Quick, but Homemade: school mornings' breakfasts

Growing up in Panama with very few ready-made food items at our disposal (like Eggos, Pop Tarts, Aunt Jemima, etc.), I grew very accustomed to eating homemade breakfasts almost every morning that were delicious and got us ready for school.  Aside from food being an item that provides "comfort", I think more importantly, it can communicate love and care to us which is why so many people have warm memories of cooking, baking, and sharing in meals with love ones over the years.  At least, this is true for me and the memories of my childhood.

So, when it comes to getting my girls ready for school in the morning, I try to give them a good, nutritious breakfast.  Some days this is nothing more than a bowl of oatmeal, or a bowl of yogurt and a piece of toast.  But, very frequently, I try to whip up something tasty to give the girls a good and cheery start to the morning.  Of course, my trusty and no-fail banana muffin recipe is high on the list of items I prepare, as are waffles.  Now that we have an electric griddle that can cook about 6 pancakes at once, pancakes are coming back with a storm because I can keep up with everyone's appetites more easily.  Scrambled eggs with toast or tortillas is another tasty and easy breakfast.  And then, I try and serve a fresh fruit to the girls each morning, as well.

This morning I made chocolate chip muffins which were a big hit.  Muffins tend to be one of my favorite fast morning recipes because they take such little time to mix up and bake quickly; and, if we are running late to school, then they are portable and can be eaten on the go.  The recipe that I made this morning is a real winner and it comes out of my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (which, in fact, isn't very new anymore; this version is copyrighted in 1976).  I found this cookbook in a thrift store the first year that we were married; I had been looking for a Betty Crocker cookbook from the 70's because that is what my mom had when I was growing up.  So, when I found the Better Homes and Garden version, I snapped it up.  They are comparable and have recipes for a lot of basics and all from scratch. 

Best-Ever Muffins

1 3/4 cups sifted (I never sift it) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 well-beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Sift dry ingredients into bowl (again, I don't sift and they turn out great); make well in center.  Combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add all at once to dry ingredients.  Stir quickly just till dry ingredients are moistened.  Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes (This may vary depending on your oven; about 17 1/2 minutes is perfect in my convection oven, but it is very efficient).  Makes 10 (or you can probably stretch it to 12).  

Add-ins 

The great part about this recipe is that you can tweek it to make pretty much any variation you can think of.  Some ideas are:  1 cup of blueberries; 1/2 to 2/3 cup chocolate chips; raisins; dried cranberries; nuts; cinammon; orange zest; lemon zest; poppy seeds; you  name it.  Just get creative and play around a little.