Because I have 2 small boys, I have become proficient at making pancakes. Believe me when I say these funfetti pancakes are at the top of the list of foods that even the pickiest child will eat. These pancakes do NOT use a boxed pancake mix. No, you are going to make these puppies from scratch.

I usually turn my nose up at any recipes that calls for boxed cake mix, but in this case, I can make an exception. You will only be using a small amount of the cake mix. Just enough to give these pancakes a 'birthday cake' type flavor.

Do NOT use actual Funfetti cake mix. The sprinkles in that mix will melt too easily and the colors will bleed. I will tell you exactly what to use in the recipe below.

What you need:

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup plain white cake mix
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (you can get containers of these sprinkles in the baking section of WalMart near the cake decorations. I used Dallies.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
pinch of salt

Whipped Cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

How to make it:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer until it's light, fluffy, and holds soft peaks. Place this in the refrigerator to use as your topping after the pancakes are done.

2. In a large bowl, blend together all of the dry ingredients, except the sprinkles.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together all of the wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

4. Using a whisk, gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, whisking as you go along. Do not over mix this. You still want a few small lumps in there.

5. Using a spoon, gently stir in the sprinkles.

6. Measure out your batter. I used a 1/8 cup dry measuring cup to measure out my batter, but you can use a cookie scoop or just pour it out onto your griddle or skillet.

7. The key here is to LIGHTLY grease your cooking surface with a tiny bit of butter or oil, and cook these over medium/low to medium heat. If you use too much oil or butter, and the heat is too high, your pancakes will turn out with dark, crispy edges. Cook them slowly until bubbles have risen to the surface (around 3 minutes), then gently flip them over, cooking for another minute or so.

8. Top these with the whipped cream you made earlier, and a few more sprinkles.

These ham, egg, and cheese cups are the perfect breakfast for anyone following a low carb diet. They are also perfect for a grab-and-go option for busy lifestyles. Because they can be eaten with no utensils, they are also very kid-friendly.

What you need:
1 pound sliced ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 large eggs
1/2 cup diced bell peppers

How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a regular-sized muffin tin with just a little non-stick cooking spray.

3. Press a slice of ham into each muffin cup.

4. Put a tablespoon of the cheese in the bottom of each of the ham cups.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, and then gently stir in the peppers.

6. Place a few tablespoons of the egg mixture into each ham cup.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the egg mixture is just set.

8. Gently remove each ham cup from the pan using a fork, and serve!

Note: These little cups freeze and reheat well.

 These egg puffs are one of my very favorite low carb dishes. They are so simple to make, and look really pretty when stacked on a serving platter. You can even add a few pinches of various herbs and spices to switch up the flavor a bit.

Carb count: I count these as 1 carb each. There is such a negligible amount in the Parmesan cheese it can be difficult to determine, but since there is a small amount, I count these as 1 just to be safe.

What you need:
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. First, we need to beat the egg whites to make a fluffy meringue-type substance, so, separate the eggs and place the whites in a large mixing bowl, and the yolks in a separate bowl. Be gentle with the yolks. You don't want to break them!

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are fluffy and stiff peaks form. This usually takes me around 5 minutes. You want these whites to be THICK!

4. GENTLY fold in the Parmesan.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. I do not recommend using cooking spray with these. I just haven't had good results with it.

6. Form 4 blobs of the egg white meringue on the baking sheet. Form them a little with your fingers if you need to, and make an indent in the middle of each one. The indent should be big enough to hold an egg yolk.

7. Bake for 3 minutes.

8. Remove the baking pan from the oven, and gently place an egg yolk in each indent.

9. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 3 minutes more.

10. Gently remove the puffs with a spatula, and season with salt and pepper. You may add a pat of butter on top if you like.

Serve!