Workin' Mom Homestead

Everyone knows about the egg shortage of 2025. Stores either don’t have many eggs, or the eggs they do have are way more expensive than before. I purchased a few baby chicks and ducklings last year. I ended up with three hens, one rooster, and two female ducks (I had a male that I gave away due to him being aggressive). Of course, my hens are starting to reach laying age in the Winter, and only one chicken started laying. I believe one of my ducks laid some eggs, but she hid them and I haven’t been able to find them (Muscovys tend to do that). As happy as I am that I have one laying in the Winter, when hens usually slow down production anyway, one hen laying 5-6 eggs a week isn’t really enough to feed my family. However, since February started, I have refused to buy eggs from the store. We put all this time, effort and money into these birds so I’m just taking the eggs I can get and using them wisely.

When you’re feeding your family breakfast, obviously you want it to have some fat and protein so that it’s more filling, so we’re thinking beyond just toast with these recipes. I like to  make at least a couple of these recipes over the weekend and store or freeze the leftovers for quick weekday breakfasts. That being said, here are some of the breakfasts I’ve been making so that we can have wholesome, nutrient-dense food:

No Egg Ideas

• Granola– this one is easy and can be adjusted to your liking. You just mix rolled oats (3 cups), maple syrup (½ cup), and coconut oil (about ⅓ cup or a little more) or butter (1/2 stick), ½ tsp salt and some cinnamon. Mix together. I add 2 Tbsp of flaxseeds to add protein, healthy fats and fiber. Sometimes I add desiccated coconut if I have it leftover from something else, but it isn’t necessary.  Pour onto parchment paper on a baking sheet and press down (if you want chunks). Bake at 350° for 20-25 min, until it’s golden brown. Once it’s done and cooled, I add ⅓ cup raisins and ⅓ cup dried cranberries. This can be eaten as a snack or with milk as a breakfast cereal!
• Sourdough discard cinnamon rolls– My family loved this recipe from Farmhouse on Boone: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/quick-sourdough-discard-cinnamon-rolls/
• Oatmeal– rolled or steel cut oats, made with milk. To bulk it up, I add chia seeds and either raisins or bananas. My husband adds peanut butter. 
• Homemade bagels– This is one that I wanted to try for months, but it seemed intimidating and I procrastinated. I finally tried it this weekend and they were amazing! It was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Here’s the recipe I used- https://www.africanbites.com/homemade-bagel/#wprm-recipe-container-607005

Low Egg Ideas

• Cinnamon rolls (1 egg)– this one can take some time, so I usually save it for a special occasion or if I’m feeling like a super nice mom. I like the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-cinnamon-rolls-from-scratch/
• Mini banana muffins (1 egg)– these are great for toddlers or kids of all ages really. I omit the chocolate chips in this recipe, but feel free to go to town! Makes 24 mini muffins:
• Apple bread (1 egg)– I omit the nuts in this and use regular whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat flour, simply because I never have either of those on hand. I’m sure you could use AP flour as well. https://www.wellplated.com/apple-bread/#wprm-recipe-container-34116
• Sourdough discard cinnamon bread (1 egg)- I found this recipe while looking for a cinnamon loaf recipe on a Saturday morning when I didn’t have any bananas or apples to bake with. It was so good! One thing about me, I’m going to figure out something to make with the ingredients I have on hand. I reduced the sugar in this recipe to ¾ cup. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can find a regular cinnamon breakfast loaf recipe online, I’m sure of it. https://breadbythehour.com/sourdough-discard-cinnamon-quick-bread/#recipe
• Pancakes (1 egg)– this one is probably a no-brainer, but I found a good recipe that is half whole wheat, which adds fiber and nutrients, making them more filling. I have also tried all whole wheat recipes, but the half whole wheat is better suited for kids who are used to 100% all-purpose flour recipes. Serve with fruit or yogurt for more nutrients or protein. Pancakes also freeze well and can be put in the toaster for a quick week-day breakfast! https://www.inspiredtaste.net/25202/easy-whole-wheat-pancakes-recipe/
• Amish Baked Oatmeal (2 eggs)– this one seems luxurious with two eggs, but it’s so good and filling. I add frozen blueberries (about ½ cup) and flaxseeds (2 Tbsp) to mine. It adds a little more fiber, protein, nutrients, and a great flavor. Because of the extra water content in the blueberries, I bake on the higher end of the range that the recipe gives. https://www.cookingclassy.com/amish-baked-oatmeal/#jump-to-recipe

Other ways to save on eggs are using “flax eggs” for baking (I used to do this for muffins all the time when I was into vegan baking). For each “egg”, you whisk 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water, let it sit for 5 minutes and then add it to your recipe. I also avoid egg washes in recipes because I don’t like wasting an egg on that. I’ll either brush with milk or just avoid it all together. It’s not a necessary component to most baked goods, it just gives it a more golden color, which the milk will do as well. If you do want to have a fresh egg day, for bagel sandwiches or just as a side of scrambled eggs, adding a little milk or water to the eggs helps to stretch them out. Some people believe this makes them fluffier anyway, just don’t add too much. I recently started buying my flour, oats and sugar in bulk. This helps save even more money when cooking from scratch. 

I hope this gives you some inspiration! If you’re ever wondering what to make for your family, look at what you have available in your kitchen and Google those ingredients to see what you can make. There is so much online to help you make a well-balanced, wholesome and nutritious breakfast for your loved ones.