Breakfast Archives - Page 5 of 8 -

February 3, 2016

Apple Raisin Walnut Baked Oatmeal with Barley and Rye

The kids had a random day off from school on Monday so I woke up early in the morning to put together this baked oatmeal while they were still sleeping. By the time they woke up, the house was filled with warm apple cinnamon smells and we all knew it was going to be a good day. We had no plans until later that afternoon and while there was still work to be done in the morning, we were free to be as slow and unhurried as we pleased. Mornings like these are my favorite, partly because they are such a contrast from the usual weekday morning chaos. (PLEASE get out of bed! Hurry and finish your breakfast! Brush your teeth! Did you pack your lunch?! Where are your shoes?! The bus is COMING!)

October 22, 2015

Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

As early mornings grow darker and the inevitable first frost arrives, I find myself easing into these cooler days with warm bowls of cozy oatmeal for breakfast. Usually it’s a simple bowl of rolled or steel-cut oats, but once in a while I’ll wake up extra early to put on a pot of whole oats. Whole oats, also known as oat groats, don’t seem to receive nearly the amount of attention they deserve. They do take longer to cook than old-fashioned oats as well as a bit longer than steel cut, but the method is just as simple, perhaps even simpler since whole oats don’t require stirring. My 8-year old is generally a part of the anti-oatmeal club, but he does enjoy these whole oat groats. For him it’s the texture- this bowl of oats is creamy without being gummy and chewy without being mushy. I like to add chopped medjool dates as it cooks; the heat melts the dates into the oats and provides a balanced sweetness to the whole bowl.

September 24, 2015

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

We had the pleasure of dining at the American Spoon Cafe this past summer during a family weekend up in northern Michigan. We ended up eating there twice in the same weekend because there were just so many things on their menu that we couldn’t resist (unusual since we usually try to experience as many new places as we can when we travel). On one of those occasions, both of our kids ordered adult-sized portions of their lemon ricotta pancakes. My oldest cleaned up his plate without any hesitation and my youngest came very close to finishing hers. To say they tasted good would be an understatement. Incredibly scrumptious would be more like it. I wanted to make a whole grain version of those same pancakes at home, partly to reminisce about our summer travels and partly because I wanted a plate for myself this time.