life hack

My brother gets hung up on certain foods from time to time, and lately he’s been super into breakfast plates. He’s also dating a British woman, and after a recent trip to the United Kingdom, he’s been using the word “brekky.” Thus, he has dubbed this shortcut a #brekkyhack.

So let’s talk about this morning time-saver, which we’ve seen hailed as a Turkish-inspired feast on Reddit and featured as a “breakfast board” on Cup of Jo.

The idea is this: Either for your daily breakfast, or to host a quick get-together, you prep a bunch of pre-made foods, store in your refrigerator or pantry (if no refrigeration needed), and throw them onto a platter to assemble your feast. The top image (from Ikea, link opens in Swedish) shows some open-faced brekky sandwiches with veggies, eggs and smoked fish, which could be easily assembled from your mega-platter. My brother’s platter (below) includes eggs, hummus, veggies, cheese, and nuts.

Think:

Berries or cut-up fruit
Hard-boiled eggs
Hearty bread slices
Good cheeses or cheese spreads
Smoked salmon
Nuts
Olives
Veggies (pre-cut into slices or sticks)
Hummus
Nutella, jam, butter or honey
Yogurt (plain or flavored, depending on how you like it) + granola

2016-04-26 If you’re more of a “breakfast carbs” person, here are three recipes to consider mixing up your platter:

Maple apple granola
Healthy breakfast cookies
Tartine’s country bread (pictured below, made by my brother)
Not a carb: One-minute slice (no bake-cookie, in bar form)

Finally, you may look at some of these foods and think, “Veggies and hummus for breakfast? NO THANKS.” In which case, TA-DA. We’ve just given you a #dinnerhack. You’re welcome.

2016-03-25

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. (EB White)

I might be one of the few people who likes to fold laundry, especially if it’s warm from the dryer. But my kid’s folded, tiny shirts and pants end up stuffed into dresser drawers, and on mornings when my toddler is demanding fruit snacks, my dog relieves herself in the hallway, and I haven’t had any coffee, I despise trying to find a complete outfit in those drawers.

So here’s my solution: When I fold my kid’s laundry, I pre-sort outfits together. I often leave a few outfits on top of his dresser for easy selection.

This is great for people who hate mornings, but it’s also ideal for those times when you’re filling your diaper bag before a day-trip, frantically trying to replace a filthy outfit from some unholy kid-mess, or if you are skeptical of your husband’s fashion choices for children. I keep a tiny basket of paired socks on top of the dresser and grab them whenever we need.

Now, about folding the laundry, generally: You’re on your own. But I swear it’s better if you grab it while it’s warm, right after the dry cycle!

Blogger’s note: Leslie says this is common sense. Does everyone do this? Share your laundry shortcuts with us.

Shortcut: A pre-made breakfast buffet

Shortcut: Sort your kid’s outfits while folding laundry

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. (EB White)