Egg McMuffin (without a drive thru!)

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by Mike Saechang

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why do about a fourth of us skip it? The most common reasons are that we don't have time, we're not hungry, or we don't feel like it.

We know the facts: kids who eat breakfast perform better at school. They have better concentration, stronger problem solving skills, longer attention spans, and better memory. As an adult, I think I could benefit from those results as well!

Eating breakfast is important, but many people are crunched for time, so instead of eating nutritious food at home, they swing by the fast food drive thru that's on the way. I've been guilty of this many times. Who doesn't love a hot sausage and egg biscuit with hash browns on the side?

Those delicious, quick, and easy sandwiches aren't exactly the best way to start our day, and we know it, but we like them, and they're better than nothing, right?

Check out the list of ingredients in a sausage egg mcmuffin:

English Muffin (Flour Enriched [Wheat Flour Enriched, Barley Malted Flour, Niacin, Iron Reduced, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (Vitamin aB)], Water, Yeast, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Sugar, Wheat Gluten, Soybean(s) Oil and/or Canola Oil Contains 2% or less of the Following: ( Salt, Flavor(s) Artificial, Barley Malt, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Propionate and Calcium Sulphate (Sulfate), Citric Acid, Corn Meal, Dough Conditioner(s) [Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Datem, Tricalcium Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Enzyme(s), Calcium Peroxide], Potassium Sorbate Preservative, Rice Flour, Soy Lecithin, Corn Flour Yellow, Flavor(s) Natural, Prepared with Margarine Liquid), Sausage Patty (Pork, Whey Protein Concentrate, Water, Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, Spice(s), Dextrose, Monosodium Glutamate, BHA and BHT and Caramel Color, Citric Acid Preservative, Propyl Gallate and Spice(s) Extractive), Cheese American Pasteurized Process (Milk, Water, Milk Fat, Cheese Culture, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Acetic Acid, Color(s) Artificial, Enzyme(s), Lactic Acid, Soy Lecithin), Margarine Liquid (Soybean(s) Oil Liquid, Water, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Salt, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Color(s) Artificial, Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid, Enzyme(s), Soy Lecithin), Egg(s) (Egg(s), Soy Lecithin, Prepared with Margarine Liquid [Soybean(s) Oil Liquid, Water, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Salt, Cottonseed Oil Hydrogenated, Soy Lecithin, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Flavor(s) Artificial, Beta Carotene color(s), Citric Acid, Vitamin A Palmitate])

This bad boy has a whopping 285 mg of cholesterol (and not from good fats, either!) and 920 mg of sodium.

But we like them, right? So, why not make your own? It might not taste as greasy as the one you get in a wrapper, but it will be delicious, nonetheless, and much better for you! If you don't have much time in the mornings to put together this sandwich, consider making it ahead of time, refrigerating or freezing, then quickly heating up before you walk out the door.

Instead of making these with a traditional English muffin, I make bagels. Eventually, I'll give the English muffins a try, but I'm just learning one thing at a time here. (You will definitely want to make the bagels ahead of time.)

Homemade Bagels

adapted from the Bread Beckers, Inc.

Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp. quick rise yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
5 cups white whole wheat flour
2 and 1/4 tsp. salt

Add yeast to the water, stir briefly with a whisk and let sit for a couple of minutes, then add the honey. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, about a cup at a time, stirring at first, then kneading until mixed well. Set out in a large bowl to rise until double. Make sure to cover the bowl so the dough doesn't dry out. I usually just throw a kitchen towel over mine, but you can also cover it with plastic wrap.

When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a flour covered surface and divide into 12 pieces. To do this, I form the dough into a log and cut it in half, then cut each piece in half again, and finally, cut each piece in thirds.

Fill a large saucepan with water, drizzle in a little honey, and boil. Preheat the oven to 425. While you're waiting for the water to boil, shape the pieces of dough into balls. To make the bagel shape, stick your thumb through the middle of the ball to make a hole, then twirl the bagel on your thumb to stretch the hole to about 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter.

Each bagel should rest about 5 minutes before going into the honey water. Drop a bagel into the water. It should sink, then rise back to the top within a few seconds. If your bagel doesn't sink, just be sure to flip it over so both sides get covered in water. Leave the bagel in the water for 1 minute, then scoop it out with a slotted spoon or spatula and slide onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, flipping over after 15 to avoid them from getting too brown on the bottom.

If you want the shiny bagel look, brush a mixture of 1/2 beaten egg and 2 Tbsp. water on the bagels. You can also sprinkle the brushed bagels with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, or garlic for additional taste, if desired.

Once your bagels are ready to go, you can assemble your sandwiches however you prefer. Cut your bagel in half, then toast it, or butter the insides and place on a griddle, buttered sides down, for a minute or two, for a warmer, crispier bagel. Fry up a couple of eggs, slice some cheese, and add some homemade sausage or Applegate turkey bacon for a delicious egg sandwich to get your morning started right!

If you prefer your bagel with cream cheese instead, try whipping up your own cream cheese spread. This is also great to make the day before. That way, in the morning, all you have to do is toast your bagel and spread!

Homemade Cream Cheese Spread

Adapted from the Bread Beckers, Inc.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1-2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Add all of your ingredients together, then whip until smooth.

If you like berry flavored cream cheese, add some berry sauce, to taste.