Valentine's Breakfast

I couldn't think of a more special way to thank my Valentine for being so great than to present him with a plate full of pork and cheese eggs! And yes, the toast is shaped like a heart - really went out of the box on that one. Nothing says, "I love you" like CHEESE EGGS!

What special foods did you enjoy today?

Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Okay, this isn't super innovative, but we've really gotten in the habit of trying to eat a little healthier on the weekends. One of our current favorites is this homemade maple & brown sugar oatmeal.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1.5 cup old fashion oats

2.5 cups boiling water

1/4 cup lowfat milk

1/4 c sugar free maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 c. chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Bring water and salt to a boil, then add oats.

2. Cook per manufacturer's instructions.

3. Remove from heat. Add butter, milk, sugar, and syrup and stir. Let sit 5 minutes to cool before serving. Top with pecans. Enjoy!

This served both us us with a little left over. Yum!

Sausage & Cheese Quiche With Hashbrown Crust

Whenever I feel compelled to make breakfast for my office, I turn to casserole type dishes strictly for ease of travel. I made two quiches this morning, but this is the first. I love breakfast food, and I think this is a compact way to have a little bite of everything.

Ingredients:

3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1 lb. breakfast sausage cooked and drained.

1 cup shredded cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie pan, or casserole dish, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready, pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

I recommend letting this sit a little while (at least 10-15 min) so it can "set up" before you eat it.