There’s something very comforting about a routine, particularly when it removes all need for making decisions. I’ve been experiencing nights of varied sleep interruption for the last 18-plus months, as an uncomfortable pregnant person and then of course as a nursing mom. Decisions are the last things I want in my face first thing in the morning.
Breakfast is my favorite meal, whether it’s a sweet stack of 49ers from the Original Pancake House or any combination of potatoes, meat, and runny eggs on a plate.
The problem is, I hardly have the patience or the pantry for a yummy chorizo breakfast skillet topped with poached eggs and sliced avocado day in and day out. For a typical day, I want my breakfast to be fairly quick, easy to assemble, warm and hearty.
For the last two years, I’ve fallen into a consistent routine with my breakfast of choice, and I’m still not sick of it. In fact, I crave it every morning. And as long as I’ve gone grocery shopping and stocked up on the key components, I’m in for a yummy breakfast each morning.
My breakfast uniform is Better Oats Bare oatmeal with Whole Foods’ fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter, pomegranate arils, and a sprinkling of Back to Nature’s Vanilla Almond Agave granola. And coffee. Of course, all of the coffee.
I never realized that one could “dress up” oatmeal with ingredients beyond the typical brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, and raisin toppings until I saw my husband Zack making really yummy-looking oatmeal creations.
The Better Oats Bare oatmeal is the perfect base for add-ins because it is very thick and hearty, without an overpowering flavor. And, for the quick and easy factor, it can be cooked in the microwave in two minutes.
I add the fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter just after the oatmeal comes out of the microwave so that it melts and stirs in easily. I love the taste and texture of this particular peanut butter compared to something like smooth Jif, which I’ve used in a pinch and definitely doesn’t measure up. I’ve been buying the Whole Foods version lately
Now here’s the thing with pomegranate arils. Removing the arils from a fresh pomegranate takes a lot of finesse and YouTube video instruction, at least for me. When I first started eating this oatmeal combination, I was finding pomegranate seeds ready to go at Trader Joe’s, and they were delicious! The only issues are that we don’t have a TJ’s nearby, and the seeds only stayed fresh for a few days before they began to ferment and taste like perfume.
Every now and then, I’d be able to find pomegranate seeds at Meijer or Kroger, but I’d still have the issue of them fermenting before eating them all. And they’re expensive!
That’s when I discovered frozen pomegranate arils! While these little frozen guys don’t have the same burst in flavor and texture as their fresh friends, I love that I’m not needing to keep an eye on their expiration date or worrying if they’ll be in stock. I buy these frozen ones from Kroger two at a time so that I always have some on hand.
They recommend putting the arils into a bowl to defrost for 20-30 minutes, but who has that time in the morning? Thankfully, hot-from-the-microwave oatmeal defrosts these little gems just fine. Plus, they help cool down the oatmeal slightly.
For a little added texture, I top the oatmeal off with some Vanilla Almond Agave granola. I’m not sure how or when we stumbled on this granola, but I like that it isn’t too sweet and that it holds up well in the oatmeal.
And that’s about it. My go-to breakfast for the last couple years, paired with a cup of Donut Shop coffee from my Keurig. It’s nothing too fancy, but it’s a warm way to start the day. And it helps make those mornings of skillet bowls and crisp bacon and gooey eggs that much more special.
What’s your breakfast uniform?