Breakfast blasts

Southern Living, Aug 1998

Could breakfast be your favorite meal?

Wait a minute . . . What's the deal?

An awesome sundae

Who'd have a clue

This gooey sweet is good for you?

Ask your mom to take a bow

For Painted French Toast and a Purple Cow.

painted french toast

Cooking time: 6 to 9 minutes 6 large eggs

1 cup milk

Assorted colors liquid food coloring

4 new paintbrushes

8 white bread slices

1/4 cup butter or margarine

WHISK together eggs and milk. Pour 1/4 cup egg mixture evenly into 4 small bowls, reserving remaining mixture. Add desired amount of food coloring to each bowl.

PAINT each bread slice with desired colored egg mixture. Dip painted bread into reserved egg mixture.

MELT 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook bread, in batches,1 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and bread slices.

YIELD: 4 servings. Nancy Matthews

Grayson, Georgia

superhero granola

Preparation time:12 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

5 cups uncooked regular oats

1 (11-ounce) jar honey-roasted wheat germ

1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1 (7 1/4-ounce) jar sunflower kernels

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) package dried apricots, chopped

1 cup raisins

STIR together first 4 ingredients.

MICROWAVE molasses, honey, and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 30 seconds or until butter melts. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Toss with oat mixture. Spoon oat mixture into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.

BAKE at 350o for 20 minutes, stirring once. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Stir in apricots and raisins. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

YIELD: about 12 cups.

purple cow

Preparation time: 5 minutes

2 large bananas

1/2 (12-ounce) can frozen apple-grape juice

concentrate, thawed and undiluted

1 cup low-fat milk

1/2 cup soft tofu (optional)

CUT bananas into 1-inch-thick slices, and place on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm.

PROCESS frozen banana, juice, milk, and, if desired, tofu in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Serve immediately.

YIELD: about 4 cups. sausage in a sleeping bag

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes

Baking time: 20 to 25 minutes

1 (16.9-ounce) package frozen Southernstyle biscuits, thawed

cup maple syrup

12 fully cooked breakfast sausage links FLATTEN biscuits to 1/4-inch thickness. Brush evenly with maple syrup. Place 1 sausage link in the center of each biscuit, and fold biscuit over sausage; press edges to seal. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

BAKE at 375 deg for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

YIELD: 6 servings.

NOTE: For biscuits we used Pillsbury, and for sausage links we used Jimmy Dean Heat 'N Serve Sausage Links.

breakfast sundae

Preparation time: 15 minutes

4 frozen toaster waffles

2 bananas, sliced

2 (8-ounce) containers lemon yogurt*

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup toasted out O-shaped cereal

Strawberry syrup COOK waffles according to package directions. Cut into quarters.

PLACE banana evenly in serving glasses or bowls. Layer evenly with half each of yogurt, berries, and cereal. Repeat layers once. Top with waffle. Serve with syrup.

YIELD: 4 servings.

NOTE: For waffles we used Eggo waffles.

*Any fruit-flavored yogurt may be substituted.