5 Ideas for Breakfast for Dinner

Dinnertime can be a challenge for busy families, so it's always fantastic to have quick meal ideas ready to go. Breakfast foods are easy to make and don't require a lot of ingredients, so breakfast for dinner is a wonderful mealtime solution. Today, I'm sharing FIVE of my favourite ideas for breakfast for dinner.

Quiche - Quiche is a wonderful family friendly supper idea. What's not to like about bacon mixed with egg and cheese? You can find my favorite SIMPLE bacon quiche recipe here. Add some fruit, a salad, or veggies... and you are good to go!

French Toast - French toast paired with fruit (and a bit of maple syrup) is one of my kids' favourite meals. 

To make French Toast, I like to use Brioche bread... but any bread works well. For each two pieces of bread, beat together: 1 egg, 1 tbsp milk, and a 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Then, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, and cook them in a lightly buttered pan until they are brown on both sides. I serve them with a light dusting of powered sugar and real maple syrup.

Scrambled egg wraps - This is a simple option... and younger children love it. Scramble eggs, and pop them in a wrap with some grated cheese. I like adding some salsa... but that is optional.

For younger kids, these little clips from the dollar are great and make the wraps must easier for littles ones to eat.

Pancakes - Pancakes paired with fruit is another simple meal option that is popular with children and adults. I like to have homemade pancake mix in the pantry to make meal time even easier. You can find my favourite pantry pancake mix recipe here.

Egg in a Hole - This id something my dad used to make for me when I was a child, and it was always a favourite of mine. Now, I make it for you my family. Butter the bread, cut out the middle, and pop and egg in the middle. I love this simple breakfast for dinner meal idea!

Is your family a fan of "breakfast for dinner"? What are your favourites? If you haven't tried all of the ideas I'm sharing today, give them a try. I'd love to hear what you think.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more family friendly recipes here.

How you can challenge yourself (and your kids) to learn something new

I am a big advocate of life-long learning... but sometimes it's a struggle to find the time to learn something new. So for March break, I decided to challenge my boys to learn something new, and I decided to challenge myself too. With some literary inspiration from DK Books*, my boys are going to learn to cook/bake a few things, and I am going to learn a bit of embroidery and knitting. You can read more about my "learn something new challenge" (and our book choices) below.

*Disclosure: I was given these books (at no cost) by DK books in exchange for my truthful review. I have also included Amazon links in this post. If you purchase one of these books using my link, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you!


My plan is to have each of my boys choose a recipe from the cookbooks I ordered for them, shop for the ingredients, and follow the recipe (with only a small amount of supervision from me). The boys can serve their creations to the family, and when they have all completed their recipes, they can choose something for me to make for them. Fun, right?

These are the two books I chose for my boys: 

1) Bake It: More Than 150 Recipes for Kids from Simple Cookies to Creative Cakes! 

2) Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook Canadian Edition

I have been wanting to get my boys cooking more, and I think this "learn something new" challenge is a great way to do it.

I think my boys will enjoy following the recipes in these books (with their simple instructions and pictures).

These are the two books I chose for me.

1) The Knitting Book: Over 250 Step-by-Step Techniques
2) Embroidery: A Step-by-Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches

I have all four of our new books sitting on my coffee table, and as soon as we have the time, my boys and I are going to work on completing our challenges. I believe that you can learn new things at any age, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Personal-sized Pizzas on the Grill

In my house, we don't all agree on what toppings make the best pizza, so a couple of weeks ago I thought it would be fun to make some personal-sized pizzas.... on the BBQ.  This recipe is easy, tasty, and makes the perfect {easy} summer supper.

Here is how I made each of my boys their very own {delicious} grilled pizza:

1)  I started out with a simple crust, which had the perfect consistency for grilling.  You can find the recipe here.  When the dough was ready, I divided it up into small balls (about the size of a baseball), and rolled each one out to slightly less than 1/4" thick.  (Note: If you are stacking the rolled out dough, make sure to put parchment paper in between each layer to prevent sticking.)

2)  While I was rolling out the dough and getting the toppings ready, my husband oiled the grill and heated it to medium.  Then, I placed the crusts on the grill and cooked them for about two minutes (until they started to bubble).  My husband used tongs to flip them over, and cooked them for another two minutes.

3)  We quickly added our toppings, closed the lid, and let the pizzas cook for another 3 minutes.  (Note:  It is very important to have the toppings "ready to go" beside the grill because they need to be placed on the pizzas quickly after the crusts are cooked.)

What is your favorite pizza topping?  Would these "mini" pizzas be a hit in your house?  

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easy Appetizer {Nacho Dip}

Have you ever been asked to bring an appetizer to a party?  Do you have a "go to" appetizer that you like to make? I always like to bring something that is simple, tasty, and doesn't need to be reheated.  I hate bothering the hostess to heat up something that I have brought. So, today I am sharing my favourite appetizer to bring to gatherings: My Easy and Delicious Nacho Dip.

For a plate of this dip, you'll need:

• one (8oz package) of room temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons of mild taco seasoning mix
• 3/4 cup mild salsa
• 1/2 green pepper (or whatever colour you have on hand)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1)  Combine the room temperature cream cheese with the sour cream and mild taco seasoning mix.  {I like to use a potato masher, and then a spoon.}

2)  Spread the cream cheese/sour cream mixture onto a large plate or platter, and then cover with mild salsa, green pepper, and grated cheddar cheese.

3) Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

That's it!  To make a large platter, you can double the recipe. (I often do this if I know there is going to be a crowd.)

Serve this dip with a bowl of nacho chips, and I guarantee there won't be any leftovers to take home. 

What is your favorite appetizer recipe?  I am always looking for new "tried and true" favourites.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)