I’m 100% a grain girl. I love pasta almost as much as I love my husband, and rice comes in at a close second. For years, not a day went by that I didn’t have one or the other. I’m talking serious dedication.

As I get older, I’ve realized the need for more variety in my diet. There were hundreds of delicious vegetables out there just waiting to be tried. At first, I thought I would have severe withdrawals from my daily bowl of pasta, but honestly I’ve enjoyed trying new things. If I had never branched out, I wouldn’t have tried dishes like { mashed cauliflower } or { kale salad } (which I could honestly eat every day of my life!).

I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything, but rather gaining an appreciation for our ability to choose what we eat, in a world where not as many people are that lucky. It’s a daily goal to find new-to-me foods to try or to find new ways to enjoy old favorites. The latter is exactly how this recipe came about. I’d seen cauliflower “rice” recipes floating around on the internet and was skeptical at first. Could anything taste as good as my beloved rice?

Yep. It can. Does it taste exactly like rice? No, afterall, it is cauliflower. But, it’s also a delicious alternative and a great way to introduce kids to a new vegetable in a familiar form.

My challenge this week is to find one vegetable you’ve never tried and give it a whirl. Chances are it’s no more difficult to prepare than anything you’ve had before, and it’ll make you feel great for branching out. After all, you don’t usually find anything amazing in life if you don’t set out on an adventure first.

Cauliflower “Rice” with Leeks and Parmesan

{ Serves 3-4 as a side }

1 head cauliflower

*1 leek, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS coconut oil

salt + pepper

1 lemon

2 TBS Parmesan

Take the head of cauliflower and cut off the stalk. Cut the remaining cauliflower into large chunks. Process in a food processor at 2 second intervals until the cauliflower resembles large chunks of rice.

Add processed cauliflower to large bowl along with the sliced leek and minced garlic. Drizzle with coconut oil, a few pinches of sea salt and black pepper and toss well to combine.

Spread mixture on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes until mixture begins to brown, stirring mixture halfway through.

Remove from oven, add juice from 1 lemon and Parmesan and toss well. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

* Here’s a { great tutorial } for how to clean and slice leeks.

For the past couple years, I’ve tried to get on the quinoa bandwagon. It seems quinoa keeps popping up everywhere! As a side dish, in meatloaf, as a coating for fried or baked meats…you name it. If you’ve never had it before, it’s a small grain similar to cous cous and is a great source of dietary fiber as well as being gluten-free.

I’ve had it prepared numerous ways–some I liked and some I didn’t like. A few weeks ago I was in Whole Foods and noticed an interesting quinoa salad full of  mango, cilantro, peppers and raisins. I decided to grab a small container to go, not really sure if I would like it.

Oh, my word. It was delicious!

I now realize that I really enjoy quinoa when it takes a backseat to bigger, bolder flavors. And let me tell you, this dish is not lacking in flavor! It’s a great source of protein, Vitamin C and healthy fats. It’s also gluten free and diabetic friendly. It’s a dish that just about anyone can enjoy!

Try serving it alongside grilled fish or add diced chicken to make it a one dish meal. Enjoy!

Quinoa with Mango and Raisins

Inspired by Whole Foods

{ Serves 4-6 }

1 TBS cilantro

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

few cracks of fresh black pepper

Juice from 2 limes

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 mango, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup raw, toasted nuts

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Blend first 6 ingredients together. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add half of the dressing mixture to the quinoa. Stir well and let sit for a few minutes.

Add remaining ingredients to the quinoa mixture, along with the remaining dressing. Toss well to combine and serve!

 I’m going to go out on a limb and say that kale has been the new “it” vegetable from this past year. Everywhere I look I see recipes using kale. In almost every recipe, the kale is steamed/sauteed/baked…basically cooked. When I came across a recipe using raw kale, I was interested. How could you turn such a sturdy green into something that tasted great raw?

The trick, I learned, was to use an avocado and a bit of oil. By massaging it into the kale, it helps to soften the greens, all while infusing flavor. I was sold. 

It’s creamy from the avocado, tangy from the lime juice and has a nice fresh crunch from the green onions. Definitely a different combination of flavors. This would be great served with grilled chicken or fish for a delicious light meal!

Kale and Avocado Salad

{ Serves 2-3 }

1 bunch of curly kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces

1 avocado, scooped and diced

1 TBS olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 Roma tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lime (start with juice from 1/2 then add more to taste)

Add pieces of kale to a large bowl. Add in the diced avocado and olive oil. Using your hands, massage the avocado and oil into the kale until each leaf is well coated.

Add remaining ingredients, except for the lime juice, to the bowl and toss to combine. Start by adding juice from 1/2 of the lime then add more to taste. Toss well and serve.

This will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 days.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite new salads. The best part of this recipe is that there is no recipe! It’s a throw-together-what-you-have kinda dish that I’ve been craving over and over again. Have a favorite vegetable? Add it to the bowl. Don’t like tomatoes, keep them out. I love “recipes” that I can easily adapt to my taste.

The other great thing about this salad is that everything can be chopped ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When you want to eat, pull everything out and everyone can make their own salad with exactly what they like. When I first made this salad a couple weeks ago, I ate the leftovers nearly every day for lunch for a week. It made a quick, easy meal that I felt good about eating.

To make this salad a lot healthier than traditional taco salads, I skipped the high calorie taco shell bowl it normally comes in and instead added cooked brown rice. I also left all the veggies raw for maximum nutritional value and left out any salad dressing. It tasted great without any dressing, but if you’d like some, try my { creamy cilantro dressing }. It would be delicious with that!

Here’s what I had in my salad…

- Romaine lettuce

- Ground Beef (I used one pound of 90/10 which is leaner and cooked it with 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper.)

- Brown Rice

- Orange pepper, diced

- Roma Tomato, diced

- Avocado, diced (Which I accidentally left out of the picture above.)

- Cilantro, chopped

- Shredded cheese

This salad would also be delicious with…

- Corn kernels

- Red peppers

- Jicama

- Black beans

- Salsa

Justin and I really enjoyed this salad. I love finding new ways to make salad a main course meal. With this dinner, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything from a great Mexican meal other than extra calories and fat!

Tell me, what would your perfect taco salad have in it?

Now before you jump to any conclusions, you’re not going to find the word “tofu” anywhere in this recipe. Nor will you find any other supposedly-tastes-like-meat-but-looks-gross-to-me meat substitute. Now if you’re a tofu loving, tempeh tasting maniac, more power to you. It’s just not my thing. The day I walk through my front door with tofu is the day my husband will send me packing. Seriously.

If it weren’t for my husband, I’d probably be a vegetarian. (That eats steak on occasion.) (And a bite or two of fried chicken just to remind myself of what I gave up.) Basically, I’d eat a lot less meat if I wasn’t cooking for a guy. I do think roasted chicken and turkey sandwiches have a place in our diet, just in moderation. I try to eat vegetarian for lunch, and have at least two veggie only dinners during the week. Sounds hard? It’s really not.

The key to eating more vegetable is to find new ways to make them. I know I say it every time, but it really works! When I made these “meat”balls, Justin actually had to ask me if there was meat in them. There’s so good, you won’t even miss the traditional version. They’re salty, cheesy and have a kick from the crushed red pepper.

I serve them over brown rice pasta with lemon and zucchini. The beautiful thing about this recipe is you can make the meatballs, and change up everything else. They would be fantastic served with marina sauce and a nice side salad, or piled into a pita topped with tzatziki sauce. The options are endless.

Spinach “Meat”balls w. Lemon Zucchini Pasta

Adapted from { this recipe }

{ Serves 4 }

{ Meatballs }

1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. crushed pepper

3-4 cracks of fresh black pepper

1 TBS coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325.

Place all ingredient in a large bowl and mix until well combined. (Best to use your hands.) Using a 1″ ice cream scoop, form meatballs. Make sure to firmly pat each meatball into a ball.

Heat coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Place one meatball in the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Add remaining meatballs to the pan and cook for 1 minute on first side, or until well-browned. Using a spatula, carefully turn over each meatball to brown on all sides.

Once browned, remove meatballs from the pan and add to an oven-proof plate. (Leave pan sans meatballs on the stove.) Place in oven, uncovered, until pasta is finished cooking.

{ Pasta }

1 lb. brown rice pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

2 zucchini, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

juice from 1 lemon

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, using the same pan you just removed the meatballs from, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add zucchini to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until zucchini has just begun to soften. Stir in parmesan cheese, lemon juice and cooked (and drained) pasta. Toss well to combine.

Serve meatballs over spaghetti for a delicious vegetarian dinner!

For some reason, October is always our busiest time of the year. I blame it on the fact that football kicks into overdrive and our birthdays book-end the month. This year we’ve decided to take it from simply busy, to insane.  I’m excited to share that we are starting the house hunting process! I can’t wait to finally have our own home to decorate. And grill out. And host lots of family holidays and dinner parties. We are SO ready for the phase in our life.

We are also currently in the process of trying to buy a new (used) car, host/attend several baby/bridal showers in the next month and a million other small things that add up to one crazy busy month. I think the paperwork alone from trying to get pre-approved for a mortgage is going to do me in!

With all that said, I’ve been too busy to cook more than a couple nights a week. Enter, this salad. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but I can have all the ingredients ready in the fridge and throw it together at the last minute. It combines juicy chicken, crisp apples and salty bacon with a quick and easy toasted pecan vinaigrette for a great quick meal. Don’t have apples, use pears. Don’t like Gorgonzola, try feta. The beauty of this salad is that it’s easy to adapt to your specific tastes.

I served this salad to my mom a few weeks ago for lunch and she raved about it. It was nice to be able to sit with my mom over a great meal and talk about our lives and the future. To take a break from all the craziness and simply connect over a leisurely lunch. Now every time I make this salad, I think of her. Ladies, invite your moms to lunch and make them this salad. And talk about all your dreams for the future. Life is all about making delicious memories together.

Chicken, Bacon and Apple Salad

{ Serves 2 }

2 hearts of romaine, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 slice of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 small apple, chopped

1/3 cup Gorgonzola

Mix all ingredients and toss to combine. Add a few tablespoons of dressing (recipe below) and lightly toss to dress salad.

Pecan Vinaigrette

Adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe

{ Makes 1 cup }

1/4 cup pecans

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/4 tsp. whole-grain mustard

1 TBS honey

1 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

few cracks fresh black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Set oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, coarsely chop pecans.

In a blender or food processor, blend together vinegar, garlic, both mustards, honey, sugar, salt and pepper. While the machine is still running, slowly add in the olive oil. Blend until combined. Stir chopped pecans into mixture.

Remove mixture and pour into an airtight container. Keep dressing in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Santorini, Greece is one of THE most beautiful places in the word. When Justin and I went there last year, we didn’t ever want to leave. Gorgeous views, friendly people and incredible food makes it the perfect place to relax for a week. Or a year. Whatever.

After a late night flight to Athens and a short early morning flight to Santorini, we were ready to eat! There aren’t many restaurants in Oia (the town we stayed in) that don’t have incredible views. Pretty much everything in town looks out onto the caldera (volcano) and the endless blue waters. What more could you want?

The first thing we ordered in Greece? Tzatziki dip. If you’ve never had it before, it’s delicious. Creamy, tangy, garlicky, fresh. It’s one of my all-time favorite dips. This tzatziki dip was THE best we’ve ever had. It was so thick and creamy, we could have just eaten that for the rest of our trip and been happy.

Here’s Justin with his first  Greek meal…it was some kind of pork. Mmmmm.

Santorini is know for it’s beautiful sunset. Everyone in town gathers in one spot to watch the sun turn bright orange and dip into the deep blue water. Oia is such a small town that you really feel welcome. After a romantic sunset, you meander along the curvy main road and poke in the numerous shops on your way to dinner. If you’re anything like us, you end the night with a trip to the local bakery and dessert on your balcony overlooking the city. (Sigh.) I wish every night could be like that.

Whenever I’m missing Santorini and feel like I need a vacation, I make this dip. It takes me right back to sitting on a balcony watching the sun start to set. Try this as a healthy alternative to serve at your next football party or as a low-fat afternoon snack. It’s also delicious served alongside grilled meats for a fantastic light meal!

 Tzatziki Dip

Adapted from How To Roast A Lamb

{ Makes 2 cups }

16 oz. greek yogurt

1 shallot, diced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 TBS dill, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup distilled white vinegar

juice from 1/2 lemon

salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

Place a coffee filter in a strainer and set the strainer over a bowl. Put the greek yogurt in the filter and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least two hours to drain.

Discard water accumulated in bowl. Take the thickened yogurt and dump into the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the yogurt and season to taste.

Serve with toasted pita bread and fresh vegetables as an appetizer, or with grilled meat for a delicious light meal.

{ Tips }

- I use the Trader Joe’s Organic Greek yogurt. I actually like it better than several of the name brands.

- An easy way to seed a cucumber is to peel it, cut in in half length-wise and then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

- If you have a fine mesh strainer, you can skip the coffee filter step and just put the fine strainer over a bowl.

- The longer this dip sits, the better it gets. I usually make it and let it sit in the fridge for at least a few hours before eating to let the flavors meld.

In case you haven’t caught on by now, I love pasta. As a kid, I would only eat plain pasta and canned green beans. (Anyone, gag?) It took me well into my teen years before I even wanted sauce on my pasta. I was a strictly butter girl. Maybe Paula Dean is a distant relative of mine…

As much as I love a bowl of buttered pasta, my taste buds have grown up over the years. A few months ago I was craving chili mac. I had no idea where the craving came from since I’ve maybe eaten chili mac once in my life, but alas the craving needed to be fixed. That’s how this fantastic recipe came to be.

It might look like every chili mac you’ve ever seen, but the kick from the lime juice and 5 spice powder will tell you instantly this isn’t the same old, same old. And I didn’t stop there; melted cheddar cheese and bright, fresh cilantro will make this a dish you’ll crave again and again. Welcome to chili mac, with a twist.

Chili Mac

{ serves 2-3 }

1 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 TBS garlic powder

2 pinches chili flakes

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder

1/2 cup diced red onion, plus additional for garnishing

1 tsp. coarse sea salt; divided

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock; divided

1 TBS tomato paste

1 1/2 cup diced, canned tomatoes

zest and juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

3 TBS chives, chopped (optional)

1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti cooked and tossed with 1 TBS olive oil

Add coconut oil to a large saute pan and heat to medium-high. Once heated, add the ground beef to the pan and break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Brown meat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until meat no longer appears pink. Remove meat and set aside. Remove excess grease from pan, leaving only 1TBS of oil/grease.

Add the garlic powder, chili flakes, chili powder, cumin, and Chinese 5 spice powder to the pan. Stir frequently for 30 seconds or until the spices begin to smell fragrant.

Add the diced red onion and 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt along with 1/4 cup of stock to the pan and lower head to medium. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions begin to soften and the stock has begun to reduce.

Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt and remaining 1/4 cup of stock to the pan. Make sure the heat is at a simmer and cook mixture for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat and add lime juice and zest. Toss to combine. Add any additional salt to fit your personal preference. Ladle meat mixture over individual bowls of spaghetti and top with cheese, cilantro, and optional diced red onion and chives. Enjoy!

{ Helpful Notes }

- Monterey Jack or Pepperjack would be a fantastic sub for the cheddar.

- If you don’t have red onion, you can use white, Spanish, Vidalia…you get the drift.

- If you like it really spicy, try topping your bowl with chopped pickled jalapenos.

It’s hard to try new vegetables. I get it. Especially when you have picky kids (or husbands!) that are afraid of anything that’s not a chicken finger. Personally, I was afraid of cauliflower for years. I love broccoli, but always thought of cauliflower as the weird cousin of my green friend. I’ve heard too many times to count that cauliflower is good roasted, but I just never could get on the cauliflower train.

Until now.

This recipe is life changing. I’m serious!

I took one bite and I looked and Justin and said “Oh. My. Gosh”.

(It’s no wonder he thinks I’m a bit over-dramatic at times.)

The only way to describe this dish is fantastic, delicious and easy.

Oh, so easy!

It’s forever changed the way I look at cauliflower.

Your kids, your husband…heck even your dog will love this dish!

Just tell them after the first bite it’s actually a vegetable and not mashed potatoes.

(They’ll be so hooked they won’t even care.)

So make it, capiche?

Mashed Cauliflower

Adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe

{ Serves 4 }

1 head cauliflower

1 TBS unsalted butter

2 tsp. roasted garlic*

1/3 cup monterey jack cheese

2 TBS cream cheese, softened

1/8 tsp. white pepper

salt to taste

1/4 cup chopped chives

Steam cauliflower for 10-12 minutes or until just tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together remaining ingredients (excluding chives).

Mash steamed cauliflower in a bowl with a fork. Add cauliflower to bowl with cheese mixture. Mix until combined. Serve each portion topped with chives.

* To roast garlic, take one head of garlic and slice off the top (about 1/2″). Discard top and place the garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil, cut side up. Drizzle with 1 TBS coconut oil and two pinches of sea salt and close foil tightly around garlic head. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees or until garlic cloves are soft and light brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze garlic head in a small bowl and the cloves should pop out. Blend cloves in blender with 2 TBS olive oil until thoroughly combined. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

{ Helpful Hints }

If you’re like me and don’t have a steamer, simply place the cauliflower in a bowl with 2 TBS of water. Cover with a lid that is slightly off kilter to allow a bit of the steam to escape, and microwave for 5 minute increments until the cauliflower is just tender.

You can sub cheddar for the monterey jack.

Don’t mash the cauliflower too much. The texture is fantastic when it’s a bit chunky.

I’m not a huge fan of blueberries. There, I said it. I feel as weird about not being a berry person as I do about not liking peanut butter and chocolate together. In fact, I’ll only eat peanut butter on bread. No jelly, please. But, that’s a story for another day.

Not really liking berries (except for strawberries) wouldn’t be that big of a deal except for the fact that my husband loves them. Any kind. Fresh, cooked, in pies, on salads. He doesn’t care. And muffins? He loves them. I love him, so I always wanted to make him muffins. I used to buy the quick mix at the grocery store with the dinky “blueberries” in the mix, but when we switched to an organic, whole foods diet I needed to find a recipe I could make from scratch. Enter { Cooks Illustrated }.

If you’ve never heard of Cooks Illustrated, it’s absolutely amazing! A friend of mine introduced me to the website a couple years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. My favorite resource is their { website }, but they also have a TV show and several magazines. They consistently put out flavorful, fool-proof recipes that work every single time. It’s interesting because their approach to food is much more methodical and scientific than most cooking sites. They don’t just tell you how to do something, but why it’s necessary. It’s an excellent resource if you’re learning how to cook!

When I’m looking for a recipe, a lot of times I’ll start with Cooks Illustrated and tweak their recipe to fit my food philosophy. That was the case with this blueberry muffin recipe. They’re called “Best Ever Blueberry Muffins” and let me tell you, they are! In my version, I use whole wheat pastry flour, cane sugar and coconut oil. My mom tried one a few weeks ago and declared it “bakery worthy”. (Let me tell you, that’s a pretty serious statement in our family.) Even a blueberry hater like me couldn’t resist this moist muffin with a crunchy lemon sugar topping. Consider me converted.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

{ Makes 12 Muffins }

1/3 c. cane  sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 1/8 cups, plus 1 teaspoon cane sugar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt, fine ground

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 c. coconut oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Mix together the first two ingredients, sugar and lemon zest, in a bowl. Stir until the sugar has moistened from the zest.

2. Turn oven on to 425 degrees and adjust rack to upper-middle position. Grease the top of a muffin tin with a paper towel dipped in coconut oil. Place cupcake liners in each cup.

3. Place 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, mashing berries to create a thick jam. Continue to cook until you have about 1/4 cup of blueberry jam. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10-15 minutes.

4. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 1 1/8 c. sugar and eggs together until mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.

5. Using a spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

4. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, add one scoop of batter to each muffin cup. (It should fill the cup almost to the rim.) Next, add a teaspoon of the blueberry jam on top of each muffin cup. Finally, add another scoop of batter to top each muffin.

5. Sprinkle the remaining lemon/sugar mixture evenly on top of each muffin, pressing lightly to make it adhere.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17-19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

{ Helpful Tips }

- If the coconut oil is in a solid state, melt it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until it’s liquid.

- These muffins will expand as they cook. I usually run my knife under each muffin top before I remove it from the pan to prevent it from sticking and tearing.

- The muffins will freeze wonderfully. When I make a batch, I leave half of them out to eat and put the other half in a container in the freezer. Whenever we want one for breakfast, I just pop it in the microwave on defrost for a minute or so.