Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

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Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

spoon dive

I like to wake up and eat hot, nutritious breakfasts. I don't care if its a cold winter day, where the cereal will warm my insides and keep them warm on the walk to school, or if its a hot summer day and my insides will slowly roast for the next couple hours. It just isn't a good start to the day if there isn't a steaming bowl of cereal in front of me.

pumpkin spice oatmeal

Almost every single morning for the past 18 years, I have eaten a large bowl of Coco Wheats for breakfast. By now, I don't even really taste the coco wheats--they have just become a part of my morning routine. I bet I could make them blindfolded. I cook them methodically. Put in exactly the same amount of sugar. The same amount of milk. Make sure I get exactly the right amount of lumps. It's has become an art form.

pumpkin spice oatmeal

So last night, when my dinner choices consisted of Coco Wheats, Cream of Wheat, and oatmeal, I was okay with this. My cupboards may resemble those of an old woman, but I can't help but love the subtly sweet, easily digestible, creamy wheat and oat cereals. And so I made this pumpkin spice oatmeal again for dinner. And it was wonderful.

pumpkin spice oatmeal

This pumpkin spice oatmeal tastes like pumpkin pie. And you get to eat it for breakfast! And its healthy! I love letting the brown sugar melt on top. It makes brown, sugary rivers through the oats and it reminds me a crème brûlée. This oatmeal tricks your mind into thinking you are eating a decadent dessert for breakfast (but your body is happy from all the nutrition). The perfect breakfast for a brisk autumn morning.

one big bite
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Fig and Balsamic Jam

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Fig and Balsamic Jam

fig and balsamic jam

The fig and I have an on-again off-again relationship. He is an unassuming, dumpy little gentleman if I ever saw one. At least that's what I thought until he got up the nerve to flash me. The audacity! I just can't look at him the same anymore--not after being exposed to all that eye candy.

fig and balsamic jam

Our love affair was brief. He took me for brunch and we dined on pancakes. He treated me to decadent desserts (and oh he can be so sweet-tempered smothered in chocolate). Then things headed south. He got cloying, sugar-coating all his words. More than once he got just a little too ripe with me.

I was at fault too. I was fickle. He caught me checking out the pears in the grocery aisle. I brushed him off to spend quality time with the apples. But we can never stray from each other for long. He always finds his way back to my kitchen table.

fig and balsamic jam

I will admit I was wary of making this jam. Figs and balsamic? Peppercorns? I couldn't imagine the taste, which made me suspicious. Thankfully, my curiosity got the better of me and I gave it a try. Oh, I am so glad I did. Figs and balsamic are like a match made in heaven. With jams, I generally get concerned that the sugar will overtake the jam and drown out the flavors, but with this one the peppercorns and lemon juice really keep that in check (and add a nice kick too!). If you are wary of this fig and balsamic jam like I was, you are going to miss out on a uniquely delicious flavor combination.

jam on bread
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Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

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Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

whole wheat banana pancakes

I am a chocolate pancake person. I don't want a good old fashioned buttermilk pancake unless it is dotted with chocolate chips. Don't give me blueberry pancakes unless there are equally as many chocolate chips as blueberries. When I go out to my favorite pancake diner, I order a chocolate chip pancake made with chocolate batter. Seriously. Perhaps I should rephrase my first statement and say I am a chocolate dessert person instead (and then again, who isn't?).

whole wheat banana pancakes

These pancakes changed all of that. I was shocked to find I was able to appreciate a pancake for being a pancake (and not chocolate), which makes these miracle pancakes. The fact that this was also the first time I had real maple syrup on a pancake probably played into it a bit too. But that does not change the honest-to-goodness truth that these pancakes are incredible.

and another one bites the dust

These whole wheat banana pancakes pack a wholesome punch, giving you whole grains, potassium, and a balanced breakfast all at once. They are fluffy, thick, and filling. Now go create your own miracle and treat yourself to a pancake revelation.
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