Overnight No-Cook Oatmeal (Blueberry Variation)

This is the same basic recipe as yesterday except instead of bananas and almond butter, I used frozen blueberries and whipped topping.

Again, I used 1/2 cup each of oatmeal, yogurt and skim milk, and 1/4 teaspoon allspice (I omitted the cinnamon) and then after mixing those together, I stirred in 1/2 cup frozen blueberries. If I had fresh, I would have used that, instead, but sometimes you need to adapt to the current situation.

After resting in the fridge overnight.
Stirred and warmed lightly in the microwave. 
I tried both versions cold and warm, and I prefer them warmed.
With all honesty, this variation was not as good as yesterday’s. I think the berries were much more tart than I had expected. When I make this again, I think I will probably use a blueberry yogurt in the first step instead of a plain yogurt and then add blueberries if needed. I will also taste it and add sugar/sweetener as needed.
However, this recipe is a great start to the day. It is a hearty breakfast, and one which is very easy to make. It is also very inexpensive, important for anyone who lives with both calorie and monetary budgets.

Blueberry Cookies

Blueberry Cookies
Serves 48

Tammy found this recipe in Pinterest and made them this morning after breakfast.

1 cup Splenda or Stevia *
16 ounces (by weight) non-fat Greek yogurt (plain, vanilla or lemon)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed.

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Grease cookie sheets.
  3. Mix the first four ingredients by hand in a medium bowl.
  4. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
  5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  6. When fully mixed, gently fold in the blueberries.
    We made the batter in our vintage Fire King “Cinderella” bowl. 
    We use vintage cookware as much as possible. It makes the food taste better!  ðŸ™‚
  7. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
  9. Let cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
  10. Enjoy!
Nutritional data (per cookie):
Calories:       29
Fat:             0.2g
Sat fat:           0g
Chol:        4.4mg
Sodium:  25.4mg
Carbs:         5.1g
Fiber:          0.6g
Protein:       1.8g
These cookies are light and soft, and really tasty. 
* If you prefer to not use non-sugar sweeteners, you can certainly replace the Splenda or Stevia with granulated sugar. That will add 14 calories per cookie and 4g of sugars per cookie. 

A Decadent and Classic Breakfast! (Fresh Berries and Cream)

Berries and Cream

Serves 1

1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup fresh blueberries (although frozen and thawed will work)
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
  2. Stir together. 
  3. Enjoy!
Nutritional data:
Calories:       288
Fat:            15.8g
Sat fat:       10.6g
Chol:          60mg
Sodium:   17.4mg
Carbs:        38.7g
Fiber:           5.6g
Protein:        2.1g
A word about this breakfast:
When I was growing up (back in the 60’s), I remember staying with a relative for a few weeks. It was a dairy farm and the meals were laden with fresh whole milk, butter, and of course, cream. My Aunt Ruth made me a breakfast that included a dish similar to what I have here (except the cream was freshly dipped from the bulk tank. That stuff is rich!) 
We never had cream at my house growing up, because my parents were always calorie conscious, and cream was just not part of the plan. I never ate a meal like this again, until last summer, when my wife and I were on vacation. One of the B&Bs served this for breakfast. The memory stuck with me, and I decided to share this exceedingly simple recipe here.
Many people who are trying to lose weight immediately start using low fat/ no fat versions of food, thinking that ridding fat from their daily menu will be the secret of weight loss. And that can work. But it is only one method. The likelihood is that most of my readers will have fruit in their house, but will not have “real” cream. 
This recipe uses heavy whipping cream, but only 3 tablespoons. If you haven’t had a breakfast like this, the cream is thick and rich. It clings to the fruit, so that you only need a little because you will get some cream with every spoonful. The richness of the cream and the inherent sweetness of the fruit eliminate the need for any added sugar. It is also rich enough to fill you and satisfy your hunger for longer because of the fats.
If this recipe scares you, you can use half-and-half, and you will save 95 calories, but you will lose the flavor and texture that heavy cream brings to this meal. So, if this recipe scares you a little, go to your local market, buy a half-pint of heavy cream and try it. Push your boundaries and discover other tastes that you maybe thought were unavailable.
This also makes a killer dessert after your evening meal.
You can vary this recipe and use any ripe fruit or berry that you like. Enjoy!

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Makes 2 servings of 4 pancakes. 
Mix together:
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries, pureed in a food processor or blender
¼ c water
Add:
½ cup dry oatmeal
½ tsp baking powder
2 T milled flaxseed
1 scoop (4T) whey powder
Pour scant ¼ c onto a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  Turn when the batter starts to set (1-2 minutes over medium heat.)  This is thick batter, and bubbles will usually not form on the surface.
Serve with whipped cream, sautéed bananas, peanut butter or Greek Yogurt.
Nutritional data (for four pancakes):
Cal:  338
Fat:  6.7g 
Sat Fat: 1.2g 
Chol:  20 
Sodium:  248mg 
Carb:  44.9g 
Fiber 10.3g 
Protein:  25.8g 
(The nutritional data is without any toppings.)