And so, instead of keeping with any sort of chronology or consistency, I give you: BREAKFAST.
Numero uno is a glimpse into the life of my alter-ego: Starbucks oatmeal eater.
I am simply not a fan of Starbucks oatmeal because it's essentially oaty mush, but I have deemed it my best option while traveling. And if you've been reading all along, you know I got down and dirty in the trenches to research this topic. In order to make this oatmeal tolerable, however, I have to go beyond their offered toppings. Step aside, brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts! Enter blueberries, spiced fig granola, and ok, fine, I used their nuts. I started buying little containers of whatever berries are on sale at Whole Foods, washing them all at once, and taking them back and forth with me during the week to add to my oatmeal. I really find that adding a good amount of fresh fruit (or frozen) goes a LOT farther in keeping me full than the dried stuff. And more calorie friendly, too.
Believe it or not, I do sometimes get sick of oats. It happens oh so rarely, but I'd be remiss not to include an oat-free breakfast.
Stonyfield plain FF yogurt, strawberries (leftover from a fruit plate from Diane's holiday party -- jackpot!), banana, and Kashi Heart to Heart! I LOVE Kashi cereals, but especially Heart to Heart. It happens to be healthy and delicious, but mostly the hearts make me smile. And good god is that a feat in the mornings.
Somewhere along the way, Chaunkah happened, and I got the best present a girl could ask for: a French press!!!! My parents got me a food processor/blender for my birthday this year, which was a tough act to follow, but the French press was perfect. I'm a big coffee drinker (big in spirit, not in quantity), so I was delighted to have a new foodie toy. Here she is, hard at work.
Cool moose, dude. I'm still playing around with proportions, but so far I'm loving the new coffee maker. I feel expert and elitist all at once. Thanks, Mom and Dad! I've also been drinking a Spanish roast from my favorite little coffee shop, Java Girl. It's so yummy. Although maybe it's just my inner longing to be back in Spain?
This bowl of oats was an ode to my overflowing kitchen cabinet. Steel cut oats cooked with banana, then topped with dried cranberries, leftover trail mix (I literally had about a tbsp left in a baggie... and now I have 1/2 tbsp. I'm a hoarder), and a sprinkle of Fiona's cinnamon almond granola. Wheat and soy free and loaded with sesame seeds! A new fave.
In said cabinet you will find no less than 10 varieties of nuts/seeds. Overkill? I think not. But my cabinet begs to differ. Every time I open it, I am met with a nutty avalanche. For your viewing pleasure:
By my count, we have pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, raw whole almonds, slivered almonds, roasted cashew pieces, raw cashews, spicy and tangy roasted almonds (a TJ's buy... a little weird), pecans, about 4 salty peanuts, and the almond/peanut/berry mix I got from TJ's. I also have walnuts in the fridge and several bags of trail mix I've collected from Whole Foods and Central Market in Dallas. Did I mention my new favorite grocery store yet? I think I did. But I'm not over it yet. Central Market is AMAZING. Stew Leonards meets Wegmans meets Whole Foods. Man, it's like grocery porn.
Lastly, a proud concoction. I have been making apple cinnamon oats for a while, and it's amazing. Steel cut oats, apple chunks added halfway through, lotsa cinnamon,TJ's almond butter (the best kind?!), and a sprinkle of Fiona's for texture.
Ahhh, oatmeal. Thank you for making mornings tolerable.
I would also like to give a shout out to Maggie and Natalia, whose birthdays were yesterday! Happy birthday, dear friends! Mag, I wish I could have been in China to celebrate with you, but I did dedicate the above oatmeal to you on Sunday, and you know that's an honor in my book. You are dearly missed on this side of the globe! xoxo
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