Breakfast

There's nothing like the smell of homemade cinnamon bread -- and there's nothing like the simplicity of baking loaves of bread with a bread machine. Some would argue that the bread machine is not a kitchen necessity: these people either bake their own bread very rarely or have the time to make everything from scratch (possibly because they are professionals). For the average home cook who enjoys fresh-baked bread, a bread machine is worth owning. Prices start at around $50 for a new unit, on up to several hundred dollars for top-of-the-line home machines, and they generally take up about as much space as a crock pot. Most bread machines bake distinctive cute little loaves, but the machine can be used for prepping the dough only, allowing you to bake it in the oven in just about any shape you want. There is no shortage of bread machine recipes -- in fact, you might be hard-pressed to find a yeast bread recipe that doesn't at least offer a bread machine variation.

Classic cinnamon bread is a sweet yeast loaf with a white or wheat base, often rolled with a layer of cinnamon and sugar to create a swirl of flavor. It's a spectacular toasting bread that is often associated with breakfast, but is also great for a snack, sandwiches and for dessert. Haven't tried making your own yet? Check out these cinnamon bread machine recipes:

Cinnamon-Raisin

This is the classic cinnamon-raisin bread from Betty Crocker, designed specifically as a bread machine recipe. Takes only 10 minutes of prep, and you probably already have all of the ingredients on hand for this simple loaf.

Orange Cinnamon

The flavors of orange and cinnamon together evoke the winter holidays, but this simple orange cinnamon bread machine recipe is delicious any time of year. Big Oven's bread machine recipe makes it even easier, with three different ingredient lists based on the size of the loaf you're making.

Apple Cinnamon Walnut

The Red Star Yeast Company claims their Apple Cinnamon Walnut Bread as one of their best bread machine recipes, with a white bread base, sweet filling, and lemon glaze. Use the bread machine to prep the dough, then incorporate apple-cinnamon-walnut filling and bake in the oven.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls made with yeast are a treat that can be challenging to make at home, but Money-Saving Mom shares a simple version: a bread machine recipe that uses the dough cycle to prep before rolling with the sweet filling and baking in two cake pans. You may never buy cinnamon rolls at the mall again!

Maple-Butter Twists

Maple syrup, butter, pecans and, of course, cinnamon make up this decadent holiday bread from Better Homes and Gardens. This cinnamon bread machine recipe is a bit more involved than some of the others, but the bread machine step cuts out most of the time-consuming work. The twist shapes are not overly complicated to do, and turn out lovely.

King Cake

The King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition, a cinnamon-laced sour cream yeast bread that is formed into a ring and iced in purple, green and yellow. This bread machine recipe simplifies the process so that there is only 20 minutes of prep--including making the icing.

If you're shopping for your first bread machine to try out these recipes, read this helpful guide: Buying Advice: Breadmakers

Hard boiled eggs are a cinch to eat, but are not always a cinch to cook. Cooking the perfect batch of hard boiled eggs is both an art and a science. Cook them for too long, and you get a green ring around the yolk; undercook them, and you get moist, rubbery eggs that are impossible to crack. Eggs have 13 essential nutrients, including iron, zinc and folate, and are a fantastic source of protein -- they're also cheap, convenient and versatile. A hard boiled egg can be eaten on its own, chopped and put in a Caesar, spinach or Cobb salad, whipped into an egg salad or stuffed and served as a deviled egg. Looking for a hard boiled eggs how to guide? Look no further!

Learning how to hard boil eggs is easy -- just follow these simple steps:

1. Lay a single layer of eggs in a saucepan large enough to fit them; cover the eggs with one inch of water and heat the pan on high until the water begins to boil.
2. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the burner and cover it.
3. If you're cooking large eggs, leave the pan covered for 15 minutes (the cook time decreases to 12 minutes for medium eggs and increases to 18 minutes for extra large eggs)
4. Once the eggs have cooked, drain the water in the pot and cool the eggs -- you can either run them under cold water from the tap or place them in a bowl of ice water. That's it! If you get stuck on any of the steps, you can watch this step-by-step video from the American Egg Board.

Your schedule has never been more hectic. Your time, never more crunched. You have fewer opportunities to eat a healthy breakfast than ever before, but you've never needed it more. Here are some tips and recipes to make sure you start with a healthy breakfast that keeps you going throughout your busy day.

Many egg recipes are fast and easy to prepare, and eggs contain vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that give you energy. Coffee Cup Scramble and Microwave Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito are two fast and delicious egg recipes. Save even more time on breakfast by making a week's worth of Hard-Cooked Eggs on Sunday, then just grab-and-go.

"Breakfast meals should always include a source of protein to help keep blood sugar levels on an even keel throughout the morning and avoid the urge for a 10 a.m. donut break," says Carolyn O'Neil, registered dietitian and co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! She likes to include lean beef as a healthy breakfast option, often as an ingredient in a quick and easy breakfast beef burrito.

Breakfast casseroles are an excellent way to shake up the morning meal routine. They make wonderful brunch centerpieces and can be a terrific way to feed a crowd. Plus, all the work is done ahead of time, which is great if you have a busy day planned for yourself.

Most breakfast casserole recipes specify a minimum rest time (anywhere from 1-8 hours) and maximum rest time (anywhere from overnight to 24 hours). This flexibility means you can tailor the preparation and baking time to your schedule. Simply assemble your dish before you head to bed, then in the morning pop the casserole into the oven. Voila! You've got a delicious, satisfying breakfast waiting to greet everyone when they wake up. Even if a recipe doesn't include make-ahead directions, you can assemble the casserole, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it overnight. Simply take the dish out of the refrigerator in the morning, pop it in the oven and you're off to the races.

Breakfast casseroles are often referred to as "stratas" or "bread puddings." "Strata" means "layers" and refers to casserole dishes where the bread is layered with the filling. If the recipe calls for the bread to be simply combined with the rest of the ingredients, with a beaten egg mixture poured over the top, it's likely to be referred to as a bread pudding.

The classic pancake recipe is hard to top: you combine flour, milk, eggs and baking powder, stick them in a pan, add syrup and five minutes later you've got a great breakfast. However, the other great thing about pancakes is that they are hard to mess up. You can add a wide range of ingredients and create nearly limitless variations on this morning staple.

One of the most fundamental ways to change a pancake recipe is by altering the base away from traditional flour. Here are some recipes that utilize whole wheat flour or oatmeal to create a healthier, low-carbohydrate meal:

Healthy Pancake Mix: The ingredient list for this whole-wheat flour, egg-white intensive pancake recipe is a bit more complicated than the traditional ones, but when made in advance and refrigerated, it gives you a quick, healthy morning meal option that's perfect for busy days.