Is hopefully what will be happening on here over the next few days.
But first, I have been attempting to make my breakfasts a little more interesting. I was getting a little obsessed with an apple, Rude Health muesli and almond milk. It is yummy. But now the mornings are so dark, and a little cooler, I have been going back to porridge. Last year I mainly had porridge with raisins and cinnamon- cheap and easy to make, plus tasty. But I fancy branching out a little with my flavours! Operation pimp my porridge begins!
This morning I had autumn fruit porridge. I chopped up a pear, sprinkled on oats and poured on soya milk, then added some frozen blackberries. I left it in the fridge overnight and then cooked it this morning for 2.20 in the microwave. I added a teeny squirt of agave, but it was quite sweet anyway in the end. Scrumptious. And purple!
The other day I tried banana cocoa porridge- amazing! I mashed a banana with some cocoa powder, then added oats and almond milk, again left it overnight and cooked it in the morning. This was so good! The banana means it needs no sweetener added, and it was a lovely change from my norm. But very messy looking!
I also had the most enormous sandwich!
A whole apple (I like it cored and into rings like that- looks pretty)
See– it is as high as the jar of peanut butter! It was hard to eat I tell you!
Today was my first day antibiotic free! 🙂 🙂 Less time for making cupcakes haha!
After work I went out on a little experimental run. I did 2 miles, and took it easy. I felt OK, but even thought I went before I left, I needed the toilet when I got home- not sure if this is just psychological? As soon as I got home as well I sort of felt like I had some soreness, but then as soon as I sat down it went. So I think I might be imagining it? Anyway I am back to the doctors Friday so I am going to mention it then and see what they say.
I am so behind with marathon talk- the one I finished up today was from the 7th September! I need to get running again so I can catch up! (Andy did say “er, you do realise you can listen to them when you are not running” but it wouldn’t be the same!). And did you know they now do a parkrun podcast? I am way behind and they announced it on the show I listened to, so it has been going a few weeks by now!
Anyway, help me pimp my porridge- what can I add to make it different? What do you love to add to your porridge?
Banana cocoa porridge is my favourite! My other regular combos are banana and peanut flour or peanut butter, grated apple with cinnamon, dates, seeds and dried fruit, strawberries, frozen forest fruits. The possibilities are endless!
I had not thought about peanut flour- I still have some PB2 so I could try that. 🙂
Grated apple is on my list too, thanks 🙂 Oh and dates- I did consider banana and date but thought that might be too sweet.
Your banana cocoa porridge sounds amazing.
I’m wondering how peaches would go in porridge??
I love peaches in porridge! With cinnamon and peanut butter on top, yum 🙂
Yeah I bet peaches would be amazing. I think I have had them on porridge before?? Not sure! Will add to the list!
Ha ha, “pimp my porridge” – love it! Yours does look pimped, especially the purple one 🙂
Try grated carrot and mixed spice for carrot cake porridge; my new favourite and it’s so sweet even with no added maple syrup or anything… or apple sauce and almond butter…?
Glad your run went ok!
Both those sounds lovely- I even have some carrots at the moment- might be brave as it does sound a bit strange! But I do love carrot cake.
I was actually looking back the other day on my old posts from last winter, to get some porridge ideas! My favourites seemed to be tinned peaches with cinnamon and pb, and tinned pears with vanilla and white choc, I will have to re-visit both of those soon 🙂
I’ve actually just (finally!) got round to following your idea of making the oats up the night before – tomorrow’s breakfast will be oats, tinned half fat coconut milk (open tin, needed using), coconut extract and frozen mixed berries…probably with agave and desiccated coconut put on top in the morning. I love porridge! 🙂
I was going to have banana and coconut this morning, but it turns out I have run out of coconut! So I went for banana carob raisins 🙂
Both those ideas sound lovely _pears are super in porridge. It is so much quicker to make it the night before, plus the oats soak up the liquid so much better
Hmm this is one that I am not sure I can help ya with since I don’t like porridge or anything uber creamy. But I’d probably add some pumpkin since it is that time of the year!
Yeah that sort of spice is lovely. Actually I think last year I did have a phase of adding tinned pumpkin to porridge for a pumpkin pie breakfast 🙂
I’m just a plain soya milk & sweetener kind of girl but have you seen Emma @ Sweet Tooth Runner? she puts pudding pots on hers – i think they are like those alpro soya pudding pots. She featured them on this weeks WIAW http://sweettoothrunner.com/2011/09/27/wiaw-wiww/
Yes I have seen those- I love those alpro pots but that would be too sweet for me in the morning! But thanks 🙂
Love the look of your PB & apple sandwhich… such a good combination and even better when it’s as tall as the PB jar! Sounds like my kind of snack!
Porridge has been my regular weekday breakfast for the past couple of years so I’ve tried many amazing flavour combinations. My personal favourites include apple/cinnamon/raisin, banana/strawberries/PB, almond butter/almond extract/cherry jam. Also try experimenting with adding dried fruit before cooking the oats as this causes the fruit to swell up and become really juicy. I did this with some dried cherries recently and it was amazing! This morning I had chocolate porridge (added a bit of cocoa to my plain oats) topped with cold greek yoghurt and blueberries and it was really delicious… something about the combination of hot porridge and cold yoghurt was really yummy. Hopefully that gives you some ideas 🙂
Yes I always add the raisins before I soak it overnight so that they plump up 🙂
I like the sound of almond butter and cherries. Thanks
My favorite oatmeal toppings/mix ins are (not all together): maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin, banana & flax, nut butter, apples, and chocolate chips.
I’m planning on eating a lot more porridge as the weather gets colder! I love pear and hazelnut (or chocolate pear and hazelnut), strawberries and pb (I use de frosted strawberries mashed like jam), apple, cinnamon, raisin, berries and coconut, mango and coconut, oh and the carrot, coconut raisin porridge I made last weekend was lush! Enjoy!
Thanks- loads of fab ideas 😉
Love the post title 😉
I love porridge with cherries and vanilla, but my favourite has to be pumpkin cocoa oat bran cooked in rice milk with chopped banana. It’s one of the few things I eat that tastes decadent but actually isn’t!
xxx
Pumpkin and cocoa sounds interesting! Not really had pumpkin and chocolate together. I might have to crack open a can and try it!
Hey sorry for the late comment- I’m just catching up after coming back from my honeymoon!
I saw you mentioned the Parkrun Podcast! Do you do Parkrun? I LOVE Parkrun 😀
I have never done a parkrun- I don’t think there are any near me. It always sounds like great fun though.