I can’t think of anything worse then that wretched squealing that comes from my alarm clock at 6 am everyday. But perhaps, the awakening of that hidden creature inside of me is just as bad. If you fellow workaholics are anything like me, breakfast is the last think on your mind at this time.

The snooze button is really all I think about. When I was in high school, I hit that joyous button once. In collage, I hit it twice. The lucky number now seems to be in between 5 and 10, give er take. There is something about mornings that turn me into this thing….angry….easily aggravated….thing….

No…I only wish I was the HULK! I bet you he ate breakfast. So why is it so important?

#1- Eating early in the day keeps us from "starvation eating" later on. But it also jump-starts your metabolism. So..how about some Biscuits and Gravy??

#2- A recent research group analyzed government data on 4,200 adults, and found that regular breakfast eaters were more likely to exercise regularly. And women who ate breakfast regularly tended to eat fewer calories overall during the day.

So, so far what they are telling us, is that if you wake up 20 minutes earlier you’ll lose weight easier? WHAT???

#3- When you don't eat breakfast, you're actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you're not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight.

Saturdays and Sundays are the wonderful days for Big City Brunches!! There are millions of delicious waffle making, pancake flipping establishment here in Chicago, but why wait till the weekend? Who says you can’t have that breakfast every morning??

Try making these the night before

Raspberry Apple Muffins

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup frozen raspberries (of course fresh is best)

1-Preheat oven to 375°. Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners.

2-In a small bowl, stir together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, until it starts to curdle.

3-In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.

4-In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, vanilla extract, and buttermilk mixture. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the raspberries.

3-Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool the muffins directly on the cooling rack.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/diet_for_the_diabetic_dog.html

Really tight on time? Here you go….

Scrambling Scramble

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. sausage seitan
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 green onions, minced

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the sausage substitute, onion, and garlic and fry until browned. Add the tofu, tomato, turmeric, and garlic salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add green onions during last minute of cooking. Yummmy……

**No rules with this bad boy, add zucchini, asparagus, or whatever you got!! It’ll be GOOD!!

So obviously there are tons of things to look forward to at 6am. Ewy goewy pancakes, Southwestern Style Scramble, and even muffins!! I may even start getting up at 5:30 am everyday just to play!! Well….I’ll try that after tomorrow.

Ode to Breakfast