Awesome breakfast concoction this morning!

I made my own cereal (which I consider a different thing entirely from muesli, because it’s more light and airy) out of a new product I stumbled upon yesterday at the grocery store.

I was looking all up and down the healthy cereal aisle for a cereal that was low on sugar but had great texture. All of those cereals were too sugary and too expensive though, but I did find this little gem for about $2…

I used to love cereals like Smack’s growing up, so I thought I could recreate something like that by adding a touch of honey to this Arrowhead Mills puffed wheat.

I bulked it up with some puffed amaranth, toasted buckwheat, raw pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, and a topping of fresh blueberries. With a drizzle of honey and vanilla almond milk, it really did remind me of those sweet cereals of my childhood, but without all the extra sugar.

Puffed wheat cereal

A healthy cereal for a fraction of the cost of the boxed stuff.

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup puffed wheat
• 2 tbsp. puffed amaranth
• 1 tbsp. toasted buckwheat
• sprinkle of slivered almonds
• sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds
• drizzle of honey

Cooking Directions

1. Combine everything in a bowl, top with your favorite fresh fruit, and serve with your favorite milk or nut milk.

Just look at that honey drizzle!

This made for a light breakfast, perfect for a warm morning when I don’t want anything too heavy. Now if I could only find a way to make Fruity Pebbles healthy….

What was your favorite cereal as a child?

July 19, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 3 comments

Last night’s dinner was good n’ green!

I made roasted yukon gold potatoes to go with a couple of Trader Joe’s chicken and turkey pesto sausages on a bed of the most delicious creamy green pea and parmesan mash.

I loved this combination! Each bite of sausage or potato slathered with a bit of the green pea mash tasted so fresh and springy.

Sausage and potatoes can become a heavy meal easily, but these sausages were very lean and the potatoes were only lightly oiled. The bright green flavor of the peas cut through the richness well and complimented the basil pesto flavor in the sausage.

I snuck a few cloves of garlic in with the roasting potatoes to use in the green pea mash. That’s a great trick, the garlic flavors the potatoes and then gets pureed into the mash. No waste and no extra roasting dishes.

Here’s how I made it…

Creamy green pea and parmesan mash

This bright mash of fresh green peas, sweet roasted garlic, and salty parmesan cheese is a fresh accompaniment to richer dishes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: About a cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. sour cream
• 3 cloves roasted garlic
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Heat frozen peas until boiling, drain and add to food processor.
2. Add everything but the olive oil and pulse to combine, scraping the sides once or twice.
3. Drizzle in olive oil while processor is running to fully incorporate.

I have made this mash before with a piece of pan-fried salmon. The sweet flavors of the fresh fish and ripe green peas paired wonderfully together.

This also makes for a great dip to serve with crostini at a party. Just drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt for a classy presentation.

Spring may be over, but the freshness of peas can be enjoyed any time with this simple side dish!

What is your favorite green vegetable?

July 17, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 3 comments

How’s your weekend going?

Atlanta has been crazy hot for the last two months, hovering around 95 degrees every day and threatening to rain all the time, though it rarely does. The air has been still and thick as peanut butter with all the humidity. Yesterday though, we caught a break. High of 78 with a gentle breeze. Perfect day to get outside!

I had a weird breakfast before we went out. Vanilla orange yogurt with grapes, puffed amaranth, and two crumbled up raw nectarine cookies. This did not work, super strange.

And I popped one of these…

Another strange food item: cookies made with oats, almond butter, honey, and……mashed cannellini beans. I’ve seen some recipes around the web that used beans in baked goods so I thought it was worth a shot, no dice though. I don’t hate them but I don’t love them either, so I’m not gonna put up the recipe.

Anyway, we got out and enjoyed the nice weather while it lasted by walking into downtown Decatur and stopping in Leon’s for a few drinks and what turned into dinner.

I started with a cocktail. This one had rum and allspice and some other liquors I can’t recall. It was delicious and refreshing.

And Jeff, who has been on an IPA kick lately, got the Southern Tier Hop Sun.

I even liked that one, and I don’t usually care for IPAs. It has a great bready flavor and isn’t too oily or hoppy.

And we can’t go in Leon’s without getting a side order of fries with their amazing garlic aioli. I am a huge mayo hater, but this house-made thick and creamy aioli is just so good!

I forgot to take pictures of the flatbread and zucchini casserole we got as well, those were downed in like 3 minutes flat.

I did manage to snap a shot of this awesome charcuterie plate though before it was demolished. All house-made cured meats, pates, and fruity mustard. One of the best I’ve ever had.

More beer was consumed…

It was just so lovely out that we didn’t wanna leave. It’s really nice to not have to pay too much attention to how much you’re drinking when you know you’re walking home.

What did you get into this weekend?

July 17, 2011 Alayna Discussion 2 comments