Go-To Breakfasts, Instagram Edition

I wasn't always a huge fan of breakfast.

Ok, that's not entirely a true statement.

I've always loved eggs, pancakes and other decadent things, but there was a time when I never made eating breakfast each day a priority.

Now, I can't imagine going without breakfast in the morning! I often take photos of my breakfast, but since I don't food document here on the blog, I hardly ever share them. Here's a look at some of my favorites, Instagram-style!

sliced banana with peanut butter

egg white sandwich

berry-baked oatmeal

tea in my favorite mug

strawberry vanilla yogurt muffins

sliced apple & banana with peanut butter

veggie-filled frittata (and you may see my fave frittata here)

sliced bananas and peanut butter on toasted sandwich thin

homemade holiday cookies on Christmas morning

my favorite scrambled eggs, fontina & toast from 92Y TriBeCa

pumpkin oatmeal & piping hot coffee

banana, peanut butter & Wasa crackers

fancy French toast for Valentine's brunch

What are your go-to breakfasts?

Oh and if you aren't following me on Instagram, come on over so we can be friends! Find me @theavidappetite!

The Weekend in Photos

THON - Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon - the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, which raises money for pediatric cancer. Year-long efforts to raise money for this organization culminate with a dance marathon in which the dancers are required to stand on their feet and stay awake for 46 hours. This year, they raised over $10.6 million For The Kids! My sister sits on the exec board of Atlas, an independent student org with one cause - to raise money for THON! I spent the weekend at Penn State with my family and Christine celebrating, dancing, crying and feeling completely overwhelmed by this incredible event!

A-mazingness.

Secret Recipe Club: Mexican Layer Bake

Happy Monday! It is a happy Monday indeed today since not only do I have today off from work, but I also just returned from a whirlwind and A-mazing weekend with my family at Penn State for THON. To even say that it was A-mazing is an understatement. To see thousands upon thousands of students dancing for 46 hours straight, raising $10,686,924.83 For The Kids, cheering, celebrating and working tirelessly for months and months leading up to the event is pretty overwhelming. Not to mention the hundreds of families who benefit from THON and share their incredible stories of hope, love and inspiration.

I'll share some more photos and videos tomorrow!

On another note, today is my Secret Recipe Club reveal! Yay!

I joined the Secret Recipe Club a few months ago and love being a part of this community. The lovely Amanda created the SRC in order for bloggers to, once a month, try out another blogger's recipe and share it on their own blog. It's so fun to find new blogs, test out new recipes and to find out who has your blog for the month!

This month, I was given Denise's Creative Kitchen (http://creativekitchenadventures.com) and was so excited to find her blog. Denise writes delicious and simple recipes that all look fantastic. I love her honesty about going low-carb and her ideas for lightening dishes up!

When I found her recipe for a Mexican Layer Bake, I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and cook it up. You see, I've been working late a bunch of nights and therefore not really so into cooking when I arrive home. A nice, hearty casserole was just the ticket for us last week! It lasted for a few meals and was delicious every time.

 

This was so easy and so delicious. I will definitely be making this again and again!

Mexican Layer Bake
*Adapted from Creative Kitchen for the Secret Recipe Club
6 servings; 6 WW Points+ per serving

3 chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
4 taco-sized tortillas, such as Mission Life Balance
1 can black beans, very lightly drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as mild Rotel, very lightly drained
1 1/2 C reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
cooking spray
sour cream, for serving

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Lay the chicken breasts over a foil-lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken, using a brush to distribute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Once chicken is cooked, lower the oven to 350 degrees and then shred chicken in a large mixing bowl with fork and knife. Mix in the black beans, Rotel, chili powder and cumin. Add any salt and pepper as necessary.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Cut all 4 tortillas in half, so that you have 8 pieces. Layer 4 tortilla pieces in the bottom of baking dish. Pour half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with 3/4 C cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, layering 4 more tortilla pieces, the rest of the chicken mixture and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, if ya like. We actually mixed a bit of sour cream with a little cumin to make a nice little crema for serving. It was delicious.

Also, this reheated perfectly the next evening. Simply cover again with foil and bake until heated. Yum!! Thanks to Denise for this great recipe!

Questions of the Day:

What kind of dishes do you make to last you more than one meal?

How was your weekend?!