Oatmeal with Chia, Pepitas, Goji Berries and Banana

I'm really weird about breakfast.  OCD like weird.  I will eat the same thing every morning for months. For the past several months it's been this quinoa granola.  Holy shit.  When I searched my blog for that recipe I noticed that I posted it last January.  SO I'VE BEEN EATING THAT GRANOLA EVERY MORNING FOR 10 MONTHS.  Dude.

Boil one cup of water with a pinch of salt.  Add 1/2 cup oatmeal and 1 teaspoon chia seeds.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until oats and chia has absorbed all the water….about 5 minutes.  Or add chia to instant oatmeal and cook according to directions in your microwave.

No really.  I toted that granola on every vacation this entire year…..San Francisco in February, Little Dix in May, and YES half-way around the world last month.  IT WENT TO BALI, people.  For the love.  But it's seriously good and let's just say it balances me and keeps things moving as they should.  In the most basic of ways.  TMI?

While oatmeal is cooking, mash one ripe banana (the more brown specs, the sweeter the banana which means you can skip the brown sugar which makes this dessert, not breakfast!!), a pinch of cinnamon, dried fruit of your choice….I like cherries and goji berries, toasted nuts…..mine is pepitas and walnuts.  Stir all of that together.

Since we've been back from the trip, I haven't had time have been too lazy to bake up a batch so I've been doing the next best thing and putting the basic ingredients of that granola into a bowl of oatmeal.  Minus the quinoa.  But as I'm typing this I'm thinking, "why not the quinoa?"  I could totally substitute half the oats for quinoa.  And I just might.  But for the purpose of this post, it's all oatmeal.

Stir in the cooked oatmeal

I love this because it does everything I want breakfast to do.  First of all it's tasty….creamy oatmeal, chunchy pepitas, sweetness from the banana and cherries and warmth from the cinnamon,  but it's also high in fiber and has enough protein to keep me full and satisfied until lunch AND get me through my morning workout.  Boom.

Top with milk of your choice….I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk because I can't tolerate dairy first thing in the morning.

You can make this even faster by mixing a big batch of your toppings ahead of time and storing them in  an air tight container.  Use instant, microwavable oatmeal so all you have to do is mash the banana and scoop in your toppings and you can be out the door in minutes.  Aren't I a genius?

Stir everything together and enjoy!  If it's not sweet enough for you and you LIKE your breakfast to taste like dessert, add a pinch of brown sugar.

And make sure you check back in a year when I'll quit eating this every day and be on to something new……..

Note:  This serves one so adjust accordingly.  I don't cook Mr. B breakfast.  He has his bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats EVERY MORNING for the past 24 years.  Maybe I'm not so weird after all.