I taught after-school recreation for several years at all three of our local elementary schools. A majority of the children in my classes came from homes where they were being raised by a single parent or grandparents. It was my charge to teach these kindergarten-through-sixth grade students to eat healthy foods, which they could prepare for themselves.

For those of you who may not know, I have a home economics degree with an emphasis in foods and nutrition. I love to cook. I love to teach. And, unfortunately I love to eat.

There were several challenges, which needed to be addressed when I began teaching.

• First, I had to convince them cold cereal was not the only breakfast they would love.

• Second, all of the foods had to be cooking-free or they needed to be cooked using a microwave. Many of these children were not allowed to use the stove at home.

• Third, foods needed to be relatively inexpensive.

I also decided it was going to be my personal goal to help them understand the importance of eating breakfast.

I discovered very quickly that I had a tough audience. They were convinced they would not like any of the meals and snack that were not empty calories. I made two rules:

1. Everyone had to try one bite unless they had a note from home saying they were allergic to one of the ingredients. If we were making a recipe with several ingredients they were allowed to skip an ingredient but not the entire meal.

2. No one was allowed to say "yucky" or "gross" or "I hate that." If they did not want to eat one of the ingredients they had to say, "No thank you, I don't care for any." Now this one was hard at first, but they were soon monitoring each other.

Everything changed after just one session. They discovered they loved some things they thought they would not. When we made Breakfast Sundaes many of the kids had never eaten Mandarin oranges and were apprehensive, but they loved them.

I was soon being stopped by moms and dads in the grocery store who told me their kids now made their own breakfast and even made Breakfast Sundaes on the weekend for the whole family. One mom told me her daughter was serving them for breakfast for her birthday sleepover.

Other recipes met with the same success and when the end of the year came the kids decided to serve some of our breakfast items to their parents at the end of the year party, rather than something sweet.

I have included the Food Pyramid guidelines that are met with each meal so you can help the kids learn which foods are in which categories as well as the importance of a balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs.

Have fun with the kids in your life this summer and help them to learn cooking skills while having fun with food.

Breakfast Burritos

1 egg
1 tsp. water
1/4 C grated cheese
1 tortilla
Mexican seasoning and/or salsa (optional)

1. Sprinkle grated cheese on a tortilla. Place on microwave-safe dish and cook for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted.

2. Combine egg and water in small bowl.

3. With a fork beat well, until white and yolk are completely combined.

4. Place egg in small microwave dish. Cook for 20 seconds at medium power. With potholder remove bowl and stir.

5. Return to microwave and cook another 20 seconds. Stir again.

6. Cook for 15 seconds. Egg is done if it is a little shiny but not wet.

7. Place egg in the center of the tortilla add seasoning or salsa if wanted.

8. Roll burrito style and enjoy. Be careful as the cheese and egg may still be hot.

Food pyramid guidelines met:
1 serving Bread group
1 serving Meat group
1 serving Milk group

Breakfast Banana Splits

½ C yogurt — your favorite flavor
1 banana
1 C cold cereal
Berries, raisins, peaches or other fruit optional

1. Cut banana in half lengthwise

2. Place banana in a cereal or soup bowl. Cut the banana into smaller pieces if it doesn’t fit.

3. Spoon yogurt on top of banana

4. Pour cereal over the yogurt

5. Add other fruit of your choice on top of the cereal

For Breakfast Sundaes layer the ingredients in a clear cup. Substitute sliced fruits other than bananas as they are in season or you need to rotate canned fruits. Very cool looking!

Food Pyramid Guidelines met:
1/2 serving Fruit group
1/2 serving Milk group
1 serving Bread and Cereal group
**If you add the optional fruit on top add:
1 serving Fruit group

Breakfast Smoothies

½ C Vanilla yogurt
1 C Mango juice**
1 Medium banana*
1 C Fresh or frozen strawberries*
1 C Ice cubes

1. Place yogurt in blender

2. Add mango juice

3. Peel and break banana into 2 pieces

4. Place bananas in blender

5. Add strawberries to blender

6. Add ice to blender

7. Place lid firmly on Blender

8. Turn blender to medium setting and blend until smooth.

9. If the blender does not chop all the fruit turn off blender, remove lid and stir mixture with a wooden spoon.

10. Replace the lid on blender and turn blender on until the smoothie is well blended. Serves 2

* For thicker smoothies use frozen fruit. Rotate your canned fruits by placing them on a cookie sheet and freezing overnight, then use in smoothies

** You can substitute apricot juice

Food Pyramid Guidelines met:
½ serving Milk Group
1-½ servings Fruit Group

Pancake Roll-Up

2 Leftover or frozen pancakes thawed
2 Breakfast sausage roll
½ C Applesauce
Syrup
Toothpicks

1. Place paper towel on a microwave proof dish

2. Place sausage on the towel

3. Cover with a paper towel

4. Microwave 25 seconds

5. Turn sausage, cover and cook additional 25 seconds or until done in center

6. Brush pancake with syrup of your choice

7. Place sausage on pancake and roll

8. Secure the pancake with a toothpick

9. Place on microwave proof dish and cook for 30 seconds or until heated through

10. Dip into applesauce and enjoy

Food Pyramid Guidelines Met:
1 Serving Bread Group
1 Serving Meat Group
1 Serving Fruit Group

Breakfast Cups

3/4 lbs. Breakfast sausage
1 Can Refrigerated biscuit dough
5 Eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1 C Grated Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Spray cupcake tin with cooking spray

3. Separate biscuit dough into individual pieces

4. Flatten a biscuit with your hand

5. Line each cup with a flattened biscuit making sure it comes up the sides.

6. Cook sausage in microwave or frying pan

7. Drain sausage

8. Place a small amount of sausage in each cup lined with dough

9. Beat eggs and water until well blended

10. Divide evenly and pour over sausage

11. Sprinkle with cheese

12. Bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes or until center is firm.

13. Using a potholder remove from oven

14. Using a spatula remove egg from cup and enjoy

Makes 10 Breakfast Cups — 2 Cups equal 1 serving

These may also be cooked in a microwave if you use a microwave-proof muffin tin. Cooking will only take 2-3 minutes if it is done in the microwave.

Food Pyramid Guidelines met:
1 ½ Servings Meat Group
½ Serving Milk Group
2 Servings Bread Group