June 25, 2014breakfastoatmeal ala kristinecooked up by kristinehome | email | about | more postsWednesday, June 25: 12:59 PMOn exercise days or days I need my food to fill me up for longer, I love making oatmeal.  the options for add-ins are endless and it's even a little therapeutic to watch it turn into the perfect consistency,Boil together:1 1/2 cups water1 cup almond milk or your other favorite milk.When it gets well heated, be careful it doesn't boil over! now add:1/2 cup steel cut oats1T chia seed1T flax seedStir well, I use a wisk.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.Now it's time to pick your add-in favors.  I almost always put 2T diced candied ginger (Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy is good).  Then I throw in a handful of other dried fruit like raisins, or dried cherries, or dried blueberries, or chopped dried apricots.  You could add other flavors here like cocoa powder or brown sugar or spices like cinnamon as well.Continue simmering until the consistency is thick - between 20-30 minutes cook time total.Take off the heat and add 2 scoops of protein powder - I use Trader Joe's soy protein.  Stir together, and put it in a bowl.  For toppings, you may also wish to add fresh or frozen fruit or jam, some nuts, a nut butter, and/or a sweetener like local honey, maple syrup, or my fav: ginger syrup.Serve hot and enjoy!Posted with Blogsy(0)TB (0)October 14, 2013breakfast, photo-enhancedpumpkin oatmealcooked up by kristinehome | email | about | more postsMonday, October 14: 05:12 PMThe breakfast invention today was really a last minute decision.  Some days are like that, I look at my fridge and the thing I planned doesn't sound quite perfect.  Voila! a container of pumpkin awaited - I've been using it in yogurt and smoothies this last week, and the rest needs to be frozen.  So I whipped up this healthy and hearty oatmeal recipe.  The pumpkin and spices really give a warm flavor, and the chia seeds make it nice and thick.  Then the honey at the end gives a touch of sweet, and you can adjust how much you use for your preferred sweetness level.serves 1.1 cup liquid - I used 1/2 cup Almond Milk (Almond Breeze's Unsweetened variety) and 1/2 cup of cold tea.1/4 cup steel oats, dry1/2 cup pumpkin - pure pumpkin purée, not the pumpkin pie filling with extra additives!1T chia seeds1/2t cinnamondash of ground nutmeg, cloves, and ginger1t honeyBring liquid to a boil.  Add oatmeal and stir.  Add pumpkin, chia seeds, and spices.  Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.  Serve with honey and another sprinkling of cinnamon on top.  Enjoy!Posted with Blogsy(0)TB (0)August 14, 2013for one or two, photo-enhancedblueberry fluffcakescooked up by kristinehome | email | about | more postsWednesday, August 14: 03:35 PMWhen looking for a new breakfast idea, I happened upon a ricotta pancake recipe that I was interested in.  And then I remembered the almond meal in my cupboard and decided to try to use it too.  What came out i