After Work/Midnight Snack

Since I've started working more nights (2-close) at FHVH, my sleeping and eating habits have changed. Now, on a typical day, I get up around 8am to take care of my furry kids and while the dog is outside, I'll eat a cup of yogurt or a piece of fruit so I can take my morning meds. We all go back to bed until 11:30am and then I'll finally fix something more substantial for breakfast like an omelet. My dinner break at work usually falls around 5:30pm or 6pm and I'll eat the lovely meal I packed (tonight it was a chicken/veggie dish, a piece of string cheese, and an apple). Well, by the time I get home for the night I'm still wide awake and hungry so I'll fix something light and easy. Tonight's offering is one of my all time favorites and one of the easiest dishes to put together: A bowl of cereal.

Ingredients:

Kashi Go-Lean Crunch (my preferred cereal choice)

frozen blueberries (I always have bags of fruit in the freezer and blueberries are my favorite!)

soy milk (good source of protein without the pesky lactose)

Ok, so everyone knows how to pour cereal into a bowl and add milk. It's not rocket science. But I like to start with my frozen blueberries, toss in some cereal (and really, the blueberries are the star of my snack, not the cereal), then add the soy milk. I love how the milk stays ice cold from the first bite to the last, all because of the frozen berries. Simple, I know, but it really doesn't get much better for me.

Enjoy!

Something Different For Breakfast

Because I typically work the early shift, I rarely eat breakfast at home except on my days off. On my days off I like to do it up right and go all out on breakfast/brunch and that usually involves a hardy meal with some sort of egg dish as the focal point (i.e. omelets). However, on the rare days where I don't have to go in to work until the afternoon like today, I'm not really in the mood to go all out with this first meal of the day. Today, I opted for something a little lighter, but just as satisfying and tasty. And it only required a minimum of fuss using Elle's kitchen staples...

Ingredients:

sliced peaches (I actually like to use the frozen kind because they're always sweet tasting)

blueberries

Splenda (the amount depends on how sweet the fruit is... and honey would be great here too)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

ricotta cheese

pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, cook the peaches, blueberries, Splenda, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 4-6 minutes. Although I would prefer to use fresh fruit, depending on the season, the frozen version is sometimes better and easier to use instead. In any case, I always have a variety of frozen fruits in the freezer because there are just so many applications for them. Anyway, I don't bother to defrost the fruit, just toss it in the pan still frozen, and as it heats up any excess moisture will just cook down into an almost syrupy sauce. Basically, I made a warm compote with a hint of spice in the background. In the meantime, I whipped some ricotta cheese with a pinch of Splenda and a pinch of salt, then mounded it in the middle of a bowl. Once the compote reached the desired consistency, I poured it around the ricotta and topped it with another sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with a piece of peanut butter toast on the side, and you've got a complete breakfast in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

Enjoy!

Breakfast, Snack, Or Dessert?

I like to keep several items in my fridge and pantry that can be pulled out at a moment’s notice and used in a multitude of ways. I’m especially intrigued by ingredients that have both savory and sweet applications, like ricotta cheese and plain yogurt. On any given day, you can usually find at least one of these in my fridge (if not both) and this morning, I decided to whip up one of my favorite treats using the ricotta cheese. There are so many variations on this particular recipe, so let me tell you about today’s version:


Ingredients:

½ cup of ricotta cheese (I use the part-skim kind)
1 tsp. honey (any kind of sweetener is good here… it’s really just to individual taste)
¼ tsp. salt (that’s right… you need that hint of saltiness to balance out the sweetness)
½ tsp. vanilla extract (a real vanilla bean would be even better if you’ve got it)
sliced peaches
blueberries

This couldn’t be any easier to prepare: Whip together the ricotta, honey, salt, and vanilla until well combined and creamy then top with the peaches and blueberries. See? Easier than pie and just as tasty.

Enjoy!