I absolutely love mornings. Especially ones with sunshine and warmth. My two favorite times of day are sunrise and sunset, also know as breakfast and cocktail hour!
My ideal morning involves stumbling into the kitchen and eating something hearty with a steaming mug of coffee. I love the ritual of breakfast. In fact, when I read the word “breakfast” in my novel last night I got excited for the characters. The thought of doing anything else in the morning makes me grumpy.
But…I hadn’t considered that doing other things during my favorite time of day would make them just as exciting as breakfast. Today Matt and I decided to workout first thing since we have a lunchtime engagement and an afternoon meeting. We decided to duathlon it and bike to a new neighborhood to run. We’re tired of running our usual routes.
And it was G L O R I O U S! The hustle & bustle of the morning traffic. The smell of burnt toast wafting from homes. The dew. The sunshine. The weather warm enough for shorts.
We biked 2 miles, parked, ran 4.25 through a new gorgeous neighborhood, and then biked our way home.
There was only about 10 minutes of suffering – the time from when I got out of bed and was overwhelmed with hunger and the urge to scrap the plans and eat breakfast and the moment when I put a date dunked in peanut butter in my mouth. Crisis averted, blood sugar replenished, ready to go!
Once home, we showered and feasted
I wanted to let the homemade Honey Crunch peanut butter do the talking today (and also didn’t want to spoil my lunch appetite with too much oatmeal at 9:30AM!) so I just blobbed a generous portion on and wallowed in it.
The Mix
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp scottish oats
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- Pinch salt
- Lots of Honey Crunch!
This is the last of our spring weather for a while – gotta soak it up!
Have a wonderful day!
{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }
That melty pool of homemade peanut butter looks so delicious!!
You’re comment about the smell of “burnt toast wafting from homes” made me laugh!
I am so jealous you had shorts weather this morning! We got 12+ inches of snow last night
No shorts for me for a while.
Have you and Matt ever competed in a duathlon or triathlon?
no, mostly because I haven’t had a bike until now. And it just seems like a much harder race to prepare for.
I love mornings, too. I find myself looking forward to breakfast when I wake up in the middle of the night.
Yum! That PB looks fantastic. It is supposed to get to 70* here today and I am hoping to savor it as well. My husband is off from work so hopefully we will get out and about for lots of fun!
I love the idea of biking to a new running route!! I’ll have to do that soon!
The peanut butter is always the best part! You actually inspired me to eat my oats unstirred…and being able to savor the pool of pb at the end makes me wonder why I hadn’t done so sooner!
You are so lucky to have such great weather! It snowed here in MI last nice and there is a lot of ice. Can’t wait for the real spring.
I’m envious of your sunlight! It dreary here in DC.
Have a great day
your oatmeal is the perfect texture! looks fantastic!
I really enjoy the weekend mornings when I can lounge around eating breakfast and workout a little later, but there is definitely something to be said about starting the day with a great workout first thing!
I am a total morning person too! This weekend we saw some signs of spring (like snow melting and temperatures above zero) but I woke up this morning to TONS of snow so it looks like we’ll have to wait a little bit longer. Have a great day Kath!
I feel exactly the same way about mornings! And though I’m currently cuddled up with a nice bowl of oats, I have to say “thank you”…your commentary of your morning workout is making me super excited for my upcoming run in a few hours…just what I needed
love,
cathy b.
Kath, you really encourage me to pay attention to the beauty in life. I so appreciate that.
Your simple bowl of oats looks so naked this morning…compared to your usual toppings that is. I’m most definitely NOT a morning person but jet lag has given me a taste of it this week. I like it! If only my body cooperated normally.
Do you ever get tired of making breakfast? I LOVE breakfast, but sometimes I just wish it would make itself.
Never! Lunch and dinner, yes
I love breakfast just wish I had more time to sit down and savor it….
Enjoy your day!
Yesterday was our “soak up the last day of nice weather” day, and we complied by checking out a new hiking spot. Today is the rainy, catch up on the all the stuff around the house I didn’t do yesterday day
I never used to like early mornings, but now I love them! Early morning is one of my most productive times of day!
Anybody else singing “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof now?
Hi! I’m new to your blog and am enjoying it very much. Love all the pictures of the yummy food. Have a question, though. I usually make steel cut oats and just follow the directions on the can. If I do the microwave version, it usually involves a boil over…if I do stovetop, it takes so long. When you list the ingredients for your oatmeal mix, what is your cooking process? Thanks much!
Lucy,
Welcome! I use rolled oats, not steel cut, because SC take so much longer to cook. Plus rolled oats are creamier and the portion size is bigger for the same nutrition. Check out the Tribute To Oatmeal page for the whole recipe!
I prefer working out first thing for all of those reasons. Plus, breakfast never tastes as good as it does after a good workout. Enjoy your day!
I’ve never really gotten into oatmeal, but religiously reading your blog has made me give it another shot, and I’ve gotta say I’m converted! Since I’m an oatmeal newbie, i just put some toasted almonds, coconut, and a crumbled Kashi bar into my flaxplus oatmeal, and it was absolutely delicious, I will definitely have to try more of your concoctions! How do you get the banana in there? do you blend it in? (obviously I’m not very experienced with oatmeal!)
Wheee!
You should also pay a visit to the Tribute To Oatmeal page for the whipped banana technique
yum! welcome to the oatmeal world
And Kath, great post! I love reading others’ joy in the small things. I also realized I’ve never even thought about what my favorite time of the day is!
I’m glad others look forward to breakfast as much as I do! I always thought I was kind of weird for that haha
You are speaking my language because mornings are hands down my favorite time. If I could bottle up that morning energy to use all day long I would be one happy lady
Jealous of your ability to wear shorts at this time of yeaaar!
I was just researching what to eat before running early in the morning, and was happy to read your quick bite before exercise. A date with some nut butter sounds good – do you find you ever get way too hungry to keep exercising, or does it fend off the hunger until a full breakfast?
Once I get going I’m usually fine. Dates seem to work really well for me. Even better than I piece of toast, which sometimes I can’t even feel in there.
What a wonderful morning!
I love to workout first thing, it gets me moving for the day! I want to try some honey crunch PB so bad, it sounds delicious! Glad you had a great morning, have an awesome day!
Sounds like the perfect ‘almost’ spring day to me! I can almost taste that peanut butter through this screen! yum!
I am so jealous you have little green things sprouting!!! We just got snow to cover up what yucky earth was starting to appear… I also love mornings when the sun is out! Through the winter I’ve been staying close to my sun room, on sunny days that may be 20 degrees outside, it gets up to 74 degrees! Ahh, heaven! Have a good day!
I love mornings tooo!!!! Although they are so much easier when it is beautiful and sunny out. Last Friday it was almost 70 degrees and today I woke up to almost a foot of snow. Oh February how you make the weather so unpredictable.
Early morning workouts and a breakfast in the sunshine is a perfect start of the day for me!
I love that you have the perfect workout buddy!
I love my morning routines as well! I especially love how quiet things are because my husband is still sleeping.
I love the idea of biking to a new running spot. I’ve often thought about driving but feel guilty for wasting gas that isn’t necessary. I’ll have to try that once the snow melts. . . which isn’t going to be for a while.
…recent banana oatmeal convert here! Thanks for making breakfast something to look forward to, Kath! I’m in no way a morning person, but if I get to get up and make a tasty and filling breakfast to start my day, somehow I’ve started to enjoy waking up just a little bit more!
So here’s the deal, when making this in the morning, I’m conflicted as to how much to make. I’ve been doing a half cup of rolled oats per person, and honestly, my SO thinks I need to up the portion size. Is this reasonable? I’m concerned because in your recipe above you’re using just a bit over 1/4 C per person. I don’t want to get out of control with portion sizes here–even if our breakfasts are super-nutritious. Advice?
Thanks!
When I write “The Mix” it’s always for ONE person – unless indicated. So that 1/4 cup was in addition to 2 tbsp scottish oats, which is half a portion, so two halves make a whole! I know it’s a bit confusing. I normally have the equiv. of 1/3 cup rolled oats and then I put more toppings on top, so the total equiv. of 1/2 a cup.
I think over 1/2 a cup is totally fine if your SO needs more heft or is more active. You could split the whole pot 1/3 to 2/3 and then add toppings to yours.
I really love the writing style in this post- so descriptive. Breakfast is almost always first on my agenda too, but if I had beautiful weather it would definitely be easier to coax myself into a pre-breakfast run! Enjoy the warm temps- it’s FREEZING up here again
Have a great day Kath! Good luck with all you have going on today!
I love the idea of breaking up the normal run with a stretch of biking! Happy Monday!
I think that’s the simplest bowl of KERF oatmeal I’ve ever seen
I love mornings more than anything… enjoy the remainder of your day!
What a wonderfully active morning! I love mornings like that. It’s making me pine for spring.
I agree with you — it’s hard to go workout first thing in the morning when my usual inspiration for getting up is breakfast.
I absolutely love how your favorite times of day coincide with breakfast and happy hour. I have to say, sunset is really the perfect time to kick back and enjoy life a bit. Have a great day, Kath!
Yum! That bowl looks delicious- so simple but delicious. Glad you were able to spike your blood sugar up with a quick peanut butter dipped date, too. I don’t have dates around here..but I do the same thing with bananas.
My favorite time of day is first thing in the morning too and I loved reading your description of it as you biked and ran outside this morning.
Breakfast really is such a wonderful part of the day. I wish I woke up early enough to enjoy it more often! Unfortunately, breakfast for me is usually a banana wolfed down on the bus…. =/
Mmmm! That’s pretty much how I do my oatmeal every time…look at that melty pool of PB! Love how you say it, though: “I just blobbed a generous portion on and wallowed in it.”
I would like to swim in that perfect little pool of honey butter. Is that wrong?
PS: I lurve your blog. I gave it a little shout out in my post today on healthy eating.
Kath honestly a big smile came onto my face when I saw you write your two favorite times of the day are breakfast and cocktail hour… I could NOT agree more!
What a lovely morning
I love breakfast! I think every meal should be breakfast.
I love mornings, too. When I was a kid, hearing my parents rustle around the house, the news blaring in the family room, and Dad cooking breakfast downstairs, I felt so happy. Mornings of my childhood are probably my fondest memories, especially now that Dad’s gone.
I am not a morning person AT ALL, but that PB could probably convince me otherwise!
It’s 73 here today! That sounds like an awesome workout
I miss bike riding SOOOO MUCH. Especially the rides that go through SC and into Kings Mtn State Park!
Love the “leafy” mug collection
Have a great lunch meeting!
Sounds like such a beautiful, crisp morning!
I am loving the colorful place settings – It keeps reminding me that spring WILL be around the corner
Mornings are my favorite time of day, too… so peaceful, especially before everyone wakes up it feels like you have the world to yourself.
I feel the same! I’m a morning person and I look forward to making breakfast every day. I am also my most productive in the early hours
I am ALL about working out first thing the morning- it is THE way to go
As you saw, best thing ever is gettin’ ‘er done in the early, pretty morn!! Have a great lunch
I love leisurely mornings where I can sit down, eat breakfast, and catch up on some blogs. This morning was a great morning forthat – it was drizzley and my bowl of oatbran with peanut butter was the perfect start to my day!
Ahhh I love sunset too and mornings too
Appreciating the little things in life is such a treasure.
I love mornings too! I love taking my time with breakfast with a big cup of coffee or tea. It’s my favorite time of day
I like mornings too
It feels so good to get up and exercise and then go about the day. Nice spoon, btw 
Does Matt eat oatmeal every morning as well? Or do you do your own things?
Awesome workout.
love the design on the spoon…and that cute frog
Breakfast is my favorite meal and time of the day because I love fruit, yogurt, etc. Also it feels like a fresh start, so no matter what the previous day was like, it’s as if I’m given a clean slate. Lastly, it also feels like the “calm before the storm”-the dark makes everything feel less rushed. I loved this post!
I love to work-out first thing in the morning. It gives me a lift for the whole day, and breakfast tastes that much better after a hard work-out.
What a glorious start to the day! I think you captured the essence of morning perfectly
Ha, love the comment about cocktail hour! I knew there was a reason I liked sunsets
The ritual of breakfast.
I’m glad I’m not alone in that one! When I start off with a big, fun breakfast, the whole day just seems so much better.
I completely agree – breakfast is such a lovely time, my favourite too. I love going out – either for exercise or dashing to the shops (this morning I walked my man to the train station) & smelling the morning – toast and coffee coming from houses, fresh air – love it!
Heidi xo
My two favorite times of day are also sunrise and sunset, absolutely. I say that all the time!
Ohhhh… what brand is the honey crunch peanut butter? I must investigate so I can reverse engineer it
I love mornings. There’s nothing like starting the day with the best meal of the day.
I love mornings and morning workouts. But I always gotta eat breakfast first. I wake up hungry and need replenishment.
I am curious – what did Matt eat post-bike/run? I know he eats oatmeals sometimes too but when he doesn’t, what does he usually go for?
We almost always have the same breakfast. He does different toppings, but the base is the same.
luved all the pics
I couldn’t agree more about how crucial breakfast is. It totally sets the tone for the rest of the day, and eating is usually the first thing on my mind when I wake up.
I’m SO READY for some nice spring time weather!!
I have to say I just love your description of the excitement of breakfast. Few things make me happier than the days when I have a late start at work and I’m able to have a leisurely, healthy, hearty breakfast + a delicious mug of coffee/tea. I thought I was the only one who had such an attachment to breakfast…. thank goodness I’m not alone!