Beat the Morning Meltdown

Ways to prepare family for the day ahead

Microwave Sausage, Egg & Potato Scramble

 Mornings can be mayhem for moms. In fact, according to the Johnsonville Sausage Report, nearly half of moms say that mornings can be so hectic that most days everyone in the family needs to fend for themselves for breakfast.

One mom who is all too familiar with handling hectic mornings is Elisa All, founder of 30Second Mobile, a mobile website and app that keeps busy moms "in the know while on the go."

All says it's about planning ahead and powering up for the busy day ahead.  "The kitchen in the morning can be chaotic if you don't have everything lined up the night before," All said. "I love serving my family a hot, balanced breakfast, and, it's a lot easier than many people think." Johnsonville just introduced fully cooked breakfast sausage, which is easy to warm up in the microwave for 30 seconds, and powers kids up with protein to get them through the morning."

Here are her top 10 Morning "Hacks:"

1) Stage a "path" to the door the night before so everyone knows where they're going.

2) Select kids' outfits at night. Be sure to check weather in advance and plan accordingly.

3) Pack lunches ahead of time. After dinner, pack the non-chilled items in the lunchbox and leave it on the counter for quick packing of the chilled things in the morning.

4) Brush teeth and wash face in the morning shower, or take baths the night before.

5) Sunshine helps you wake up. Open the shades and let the light in.

6) Make breakfast easy by keeping tasty foods on hand. Johnsonville's new, fully cooked breakfast links - in Original Recipe, Turkey and Vermont Maple Syrup - help you give your family a wholesome and high quality, warm meal in 30 seconds.

7) Place jackets and backpacks in a central location to grab on the way out. Use a hanging shoe organizer with pockets to keep essentials and accessories by the door.

8) Reward with what works for your child, for example, electronics and other activities they get to do in the car.

9) Motivate and track time with a music playlist. Everything is more fun and moves more quickly with tunes, and you can track how much time has passed.

10) Care for yourself. Have a workout bag in the car and consider getting up earlier to have some personal time before the day gets going.

With these ideas in mind, you'll be ready for whatever the day brings. And one more idea: a mobile breakfast in a coffee mug that's microwave-ready and will have you out the door in minutes. Check out the delicious recipe for Sausage, Egg and Potato Scramble below and visit www.johnsonville.com for more easy meal ideas.

Sources: 2014 Johnsonville Sausage Report, 1,081 adults 18+ by Impulse Research

Microwave Sausage, Egg & Potato Scramble

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 links Johnsonville® Fully Cooked Original Recipe or Turkey Breakfast Sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
• Salsa, optional

Preparation

1. Coat 12-ounce microwave-safe coffee cup with cooking spray. Add hash browns. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, sausage and cheese; pour over hash browns. Stir until blended.
3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until eggs are set. Serve with salsa if desired.

Serves
1 serving

Preparation Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
2 minutes

SOURCE:
Johnsonville Foods