Omelettes... in a Bag?

Last weekend my friend, Danielle, and I went to visit my parents in Milwaukee.  My Mom is the typical kitchenista that comes up with new, exciting dishes every day.  She suggested a fun breakfast option that is gluten free and delicious.

Omelette's in a bag!!

I will admit that the idea of cooking an omelette in a plastic bag was almost unsettling.  What would it taste like?  What would it look like?  Would it even be fully cooked?

Mom assured me that 12 minutes in boiling water would make the perfect omelette.  Of course I trust Mom to deliver a well executed breakfast dish.

She called us into the kitchen where the main components were spread across the counter in an organized fashion.  It included a pot of boiling water, plastic zip bags, diced veggies, cheese and eggs.  Danielle exclaimed, "It's like a science experiment!"

We loaded the bags with the pre-assembled goodies.  I filled my omelette bag with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cheese.  All were instructed to mix the omelette by slowly squeezing the bag on all sides.

This breakfast dish is simple and quick.  It would be great for children and teaching how to be involved with cooking in the kitchen.  Pair with fresh fruit or toast.  See the instructions below.

Omelette's in a Bag


Prep time = 10 to 15 minutes
Cook time = 12 minutes


Bring water to a boil in large pot.  Account enough room to add multiple bags to the water.  Dice your favorite omelette veggies and set aside.  Once the water comes to a boil, begin assembling the bags.  Crack 2 eggs into the bag.  Add salt and pepper to your liking.  Begin adding other ingredients to the bag.  Squeeze the bag to distribute ingredients evenly.  Then squeeze the air out of each bag before sealing it completely.  You will need plastic bags that zips - do NOT use a twist tie to seal it.  Add the bags to the boiling water and set the timer for 12 minutes.  I would recommend labeling each bag with a permanent marker to ensure that everyone receives the appropriate omelette.  Remove from the water after 12 minutes and serve!


Copyright 2012 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Cool Summer Kids Lunch/Dinner Ideas

Ah yes, summer time. The weather is hot, the festivals are in full swing, the veggies are fresh and ... the kids are out of school.  If you are a parent of any school-aged children the phrases "I'm hungry" or "I'm bored" are probably daily vocabulary at your home. 

During the summers when I was a kid, my parents were working full time and came up with fun lunch and activity ideas to keep us entertained.  I have memories of my Mom leaving English Muffin Pizza fixings for us to fix for lunch.  It was one of my all-time favorite lunches as a kid.

Creating healthy and fun meals with your child is great for learning to cook and to be independent.  Pizza doesn't have to be messy or a lot of work.  Plus, what kid doesn't love to eat pizza?

Our "English Muffin Pizza's" included smearing a tablespoon of tomato sauce over the top of the muffin, then adding any toppings that Mom cut up for us; such as green pepper, black olive, cheese, pepperoni, and more.  We would bake or microwave the mini-pizza's until the cheese melted and bubbled.

Here are some other kid-friendly lunch or dinner ideas that they can help you make:

Pita Pocket Pizza
- Stuff the sauce, cheese and toppings into the pita. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  You can also microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

PB&J Stuffed Pita
- Toast the pita before or after applying the peanut butter and favorite flavor of jelly. Stuff it with your kids favorite fruit. Some great choices would be apples, bananas or even strawberries.

Pizza Melt Sandwich
- Much like a tuna melt. One piece of bread.. apply thin layer of sauce, toppings and cheese. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Happy cooking!  Have a great weekend.


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

What is Your "Go-To" Meal?

Long day at the office or at work?  Kids are hungry, the laundry smells and the dog needs a walk.  Sound familiar?  At that point in time... you have better things to do than peal potatoes or be every ones personal chef in the kitchen.  Am I right?

Have a picky eater in the family?  Have a whole army of picky eaters?  How do you handle dinner for all the kids and the spouse when they don't seem to enjoy the same foods?

In situations like that it's always easy to just throw a frozen pizza in the oven, grab a grease bag of cholesterol from the local fast-food chain or maybe just eat a bag of 100-calorie popcorn.  Well none of those are healthy dinner options, especially for little ones.

My sister, Megan, is the inspiration behind this post and finds herself in that situation frequently.  She has a 6 year-old and 1 year-old son at home.  Her husband is rather particular about food.  On top of having a busy family, Megan is also an RN in the emergency room.  Coming home after working a 12-hour shift on her feet all day can be exhausting. 

Can you relate?  Maybe just like Megan you want some kid-friendly, hubby-particular and super easy dinner options for your diverse family.  Yes?

I recently purchased a few Pillsbury products and have been thinking of ways to get creative with these food products.  In the process, I discovered some kid-friendly recipes.  These are not recipes that I have made but definitely plan to try on a night that I need more relaxation and less time in the kitchen.  So yes, I am endorsing recipes that I haven't tried yet.

Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake
 - Find the recipe in link above
 - 4 ingredients, 30 minutes until eating time
 - A meal that the kids can help to prepare

Crescent Pizza Pockets
 - Find the recipe in link above
 - 5 ingredients, ready in less than 30 minutes
 - The kids can help!

Here are a few tips:

- Assemble early.  These recipes can be assembled the weekend before or even the night before.  Do not bake, just assemble.  Freeze.  Bake (as instructed) when you get home from work.

- "Staples".  Keep ingredients like these on hand for a quick "go-to" meal: i.e.  Pillsbury crescent rolls or biscuits, shredded cheese, lunch meat, pizza fixings, quick-cut veggies, red sauce.

- Plan ahead.  The reason we end up eating frozen pizza and fast-food is because we do not plan dinners any more.  I am guilty of this too.  Have list of what you would "tentatively" like to make for dinner and try to stick to it.  When we first got married, I actually kept a stick note of the weekly menu on our refrigerator.  That is what I had to do to get in the mindset of planning ahead.

- Healthy substitute.  Choose a lower-fat or lower-calorie option for the bread, meat and cheeses in the recipes.