Almond Breakfast Cereal

The only REAL reason this blog exists is for me to have a place to "scratch my own itch" - to keep recipes for things that I've had cravings for from my OLD life, now that I've embarked on my NEW life. So, recently, it was cereal.  I was walking down the grocery aisle and my eyes fell on all the labels.   Cheerios, Kashi, Corn Pops, Frosted Flakes, Raisin Brain.  Time was, I could rip open the top and eat the whole box. I mean it’s so good. 

BUT, nutritionally it's crap. It’s expensive sugar in a bowl, so I’ve cut it out of my life. I still miss it - and that means I had to make a version I could eat. 

I was worried about not feeling full from it for long, but that wasn’t an issue. It filled me up all the way until lunch. And it was easy and fast.

Almond Breakfast Cereal
2 Tbsp almonds
2 Tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup water
1/2 banana**
handful of blueberries**

**You could add whatever fruit you wanted, this is what I had on hand.



Put the coconut milk in a bowl and add your chia seeds. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes and thicken

Pulse 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin seeds and your almonds in the food processor a few times. Decide how “chunky” you want it. I didn’t grind mine to a pulp,  but it resembled granola.

Place the mixture and the rest of the seeds into the bowl with the chia seeds and milk once it’s thickened and add your fruit on top. Add water (or milk) to your desired consistency. 

A sprinkle of cinnamon finishes it off beautifully.

Cook's Notes:

• With the added fruit I found it had enough sweetness, but a sprinkle of your favorite sweetener is OK if you need it.
• I like the coconut milk, but you can substitute almond, soy or cow (or moose, or ferret) milk
• Next batch I'm adding some slivered almonds too, for the "crispy flake" texture.
• This is SO open to experimentation!  Today I added some vanilla protein powder to the liquid and it was even MORE yummy!

Flax Meal Peanut Butter Hot Cereal

Do you really want that bowl of oatmeal for breakfast but just can't justify the carbs? Try flax meal instead. It prepares instantly and tastes delicious. If you've ever eaten a MIAM (Muffin in a Minute) you know how tasty flax meal can be.

If you are not used to a lot of fiber, you may not want to start with a whole recipe of this. It is almost 13 grams of fiber, and over half of that is soluble, which is good for you, but it's a lot at once. That said, it's yummy, low-carb, quick to make, and will see you through the morning!


Flax Meal Peanut Butter Hot Cereal

Nutritional Values for full recipe:
Calories 397
Total Fat 32.5g
Saturated Fat 4.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 162mg
Total Carbohydrates 17.9g
Dietary Fiber 12.8g
Effective Carbohydrates 5.1g
Sugars 3.6g
Protein 15.1g



1/4 Cup flax seed meal
1/2 Cup boiling water
2 Tbsp peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Note that a half recipe would be 2 Tbsp flax meal, 1/4 Cup water, and 1 Tbsp peanut butter.

Pour boiling water over flax seed meal and stir well.
Stir in peanut butter and cinnamon.
Let thicken for 1 to 2 minutes.
Eat

Serves 1 to 2

Cook's Note: I make my own nut butters in my magic Bullet, so that keeps the sugars REALLY low. Toss in a few berries of your choice or other tasty add-ins to round out your favorite flavor profiles. (Chocolate protein powder makes a great addition!

Banana Whipped Oats

I buy bananas by the bunch, but I never get them all eaten before they begin to get overripe.  Being frugal, I peel them, cut them in half and toss them into a bag in the freezer.  Unfortunately, I wasn't using them up and the bag was getting over filled - that was before I discovered this mixture.  Now I don't have enough frozen bananas to make this as often as I want it!!

It’s thick! And cold! And sweet! And nutty! Who needs cookie dough ice cream for dessert when you can have it for breakfast? I feel almost naughty eating this as my first meal of the day. Especially with a scoop of almond butter plunked down into the middle of that cold oatey banana-y mess.

1 frozen banana (approx.)
1/2 cup rolled oats (uncooked)
1 heaping Tbsp hemp seeds (optional, for protein)

Put everything on a blender and whiz until smooth.

Cook's Notes: I wanted it a little sweeter, so I tossed in a packet of Splenda.  Use your sweetener of choice and adjust to your taste. 
 Also incredible with a tiny splash of heavy cream, which heightens the smoothness and richness of the mixture - of course, half-n-half or coffee creamer would work.
Lastly, I tried adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder, but I recommend adding some ice cubes so it has something to mix with.
Add a dollop of almond or peanut butter - or garnish with a few fresh blueberries or strawberries when in season.