But first things first... I need a good, hot breakfast to get me going! After a fantastic, but slightly indulgent meal last evening (home-cooked perfect ribeye steak with roasted veggies and mashed potatoes), I need a clean meal to fuel my day.
What better for a cold Midwest morning than a good bowl of oatmeal? My addiction to the cherry/almond combination is obvious, so why not try it with oatmeal? With all ingredients on hand I got started, slightly adapting the recipe from Hungry Girl's Growing Oatmeal Bowl.
Here's what I did:
Combine:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1T brown sugar
- 1T ground flax seed
- 1/8th tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8th tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan, then reduce to simmering. Stir often and simmer for 6-8 minutes or so until desired consistency reached. During the last minute or two of cooking add in 1/2 cup diced fresh or frozen cherries (or 1/4 cup dried) to heat through.
Nutrition information using MyFitnessPal: 312 calories, 6g protein, 7g fiber
*Modifications - can use soy or skim milk if preferred or other milk of choice, use your favorite sugar substitute or sweetener in place of brown sugar, mix up the fruit by using chopped apple or another berry of choice, mix up the flavorings by using your favorite extract in place of vanilla or almond. Please note that any modifications may change nutrition information of recipe.
