See that logo above? TOTALLY NOT ME. Yes, I can multi-task, but I find shortcuts here and there that help me through a busy day with 10-year-old and a 2-year-old. Today, I am going to share one of them in the hopes that it will help with your munchkins as well!

Today's tip:Quick lunches for growing boys (or girls, whateverrr! I have two boys so that's what I'm going with.)

Bradley has recently been going through yet another growth spurt. Which means that he can have two helpings of dinner and still manage to whine "Mommmmm, I'm still hungry!". After a long day, that is the last thing that I want to hear, especially after feeding him, Daddy, Mommy, and Jakey - we're all out of whatever "dinner" I prepared that night.

I was beginning to find that lunch was the same way. He could easily eat through an entire box of Kraft Mac & Cheese or a can of Chef Boyardee and still look at me and tell me he needed more to eat. Not his fault, he is a growing boy! (Now, to take out that second mortgage to FEED this growing boy eating me out of house & home...)

One thing that I have found that he likes, it is CHEAP, and fills him up and still has leftovers :::drum roll please:::

Regular ol' pasta & sauce. 

Pick a shape. Penne, spaghetti, rotini, whatever floats your boat. Cook according to instructions. Costs about $0.79 - $1.29 a box, and when you get them on BOGO at Publix, cut that in half.

Pick a sauce. We tend to stick to red sauces in different variations. Some with cheese, some with veggies added, he likes them all (a plus!). After pasta is drained, put in a big container and put toss with sauce. Sauce costs about $1.79-$3.50 per jar, depending on what brand you prefer. Again, get it on BOGO and stock up and you cut this in half.

Feed the boys, then store remainder in fridge. Lasts very well, in my opinion is better than the canned preserved stuff, and it makes a ton of leftovers!

Hope this helps! Now, back to the 100 other things I have to do today ... ;)

My love of ......... breakfast

Yes, I am writing a post about how much I love breakfast. I have only realized this again in the past couple months or so. Let me explain...

You see, I never used to be a "breakfast" person. I could simply grab a cup of coffee and be perfectly fine until lunch. I just didn't crave or need a whole meal, I suppose. That is until I began working at Academic Financial Solutions as a consolidation loan processor back in 2004. 

Breakfast became kind of like a social gathering. All of us girls in the processing department would go down to the cafeteria together and get a breakfast sandwich, or some eggs with cheese, whatever floated your boat - every morning! It just sort of happened one day, then became a habit for all of us. We would get our food and then grab our coffee and go back to work. It gave us a little break first thing in the morning and was overall, a fun start to the day. 

Then, I began working at GEICO and you can't really "come and go" as you please like I was able to with the office job I had at AFS. So, because sleep is my second best friend (besides coffee), I would rather sleep more and not eat breakfast than to wake up early and eat, then go. Sad, I know. 

However, recently on my days off, I have become more and more obsessed with making a big breakfast! Whether it is just for me and Jake, or for all of us on a Sunday morning - breakfast has somewhat made it back into at least a small part of my routine! We (well, I) have also dubbed Saturday night "breakfast for dinner" night. Hans loves the sweets - pancakes and/or french toast - so this is a perfect way to have a treat at the end of the week. Hans laughs that I created this day especially for my obsession with love of breakfast. I just told him it adds to the kid's routine and gives them something to look forward to & remember when they grow up. Now, back to my affection for all things breakfast. This morning for example, on my impromptu day off - Jacob had a fried egg and turkey sausage with some orange juice. Let's just say I was a bit more hungry...

I made (for myself only, mind you): two scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, a piece of toast (with 0 calorie spray butter if that helps...maybe...), a bowl of grits, a cup of orange juice, and a cup of coffee. And I ate. It. All. On a side note: Isn't it sad that I am the only one in my house that likes grits? These boys! Oh well, more for me...

So, are you a "breakfast person"? What is your favorite breakfast food?