Sometimes all you need is a break from routine. I’m not talking a break from ritual here – I mean the routine that you’ve fallen into and have maybe wondered about getting out of. The routine that keeps you feeling tired and maybe a little bit bored.
A few years ago I wrote about how once the weather began to cool down, my body seemed to switch over from smoothies to oatmeal for my first nourishment of the day.
This year, I never really made that switch. Sometimes I would make oatmeal, but smoothies were still the default, especially on days when I would be running out the door to get Chloe to school and myself to yoga. I could make a smoothie, start drinking it at home, put the rest in a mason jar and be out the door.
A few days ago she wanted peaches in her yogurt and all we had were frozen peaches. I heated some up in a pot and a new warmer breakfast idea popped into my head.
I like starting the day with fruit because it’s easy to digest, so I feel like I’m giving my body a gentle start to the day. I recently took a workshop on Ayurveda and was reminded of something that seems to make sense to me – cold foods and drinks put out our digestive fire, making it more difficult for our stomachs to digest the food we feed ourselves.
I start each day with warm lemon water (that’s ritual) and then for a while have been making smoothies every day as the ‘easy way out’ of thinking about breakfast (that’s routine).
After helping Chloe with her breakfast, I got to work making mine.
Warm Fruit Salad (a perfect alternative to a smoothie):
1 tablespoon coconut cream
1 tablespoon raw local honey
Approx 2-3 cups of fruit – I used a banana, 4 large strawberries, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/2 cup frozen peaches, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup gluten free (or not) quick cook oats
Cinnamon to taste
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds
On medium heat, add coconut cream to a saucepan and let it begin to soften
Add frozen fruit so it can begin to thaw
Add remaining fruit, honey, cinnamon, oats, and stir together
Heat on medium heat until thoroughly warmed and flavors meld together (5-10 minutes)
Take off heat and mix in chia seeds and sliced almonds
Enjoy!
If you try it, I’d love to know what you think, so please come back and leave a comment here.
Oatmeal sometimes leaves me feeling heavy and tired, so by adding just a small amount of oats, this is a rounded and filling meal without being too heavy – a perfect way to start the day! The other thing I love about this recipe is that it’s got everything I usually have in a smoothie (plus oats) so I’m getting all the same delicious foods and I get to chew them and really experience the flavors coming together and alive.