September is suddenly here, and mornings begin with a rush as everyone needs to be out the door well before 9am. My little ones had a lovely summer. Despite all being awake and out of bed by 7.30am each day, we still had a relaxing time. An early breakfast was usually followed by a more indulgent second breakfast of pancakes or waffles at about 10am. We made sweet Yorkshire puddings, aka Dutch babies, with a dollop of Greek yogurt, drizzled with maple syrup. They are now confident when specifying if they want their egg scrambled, poached or boiled, having learned the difference through our second-breakfast ritual.

The eldest will be starting junior infants. It’s an emotional time for parents. Suddenly our baby is wearing a school uniform and entering big school with an impossibly big bag on his back. We have him as prepared as he can be in this first important step into the education system, and he is relaxed and happy, so all is good. Now all I need to do is pack him some great lunches to fuel all that learning.

Food, to me, is a way of showing someone I love them. I’ve been baking a bit and freezing individual portions that will be perfect for school lunches. Rye muffins with chocolate chips, sultana muffins, shortbread and mini fruit scones all work well.

After the birth of our daughter last year I didn’t have much time for baking, but I still needed good snacks and treats for the boys, so relied on a few key recipes. Three-ingredient cookies with peanut butter, egg and cacao nibs are fantastic – so quick and easy to mix up and bake.

I also love no-bake oat bars. Simply mix 2½ cups of oats in a large bowl with a cup of pumpkin seeds and a half cup of raisins. In a separate bowl mix two-thirds of a cup of nut butter, two-thirds of a cup of honey or maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth, then pour into the oat mix. Stir well until sticky and combined, then press into a lined baking tray. Simply leave to set in the fridge overnight before cutting into bars. I wrap them in paper or clingfilm and seal them with a dinosaur sticker to make them look more appealing. They’ll keep in the fridge for two weeks.

Some schools have a no-nuts policy to ward against the dangers of nut allergies, so do check beforehand. I’ve made these granola bars with sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seed butter, and they both work just as well. They’re so simple for kids to help with, and it ensures they will eat them come lunchtime, thereby getting some valuable slow-release energy from the oats.

Here is another fantastic oat recipe. It’s my chocolate granola and it really does turn the milk chocolatey too. It is perfect with a handful of raspberries for reluctant breakfast eaters on sleepy mornings.

CHOCOLATE GRANOLA: SERVES 6

Ingredients
300g porridge oats
250g desiccated coconut
50g cocoa powder
100ml honey, warmed
Pinch of sea salt
120g almond flakes, toasted

Method
Preheat the oven to 100 degrees. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Mix the oats and coconut in a large bowl. Sieve over the cocoa and stir. Add the honey and sea salt and mix until it forms a dry crumble. Spread it out on the prepared tray and bake for one hour until dry and crumbly. Stir the granola now and then so it bakes evenly. Leave to cool before folding in the toasted almond flakes. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.