Bed and Breakfast

The perks to having summers off are endless, but in fear of igniting a firestorm of comments  about how teachers are overpaid and underworked (the local media forums seem to be handling that just fine on their own) I’ll avoid the laundry list of reasons why I love summer vacation. I’ll even spare you year round workers from having to quell the green monster that would emerge after reading a “top 10” list and rather I’ll simply highlight my top two. Narrowing it down to just two was easy as these are the two things that I count down the days till in June and nostalgically pine for come September. The two things that spawn a snow day dance just so I can have a taste of them in the midst of the winter blues. The two things my husband makes snide remarks about on a daily basis because my pleasure in them is laughably palpable. So without further ado here are the top two perks of summer vacation according to Ms. Stoever…

1. Bed – While sleeping in and being awoken solely by bodily cues is quite nice (the dreaded alarm clock takes summers off as well), the perk “bed” actually refers to my post-wake up routine. Each morning I roll out of bed, make the 15 step journey from our bedroom to the kitchen, pour myself an oversized mug of coffee (which conveniently has already been made by Nick before he left for work and has now cooled to the perfect temperature), and then make the return journey back to bed. With my cup of Joe at my side I climb back into the preserved warmth of my bed, prop myself up with the excess of pillows, wriggle back under the duvet, grab my book iPad off the nightstand, and I am ready to settle into my bookworm’s paradise. The beauty of it is that I can truly lose myself amidst the pages of a good read (or in the case of my current book selection {cough} the Fifty Shades Trilogy {cough} … amidst the pages of pure smut).There are no time constraints, no tired, heavy eyes to combat, and no work priorities to contend with. I am typically only brought back to reality by my grumbling stomach nagging to be tended to. Which brings me to my second perk…

2. Breakfast – You’ve heard it all before… breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has proven that a healthful breakfast positively impacts your daily performance (energy levels, concentration, etc.) as well as your overall weight management, heart health, and quality of your diet. Unfortunately for me for most of my life breakfast was my least favorite meal of the day. My first qualm with breakfast is in its timing. I have zero appetite while I still have Sandman remnants in my eyes (and these days before I’ve got a steady flow of caffeine in my veins). I need at least an hour before I’m ready to “break fast.” On school days I literally roll out of bed and into my car to head to the gym by 6am. Getting up any earlier just to warm up for breakfast is a hard limit for me (book reference anyone?!) So that means eating a small piece of fruit on my way into the gym and packing a portable breakfast for afterwards (typically plain yogurt and nuts or on lazy days a Larabar or Whole Foods Green Superfood bar).  This means shoveling spoonfuls of food into my mouth while simultaneously tending to the flood of emails that overtook my inbox during the night and making final preparations before the tornado of children arrive. I’m pretty sure this behavior meets at least some criteria for mindless eating (sorry Brian Wansink). The bottom line is that my school day breakfasts lack lifestyle and palate appeal. My second qualm is with a typical breakfast spread. I loathe milk, my textural issues make me gag at even the sight of something mushy (soupy oatmeal, soggy cereal), I’m a lacto-vegetarian (no eggs or meat), and I try to avoid heavy carbo-loaded items (bagels, etc). My quest to create well-rounded breakfasts out of these limited options has led me to eat excessive amounts of unsweetened Greek and soy yogurts, pure fruit and nut bars, and the occasional homemade cereal or muffin. I know I’ve come a long way from my Light and Fit yogurt and Special K days, but the monotony has caught up with me and I’m sure a little variety could go a long way nutrient wise as well.

So I vowed this summer to not only get creative with my breakfasts, but to actually sit and consciously make spoon to mouth movements and savor (or at least taste!) each bite. My mission has been fruitful (both literally and figuratively) thus far and knowing that a new, healthful, and (9 times out of 10) delicious recipe is waiting to be made in my kitchen makes tearing myself away from my morning reading bearable. I’ve learned to tweak things to please my personal tastes (i.e. overcooked oatmeal that any normal person would turn their nose at), I’ve taken some new food risks (chia seed pudding?!), and I’ve found ways to bring new life and nutrients to my old favorites (i.e. yogurt parfaits). I’ve been sure to test out recipes that could be made the night before in hopes of heading into the new school year with a broader breakfast artillery. Dare I say I am really liking breakfast these days?! Watch out dinner!

Below are pictures of and links to some of my favorite recipes thus far. With the exception of the caramelized banana oatmeal all of the recipes came from bloggers I follow. I did minimal (if any) tweaking to each (swapping a different fruit or nut, omitting optional items like protein powder, etc.) so re-writing them seemed senseless. Plus these sites are all hosted by incredible bloggers whose posts are totally worth browsing.

You can be certain that I’ll be enjoying the remaining days of bed and breakfasting to the last drop!

Top Row:                                                                  

Caramelized Banana Oatmeal – Martha Stoever Original (recipe below)

Nutty Strawberry Banana Quinoa – Ambitious Kitchen

Bottom Row:    

Swiss Oatmeal with Blueberries – Colourful Palate

Breakfast Parfait Jar – Peanut Butter and Peppers

Top Row:

Chia Pudding - Eating Bird Food

Vegan Peach Muesli - Eating Bird Food

Bottom Row:

Power Muesli - Everyday Maven

Banana Quinoa Flake Bake - Eating Bird Food

Caramelized Banana Oatmeal

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 small banana or 1/2 large banana, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1/2 Tablespoon agave
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vegan butter (I prefer Earth Balance whipped)
• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut, if desired

Directions:

1. Combine oats and almond milk in a small saucepan over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer.
4. Allow oatmeal to cook until it is thick, stirring occasionally. Approximately 10 minutes.
5. While oatmeal is combine bananas, walnuts, agave, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Toss to coat.
6. In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add banana mixture.
7. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until bananas begin to caramelize.
8. Add caramelized bananas to cooked oatmeal and top with shredded coconut if using.