Born to Move - Healthy Moms Create Happy Families

The Perfect Breakfast Quest Continues

There are of course simpler options to mixing bowls, stove top cooking, and a big mess in the kitchen sink first thing in the morning.  But I am not a person that will simply pour a bowl of cereal for myself and move on to the day’s activities.  All the refinement of store bought cereal seems to go against my nature or nature in general.  Although I will admit Jim and Louisa are content with a bowl of Cherrios and milk.

Louisa's Simple Breakfast

Pregnant or not, protein is key in the morning!  Protein gives us the brain power to get through a busy morning by keeping our blood sugar consistent.  Incorporating protein into breakfast is the trickiest part of perfecting breakfast because we are accustomed to more carbohydrate rich options.

A Bowl Full of Quinoa

Yesterday I decided to once again attempt quinoa for breakfast.  Quinoa can be used much like oats in a hot cereal, but with the added benefit of a complete protein source.  I did a quick search for quinoa breakfast recipes and found Happy Healthy Mama’s blog.  The orange zest and fresh orange juice intrigued me in this recipe, so I gave it a try.  Unfortunately it was a bit too sweet, maybe just too strong in flavor for me.  If you are a lover of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, give Happy Healthy Mama’s quinoa breakfast recipe a try.  Find it here.  I will attempt quinoa for breakfast again, but I think I’ll go more savory, maybe add some baby spinach and a pouched egg on top.

Orange infused red & white quinoa topped with bananas & almonds

A Good Hearty Bowl of Granola

Store bought granola is often loaded with too much sugar, but every year during our trip to San Francisco I become smitten with our hotel’s hearty bowl of baked oats.  This year I decided to try to create my own stand by granola recipe.  Now I realize that granola is known for being loaded with calories, but it’s breakfast and if those calories are nutrient rich, I’m okay with a calorie rich meal that keeps me going.  Plus granola can be made in large batches quickly. Once it’s made we have breakfast for the whole week and NO POTS and PANS.

The recipe I’m sharing is based on Heidi Swanson’s granola recipe in her Super Natural Every Day cookbook.  Much like Elizabeth’s bowl of oatmeal this recipe is fun to be creative with.  Add what you love and take out what you don’t, but keep the orange zest!  The orange zest in this recipe makes for a mellow, sort of fresh flavor that is not overpowering.  Dare I say PERFECT.  I top my granola with Nancy’s or Brown Cow plain yogurt, never non-fat, always delicious and filling!

Granola with a hint of Orange Zest

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups nuts of your choice – I use almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, but walnuts would be lovely
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4 tbls ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup currants (I used raisins this morning, but they do get a bit burned due to their size and sugar content)
• Grated zest of 1-2 oranges
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup – base this on your need for sweetness.  Heidi calls for 1/2 cup.  I don’t need that much.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees with racks on the top and bottom third of the oven.  Set out two rimmed baking sheets.

Combine the oats, nuts, coconut, salt, currants, flax, sunflower seeds and orange zest in a large bowl.  Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Whisk in the maple syrup as the butter is almost melted.  Stir the butter and syrup into the oat mixture until it is well combined.  Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets, spreading in a thin layer.

Bake stirring a few times along the way.  Make sure to check on the granola as it cooks to see if it is cooking evenly, this will depend on your oven.  Rotate the pans from top to bottom to assist in even cooking. The granola will take 40-50 minutes to turn to a golden and toasty.

Remove from the oven and cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.  Enjoy with yogurt or your favorite milk!  A simple solution, packed with protein and flavor to start the day off perfectly.

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