Delicious Oatmeal: Take II

Oatmeal

Brown Sugar

Milk

Cinnamon

Frozen Blueberries

(Stirred into the hot oatmeal to soften)

Walnuts

Delicious Oatmeal: Take I

Oatmeal

Brown Sugar

Milk

Poppyseeds

Crasins

Banana Slices

Shredded Cocoanut

Slivered Almonds

Purple Smoothie

She is a beauty, i'd say! Speckaly (no, it's not a word) and yummy. Nom nom nom. And of course I had to take a picture because we had these beautiful flowers which my dad gave to my mum for their anniversary conveniently placed behind my shot.

And because I really like purple! My room is purple, don't cha know.

What's in it you ask? Well...a little bit of this and a little bit of that!

More precisely? Blueberries, blackberries, milk, acai/pomegranate V8 juice, a banana, oat bran, and flax seed.

Yay purple!

Wholesome Honey-Baked Granola

This recipe comes from a deeeelectable cookbook which my mom and I have been enjoying lately. It's called Bite Me, by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat.

Every single recipe we pull from it has been easy to prepare and very tasty, not to mention that the recipes are comprised of lots of awesome (sometimes quirky!) ingredients. Sometimes I find recipes that only have simple items can be missing a certain je ne sais quoi, but these recipes make up for it! (Coco powder in chili!? Awesome.)

The book's brunch chapter features this delicious homemade granola, which is not only good on your digestive tract, but also good on your pocket book. Prepared granola in the grocery stores can run for $10 or more, depending on the brand. And for HALF of the portion you get here.

That's a no brainer if you ask me.

Granola is such a light yet hearty, crunchy yet soft, food. Yummy served over yogurt, ice cream, with milk and bananas (as seen above), as a muffin/crisp topping, or just on it's own. It's a huge money saver for lunches: Pack 1/2 cup in a re-sealable dish and pour it over fruit and yogurt when you are ready to eat.

Fun to prepare, and oh-so satisfying, I know you will love it.

Ingredients:

4 c old-fashioned large flake oats (not quick cooking)

1 c slivered almonds

small handful of ground flax seed (this was my addition--just because I try to add flax seed to everything possible)

1 tsp kosher salt (I found this to be slightly salty for my taste)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c melted butter (I used canola oil instead)

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c dried cranberries

1/2 c raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F--Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, flaxseed, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In a small bowl, combine melted butter (or oil), brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Whisk well and pour over oat mixture. Toss to combine and spread granola over prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake 20 minutes, stir carefully and then continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to large bowl. Add dried cranberries and raisins, mixing to combine. Cool completely and store at room temp. in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Yield: 7 cups

Cookbook photo courtesy of http://www.torontolife.com/daily/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/BiteMeCookbook.jpg

Meet Bob's Red Mill

Intro:

Bob, meet blog readers.
Blog readers, meet Bob.

Awkward Silence.

Okaaaay, so I'm going to do the talking here, if that's okay with you two chatter boxes.

There really is much to to talk about, so here I go!

Bob's Red Mill is a company specializing in getting the "healthy" into your food. (Yes Bob, you can quote me.) They carry an extensive line of whole grain products, beans and lentils, gluten free products (like pizza dough, and cookie or cake mix!), flours, baking aids, and more. All packaged in easy to identify bags, the products are labeled with what they are, and what goodness is hidden inside. Perhaps you have seen Bob at your supermarket?

In the attempt to really re-fuel my breakfast routine, I can't seem to get enough of Bob's Apple, Cinnamon & Grains Hot Cereal (pictured above.) Cooked pretty much the same way as oatmeal, this hearty breakfast cereal is really yummy topped with banana and brown sugar or honey. But besides being yummy, this hot cereal is made of a tasty blend of stone ground high protein hard red wheat, rye, triticale, oats, barley, brown rice, oat bran, flaxseed, natural dried apples and cinnamon.

I am really interested to try some of their mixes as well. The cornbread and buttermilk pancakes mixes caught my eye, but there are like 30 other options to choose from. The sky seems to be the limit with Bob. (What a guy!)

Can't eat Gluten? Bob has over 80 products that are gluten free.
If you can't make up your mind, you can buy a Gluten Free Starter Kit:

The tester kits also come in different varieties if you are interested in trying out the bread, or whole grain mixes.

So yeaahh, now that you know a little bit about Bob, maybe you guys can carry on your own conversation? Cause I gotta go have a life...n' stuff. Oh, and finish my breakfast- Thanks Bob.

Check out Bob's website @ http://www.bobsredmill.com/

Watermelon Blueberry Protein Smootie

When people feel like they are getting sick, some take Cold FX, some take echinacea, some sleep. I, on the other hand, eat. Feed a cold, my mother always told me. And so I do.

But you can't settle for unhealthy food; you have to indulge in nature's vitamins, like fruit for example. Today my remedy of choice: the blueberry. I can literally eat an entire pint of blueberries in like 5 minutes. (In case you were wondering). And I don't feel guilty at all because I know how good they are for me.

Check out this blub I found online:

The dye that is released from the blueberries' skin may well be the most valuable nutrient the fruit has to offer. The pigments in blueberries and also in red crops such as cherries, plums, and red cabbage are powerful antioxidants. They have been determined to be a much-heralded chemical warrior against heart disease and also cancer. Blueberries actually have the highest antioxidant capacity because of their large anthocyanin concentration.

Antioxidants in our food can save us from virtually everything. Most of our health misfortunes are due to the perversity of oxygen. Our cells are perpetually besieged by toxic forms of oxygen which have been proved to have fierce destructive powers. So far scientists have linked destructive oxygen reactions to at least sixty different chronic diseases, as well as to aging itself. Oxygen free radicals can attack DNA, the genetic material of cells, causing them to mutate, which is a step on the path to cancer.

One of the great revelations of the last few years, according to a massive and growing body of evidence, is that you may be able to eat your way out of this dilemma insofar as the boundaries of human life span and genetics allow. You can supply your cells with antioxidant food compounds that strike down, intercept and extinguish rampaging oxygen molecules and even repair some of their damage.

So, while enjoying the many health benefits of the blueberry, you can endulge in this refreshing power smoothie that is sure to boost your bodies immunity into high gear.

Ingredients:

3/4 c fresh blueberries
3/4 c watermelon
3/4 c milk
1 banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 c oat bran
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
3 ice cubes


Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a blender on high until smooth.

Hippie Pancakes

If I were to dream of hippie food, this is what it would look like. In fact, if mother nature could cook, Leah and I believe she would cook something just like this: whole wheat Swedish pancakes, coloured with golden sauteed bananas, and textured with soft cream cheese contrasted with crunchy granola.

Oh hay! What a coincidence, that is exactly what we did!

After stumbling out of bed at 11am this morning, Leah and I (complete with bed head, pj's, bare feet, and no makeup...hippie style if you ask me!) were not content with making a simple breakfast of toast and jam. No sir. We were in a fancy-dancy breakfast mood this morning!

Our food smarts directed us to my brand new "Martha Stewart Cookbook!" (Purchased yesterday in fact, at the local library book store for only 8 dollars!) We found her recipe for Swedish pancakes and went from there. Cream cheese, honey, sauteed bananas, and granola play a starring role in this sensational breakfast.

Click on this picture ^
and get a really good look at the colours and textures.

If you sautee the bananas in butter and brown sugar they turn a really pretty gold colour. However I would recommend using firm, fresh bananas with no brown spots on them. This way the bananas will hold up in the sautee pan, and they won't become too sweet after being cooked.


I should note that I believe this recipe to be healthy. (It's got whole wheat, fruit, yogurt, non-fat cream cheese, and natural sweeteners! Come on now.) So eat up hungry wolverines!

Ingredients:

6 Swedish Pancakes:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c milk
3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

Sauteed Bananas:
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. brown sugar

Plain yogurt
Granola (I used a mango, cranberry variety)
Honey
Low fat cream cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare swedish pancakes by combining eggs, milk, flour, melted butter, and salt in a mixing bowl. Blend well. (Note: Don't over mix because you don't want bubbles in your batter. Aswell, melt your butter innitally in the frying pan so that it coats the surface, and then pour the melted butter into the batter. This way, you don't have to dirty another dish!)

2. Scoop batter onto your hot, greased frying pan. (Note: To ensure the pan is hot enough, sprinkle some water onto it, and if it sizzles, it's ready.)

3. Be patient as you cook your pancakes, and only flip when you see bubbles forming close to the centre. When you flip them, they only need about 30 sec. more.

4. For your sauteed bananas, melt butter in a small frying pan. Add sliced bananas brown sugar. Cook until the bananas are thoroughly covered in sugar, and you have a nice brown colour.

5. Assemble your hippie pancakes by spreading creamcheese on your pancake, bananas, a drizzle of honey, and some granola. We had to use a fork an knife to eat it, but if your brave you could use your hands.

6. Serve along side some plain yogurt to dip your pancakes in.

Chocolate and Protein for Breakfast

Did you know that if a person eats protein for breakfast, they will stay fuller, longer? Its true! AND if you been cramming for an exam but find that in the morning of you are completely drained...protein is the solution! Eggs and toast will work, but if you need something on the go, or are like me and crave chocolate in the morning, this milkshake is perfect.

And those little flakies you see on the top? That's your fiber...oat bran! I know people who practically eat this stuff as cereal and swear by it! (Too much info? Ahh well.) You can buy it in your local bulk store for much cheaper than the grocery.

Ingredients:

3/4 c milk
1/2 c vanilla yogurt (I use Activia)
1 scoop vanilla/chocolate protein powder
2 scoops vanilla/chocolate frozen yogurt
2-3 Tbsp. Chocolate Nesquick powder
1/4 c oat bran
1 banana

Directions:

1. Blend Ingredients.