Oh, you thought I was talking about Halle.
But what I talk about when I talk about beasties is my gaping maw of a nursing mama's belly. People, I can eat. Not even during pregnancy did I feel so unbelievably hungry at least six times a day and once around 4am (though laziness usually wins the war with hunger before dawn). And I've watched myself whittle down to a bony wisp of a woman while Halle grows tall and strong, and I don't resent it at all, but I do miss my breasts. Or whatever I had of those things to begin with.
I know that being skinny is not a popular complaint, and I'm not going to go on about it. But I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite healthy breakfast / snack-on-the-go recipes with all of you other working mamas who find themselves dashing out the door, diaper bag, breast pump, purse and baby in tow, with a rumbling stomach and what we hope are clean socks on.
As my friends know, I like to cook and bake most of our food from scratch, which is a lot easier now that Halle is eating regular food cut into tiny pieces. My absolute favorite things to eat for breakfast are mildly sweet carbs, which I try to augment with a decent amount of protein and healthy fats, because those are what get you full and keep you going. On frazzled mornings I'll eat peanut butter toast in the car, but I'm much happier when I've found the time--usually on the weekend or after Halle's gone to bed--to make a batch of whole wheat scones with flax and nutritional yeast (long a tool in vegan baking, nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to foods as well as a ton of B vitamins) or a tray of soft peanut butter oatmeal bars filled with dried fruit and a smattering of chocolate chips. Those of treats worth waking up to. That they're wholesome and calorie-dense makes me want to do a happy breakfast dance in my jammies.
Which sounds really shocking and rude, but was meant to convey a very benign image.
I'm also a big fan of homemade granola and Greek yogurt, baked oatmeal and coconut milk pancakes. And yes, I often eat all of these things twice, once with Halle at 7am and again for Elevensies. (Halle usually has oat cereal with bananas, milk and cinnamon, but she's a huge fan of the scones. I like to bake tiny ones for her and then we "do tea" together.)
Today I thought I'd share two recipes, for the peanut butter oatmeal bars and a little something I like to call French Toasties, though that's a gussied up name for what is really a pan of barely sweetened bread pudding made up of the previous week's bread-ends. (Honestly, would you rather eat Bread-Ends-In-Custard or French Toasties?) The best part about these recipes is that you can bake them on a Sunday afternoon, and once they're cool, portion them out and package them up in sandwich bags for breakfasts or snacks on the go for the rest of the work week.
Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan (I use a deep glass one, but you can use a larger pan for thinner bars--just adjust the baking time accordingly).
Into a large bowl, dump and mix:
1 C natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 C ground flaxseed (optional)
1/2 C milk or non-dairy option (I use whole milk because we always have it around)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 C light agave syrup (I use this because of its low glycemic index, but you can use maple syrup, honey or regular brown sugar)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt (omit if you use salted peanut butter, as I do)
1/2 C each of any or all of the following: dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries, unsweetened coconut, chocolate chips, nuts. I love cranberries, coconut and chocolate chips. (optional, but adds flair)
Spread into the baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool (it will be hard to wait!) and cut into 8 (or more) bars. These will keep in the fridge for at least one week and are very tasty chilled.
French Toasties
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Put a pat of butter into a square dish (pick the dish size based on the amount of bread you have, but I usually have between 8-12 slices and use a deep 9-in square pan) and place the pan in the preheating oven to melt the butter. When the butter has melted, take the pan out of the oven and set it aside.
Slice 8-12 pieces of stale bread into rough cubes. I use homemade whole wheat bread and leave the crust on, but any bread will do and the truly genteel chef will remove the crusts. I bet challah is delicious in this, but obviously the stodgier whole wheat is healthier. Toss the cubes in the pan with the melted butter. (Frugal note: when you buy bread and have the heels leftover or part of the loaf goes stale, wrap it and toss it into the freezer. When you have accumulated enough freezer bread, make French Toasties.)
In a bowl, vigorously whisk together:
4 large eggs
3 C milk (I'll often do 2 C whole milk & 1 C water)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C agave light syrup (feel free to go up to a 1/2 C if you like things on the sweeter side, and as always, honey, maple syrup or regular sugar is an option)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
Pour the milk mixture over the bread and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Bake the pudding for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is set. Cool and cut into generous squares. Store in the fridge for up to a week, but I recommend warming them before eating.
Note: These are good warmed up with a drizzle of maple syrup, or a dollop of good jam.
