I wish all mornings could be like this one…
In order to keep my body clock on the 5:00 hour, I set the alarm for 5:30 even though I’m not working out until this afternoon. When I woke up and had 3 hours to kill, I decided it was a perfect time to do some yoga! I surprised myself and did 52 minutes of a 64-minute Yogadownload Dave Farmar class. I had only intended to do 20 minutes, but the massage felt so good I just kept going. I had also lit candles and brought in the space heater, so it was the perfect serene environment (plus I had the time, which is always a huge bonus 
)
Showered, dressed, make-uped and came down for an even better surprise….an Almond Banana Muffin! This guy is a new flavor in the Great Harvest rotation. A twist on banana nut! I think it’s whole grain, and it wasn’t very oily at all, so I’d say it’s a pretty healthy choice (that is if you don’t eat the whole thing since it’s majorly jumbo)
Again, since I had time, I made myself a full out breakfast –
Banana Pumpkin Cream Oats
The Mix:
- 1/4 cup Scottish oats
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin, stirred in at end
- Cinnamon, vanilla, pinch salt
- ~1/3 crumbled muffin
- Costco PB
There were oats under all that muffin!! Sadly, I slightly overcooked them and they were on the dry side. I like my oats a bit liquidy!
Pumpkin Spice + Peppermint Creme + a yellow summer squash
Yesterday we had a fabulous presentation on bariatrics. Today’s is a clinical care review presented by dietitians from one of the local hospitals. I am learning more in these crash courses than I did all semester! It’s so nice to be able to just LISTEN and not worry about taking notes or memorization or freaking out about a test you have later on.
We get out earlier today – I think around 2PM – so see ya when I see ya!
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
I do the same – I am a morning person and love to be up early!
I have no choice than to be up early! Glad to see you are off to a great start today!
zest
I got up early to do yoga today too and then the garbage man ruined my plans by waking up my 2 year old! Grr!
Have fun today!
Those oats sound delicious!!
and yay for a good yoga workout!!
I am such a morning person too! I am off to do some yoga here in a minute
What a zen way to start the morning! Lovely!
I love the whole almonds on that muffin
Muffin oats are one of my favorite KERF inventions. Yoga sounds fabulous… It’s great that you had a morning to relax!! Have an awesome day!
Almond Banana?! Yum! I want one!
I never used to be a morning person but I have been finding myself getting up earlier and earlier. It’s nice to get up before everyone and just have a little time to yourself!
Hooooray for morning yoga! I’m glad you enjoyed your practice with Dave. It is so interesting to me to watch you progress in your yoga practice.
I miss Great Harvest so much. Everytime you talk about it I CRAVE it terribly. There were two in Reno, NV where I lived for 10 years and one I used to visit in Bend, OR. Do they still make the cinnamon scones? Oh so good!
that muffin looks awesome. I got up early this morning too, and had the time, so I did a quick workout video. It makes me feel better at work to have gotten something productive done
oooh a nice, relaxing morning on a week day. what a treat!
Never thought I’d hear the words “fabulous” and “bariatrics” in the same sentence – ha ha!
That muffin sounds wonderful. Love that bowl, so pretty!
Jenn
I try and keep my body on the same schedule, too! Too bad I have to wake up that early just to get to work on time in this weather – UGH!
Have a great day!
Oh man . . . I NEVER have that kind of time in the morning, even when I don’t work until 1pm I always jam my morning with homework and errands
sounds like the perfect morning! and we need a Great Harvest already! Can’t you guys come farther west in VA instead?
Oh, man! One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to start getting up earlier, but it isn’t going well.
Any tips!?
P.S. I’m giving away a BUILT Neoprene Lunch Tote on my blog: http://lovinlosing.com/2010/01/05/giveaway-announcement/
Looks like a chili pepper in your coffee to me!
I’d like to add morning workouts to my daily routine, but I have trouble with the shift in wake-up time, so I’m planning to ease into it, by continuing to workout at night (or doing a shorter workout in the AM & PM) but getting up at a set time and moving that earlier each week. Hope it works, I look forward to having the extra time in the morning!
Are those online yoga classes free? The oats + squash coffee look delish, as always
The 20 minute sessions are. And all of Dave’s podcasts are free at http://www.davefarmar.com and through iTunes
sounds like you are learning alot already! i always thought bariatric surgery was really interesting, is that the same thing?
Great way to work out. I love relaxing yoga. I wish I had more time to do that. I make time in the early morning to do my workouts before everyone gets up here, but after that…relaxation is gone! I too love my oats more on the liquidy side and the addition of a muffin on top is my treat at night! I am an oatmeal freak!
I agree with you – I learned more in my first four months of the internship than I ever thought I would!! The learning curve is pretty incredible. Isn’t it nice to just sit back an absorb vs. scribbling down notes and missing things here and there? Enjoy
It’s getting ridiculous how early I’m up lately.. usually awake by 5 and out of bed by 5:30, and at work before the sun is up!
OH! You and your readers can enter to win soup, a soup mug, and a digital jumprope on my blog, now through sunday! http://tiny.cc/souperyou
Wow you are so good about getting up early! I’m impressed
These oats are making me thirsty.
Muffin oats are the best!
I love that bowl! Okay, I love all your dishware
Those oats look sooooooo good! And yay for being done earlier!
Have a great 3rd day Kath!
muffin crumbled on oats sounds wonderful. so cool about this training class you’re doing, it sounds really interesting!
Banana pumpkin creme oats sounds so yummy. I can not wait to finish off all the yogurt I have so I can oat it up once again!
That muffin looks amazing! Love love love GHB.
Have a great time today.
I wish I could get up that early… how do you do it so easily, haha?
Glad you’re enjoying your days! That’s one thing that I liked when I was out of the classroom – I was hearing things that I was actually interested in and living my dream
I have no idea how to get up that early.
It’s one of my “body resolutions” this year- to do a morning workout at least 2x a week and aside from rowing for crew and getting up at four in College (which I did KICKING AND SCREAMING), I have never been able to do this. I’m just not a morning person. I’m a terrible beast and I claw my way around my apartment for at least 20 minutes before I feel human in the mornings. I’m with everyone else here who wants to know how on earth you manage to be an early riser!
Hold up. You mix PEPPERMINT and PUMPKIN SPICE coffee!!? My mind is blown. It sounds fairly gross, but they *are* two of my fave flavors…how did you ever think to do that!?
It rocks
The Pumpkin Spice is much more spice than pumpkin.
I’m a huge morning person!
i love it when i surprise myself by working out more than i thought i would (especially when i DO have the time!) i love hearing about the things you’re learning
I definitely need to try out this Dave Farmer yoga – I’ve heard so much about it! And it’d be perfect for the mornings I don’t go to the gym, or when I need to do some sort of workout at home.
I love having a relaxing morning! Sounds like you used your time well.
This is such a nerdy thing to say, but I totally dig your larger fonts. I hope this doesn’t mean I’m getting old and can’t see.
Good luck today!
Hee hee – me too!
oh that seems like such a lovely relaxing morning! I think really early in the AM is always the most relaxing,when no-one else is around and it’s still dark outside
I’m amazed only a 1/4cup fills you up! I always use 1/2cup, plus over 1 cup of milk!! Maybe I just have a big appetite!? Have a great day 
The oats look delicious
Note that 1/4 a cup is the SCOTTISH OAT serving size (like oat bran or 9-grain cereals) because it’s a finer grind. When I have rolled oats I always have 1/3-1/2 a cup.
I like my oats a bit liquidy too. I have to keep a close eye on them for that reason! One minute they’re just cooking away, I turn around and they’re totally dry! A splash of milk and a good stir usually helps that though
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Great job on getting up early… I would have been too tempted to snooze! Love the candlelight breakfast
Kath,Can’t begin to tell enough good things about your blog!You are my fav inspiration.Check your blog everyday morn!I am starting out on Yoga at home alternate days this week.Also,you are my goto-comparison when I am watching my portion control.I consiously think of many of your meals before I start serving myself!
Thank you
All these presentations sounds so interesting & exciting! I’m jealous!!!
That muffin looks awesome! I love when they aren’t greasy, greasy muffins gross me out. There is a fine muffin line between greasy and dry. The almonds on top are making my mouth water!
I want that muffin!
So funny you talked about YogaDownload today! I woke up today with a need to do something calming but still exercise and decided to try it for the first time.
that looks aMAZing!
which of the yoga download series do you like the best?
i’m not so familiar with the site yet,
and i’d love some direction.
I really like Dave Farmar’s cause I just like him in general.
The Hatha ones are very basic and relaxing. And all the Power Vinyasa ones are good. I think I like Power Vinyasa #3 the best. And Yoga for Runners. And the Morning Flow one.
I love all of the candles that you surround yourself with. I’m too lazy/impatient for all of that. As soon as the food is done, it’s going in my mouth!
It’d be so nice to wake up and have little food surprises left for me — so lucky ! Have a great day
That breakfast looks delicious! I need to try mixing pumpkin in with my oats. I foresee the beginning of a new love affair! And that “K” mug is adorable. I wish there was an Anthropologie near me!
I like my oats a little liquidy too, but I had them pretty mushy this morning and they were really good!
And I love learning for learnings’ sake, without the worry of notes, tests, etc. I wish a job existed where you could just LEARN! Maybe I can take over for Alex Trebek when he leaves Jeopardy?
Great job on the yoga. I am not a workout in the evening person-I wish you LUCK!
Girl. I srsly need you to teach me how to make your oats.
yummy oats. I just love your place settings. They always look so cute!
I’m gonna have to keep yoga in mind next time I’m up early and can’t fall back to sleep! Early morning practice is so relaxing.
The stuff your learning does sound interesting, and I agree, not have to worry about memorizing every detail makes learning more fun!
I wish I could have all that extra morning time lucky girl!
I love having extra time in the morning. I always try to wake up before 7am on the weekdays and before 8am on the weekends
Yummy muffin! Glad you are learning so much!!
OH, how I adore a morning with time to do all the IMPORTANT stuff! Those oats sound positively divine.
So nice to have so much time in the morning – if only I could wake up!
I was so sad when the Great Harvest in my town closed last summer
Another bread store went in its place called “Red Hen Bread” but its not the same, their muffins are super not healthy…
I like the idea of putting some in your oatmeal. I make healthy muffins all the time, so I’ll have to try that, thanks for the idea.
Tips on a 9-5 lifestyle (i.e. getting up early!!) on the Q+A page!
banana nut muffins are one of my faves!
I have the same experience with the yoga downloads classes. I tell myself I’ll only do a bit and then I end up doing the whole thing. Feels so good.
I saw scottish oats on your blog a while ago and I saw them at Whole Foods recently and I just had to try them… they are so good! Such a nice change from regular rolled oats (not that there’s anything wrong with those). I’ve also branched out to Irish Oats and Oat Bran..yum!!!!
Those oats look so good! Yum!