By Janet Tharpe
Columnist

Good morning, Just A Pinch-ers! Today is going to be great day.

How do I know? Because a good breakfast leads to good times and to cheery outlooks all around.

Starting the day off right is as easy as pie. Well, make that quiche. Flavorful and fluffy, the perfect egg-y quiche doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, on justapinch.com, Barbara Miller of Oakdale, Minn., has it down to a delectable science.

“I made these for friends, and they absolutely raved about them,” Barbara said of her pint-sized individual club quiches. “It is the most requested recipe I have when it comes to serving something for brunch.”

Nestled in a bed of deli ham, each mini quiche is baked in a muffin tin and contains the perfect combination of morning flavors. Serve with a dollop of prepared Hollandaise and a mimosa for a lovely brunch standout or as a unique party starter.

Someone else who knows a thing or two about serving up a stellar breakfast is Michelle London, innkeeper at the charming Belle Oaks Inn in Texas. She was kind enough to share with us the Inn’s stellar recipe for pecan orange bread.

“As innkeeper, this was one of the first things I was taught to make by the owners,” Michelle said. “Their ‘signature’ breakfast bread, it is always a huge hit with guests and is deceptively simple!”

To get started, line a prepared Bundt pan with a layer of pecans, and then top with refrigerated biscuits stuffed with cream cheese filling, coated in butter and dipped in sugar and orange zest! Sprinkle on a few more salty pecans for good measure and then bake until absolute perfection.

For something a little on the lighter side, you just can’t go wrong with Muna Escobar’s favorite recipe for whole grain pancakes. Adding whole wheat flour and oats to griddle cakes makes them more nutritious and more filling and adds fluffiness. Who would have thought it?

“I had my reservations about using whole wheat flour,” said Honorary Kitchen Crew member and ace taste-tester Gail Herbest. “But these pancakes turned out wonderfully! They have a great whole grain texture — not tough at all — and even my picky husband liked them. I will definitely be making these again.”

Hear, hear! Drizzle on some fresh maple syrup, add a pat or two of sweet cream butter, and color yourself content.

Sure mornings always wake us up, but they also bring about the promise of a new day — and a delicious breakfast. Embrace your inner morning self and treat the family to a little something special. Your loved ones — and your outlook — will be all the cheerier for it.

Janet Tharpe writes for the Just a Pinch Recipe Club at justapinch.com, where you can find these recipes and many others.