Let's talk breakfast

OK, so now we get to talk about the good stuff! Food!

For breakfast, I will either have a protein shake, steel-cut oatmeal or an egg sandwich. Just depends on what I feel like.

For the protein shake I take 8 oz of OJ, a few ice cubes, a tablespoon of ground flax seed (WinCo in the bulk section), a ½ scoop of protein powder (EAS or Muscle Milk at Costco), a palm full of frozen mixed berries and ½ a banana. Mix it all up in the blender. Occasionally, I will also add a tablespoon of peanut butter.

There are so many different things you can add to a protein shake - yogurt, all kinds of fresh/frozen fruit, even veggies. I sometimes add avocado or a hand full of fresh spinach leaves. Try it! It all gets whipped up and blended with all the other flavors. You’d be surprised how good it is! You should also try out some of the stuff in your spice cabinet. I’ve used all the usual suspects like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.; but I’ve also tried a bit of chili powder. You’d be amazed how yummy chocolate is with just a hint of chili powder.

The steel-cut oats are so good. I buy mine at Winco in the bulk section. I use ¼ Cup of oats to 1 Cup of water. I spray the bottom of my pan with cooking spray. I use a deep pan because this stuff boils over easy, so I like it to have plenty of room. I bring the water to a rolling boil, then add the oats. Once it comes back up to a boil, I reduce the heat to low. I let it sit there and simmer on low for about 30 minutes or more (while I’m doing other things like getting ready, etc.) You may like yours creamier, like normal oatmeal. You can experiment with this by just cooking it with a lid on it and at a higher temp for a shorter amount of time, etc. I eat mine with milk and a bit of honey. You can add berries or cut up a frozen banana. Experiment with different things.

Quinoa is another really great grain for a warm cereal. I’ll write about Quinoa in another post.

Now, for the really satisfying, filling breakfast! The egg sandwich – my dad use to make these when I was a kid, but his version wasn’t in the least bit healthy. I make my egg sandwich in the microwave. I use a whole-grain English muffin. I buy the Franz brand at Walmart. I like to toast it so that it is really crunchy. And… here it is… you may think me bad, but, yes, it’s true… I use a bit of butter on my muffin.

I am a believer in “real” butter. I don’t use margarine. Margarine is just a few particles away from being plastic... well, I read that one time and I don’t know if it’s true, but that imagery has stuck with me. I grew up on butter. Butter is real. It wasn’t developed by scientists in a lab. Look at the ingredients list of margarine and the ingredients in butter. I know what it is I’m eating & I can pronounce it & it tastes good! I use a little bit and not everyday on everything. All things in moderation! OK, off my soapbox and back to the sandwich.

I include one slice of turkey bacon. I use to buy the regular bacon, the stuff that is pretty much already cooked and you just finish it in the microwave, but on a whim I decided to buy the turkey bacon and guess what? I actually like it, so that’s what I use now.

I cook the bacon inside a folded over paper towel directly on the microwave turntable. 1 strip is cooked for 1 minute.

For the egg, I spray a small plate with cooking spray. You know those little saucer plates that are suppose to be for tea/coffee cups? They are the perfect size for the egg-to-muffin ratio. I’ve also seen people use a ramekin, which would give it the perfect egg ‘McMuffin’ look. I crack the egg on my plate, put a little salt & pepper on it and then I take a fork or knife and stir it around a bit to break the yolk. I put the plate in the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Assemble the sandwich and yum! Very filling and satisfying.