Wednesday, June 05, 2013

My Favorite Quick & Easy Breakfast

English muffin breakfast 003

 A toasted, whole wheat English muffin,
topped with a slice of cheese & tomatoes!

I prefer Asiago cheese,
but any type of cheese will do.  

EDIT to say:  Toast the muffin first,
& butter it if you like, then add cheese &
return muffins to toaster oven until
it just begins to melt.
Add tomatoes on top
just before eating!

It makes a fairly balanced breakfast,
with a slowly digested carbohydrate,  (muffin)
a small amount of fat that 
also serves as a dairy (cheese)
and a FRUIT for Vit. C.  & fiber.

Click here to see why 
Tomatoes are considered fruits, not vegetables. 

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Until our own garden tomatoes come in, 
we like to use these "Santa Sweets".  
They are very flavorful & 
keep well just at room temperature,
on the kitchen counter, 
NOT in the refrigerator. 

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I like to keep mine in a pretty Polish crystal bowl.
It looks soooo much nicer than the plastic
container, sitting out. 



every day plates 001

Breakfast is eaten on our
 *everyday* dishes by "Home Trends".
I bought them because they had a 
Tuscan/Olives/Grape sort of feel to them,
which was the theme of the kitchen,
and they match the wall color as well. 

It says they are "dishwasher & microwave safe"  
BALONY!
They get VERY HOT in the microwave!
They also chip easily.


every day plates 004

Our ancient well worn & well loved,
everyday silverware is called
 "Rose Pendant" by Oneida.  
It is so old it is no longer available.  
 


every day plates 007

I like the mugs that go with this set best of all.
They're a pretty shape &
 hold just the right amount of liquid plus
the handle is roomy enough for my husband 
to get his arthritic fingers into.


every day plates 008
I have several large platters & casserole dishes in this pattern & my daughter even found us the absorbent coasters to match!

 I have a hint I'd like to share with you,
regarding English Muffins.

 hints 016


If you place a Silica gel packet inside your newly opened English muffins, it will absorb moisture & prevent that yucky 
soggy edge that they sometimes develop later on.

  I HATE WET CORNERS ON AN ENGLISH MUFFIN!
It doesn't seem to dry them out, either.

Of course, you would NOT want to use this 
if you have little children around
 who might mistakenly try to eat it. 

I save all those little silica containers 
that come in medicine bottles 
or inside other packages.

"Motherrrr, you never throw anything away!"

They are great for preventing rust in tool boxes & 
for keeping other sealed
containers dry & fresh.

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.
It is always nice to have you visit!
I'll be linking up to Cuisine Kathleen's
Let's Dish party,
Yvonne at StoneGable
&
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays &
Michael Lee's Rattlebridge Farm for
(although this is a lame recipe,
someone might never have tried the combination)

Won't you please visit these friends & their
delightful blogs?  
I learn SO MUCH from them each week!


p.s.  If you didn't get to try Thomas'
"Cranberry English Muffins"
that only come out at holiday time,
you MUST get some next year!

They are delicious but seasonal &
only available right after the fresh
cranberries are harvested in the fall.
They are so good, I only eat them with butter,
nothing else is needed on them.
 

21 comments:

  1. Cranberry English Muffins...yum, I will have to watch for those. We love English Muffins and love cheese. I'd add my tomatoes after melting...I am not crazy about hot tomatoes but I can eat those little grape tomatoes like candy cold!

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    1. I forgot to mention that I put my tomatoes on AFTER the muffins have toasted & AFTER I add the cheese slice & return them to the toaster oven for a minute to melt it.

      I agree, the little grape tomatoes ARE like candy! I used to take a snack baggie of them, along with some baby carrots with me on the golf course, so I could have a healthy nibble instead of the chips & cookies they sold on the beverage cart that came around.

      Do look for the Cranberry muffins next fall. They have a nice, sweet touch to them. I'll remind you about them just as soon as I see them available. I bought several packages for my freezer & I add a silica packet as soon as I take one out to thaw. YUM!

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  2. Now that is a combination that I would not have thought of, but it sure does sound good. Will be trying this for sure.
    I ADORE the cranberry muffins. We always got them when we lived in Michigan. Since moving to NC we haven't seen them. We thought maybe they had stopped making them. Next fall I will look harder and maybe contact Thomas' if I can't locate them.
    As for the dishes getting hot and chipping, mine do the same thing. We heat up oatmeal in the bowl in the microwave. Some of them come out fine and others are so hot you can barely touch them.

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  3. You answered my question. I have never seen the cranberry muffins...but I would LOVE them. I have muffins in my home right now. I have the same dishes...only a few, so I hand wash!

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  4. Looks so tasty! Dishes that get extremely hot in the micro can be an indicator of lead content, not unusual in pottery. You may want to check that out with one of those little testers from the Orange Depot, Rett. Just want you to be safe.

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    Replies
    1. Good thought, Bunny...I shall check them soon.

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  5. I love English muffins but have never thought about putting cheese on top! That sounds really delicious. I love Bays English Muffins and usually store mine in the freezer and take out one at a time and pop into the toaster. Great idea about the silica gel!

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  6. I love that you put your tomatoes in a pretty dish, Rett! It does look sooo much better than the plastic container. That's a great tip about the silica gel in the English muffin wrapper. I did not know about the cranberry english muffins!!!! I will look for them next Fall. Have you ever made english muffin bread? It's easy and oh so good.

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    1. I have made English Muffin bread a long time ago, Kitty. I need to dig out that recipe & give it a whirl. I know my DH loves it.
      Thanks for the nudge!

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  7. We frequently have an English muffin for breakfast. Will try it with the cheese, but no tomatoes for me. The "chef" will have my serving of the tomatoes.
    Will look for the cranberry version. Sounds tasty! ~ Sarah
    PS
    Plan that Mexican Buffet. I can send you a serape and a few other props if you want. ;-)

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  8. If the plates chip easily, I might guess that they are Italian. The clays from Italy are extremely brittle...thus the incessant chipping on otherwise amazing designs. Silica packets...I'm going to start saving them. We eat the Thomas English muffins all the time. I'll give the cranberry a shot this next holiday season. You'll find those goblets. They're probably just not in your normal line of sight, but otherwise, they're probably in some obvious place....at least that's the way it would be at my house. I have some beautiful new Spode accent plates. I was playing with them in a tablescape today, and when I got ready to put away the extras, I couldn't find 3 of them. I looked everywhere. Finally it occurred to me that perhaps I had never unpacked all of them. Sure enough, they were in the box, down in all the foam peanuts. Thank heavens I hadn't discarded the box, yet. Oh, brother! Cherry Kay

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  9. We would love the cranberry limited edition muffins, I need to remember to look for them when they're available! Love the silica packet tip, I would have never thought to add it to a bread package! I usually save them and toss them in with my Christmas decoration boxes that are stashed in the attic to help keep any moisture at bay :)

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    1. I send you a *heads up*, Mary, when I see the cranberry muffins in the stores again. They really are DELICIOUS!

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  10. Hey, Rett...love this pretty post. Thanks for going to the trouble to make everything CAMERA READY. :)
    I love English muffins just about any way they are prepared...YOUR recipe sounds delightful so I will try it right away.
    Your breakfast sounds so healthy and here I sat, waiting for my ORANGE CINNY ROLLS to bake. SHAME on me...I'm going to the store today for muffins and tomatoes. :))

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  11. Sweet Rett, You crack me up!!!! You are a wellspring of great tips and fun! Your breakfast sound so yummy! I'm working on my 3rd cup of coffee and just about ready to hunt the frig for something healthy to eat. I know what you mean about finding a coffee cup that is just right! I'm very fussy about what I drink mine in.
    xo

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  12. Hi Rett - Your little tip about the silica gel is a good one. Now that I think about it there are lots of ways to use those handy little packs. If I have English muffins in the freezer I know I can always whip up something tasty for lunch. Your recipe sounds delicious.

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  13. This post is just as beautiful and balanced as your breakfast muffin. What a fantastic recipe AND a great way to start the day. Thanks for including this wonderfulness at Foodie Friday! (And thank you for the head's up about the FF board.It has been tended to, and I will add a new policy about such matters.)xxoo

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  14. Dear Rett:
    If it weren't already well past dinnertime at our house, I might very well make your delicious breakfast this very minute! I can promise that it will be our morning meal tomorrow! :-) This was great fun to see how you start your morning with your sweet husband. I bet your entire table (settings and food) are a true feast for the eyes.
    Happy Sunday, my friend.
    xoxo
    Donna

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  15. Sounds like a tasty and healthy breakfast Rett! I love using the little tomatoes too while waiting for garden ripe. Happy Sunday:@)

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  16. It looks easy, quick and healthy! I will try it ;)

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  17. Great tip. Rett. Breakfast sounds good, hold the tomatoes for me! :)
    Thanks so much for linking at Let's Dish!

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I read them all & each one is so very special to me & I try really hard to return the visit!

fondly,
~Rett~