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By Root 3881 0

start at 7:00 a.m. There’s a section devoted to eggs—from the simplest scrambled concoctions to make-ahead casseroles. Then come the reasons God made maple syrup: pancakes, French toast, and the like. Finally, there’s a set of easy sides.

Simply put, breakfast’s worth the effort—no matter if you’ve cut your designer life down to a single burner or it’s a weekend morning and you’ve got no plans other than a waffle, the paper, and a cup of coffee.

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Breakfast Smoothies

No wonder smoothies have taken over breakfast: they’re fast, flavorful, and nutritious. Unfortunately, like muffins, they have also gotten supersized. So keep the servings within reason and use fat-free yogurt or skim milk.

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How to Make a Smoothie

Put the ingredients in a blender in the order listed; blend until smooth. Each recipe makes one smoothie; any can be doubled or tripled, depending on your blender’s capacity. For a brighter taste, add 1/8 teaspoon salt. For a colder drink, start with an ice cube or two.

Banana Mango Smoothie

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into pieces

½ cup chopped peeled pitted mango

¼ cup yogurt (regular, plain, or fat-free)

¼ cup orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lemon Berry Smoothie

½ cup sliced fresh strawberries

½ cup lemon sherbet or sorbet

¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Banana Melon Smoothie

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks

¾ cup chopped, peeled, seeded honeydew or cantaloupe

¼ cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit and Berry Smoothie

4 medium apricots, pitted and halved

4 hulled strawberries, sliced

1 cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

¼ cup white grape juice

1 tablespoon wheat germ

Peach Melba Smoothie

1 medium ripe peach, pitted and cut into wedges

½ cup vanilla frozen yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Peanut Butter Smoothie

4 to 5 ice cubes

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks

½ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Strawberry Melon Protein Smoothie

6 hulled strawberries, sliced

¾ cup peeled, seeded cantaloupe or honeydew chunks

1/3 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons unflavored protein powder

Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie

3 ice cubes

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks

1 cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons unflavored protein powder

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Savory Cucumber Smoothie

½ cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber

½ cup blackberries

½ cup apple juice

3 torn basil leaves

Pear Smoothie

1 small ripe pear, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks

1/3 cup white cranberry or white grape juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

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Cereals

Although most of us pour it out of a box, homemade cereal is a treat, especially since it’s lacking the preservatives and chemical enhancements often laced into our morning staple.

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A road map for The Ultimate Granola

Granola is endlessly variable, bound only by your whims. Here’s a road map to creating your signature version. Makes about 10 cups

Start by positioning the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheating the oven to 350°F.

Spread

6 cups rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking or steel-cut oats)

on a very large baking sheet. Toast in the top third of the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a very large bowl. (Maintain the oven’s heat.)

Next, mix one item from each of the following two lists in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

(a) 2/3 cup of any one of these sweeteners:

Honey

Maple syrup

Unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed

Unsweetened white grape juice concentrate, thawed

Sweetened cranberry juice concentrate, thawed

Cane syrup, such as Lyle’s Golden