Mini Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

After yesterday’s monologue about the intricacies of breakfast, Marie made a great point in the comments:

I have a hard time with breakfast. Without it the day’s a disaster, but I am NOT a morning person, in spite of which I am out the door by 7 am (in the darkness… so sad…). It’s a daily struggle, because if I make a good breakfast I get crunched for time, but if I have a teeny grab-and-go breakfast I’m starving well before lunchtime (5 1/2 or 6 1/2 hours later, depending on the day). I can often munch on a snack mid-morning, but the snack has to be something I can eat without direct snack-to-germ-and-ink-covered-skin contact. So I need breakfasts that are filling (but not heavy) and fast and snacks that are quick and easy to eat but not overly processed.

I hear ya, Marie! Being a teacher, it’s especially important for you to be energized during the morning. Your struggles with breakfast are common ones, and ones I’ve had myself (and I’m a morning person!). I believe in the power of a good breakfast, so I believe it is my duty – nay, life mission – to help everyone enjoy a good one. There are several things you can do to make sure you fuel up in the morning.

(1) Prepare grab-and-go breakfasts for the week during the weekend.

For this to work, the grab-and-go breakfasts can’t be teeny tiny. The more balanced and filling they are, the more likely you’ll last until lunch (or until your mid-morning snack). To make sure I’m getting enough in the morning, I always include at least one of each of the following groups at breakfast:

*A whole grain. This can be bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, even rice or quinoa (and yes, I’ve eaten both of those for breakfast).
*A protein. Try eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, even sliced chicken or tofu.
*A fruit or veggie. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, dried fruit (without added sugar if possible) – choose your favorite. If you’re having eggs, a smoothie, or a sandwich, leafy greens are a nutritious addition.

Following this structure, we can build breakfasts:

*Baggie with mixed cereal, nuts, dried fruit. This one may be small, so throw in a yogurt if you can.
*Whole grain crackers, hard-boiled egg, cheese. Fruit on the side.
*Sandwich with sliced meat or tofu and veggies. I’ve done this before and it makes a fantastic change!

You can bundle these up in a Tupperware and bring with you to school – one for each day of the week.

(2) Wake up a few minutes earlier to make a fast-but-filling breakfast you can eat in the car (if you need to).

I know waking up earlier is not a popular option, so you need to decide if that’s something you want to do. If so, there are many breakfasts you can make in just a few minutes.

*Smoothies (if you have a blender). Peter used to drink these in the car on the way to work (which I’m not a fan of, but it works).
*Sandwich, freshly made. My favorite when I was in high school (and in my no-breakfast phase) was to spray a bowl with non-stick cooking spray, crack an egg or two inside, stir, cover, and microwave for one and a half to two minutes. I’ve also made versions where you add spinach, chopped tomatoes, and/or herbs. Stick between two slices of whole grain bread and enjoy! Alternatively, you can make a traditional deli sandwich with sliced meats and veggies.
*Throw yogurt, fruit, and cereal into a bowl or glass and eat with a spoon.

As for a mid-morning snack, I have a couple of suggestions:

*Fruit and nuts. Try packing an easily peeled fruit, like a banana or clementine, or one that can be eaten without much hand contact, like an apple, or something more exotic like a persimmon or kiwi (yes, you can eat the skin if it’s organic!). I like to pair fruit with nuts because the healthy fats help you absorb nutrients from the fruit, plus they slow digestion and help the snack last longer. A little baggie of nuts may work for you, or you can try what I did for a long time: carry a little Tupperware container with a spoonful of peanut butter and dip the fruit in it. NOTE: If you work in a nut-free environment, this will obviously need to be modified.
*Veggies and dressing. You can either precut veggies over the weekend or buy them precut. To prevent hand contact, you can put the veggies in a Tupperware container and drizzle dressing over the top, then eat with a fork.
*The ultimate in no-hands snacking: homemade or bought granola bars. When I worked in hospitals, I used to carry Fill-Me-Up Oat Bars in my lab coat pocket in plastic baggies. To chow down, I would hold the bar in the bag and eat through the open top. It’s a little wasteful in terms of plastic baggie use, but I did reuse the bags.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is actually not food-related at all, and that is: routine. Any change in lifestyle is difficult at first, but with time and patience, just about anything can become part of your routine.

I hope that helps, Marie!

On to today’s recipe: last week, I asked for suggestions on what to do with my abundance of lavender. After Sarah and Samantha both suggested lavender shortbread, I knew I had to try it.

Dough waiting to be chilled, with my handprint.

This recipe is adapted from this one and has a lovely hint of lemon. Let me tell you: the aroma of lavender and lemon filling your kitchen is not to be missed. Unfortunately, this recipe only used 2 teaspoons of fresh lavender, so I’m still on the hook with the rest of my lavender. This is not a recipe to make lighter – the high butter content is essential for good shortbread, while using whole grain flour would overwhelm the delicate lavender flavor. Let’s call this a sometimes food, shall we? 🙂

Q: What’s your favorite grab-and-go breakfast?