Tag Archives: breakfast

4 Ingredient Breakfast Chocolate Cake

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Thanks to healthy living and recipe blogs, it is no longer unusual to hear the words breakfast and chocolate in the same sentence. For me breakfast means multiple things, one of those things being quiet time. Although I like to spend time to prepare my breakfast I can’t always afford to. If breakfast prep is going to cut into one of my only times for solitude, then breakfast prep must be cut.

It is for these crunched mornings when a 4-ingredient recipe allows me to keep a delicious breakfast AND my time of solitude.

 

4-ingredient Breakfast Chocolate Cake
Ingredients: Instructions
•1 tbsp peanut flour

•1 tbsp cocoa powder

 •2 tbsp egg whites (about 1 egg)

•2 tbsp pureed pumpkin

 1)Mix all ingredients
2)Microwave for 2 minutes. Flip. Microwave for 1 minute
Category Mark Comments Overall Grade
Convenience

A+

 Fast and easy.

A
Health

A

 4g carbs, 4g fat, 8g protein
Taste

A-

 The chocolate really stands out because there are so few ingredients in this recipe. If you are a chocolate lover you will love this. Most, if not all, will want to add a sweetener to this
Texture

A

 Two words describe the texture of this cake perfectly: dense and fudgy!
General Comments:
Cooking time will depend on the size of the bowl you use. I used a bowl that had a circumference about the size of my palm.

The cocoa powder I used (from a bulk store) had a 22-24% fat content, which is higher than most commercial cocoa powders.

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When do you get your time of solitude?

Starting the Week Off Right

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What better way to start off the week than with some inspiration (in addition to a warm cup of coffee, and a delicious “sport loaf”)

Last year each day I would take time to search through my bible and find a verse that I found particularly applicable to that day. I wrote down the verse in a mini moleskin notebook, and this year each day I read what verse I wrote down the year before. I found it a great way to not only reflect on my day, but also to listen to what verses God wanted to point out to me.

“Sport Loaf” bread with smoked salmon cream cheese

This year instead of choosing a verse each day, I have been spending time to read inspirational Christian non-fiction. I am loving how this commitment has helped my relationship with God to grow this year. However, I am missing the daily verse search.

Yeah, I am not sure what makes it a “sport” loaf either…BUT it is delicious. Very dense and flavourful, not fluffy like sandwich bread.

Thus I have decided that I am going to do a weekly verse search, and on top of that…memorize it. This weeks verse is Psalm 37:3, since I really need to work on trusting, rather than planning and fearing the future.

The best thing is how simple the ingredient list is! I recognize everything on it. It was a great addition to my breakfast egg, greek yoghurt and fruit.

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Do you like fluffy bread (like sandwich bread) or dense bread (like pumpernickel)? Is there a particular verse you have been reflecting on recently?

Adjusting to the Working World

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I have officially survived my first full week of work. Along with the business came a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts regarding where I am headed in my life and what I am striving to accomplish. Today I would like to list out some of things I am not liking about the working world, and some things I am liking about the working world.

Things I am not liking:

1) Having to settle for portable snacks instead of my favourite meals.

Because let’s be real: there is no way this alligator stew is going to make it to work.
Thank fully I am fully supplied with quest bars.

If I didn’t know this was a smoothie, I would be convinced it was something else…look how thick!

Cinnamon Roll quest bar. Better than Coconut Cashew, and strawberry cheesecake, but worse than lemon cream pie, and peanut butter chocolate.

2) Long hours with little variety in my day.

Compared to school where I am constantly working on a different assignment, attending a different lecture, or studying for a different test my work days seem pretty long. My work day is 9.5 hours, so it is taking some adjusting to get used to sitting for so long. This means that by the time I get home I miss my favourite time of the day (the sunny time), and miss out on running with my favourite creatures:

I told you I had a special connection with butterflies. They really like posing for my camera. In fact this one is the same type as butterfly #2 from last time!

 

Things I am liking:

1) Having the morning, evenings, and weekends to my self.

It still feels unreal to not have any work to do once I get home or on Saturdays. Instead I get to make microwave cookies and read on the porch.

This is a great book, if you liked The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, then I would definitely recommend Up from the Blue By: Susan Henderson. One of my favourite quotes from the book: “Sometimes what you fear, what you spend all your energy avoiding or pushing down, is not as terrifying as you thought” Check out some of my favourite quotes from the book here.


2) Being able to enjoy breakfast with my notebooks

I am quite enjoying spending some time with encouraging words, and toying with old hobbies.

Oatmeal breakfast with my “Everyday Notebook”. During the semester I write down everything I learned the day before. Now that I am not in school I use it to write down quotes, glue in inspiring photos, glue in fun brain teasers, and quick sketches.

Quote from the book Plan B by Paul Wilson and a sketch of…Can you guess? Hint: Pixar Movie

I would definitely say I am still not entirely adjusted. The hard part is knowing that this is NOT a summer job. It isn’t “four months on this schedule, then back to school”, it’s more like “this is it”.
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What are your plans for the weekend? How do you adjust to change? What are some hobbies you like to do when you suddenly have more time to yourself?

The Art of Doing Things for Pleasure

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Okay, I lied, sometimes I do have trouble opening up a post. Today is one of those times. Let’s just put it like this: I’m going share with you a secret, a story, and a goal all mixed in with sharing my Wednesday eats.

I have a secret: I used to like to write for no one but my self. I spent years keeping a journal and used it to recount various details of my life and reflect on what I thought I knew about the world I know. I found pleasure in spending time by my self and doing something that had absolutely no value to it. It was not making me smarter, it was not building my relationships, it was not doing chores, and it was not pleasing any one else. So what was it doing? It was pleasing me.

Had to give the garnet yam another chance. It’s official: I like the white flesh sweet potato much better

A Story: Did you know I built a time machine when I was 14? Truly I did, and I fast forwarded to when I was 30. Unfortunately not having gone through any engineering training at that age the time machine only transported my soul to a thirty year old. The rest of me stayed in my adolescence. I was a kid with no sense of fun, spontaneity, innocence, or carefree-ness. Don’t get me wrong, I never wanted to grow up, I distinctly remember wanting to cry when I became a teenager, I wanted to stay 12 forever.

I would rate this Quest bar 10/10, although I have also had the cashew coconut flavour and would only rate it a 6/10 for being way to sweet. I haven’t been using any stevia in my baking or yogurts, so on the rare occasion that I grab a protein bar I often find them too sweet for my liking.

A Goal: What is the point in all my rambling: I have a new goal of rediscovering the art of doing things for pleasure. For spending time to let go of the responsibilities and cares. To live through a child’s eyes for a small moment of the day.

You didn’t think the missing chocolate topping would last long did you?

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What do you do for your own pleasure? Do you ever feel like your sold is a different age than your body? Do you ever find protein bars too sweet? What your favorite protein bar?

A Definetly Delisious and Voluptuous Oatbran Trick

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I have a few confessions to make…

  • I can’t spell definetly
  • I can’t spell sandwhich
  • I can’t spell delisious
  •  I take all my photos on my Blackberry Torch
  • When I read/write that something is voluminous…I read/write voluptuous! Oops

Honestly I make those spelling mistakes EVERY TIME, I never learn. In lieu of those confessions I’ve decided to share my voluptuous oat bran trick, that is definetly delisious!

**NOTE: Hover over photos for extra captions, although most are self explanatory**

When I first started making oat bran, I was using Katie’s Voluminous oat trick but I soon learned a few chia and egg white tricks of my own to add to Katie’s wonderful discovery.

  • mix ⅓ oatbran, stevia packet, dash of salt and ¼ cup egg whites. Stir well

  • add 1.5 cup almond breeze or other liquid, add tablespoon of chia seeds mix well. mix well
  • let sit for at least 5 minutes. This is important I’ve found

  • microwave for 2 minutes
  • stir, microwave for 1 minute
  • let sit in microwave for 5 minutes

  • Let sit uncovered overnight
I’ve found significant consistency differences if I switch up the order of the eggwhites/chia seed addition. And I’ve found ENORMOUS differences if I’m inpatient and don’t let the chia sit before microwaving. Usually I clean up while I’m waiting, or pack my lunch. That way I don’t feel like I’m wasting time.

I always dress my oat bran up, because oats aren’t meant to be naked in my kitchen.

I almost always top my oatmeal with the same thing: a layer of greek yogurt, and a layer of runny peanut flour sauce. Of course I always enjoy my oatbran bowls with a big side of fruit, and hot mug of coffee. Because my morning would just not be complete without.

I’m pretty sure oat eaters have all adapted their OWN method for making oats just the way they like THEY like them. But I figured I would post my method just in case there is someone out there who hasn’t discovered the awesomeness of oats! I always use it to make my oat bran or rolled spelt, and I’m never disappointed with the outcome.

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Do you have a set way you always make your oats, or do you change it all the time? What type of oats do you prefer? (oat bran, rolled, steal cut…the possibilities are endless)

Weeekend E's: Running Update

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Yesterday marked my fourth month since I started blogging, and I just wanted to acknowledge how much I have enjoyed it! I appreciate all of your comments on my posts and I love the blogging community. You guys all rock! Now it’s time to get to…

Experiences: 

The heat wave it seems we’ve all been having is expected to cool down a little bit. I won’t complain because I would prefer a heat wave over a cold wave, but last Thursday’s ‘Feels Like” temperature being 120F was pretty darn hot.                                                                         

For the weekend  I’ll be expecting to experience a little more of this type of lounging…

Edibles:

So far this morning I’ve already ate an incredible oat bran combination, Peanut Butter Chocolate Molten:

Oat bran, almond breeze, eggwhites, cocoa powder, peanut flour, vanilla cupcake flavor drops. Topped with greek yogurt mixed with more cocoa powder and drizzled with runny peanut flour paste

Exercise:

It’s been a while since I’ve posted my Nike+ running miles, so this chart pretty much sums up the month of July so far:

See those two recent peaks? Those are when I run with my dad which are always my favorite runs. My Dad has been running for a long time and has done several marathons and he has never had a running injury. So when I run with him I follow his every move: his pace, his posture, his stride. It’s amazing how great it feels to be in sync with another runner.

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How long have you been blogging for? Do you ever go running with someone else? What have you been up to this weekend?

A Crunch and Chew WIAW

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It’s party time, and guess what?! You’re all invited!

Breakfast:

Sometimes I just don’t feel like doing much food prep, usually if I’ve been really busy. So instead of preparing overnight oats, I decided just to make a quick breakfast in the morning. Greek yogurt, fruit + drizzles peanut flour paste, and marble toast. Marble toast is just a really thick layer of cheese on the bottom (I use a full laughing cow triangle on each slice) and a thin layer of peanut butter on top.

Morning Snack:

 I hate it when only the small apples are left in the fridge.

 At least it was firm and crunchy, just the way apples should be. Speaking of crunchy, I love crunchy things. Some people like their almonds as almond butter, but more often then not I would rather chew my almonds. Nothing against nut butter, I just prefer the crunching action!

Lunch:

One of the great things about packing a lunch for work is that you get to gamble on what you will be craving the next day [enter sarcasm].

It’s just a salad +italian dressing, cottage cheese, soy cereal and an apple. It’s not what I would have chosen if I were at home, but I get what I packed and I packed what I get.

I put cinnamon in the lunch baggie with the soy cereal then mixed it in my cottage cheese. I frequently eat my cottage cheese this way, it makes it more crunchy.

Afternoon Snack:

Snoopy likes dark chocolate too. But I didn’t share with him because it was one of my favorites: OrganicFair WestCoaster (TOASTED HAZELNUTS & WILD BLUEBERRIES)
Dinner:

Why I was craving soup during a huge heat wave is beyond me. But I was, so that’s exactly what I had.

I added my own veggies of course…

But didn’t make lots of soup broth because I felt like chewing rather then slurping 

GoGo Quinoa instant soup, veggies, hemp hearts, greek yogurt ,salsa

Snack:

My snack was a kaleidoscope of colors.

 Instead of adding the fruit to my smoothie I poured my smoothie over my fruit (apple, watermelon, blueberries, and strawberries). It was perfect because I felt like chewing!

By the way, if you haven’t already filled in the security polls and want to, you can head here.

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Do you prefer crunchy or soft fruit? (I prefer crunchy like apples, that is actually the reason why you don’t see many banana’s around here)

What do you have for breakfast when you don’t have time to prepare oats?

Nutty for Salted Nuts

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The birth story of another breakfast combination: It all starts with a mis-reading of measuring spoons. Oops, did I just add ¼ teaspoon of salt to my overnight oats instead of ⅛ teaspoon? Oh well, salty oats it is or better yet “Nutty for salted nuts” oatbran.

Nutty for Salted Nuts Oat bran bowl

 This breakfast was scrumptious (much better texture then my slimy first attempt), but it also got be curious about how much of my daily sodium I had consumed in my first meal of the day.

 Sodium Amounts

  • It’s surprising, but only a small amount of the sodium we eat comes from adding salt at the table or adding salt when we cook.
  • What’s really important to understand is that almost 80 percent of the sodium we eat is “hidden” in prepared or processed foods.
  • Experts recommend that a safe daily intake of sodium for healthy adults is 2,300 mg, which is about 1 teaspoon of salt.

 source

Well then I don’t think I have anything to worry about since ¼ teaspoon is only equal to about 500mg of sodium.

When I was a kid I craved salt like it was going out of business, especially on cucumber and tomatoes. Eventually I stopped shaking the salt shaker over my food when, however many of my favourite food staples have a decent sodium content :

  • cottage cheese
  • canned tuna
  • canned beans
  • salted nuts or seeds
  • soy sauce
  • salad dressings
  • pickles!!! I love me some dill pickles but one pickle = 10% of your sodium.

Before refrigerating overnight. Inside: oat bran, almond breeze, egg whites, celestial seasonings Almond dreams tea, almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, peanut flour, sweetener

I am by no means advising a sodium strike, there are benefits too:

Benefits of Sodium

  • Sodium helps in maintaining the water balance of the body. It helps in pumping water in the cells and regulating the amount of extra cellular fluid in the body.
  • Sunstroke or heat exhaustion can be dealt with, by consuming food items rich in sodium, as they successfully replace the loss of essential electrolytes such as salt and water.
  • Muscle cramps can be avoided by taking a diet rich in sodium. The problem is usually seen in the summer months, due to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. While water keeps the body hydrated, sodium restores the amount of electrolyte.
  • All men and women who are overtly concerned about their looks and want to look young forever should start having foods rich in sodium. They will help you keep the skin youthful and glowing, which is why it is an important hydrating product of almost all anti-aging creams.

source

So just like with everything else in life balance is key for sodium!

P.S: Don’t worry I didn’t forget about WIAW, I will be posting my Wednesday eats tomorrow.

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Are any of your favorite foods high in sodium? Do you sprinkle salt on your dinner/salads? Do you use table salt or mediterranean sea salt?

Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Oatbran

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I hope all of your weekends were as great as mine. The sun was shining and it was hot, it’s hard to believe that it was only two months ago when it was 8 degrees.

 

Just goes to show that we Canadians really don’t live in Igloos, otherwise my house would be a melted puddle

What made my weekend great? Family time, friend time, and alone time. My alone time usually comes along with breakfast, since I’m the early bird in the family.

Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Oatbran

It was my first time making oatbran but it turned out to be satisfying and…slimy. It was only slimy because I added chia seeds. The night before I used Katie’s method for volumptious oats using:

  • oatbran
  • cocoa powder
  • cold strawberry tea
  • egg whites
  • chia seeds
  • sweetener, and a pinch of salt
I tried to follow the volumptious oats trick as closely as possible, but I think I may have left it in the microwave a bit too long because most of the water was already evaporated by the time I put it in the fridge.
In the morning I melted two laughing cow cheeses on top… …and dug in.
Devoured while reading blogs. Two blog posts you should be sure to check if…
  1. …you are feeling burdened: A Burden Lifted… at Cotter Crunch
  2. …you are a planner: Thoughts: Advanced Notice No Longer Necessary at Salt Water Coffee
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To you what makes the perfect weekend? Do you have your meals alone or with the company of others?
CyberChimps