Oatmeal with freshly (ish) picked cherries

 

My husband and I just got back from a road trip to Michigan. I can’t tell you where-it’s still mostly untouched by tourism and we don’t want our spots taken 😉  While we were there, we went on lots of hikes with our pup. She loved pouncing on the waves in Lake Superior! The cabin we stayed in had an awesome cherry tree-and we took advantage! We had cherries every day for breakfast.

On the shores of chilly Lake Superior

 

My favorite hike

 

 

Sunset from the cabin.

 

I finished the very last of the cherries this morning for breakfast. I threw them on top of oatmeal with half a banana, and some sprinkled chia seeds. They were sweeter than any cherries I ever bought in a store.

My breakfast attempt to bring me back to vacation.

Breakfast 5/28

Ah, finally out of the surgery and recovery daze enough to make myself breakfast! For the last week I’ve been eating tons of oatmeal for breakfast-nutritious and safe for me to make while groggy (no knives!) Today however, I didn’t feel the need for any pain medication when I woke up, which means I won’t be in the pain medication fog today.

I went with a savory breakfast-toast with sliced tomato and avocado with a bit of salt and olive oil. I think a drizzle of balsamic vinegar would have been really tasty also, but I ran out. I also had a giant bowl of applesauce, it’s one of my comfort foods when sick. I ate it too fast though to take a photo 😉

 

 

Breakfast on 4/11

This past Sunday I made another big pot of porridge to last me the week for breakfasts. This time I made it with equal parts quinoa, millet, and oatmeal. I cooked it with a half soy milk and half water. I also added in some vanilla extract, 2 tbsp of chia seeds and 1 tbsp of flax seeds.

For this morning I added a sliced banana, a few sliced strawberries, and a spoonful of peanut butter. This porridge is still keeping me full for hours! Hopefully I don’t get sick of it anytime soon!

Fast and Filling Breakfast

After 7 long months of treatment and recovery for tongue cancer I am finally back to work! I was ready in February but unfortunately for me my previous employer (who told me my job would be there when I was ready to come back) informed me my once full time position was now only part time-as in less than 20 hours a week. Yeah, that doesn’t work for me. So, I had to find a new job and I finally did! I’m really excited to get back to work. I told my husband last night that although I’ve been cancer free for 3 months, only now that I have a job again do I feel like cancer is “over”. 

But this also means I can no longer hang out all morning and eat breakfast whenever I feel like it. I also need to make sure breakfast is fast and will keep me full for several hours! Because I have to brush my teeth after every meal, snacking has become rather annoying. It’s no longer quickly shoveling some food in my mouth and getting back to work-nope, it means eat faster and go find a bathroom to brush my teeth. Not worth it sometimes. 

I know that oatmeal is a popular go to breakfast for many people. It’s cheap, delicious, fast, healthy, and can be made in tons of different flavor combinations. But, whenever I eat oatmeal I’m starving within an hour. No matter how much oatmeal or what I mix in, it just does not fill me up.

I started experimenting with quinoa porridge about a month ago. Not only is it delicious, but it has kept me full for about 5 hours (yes, I timed it). Even better, I can cook a giant batch on Sunday evening and it keeps in the fridge all week! You can make this as a sweet or savory dish-whatever you crave in the morning.

And for the record, at work this kept me full for 7 hours before I had a chance to eat lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 3.5-4 cups water (you can also sub 1-2 cups for your favorite milk or broth)
• 1/2 cup oatmeal (I used quick-cook)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• Optional add-ins: vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder-you get the idea. 
• Topping ideas: fruit (fresh or frozen) avocado, maple syrup, hummus, seeds, chopped nuts, nut butters, etc..

How to make it:

• Combine the quinoa, water, (and milk or broth if using) and the add-ins of your choice.
• If using regular oatmeal (not quick-cooking) add in now.
• Bring to a boil and simmer covered on low heat for 15 minutes. 
• Turn off the heat.
• If using quick-cook oats, add now. Also add in the chia seeds. Mix everything together. If the mixture seems dry add a bit of water, milk, or broth (you choose)
• Cover the pot and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. 
• You’ll know it’s ready when the chia seeds have absorbed the liquid. 
• Serve now with toppings or store in a container in the fridge. 
• For breakfast microwave and add all your favorite toppings. 

This week I added in vanilla and cinnamon while cooking. I mixed in a chopped banana and a big spoonful of peanut butter.

I also made a smoothie made with frozen mangoes, strawberries, 4 kale leaves, water, and flax seeds. I’ve been making smoothies with lots of kale for the past few weeks and have noticed a slight boost in energy. I’ll let you know after 2 weeks of working again if it’s still giving me an energy boost 😉