An update--Nine months later

So... some might say I forgot about this blog.

Others might say I just didn't care.

Well, what about what I say? I say that I've been waiting for the perfect breakfast to update all of my lovely followers with. What is this perfect breakfast, you ask?

Well, duh. It's a cookie. That's right folks. I had a cookie for breakfast. And I know this might sound bizarre and farfetched, but I think this might be the first time I've had a cookie for breakfast... ever. You see, I've always been one for healthy food. Although I do splurge every once in a while (or maybe it's a little more often than that), my breakfasts usually consist of oatmeal with some fresh fruit, some whole wheat toast with either peanut butter or cream cheese, or even an egg white omelet. Don't get me wrong, I love anything loaded with fat and calories. But that's the thing--when I go for an unhealthy breakfast, it's usually a cheesy, bacon filled, eggstravaganza. With a side of pancakes. And a coffee flavored milkshake (there's gotta be caffeine in there somewhere, right?). But today, I went for a simple cookie.

How could I resist it? There was a fresh batch of them just sitting on the counter, waiting to be eaten.

And you know what, all I have to say for myself is that I resisted the urge to eat a second one. And the cookie was damn good.

Breakfast at Home

Can you tell I like pepper?

Growing up, I was used to having a typical middle eastern breakfast: cheese, vegetables, and pita bread. As I got older, I tired of this breakfast, hating when my mom or dad would serve it to me. I wanted anything but this boring old cheese and bread combo. But now, I love it. Living so far away from home, I miss this simple breakfast of my childhood and I'm always happy to come home and eat it. So this morning I did just that. Armenian string cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and onions. I make mini sandwiches of it with my whole wheat pita bread and it is de-lish. Top it off with a cup or five of coffee, and this is one of my favorite breakfasts.

Airport Breakfast

Now I know this isn't everyone's typical breakfast, but the salad bar in the food court looked so good! I usually eat the most disgustingly unhealthy foods when I travel, but today I chose some lighter fare. I'm flying from Syracuse to LA for my Thanksgiving break, and my first flight was at 6 am. That means I've been up since 4. Considering it's almost 9, it feels like lunch time to me. So I guess a salad works. I had some mixed greens, carrots, cucumbers, chickpeas, chicken, olives, onions, croutons, and parmesan cheese. It was delish.

TPB (The Perfect Breakfast)

Recently, I read a study saying that eating a protein rich breakfast is the way to go—it staves off food cravings and prevents overeating later.

Well, a typical breakfast for me usually consists of some cinnamon raisin toast with peanut butter and as much coffee as I can consume before I have to leave my house.

This difference got me thinking: Is there a magic formula for breakfast? Do eggs + toast + coffee = TPB (The Perfect Breakfast)? And, I wondered, is there a perfect time to eat it? [You have to set the stage for the part about timing, below.]

“Breakfast isn’t a prescription,” says Dr. Robert Post, the Deputy Director for the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at the USDA. His department is responsible for the new food plate that replaced the food pyramid this past summer.

Dr. Post describes creating the ideal breakfast and all ensuing meals as completing a puzzle. Consuming 2,000 calories a day, a benchmark for the average person set by the FDA, means a day’s puzzle consists of six ounces of grains, two and half cups of vegetables, two cups of fruit, three cups of dairy, and five and a half ounces of protein.

Transition needed: Breakfast is the first piece of the day’s puzzle. Regardless of  whether you eat fried eggs or granola, you subtract its calorie count from the day’s total. I subtract my one ounce of grain (a slice of whole-wheat cinnamon raisin toast) and 1.5 ounces of protein (one and a half tablespoons of peanut butter) from my daily allotment and I know that I have begun to put the pieces of my puzzle in place.

 “In actuality, breakfast is about one quarter of the daily meal pattern,” says Alice Lockett, a senior nutritionist at FNS Supplemental Nutrition Association Program. “But we don’t necessarily look at one meal and say what’s best and what’s not best.”

As far as how long someone should wait after waking up to eat, Dr. Post says this is a matter of personal preference and sometimes cultural preference, although nutritionists would suggest you don’t skip breakfast because it sets you up for the rest of the day.

“It depends on how much you ate for your last meal of the day before,” says Lockett. The more you ate and the later you ate it, the less hungry you will be in the morning and the longer you will wait to eat, she says. 

Lockett acknowledges that it’s not always possible to take the time to make a complicated, healthy breakfast every morning. When she was in college, her staple was a slice of whole grain toast topped with some peanut butter, paired with a banana and a glass of juice. (My, how times haven’t changed.)

Both Post and Lockett emphasize the importance of adhering to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “Health is by choice, “Lockett says. “It’s the choice that is based on the decisions of the types of foods we include in our meals. It is not by chance.”

Seems like TPB does not exist.

So what about you? Do you make the breakfast choices that lead to a healthy diet? Tell me about it in the comments section!

Carrot Cake Jam

I just stumbled on this recipe from Nutmeg Nanny and I just need it. Carrot cake jam on some toast with cream cheese? Sounds like the perfect breakfast to me.

In America, breakfast differs by region. Do you really think that people in Miami are eating the sam thing for breakfast as the folks in New Jersey? If you do, you are wrong, my friend.
Here's just a few of the different breakfasts people all over the country eat to start their day.
1. Miami: The typical breakfast in Miami is the Cuban breakfast. Although it seems to differ depending on who you ask, most people would agree that a Cuban breakfast consists of eggs, some type of potatoes, Cuban bread with butter, and Cuban coffee.

2. New Jersey: When I came to school at Syracuse, all my new friends from Jersey couldn't stop mentioning Taylor Ham. I had no idea what it was until I asked one to explain. Turns out, Taylor Ham is short for John Taylor's Original Taylor Pork Roll. Basically, it's like sliced Canadian bacon. If you go into a deli in Jersey, be sure to order the Jersey Breakfast--Taylor ham, egg, and American cheese on either a roll or a bagel. Or you can make one yourself.

3. Los Angeles: Being a native Angeleno, I think it's safe for me to say the breakfast for this area is the breakfast burrito. With the strong Hispanic influence, it's not hard to find a taco stand or a Mexican restaurant around the corner from wherever you are. Toppings can run the gamut from eggs, bacon, and cheese to eggs, steak, cheese, potatoes, pico de gallo, guacoamole and sour cream. No matter where you get it, they're huge and the best way to eat them is with as much tapatio as you can handle. My favorite is from Lucky Boy, a hamburger and taco stand in Pasadena.

Three locations do not even begin to cover the regional differences in breakfasts from around the United States. If you want to know more about regional breakfasts, Parade Magazine has a great article on some. And you have time, here's a Texan breakfast recipe that sounds amazing!
So what's a typical breakfast dish for your region? I'd love to hear about it!

Oatmeal with Bacon

I'm a huge fan of oatmeal. It's a great go-to breakfast, especially on cold days (like today) when you don't have a lot of time. Instant oats are just dandy! However, my roommate and fellow blogger Brittany from Oats Magotes tells me that making the non-instant variety, either rolled or steel cut, is much better for you.
Well, Britt, I don't always have the time. But if I did, I think that these would be the first kind I would try...

Here's a recipe from 80 Breakfasts called Steel Cut Oats with Muscovado Glazed Bacon. Sounds de-lish.

Steel Cut Oats with Muscovado Glazed Bacon (from 80 Breakfasts)

• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups water
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1-2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
• Freshly cracked black pepper

- Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan.
- Once it boils add the steel cut oats, give it a stir, and then cover. Cook stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick until cooked to your liking. Some like it chewier than others. Add more water if it starts looking too dry.
- While the oatmeal is cooking lay the bacon strips flat on a plate. Sprinkle muscovado sugar on one side. You can be very flexible here, adding as much or as little sugar as you want. My bacon isn’t totally coated, but I wouldn’t say the sugar is sparse either. I like a good, even, generous sprinkling. Now, crack some black pepper over the sugar. Repeat with the other side.
- Rub or spray a non-stick skillet with a scant amount of oil and heat over high heat. When the pan is hot lay bacon strips on it and bring heat a touch down to medium. Cook until sugar is nice and caramelized and coating the bacon in a totally alluring way -- but not too crisp! The sugar will harden as the bacon cools so you don’t want to overdo it.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to a wooden chopping board. Let it cool for a bit (just a minute or two). It will stiffen and transform into a heavenly sort of bacon candy – you could eat it as is now and your life would never be the same again…but wait, there’s oatmeal!
- Chop the bacon into bite-size pieces. Divide your hot oatmeal in two bowls. Top with bacon. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it!