Ahhhhhh.....Friday

It's Friday of my first week back at work. This has been quite the busy week but I have kept to my vision of bringing more fun and beauty into my life. Today I am making my body and mouth happy by having a tasty, healthy, and pretty breakfast.


Before I get into the details of my breakfast, I want to say an aside about dishes. If you don't like the way your food looks on your dishes, please look into replacing your dishes. You can do it one dish at a time at places like Ikea. 

White plates let you focus on the food

Patterns compete with the food

You can also find inexpensive dishes on eBay and Etsy. I prefer white because then there isn't a pattern to compete with the food. It's important that your food looks great on the plate. It really does make a difference.


 Now back to breakfast. This year I need to work on my weight, so I am in the same boat as many others. As I have said, the food I eat at home is organic. Unfortunately, I also like to eat out and that food isn't organic. I will work on that in this coming year. 

I recently tried oat groats, which are whole, minimally processed oats. Because they have not been extensively processed, they retain a high nutritional value. They take longer to cook than other oats but I figure the health benefits are worth it. I found them in the bulk section of my local, organic grocery, Jimbos Naturally.

On Monday evening I made a large batch of groats. When you cook the groats you put in 1 cup of groats to 4 cups of water. So it's a 1:4 ratio. I have also tried replacing 1 cup of water with 1 cup of coconut milk. It works well and makes for a creamier oat. I put the raw groats into cold water and then turn on the heat to medium-low. I let the water come to a slow simmer and then turn the heat up to medium high. Boil for 20-30 minutes or until about 85% of the water is absorbed. Reduce the heat back to medium low and finish cooking until the remaining water is absorbed. Don't let them boil dry. 


I put them into a container and store them in the refrigerator. 
I re-heat a portion in the morning and usually add in the a tablespoon of raw honey, So Delicious coconut milk, and cinnamon.  


You can add all ingredients into a pan and reheat on the stove top. Since I run out of the house and head to work, I found a new item that I have fallen in love with: a personal crock pot that warms your food (it does not cook). 

I throw all my ingredients into the container. When I get to work I pop the container into the base unit and plug it in. When I am ready to eat my food is warm. I like it better than microwaving because I am always grossed out by the microwaves at work. They are covered in food that has popped during cooking that no one has cleaned up. Also, microwaving can kill some of the nutrients, and if I am going to eat healthy food, I might as well get as much benefit as I can. 
 

The crock pot comes with a container so you can heat leftovers, soups, or any other item that you want warmed.
The container is a good size and has a lid that doesn't leak as long as you get it sealed well.

 As the food warms, the lid on the container pops up. I removed the lid to the base unit so you could see. You can remove the base lid to stir or check on the food that is warming.

I leave the base at work (the whole outer crock is considered the base) and bring home just the container. I wasn't sure how well this would work but I love it. I plug in my crock when I get to work and my food is warm by the time I am ready to eat. There are extra containers available on the Crock Pot web site and I plan to buy a few more as soon as I can get a deal on shipping and handling.


Meanwhile, for my breakfast this morning I had oat groats with coconut milk and some of my blueberry compote. You can find the recipe for the compote in the Strong start to the week post. 


This is a wonderful alternative to my standard honey and cinnamon flavors. It was a great way to start my Friday since it tasted so good. 

I had no idea I could make whole grains taste this yummy. I will continue to eat my groats and include this as one more way to make my life exactly what I want it to be. 

Happy Friday! 
Laureen