Best Breakfasts – recipes to start your day

For me, breakfasts are the most important meal of the day. My very fave are weekend breakfasts in bed (especially in winter!)  So unless Mum comes through with a drink and toast I make my own, then rush upstairs and get back into bed with my diary, moby or a book and Toffee asleep on my feet.

Here is one of my yummiest breakfast/brunches.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH BENEFITS (enough for me and rug-rat brother Boddy)

2 eggs (1 per person)                                               ¼ cup of cottage cheese

Pinch of cayenne pepper (if you like heat – otherwise black pepper)

Two slices of thick, chewy bread

Butter                                                                                     Oil

Beat the eggs and cottage cheese. Swirl a bit of oil across the bottom of a pan or saucepan. Heat the pan, add a nob of butter. When the butter is melted, tip in the egg/cheese mixture. Put the bread in the toaster. Wait until eggs look like they are setting and then stir around with a fork. Add pepper or cayenne pepper. Take mixture off the heat while the mixture is still runny – this stops the eggs being rubbery, because they will continue cooking. Butter toast. Tip eggy mixture onto toast. Enjoy.

DAD’S PANCAKES   (these are brunch rather than brekkie and not really suitable for eating in bed (tho  I have given it a try several times)

Everyone in my family enjoys cooking. Dad and I are better at savouries. Mum does main meals. Boddy is the pastry chef and manages to put together excellent sweet things. Here’s the easy pancake recipe Dad often makes on Sundays. This recipe makes about 5 or 6 good sized pancakes. Double the recipe for more.

1 large egg (or 2 smaller ones)

1 cup of flour (wholemeal for preference as this gives a nice, nutty flavour)

Milk to mix (lots of milk if you use wholemeal flour)

Beat the egg until it froths. Add some of the milk. Mix in flour. Add rest of milk until the mixture is runny. Leave for at least 30 minutes. During this time check the fridge for pancake fillings. Here’re some suggestions:

Fresh Strawberries or other berries

Lemon juice and sugar

Raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam or preserves

Peanut butter (I know, sounds disgusting. Boddy likes this)

Butter and sugar (Dad’s fave)

You can also slice a banana into the mixture and have fried banana pancakes which are yum. Also cream, ice cream or yoghurt.