Building The Breakfast Cookie

Six Steps To Building Yourself…

The Breakfast Cookie

1. Mash and smash one super sweet, medium-large banana.

2. Add 1/2 cup of uncooked old fashioned oats and your favorite spices.

(I usually add 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves and 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

3. Add 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa.

This is important if you’re like me and live for all things chocolate.

4. Add 1 Tbsp. chunky peanut butter and a tsp of your favorite jam.

(Raspberry, you know, goes very well with the whole chocolate thing you’ve got going on.  Just sayin’.)

5. Smash, smash, smash everything together.

6. Roll out 4 portions in the palm of your hand, just as you would a meatball.

Top each cookie with an almond.

Sprinkle a pinch of coconut.

Serve with milk and enjoy each delightful bite.

If the mixture is too soft: Add wheat germ or wheat bran or crushed flax.

If the mixture is too firm: Add a Tbsp. or so of milk.

QUESTION: What are you eating for breakfast?

Advertisement

a “heart”y breakfast

 

Speaking of Valentines Day, I’m kind of obsessed.

Obsessed with strawberries and bananas and coconut, all dipped and dunked in chocolatey things.

 

 

Obsessed with eating chocolate for breakfast.

How indulgent.  And healthy.  Indulgently healthy. 

(Those two words, I think, should always coexist.)

 

A ‘Heart’y Breakfast

Dark chocolate’s antioxidants, walnut’s omega 3 fatty acids, and oatmeal’s cholesterol lowering fiber—all coming together in one deliciously, heart healthy bowl.  Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast?

I’ve been following the microwave procedures for making oatmeal lately, since busy mornings require it.  I also kind of like the way that the overnight sit lets the banana sweeten up the oats.  However, you could just as easily make this the morning of, if you prefer.  Enjoy! 😀

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 Tbsp. crushed flax (optional)
• 1 cup milk
• cinnamon and nutmeg
• 5 strawberries, sliced
• 1 very ripe banana, sliced
• toppings: coconut, dark chocolate chips, sliced strawberry, and walnuts

1. In a large, microwaveable bowl, combine the oats, flax, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, strawberries and banana.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, add 1/4 c. of water to the bowl, stir well, remove plastic wrap and microwave for 3-5 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Pour into bowl, cover with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

You know how when you’re a kid, running and playing in a new pair of sneakers makes you instantly feel like an athlete?

 

 

Yeah.  Well.  Some things never change. 

I swear I ran faster today.   Best of all, no knee pain.  There is definitely some truth to replacing those running sneakers at least every 500 miles.

 

Sarah’s “Official” Half Marathon Training Plan

Week 1: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—4 miles

Week 2: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—5 miles

Week 3: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—2.5 miles

Week 4: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—6.5 miles

Week 5: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—3 miles

Week 6: Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—8 miles

Week 7:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—3 miles

Week 8:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—9.5 miles

Week 9:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—4 miles

Week 10:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—11 miles

Week 11:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—4 miles

Week 12:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—12.5 miles

Week 13:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—4 miles

Week 14:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—14 miles

Week 15:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—5 miles

Week 16:  Tues—3 miles   Thurs—3 miles   Saturday—HALF MARATHON RACE DAY!!

 

Question: Have you ever trained for a race/walk before?  What were some of your toughest obstacles?

…OR…

If you haven’t yet trained for a race/walk, what do you think would be your toughest obstacles to overcome?

return of the breakfast cookie

Lately I’ve been preparing breakfast the night before, thereby eliminating any early morning rushing around. 

Currently, my heart belongs to the breakfast cookie.

I love the chewy, moist texture that the oats take on, after spending some quality time with pumpkin, bananas, and chocolate. 

Usually I’ll top the chocolate infused cookie with sliced bananas, a bit of granola, and some extra cocoa powder for good measure.  This morning I decided to slather it in homemade greek yogurt mixed with agave for a creamy change of pace.  It was lovely. 😀

Chocolate Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie

For a mocha version, add about a tsp of instant coffee to the mix before chilling in the fridge.  For a spicy, gingerbread flavor, nix the cocoa and add in about a tsp of molasses (and extra cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger!)

For topping ideas, you can either make your own homemade greek yogurt (sweetened with honey or agave,) add sliced bananas and granola, chop a few almonds, sprinkle on some dried cranberries, or smear on some vanilla flavored chobani.  Have fun mixing up the flavors! 😀

Oh, and don’t forget, if you’re using unsalted peanut butter for this, add just a pinch of salt to the mix to bring it all together

• 1/2 c. uncooked rolled oats
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 T. crushed flax (optional)
• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
• 1 T. salted peanut butter
• cinnamon and nutmeg, just a dash of each
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Combine all of ingredients together in a bowl.  Mash with fork until well combined.
2. Spread the combined mixture onto a plate.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. ENJOY the following morning! 😀

Question: What is your current favorite breakfast? 

in the works

Creating a “life’s to-do list” has proved to be (a) challenging, (b) inspiring and (c) thought provoking.

As I was pedaling my way through an 11 mile bike ride this morning, I began realizing that it’s so easy for us to limit ourselves when it comes to setting goals.  For example, there were a few times when I came close to adding something to my list before cutting short with the thought, “Oh, Sarah, be real…that couldn’t happen!”  What?  Why not?  The only real limit to life’s possibilites is the limit that we set for ourselves.  Sometimes it’s okay to throw out an idea that seems scary or far out of reach.  Daring to dream BIG.

Prior to biking, I ate breakfast outside on the deck.

• 1/4 c. oatbran
• 1/4 c. wheatbran
• 1-1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 1 c. milk + 3/4 c. water
• 1 banana (1/4 saved for the top)
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger
• toppings: scoop of teddy peanut butter and 2 T. Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola

My morning ride was deliciously invigorating, and I came home to take a quick shower before skipping off to the dentist.  Fun stuff (or not!)  At least it’s the last time I’ll have to go for a while (yay!)

Thankfully my mouth wasn’t as numb as the last time, and I was ready to eat lunch about an hour after the visit to the dentist. 

• mixed greens
• carrot
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/4 avocado
• topping: couple handfuls of blanched broccoli, 1/2 c. garbanzo beans, 1/2 c. whipped cottage cheese, 1 T. sunflower seeds

+ some kashis on the side.

Fun lunch!

Afternoon Snack: 6-oz. plain yogurt, chopped grapes and 2 T. Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola

Sardines for dinner! 

I loved everything about this sandwich.  Trader Joe’s whole wheat sourdough bread.  Crunchy alfalfa sprouts.  Spicy Pepper Jack cheese.  Thick, juicy tomato slices.  Seedy brown mustard.

Yum, yum, y-u-m!

Toasted to perfection!

On the side, I baked some kale chips (5-6 minutes in a 425 degree oven) and dunked them into a bit of ketchup.

Yum!

My meal ended with a square of intensely dark chocolate.  I found this bar on sale for $2 at Target today.  I couldn’t pass that up. 😀

I loved how intense it was, but I’m still not a huge Lindt chocolate fan.  I don’t know, there was something strange about the chocolate.  It was almost chalky instead of being smooth and snappy like you’d expect in a dark chocolate bar.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as some of the most recent dark chocolate bars that I’ve been buying.

Off to make a snack, read and chillax for the night!  My “life’s to-do list” is still in the works, but I’ll be sharing it by tomorrow. 😀

Question: What is your favorite brand or type of chocolate?