Today, I would like to share one of my favorite things with everyone. Excuse me while I wax philosophic about my favorite meal of the day: breakfast. Health professionals will tell you it's the most important meal of the day - this is because it boosts your metabolism and gives you energy for the day. I primarily like it cause it tastes awesome. In my opinion, the greatest thing in the world is having breakfast food for dinner. I liked it when I was five and my dad made pancakes because nobody bothered to cook anything, and I like it now.
There is something ridiculously indulgent about making great breakfasts, even, like, on a Monday. I've found ways to make myself feel like I'm getting a treat, even if it took five minutes to prepare. And seriously, even if you're sitting in a cubicle all day, how much better does your weekday become if you start it off with waffles? It's like a mini-celebration that makes my mornings so much better. Weekends, on the other hand, are for brunch, because of the pleasures of sleeping in and cheating on your diet. Or because you get up on Saturdays and run several miles, if you're nuts like me. But then you've really earned your brunch. Just saying. Either way, the morning meal is the best part of the day.
So, assuming that you are now convinced that eating breakfast every single day is the best idea ever (and you should be, clearly), you may be wondering to yourself, "Self, how in the world do I work elaborate breakfasts into my daily routine when I allow myself only 5 minutes to eat?" That's an excellent question. I tend to like sweet things in the morning (and at every other time of day), so I don't eat a lot of eggs or anything, and obviously my meals are meat-free. But if you like eggs, a sunny side up egg literally takes two minutes to cook, and you can toast some bread with some cheese while you wait, and then, voila, you made a sandwich! And sunny side up eggs are the most delicious, melty things you'll ever eat with your bread. You can add spinach too, if you like healthy things like me.
If you like sweet things in the morning, you are in luck, because I may actually have more than one idea for you. I have a variety of smoothie recipes that taste indulgent and interesting and take all of a minute and a half to blend. Many of them originated from the blog Oh She Glows, but if you hate vegan things you could use real dairy products, I suppose. Did you know that you can use cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder and dark chocolate chips and make yourself a milkshake for breakfast that is actually good for you and filled with fruit and nutrients? Well you can, and I do, frequently. Breakfast is a magical meal, people. The other day I made a smoothie that tasted like blueberry pie, using a banana, blueberries, almond milk, vanilla protein powder, oatmeal, ground flax, and these coconut crumbles that I accidentally created using sweetened shredded coconut in a failed attempt to make coconut butter in my food processor. You can do it too!
I also like Van's waffles a lot. Frozen waffles are the greatest way to make your breakfast exciting. I usually spread mine with almond butter or greek yogurt and fruit, but I recently purchased some part-skim ricotta cheese, and I made some tropical waffles with a sliced kiwi and that coconut stuff. That was a great morning. And on the weekends, when I have more time, my fiance and I like to make brunch together, just your classics, eggs and bacon (none for me!) and something carb-y and delicious (biscuits, cinnamon rolls, french toast, or pancakes are the usual suspects).
You may think that this has no deeper significance than metabolism and nutrients and making you hungry, but you would be wrong. See, I spent most of my life dreading mornings, hating getting up, always late so I could get five more minutes of sleep. But now, I'm recognizing that life is short, and the sun comes up early for a reason. I don't want to spend my life asleep. And bringing joy into my life, even through something as silly as what I make for breakfast, can point my day in a positive direction. It feels good, and it feels right, and I think that God smiles to see me excited about my waffles. And really, this life is about bringing glory to God, and we should realize that he delights in seeing his children enjoy his gifts - even the little things. Getting up early and enjoying creation while I go for a run, and then coming back to a hot cup of coffee and a breakfast that makes me feel great - that's a celebration. Spending time cooking with the man I love and enjoying what we made together is a celebration, too, and it happens to be one of my favorite activities. I feel like breakfast has a lot of potential to bring us back, recenter us on what matters in life. It's not just about the food.
There is something ridiculously indulgent about making great breakfasts, even, like, on a Monday. I've found ways to make myself feel like I'm getting a treat, even if it took five minutes to prepare. And seriously, even if you're sitting in a cubicle all day, how much better does your weekday become if you start it off with waffles? It's like a mini-celebration that makes my mornings so much better. Weekends, on the other hand, are for brunch, because of the pleasures of sleeping in and cheating on your diet. Or because you get up on Saturdays and run several miles, if you're nuts like me. But then you've really earned your brunch. Just saying. Either way, the morning meal is the best part of the day.
So, assuming that you are now convinced that eating breakfast every single day is the best idea ever (and you should be, clearly), you may be wondering to yourself, "Self, how in the world do I work elaborate breakfasts into my daily routine when I allow myself only 5 minutes to eat?" That's an excellent question. I tend to like sweet things in the morning (and at every other time of day), so I don't eat a lot of eggs or anything, and obviously my meals are meat-free. But if you like eggs, a sunny side up egg literally takes two minutes to cook, and you can toast some bread with some cheese while you wait, and then, voila, you made a sandwich! And sunny side up eggs are the most delicious, melty things you'll ever eat with your bread. You can add spinach too, if you like healthy things like me.
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| Blueberry smoothie deliciousness. Poor camera work brought to you by the iPhone. |
I also like Van's waffles a lot. Frozen waffles are the greatest way to make your breakfast exciting. I usually spread mine with almond butter or greek yogurt and fruit, but I recently purchased some part-skim ricotta cheese, and I made some tropical waffles with a sliced kiwi and that coconut stuff. That was a great morning. And on the weekends, when I have more time, my fiance and I like to make brunch together, just your classics, eggs and bacon (none for me!) and something carb-y and delicious (biscuits, cinnamon rolls, french toast, or pancakes are the usual suspects).
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| Tropical waffles start your morning off right! |
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