Eating healthfully…

Breakfast always has been my favorite meal. Just do not get my day off to a good start without a substantial one, however modest.

Over the years, my breakfast has been influenced by many culinary phases. In the 70’s, a yoga teacher shared her “seed breakfast” recipe. Recall it was a blend of flax, chia and sesame seeds (tablespoon of each), ground in a blender with one whole (not peeled) orange. It was topped with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds. Tried that for a few years. My father even bought me a special jar to keep my “birdseed” in. Eventually, commute time got in the way, and I drifted back to boxed cereal. Now that I have my own homegrown oranges, I have been thinking to try the seed breakfast, again. Meanwhile…



Above is a photo of my now typical breakfast -- what I like to euphemistically call “breakfast pilaf”, or in summer, “breakfast sundae.” Suppose it is truly more of a thick, fruited porridge, but pilaf and sundae sound more delectable, don’t they? The base consists of steel cut oats, bulgur wheat, wheat bran and flax meal, seasoned with cinnamon and ginger. I cook a large batch of this on the stovetop, and keep it in containers in the refrigerator, reheating a day’s portion. Then, berries and applesauce are mixed in. It is topped with raisins, nuts, and plain yogurt. (I know, latter is an acquired taste.) In summer, a generous layer of sliced fresh fruit, usually peaches, lies beneath the yogurt. It is a great start to my morning, along with two cups of organic black coffee. No sugar added!