BTSB - Back to School Breakfast - The Sequel

Hot dog!  A quick, easy, and fun grab 'n go breakfast idea for kids.

Back in the day, our house was a crazy, busy, slightly chaotic scene on a school morning. Getting three kids and two working parents out the door with lunch packing, clothes finding, field trip permission slip signing, and all the rest of the morning mayhem was not easy.  Now that mine are grown with kids of their own, I remember a well-loved morning grab 'n go breakfast fav.  I'm calling this a "faux dog."  It's a heated, toasted hot dog bun, smeared on both sides with creamy peanut butter.  A peeled banana nestles in, mimicking the hot dog.  A squeeze of honey on top adds a sweet surprise.  Yumm!  My grandkids love this too!

I promised in my last blog post another idea for BTSB.  So here come the oatmeals - overnight and baked.  Love them both!  The overnight variety has such a rich, creamy consistency.  No "wallpaper paste" here!  It's made with rolled oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and maple syrup.  It's indulgent and just divine.  You can doll it up with fresh berries, walnuts, granola, etc.  Dig deep into your culinary creativity for enhancements.  I love these oats with lemon zest, a thin layer of lemon curd, and fresh raspberries.

Here is the recipe (courtesy of Wholefully.com author Cassie Johnson) for Classic Overnight Oats:
1/3 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (heaping) rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
0-2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup

Instructions:
1.  Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Spoon into a jar with a tight fitting lid.
2.  Close and refrigerate for at least four hours.  But it's preferable to let it sit overnight before eating.

Now for the baked oatmeal.  No one wants to start their day in a "half-baked" state.  This make-ahead, pop-in-the-oven oatmeal is delicious, moist, and satisfying.  It would be great for a brunch crowd too!

Here is the recipe (nourisheveryday.com) for Coconut Blueberry Baked Oats:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups blueberries - fresh or frozen (I usually use frozen)
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk of choice
3/4 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil (plus a little extra for greasing baking dish)

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roughly break up the walnuts into halves and spread out on a small tray.  Toast for about 6 minutes or until lightly golden.  Then set aside to cool.
2.  Combine oats, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, honey (or other liquid sweetener), vanilla, and melted butter/coconut oil.
4.  Take a baking dish (I use a 9" square one) and lightly grease the sides with a dash of butter or oil.  Scatter in half of the oat mixture and spread evenly across the base.  Then layer in about a cup of blueberries, followed by the rest of the oat mixture, walnuts, and, finally, remaining blueberries.
5.  Carefully pour the liquid mixture over the dish, making sure it distributes evenly and settles into the dry ingredients.  You can shake gently to help the liquid sink in (I use a ladle).
6.  Bake the mixture for approximately 45 minutes, or until the center of the bake feels firm and the top is a deep golden brown and slightly crispy.
7.  To slice and store, allow the bake to cool to room temperature (it will set and slice easier if you allow to cool first).  Then cut into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge.  It should last up to five days.

And here's the scoop on our celery juice morning ritual experience.  I am loving it! We're still drinking this humble juice every morning upon waking.  I'm feeling hydrated with greatly improved digestion.  As an added special bonus, I have had multiple comments about how beautiful my skin looks and feels (a reader had the same results and got the same comments).  We're definitely staying in the green zone (this one's for you, CCL!!)!