High Octane-Less Drag

My weight loss has plateaued, but I can't blame it on any diet or exercise plan not working. It's me and my being lazy.  After a good jump start in Janaury and February, I've slipped back into my ways of eating quick fix for hunger meals for breakfast and lunch, and serving myself too large of portions for dinner. On top of that, I've gotten lazy in the exercise area. My back has been bothering me, and it is hard for me to get the kind of brisk walks I need to take, along with over babying myself on my core exercises, the weight is staying firmly put.I'm like a race car that has not properly planned for their pit stops-wrong fuel, wrong tires, bad mechanics. 

At least this week I have taken back some control with my breakfasts, my fuel has improved. I still am not a fan of eating soon after being up. I need to wait a few hours, which I know nutritionists say is not the right way to fuel your body. I've gone back and read some of the breakfast suggestions from my breakfast post a few months back and have taken the advice of many. This week, I've started my mornings with apples and peanut butter, yogurt and nut filled homemade muffins, and made another batch of the breakfast bars. I think I honestly feel like my steps have had a bit more bounce. For me, I guess it is true that breakfast is my most important meal of the day. I just need to keep investing in higher octane versions of it in order to get less drag. 

Please share your ideas and recipes for any batch morning meals. I'd love to build my kitchen section with a whole breakfast link. Have a good Wednesday.

Go To Breakfast Update

Thank you for the suggestions via the comments or by e-mail for quick grab and go breakfasts with staying power. I feel fuller already! I hard boiled eggs yesterday, portioned out peanut butter for apples or bananas, and made a batch of breakfast bars.The recipe I linked to on Sunday of course as I always do, was modified to what I had on hand, and to my own taste preferences. I wouldn't say the bars are delicious, but they are as good, if not better than store bought breakfast biscuits, and even passed the teenager test-in small amounts. My version has no protein powder, wheat germ, or flax seed, but I will give the pure recipe a try after I next go to the coop and purchase bulk of these items. I compensated with an extra 1/2 cup of oats. They were on the dry side, so suggest a beverage be handy. 

2 Cups Quick oats
2 tsp cinnamon (I doubled as I love cinnamon)
1/2 tsp salt
3 bananas (Mine were frozen and on the small side.  I suggest using average to larger for more moistness)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
another 1/4 peanut butter or more to taste
 Mix dry ingredients, set aside while mashing bananas then mixing in peanut butter, honey, and  vanilla.  Add to dry and mix together well.  Press in an 8" by 8" pan, lined with foil, then sprayed with baking spray, leaving foil to hang over edge. Bake 20 minutes at $375.  Take out, spread with the remaining peanut butter, and bake another 10 minutes.  Lift out with foil then cool completely.  

I cut mine in 8 bars, though the recipe I saw made 12, which in hind sight, was probably right.  They are filling. After sampling, I have four left for grab and go. These were cheap to make-my way, perhaps $1.50 for the pan. I saw Belvita soft breakfast biscuits were  $2.98 for five. Mine took less than five minutes to measure, mix, and put in the oven, and then another five perhaps to spread additional peanut butter, and then to later cut and wrap after cooling. Mine have 7 ingredients, and their label goes on and on with many ingredients I can't pronounce. I'll concede that I used Skippy peanut butter, and not an all natural because we had several jars on hand. Admittedly, Skippy has a long list of "stuff" beyond peanuts. I use Belvita as the comparison because I genuinely do like them, and have bought them to keep in my desk or in the glove box, so a realistic comparison. 

My camera was not cooperating, but they looked pretty much the same as the recipe photo, perhaps a bit darker because I doubled the cinnamon.The verdict, I would make these again. I and the girls liked them enough to include in a breakfast rotation, and they were super easy.  I'll give the real recipe a try and see if the added ingredients and expenses are worth it. 

Photo-allrecipes.com

Because Coffee Alone is Not Enough

One of my first waking thoughts is, coffee. The Tom Hanks line in You've Got Mail, describing coffee as "legally addictive stimulants" is apropo. After cutting back significantly about a year ago with my job change, and the free coffee pot always on, the morning craving, dare I even say need for a fix, has increased. Forget that decaffeinated stuff, and people should not even try to fool me. I know by taste and the lack of jolt my body experiences. As I get older though, and know my food and beverage choices need to improve, coffee is not enough to keep my energy and brain waves up until lunch time. I still struggle though with eating breakfast, unless it is a later big breakfast, eaten slow and leisurely, several hours after I am up. Those breakfasts I love-bring it on. 

I've been experimenting with different options that I can eat first thing sitting at my desk, or in the car on my commute, late enough from when I first wake up and don't feel like eating something, but early enough that I will keep my blood sugars in check. As part of my schedule, I don't take a regular lunch break so I can spend fewer hours in the office, and get my 10th day work day in the pay period off. Lunch is eaten at my desk while reviewing reports or returning e-mails, or taken along to a working lunch meeting, and can be any where from 11:30-2:30. 

A few of my standbys for a portable and speedy breakfast include peanut butter sandwich, or toast on multi grain bread, scrambled egg and cheese wrapped in a tortilla, wrapped tightly to keep warm, a couple granola bars, or dry cereal in a baggie or small container. If I think about it and we have them, I'll throw a banana in my bag as well. The worst of these options, and the easiest is the granola bar. They have low staying power, are high in calories for what you actually eat, and loaded with sugar. The cereal is second worst-lower calories and sugar, but almost no staying power. I'd like to take a stab at making my own breakfast bar,  loaded with fiber and protein and less sugar. We're braving the elements today and meeting friends for lunch and to watch the game. One friend is the not quite paleo friend, that has given up grains and sugar. I' going to pick her brain for ideas.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/231925/high-fiber-high-protein-breakfast-bars/

I came across the following web site searching for some recipes;. High Fiber High Protein Breakfast Bars. The reviews are mixed, but they look like something I would like, and while it says 12 servings at 169 calories, I think for a grown up breakfast, I'd make a bit bigger, and cut the pan into eighths, making them about 250 calories. I could freeze, and stretch to two a week for variety, only making them once a month unless the family likes them, then more frequently.  Anyone out there have a good recipe, or good ideas on grab and go breakfasts that stand up to your mornings?

Breakfast

There are not many commonplace experiences I enjoy more than breakfast.  I'm not talking about the bran flakes in the cereal bowl, mug of coffee and a bagel kind of breakfast, which is typical of most of my mornings.  When I think about enjoying breakfast, it is the full on eggs, potatoes bacon and sausage, and if possible, biscuits and gravy.  Add a bottomless pot of coffee, and once I leave the table, I probably need nothing more the rest of the day; that is how satisfying a big full breakfast is to me.  

This love of breakfast is rooted back to my childhood. When I was growing up, Sunday's were still a day of rest or at least not a day of employment. After we went to church, it was normally my dad that would make the big Sunday breakfast. Pancakes or waffles, big pans of scrambled eggs or  batch after batch of over easy ones, and a pan of bacon and sausage. The toaster kept popping up warm bread to smear with butter and jam. We would take our time eating because food came out in batches, all lingering around the table. The girls cleaned up after and then we all went on with our day, dad now able to relax with the Sunday paper, and a ball game on the television or radio.  As the years went on, and we kids were out of the house, we often would meet my parents after church for breakfast at a favorite diner in town. We rarely go out for breakfast anymore since my parents have passed away.  

Lately, a meal like this is more likely to  be on our supper menu, as none of the three of us are up and eating at the same time. Add to that the mess of the various pans and the time to sit and enjoy, we just don't choose to build the full breakfast into our morning routine. But this morning will be different.  DD#1 is home, and like her mother, she loves the full on breakfast as well. Of course, hers will be minus the bacon, sausage, and sausage gravy.  There might be a side of pancakes. While I wasn't planning on eating out, the unexpectant extra two days of her company, has made me decide to splurge on a mother daughter breakfast, and some downtown window shopping. DH is at work, and DD#2 is already out with friends, and the kitchen is remotely clean to the point I don't want to create another mess. How about you?  When is a meal more than a meal?