it, gives it a little spritz and then runs away.

To this cereal's credit, it "contains nutrients that help support healthy brain development." Since I rarely imagine little people spraying vats of cereal with spritzer bottles, I have to assume this product did enhance my brain... or somehow messed it up, depending how you look at it.

In the end, C Is For Cereal is B For Bad - at least from an adult perspective. Little kids sometimes like bland foods in small shapes, so the jury is still out on that one.

Nutritional Considerations: Each 1 cup serving of Post's C Is For Cereal has 110 calories, 1.5 grams total fat (0 saturated and 0 trans), 0mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 21 grams total carbs, 2 grams dietary fiber, 1 gram sugar and 3 grams protein.

The price we paid: $2.99

(3 out of 7 Golden Eggs)

Greek Honey Crunch
From Post

The complete name of this new cereal is Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch. I was expecting something fun and different. The way they write "Greek" on the box is just how they do it on the menu of a Greek restaurant I like. The box graphics might be slightly unique, but the taste is nothing new.

The cereal is made up of very small flakes (that look like crushed traditional Honey Bunches of Oats flakes) and granola clusters - some covered in yogurt and some that are not. The predominate flavor is honey.

The granola clusters have very little impact on the eating experience. You might notice a slight crunch every 3rd spoonful, but any flavor they might add gets lost and diluted within the combination of flakes and clusters.

This cereal tastes and feels like traditional Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats that's been crushed and drizzled with a bit more honey.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. The taste is great. It's just not different.

Only real negative happens at the end of a bowl. Because the flakes are smaller or crushed, the cereal's consistency starts to feel like oatmeal when it gets soggy. It still tastes fine, but it's unnerving to start with a bowl of cereal and end up with a bowl of mush.

Nutritional Considerations: Each 1 cup serving of Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch has 230 calories, 3.5 grams total fat (1 gram saturated and 0 grams trans), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 47 grams total carbs, 4 grams dietary fibber, 13 grams sugar and 5 grams protein.

The price we paid: $3.49

(4 out of 7 Golden Eggs)

Read the complete reviews for these products and more at the
Mr Breakfast Product Review Home Page.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham, UK found that skipping breakfast can raise cholesterol levels and diminish the body's sensitivity to insulin (the hormone that regulates blood sugar) in healthy, lean women.

Quick Breakfast For Busy Mornings

So you don't have time for breakfast? That's crazy talk. Check out this article for some great time-saving breakfast tips.

Check it out.

Oatmeal Saves The Day

Does this harsh economy have you tightening your breakfast budget? What a great excuse to find out more about the inexpensive wonder food called oatmeal.

Check it out.

The Spring 2009 Mr Breakfast Clothing Line

Research shows that 99.99999% percent of your friends don't own any of this stuff. What perfect gifts!

Sausage T-Shirt

$18.99

Vote4Breakfast Underpants

$8.99

Eat Oatmeal T-Shirt

$9.99

Click here to see the entire Mr Breakfast Collection.