Best Peanut Butter Banana Hot Cereal!

Today, I had a hankering for something a bit different for breakfast. It needed to be a meal that would provide plenty of energy to carry me through my busy morning. It also had to be something I could whip up in a snap.  Hot, whole-grain cereal was the quickest, easiest thing that came to mind. When I am really in a rush, I cheat and nuke it. Then I toss in chopped almonds, blueberries or sliced apples, a dash of cinnamon. Unfortunately, I ran out of almonds and blueberries, and tossed the last apple into my son's lunch box this morning. Grocery shopping was definitely on the agenda for today.  

So......here's what I came up with: 

Peanut Butter and Banana Hot Cereal.

 Don't knock it until you try it. It tastes like fresh, warm banana bread; spread with a layer of peanut butter! That sounds good, doesn't it?  The best part: no flour, no eggs, very little sugar and GOOD fat! I only added a tiny amount of peanut butter- fresh, NATURAL peanut butter. It's made right there at the little market where I shop and it has one ingredient: PEANUTS!!  If you can't get fresh peanut butter, buy the most natural, unsalted type you can find. Don't even think about Jif, Skippy or Peter Pan brands. Those are nothing more than jars of artery-clogging hydrogenated oils, a handful of peanuts, and way too much sugar and salt.  

Here's what you do:

Cook one serving of your favorite whole grain hot cereal according to package directions. You can use oatmeal, too, if desired.

Stir in about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter and mix well.

Slice a banana and arrange on top or gently fold the slices into the cereal.

Drizzle with organic maple syrup. (when I say "drizzle" I mean a very, very small amount. You are going to pour it lightly in a zig-zag fashion.) If you MUST measure, I would guess about 1/8 of a teaspoon.

This might not sound sweet enough, but trust me, it is. The bananas lend a natural sweetness and the peanut butter adds such a delicious, creamy flavor, you won't need additional sugar.

Serve immediately!

Enjoy your Cynfully Good Breakfast

Soyrizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos

My son is a carnivore and I am always on the hunt for delicious, meatless recipes I can serve prepare for breakfast lunch and dinner.  I really don't want to cook two different meals.  Who has time for that? I admit, there are times I do cook him meat, but if I can get away with serving a dish he thinks is meat, I do it!  And so far, no complaints............

My son's favorite meal is breakfast and I stumbled upon this wonderful recipe from the Yogic Kitchen: Soyrizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos. YUMMY!!! Soyrizo is vegan sausage. NOT MEAT. This dish does contain eggs; so what I do is reserve a small portion of the cooked Soyrizo for myself before I add the eggs to the pan.

If you're trying to get get your family to eat more meatless meals, this is the perfect recipe. It's delicious for breakfast, lunch or even as a simple supper.


Here's the recipe:
Soyrizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos

Pumpkin Curry with Chick Peas

It's Pumpkin Season! Time for pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, roasting pumpkin seeds and Mmmm.... Pumpkin Pie!

Start thinking beyond all the traditional ways of using and cooking pumpkin! It's so delicious and really good for you: packed with vitamins and nutrients. That beautiful orange pumpkin flesh is loaded with beta-carotene and more!

Here's a Cynfully Good recipe for pumpkin. This is exotic, healing, fat-burning, energy-packed cuisine at its best- a hearty, vegan stew laced with yellow Thai curry, the subtle sweetness of coconut milk, gorgeous cubes of fresh pumpkin, and protein-packed chick peas. Serve it over rice or with warm Naan bread.

Here's the recipe:
Pumpkin Curry With Chick Peas

Shredded Brussel Sprouts and Apples

Photo from 101cookbooks.com

I love finding a recipe I really want to make that doesn't involve a trip out to the store. I have brussel sprouts. I have apples. And of course, I have tofu!  Here's my Cynfully Good dinner  for TONIGHT!!!

Shredded Brussel Sprouts and Apples

Cynfully Good Homemade Apple Sauce

Looking for something fun to do today? How about making your own apple sauce? Here is the easiest recipe in the world. In about thirty minutes, it's ready to enjoy. You probably have everything in your house already so get to it! What's great about this recipe is it doesn't call for sugar. *

You don't need sugar because....uhhhh.....apples are naturally sweet!!

• 4 organic apples of your choice ( I like Rome or Granny Smith apples. Delicious or McIntosh don't really work well-too mushy and too sweet)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Cut the applies into bite size pieces. Heat a medium pot on medium heat. Add the orange juice and cinnamon. Add the diced apples and give the mixture a stir. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. All the apples to simmer in the liquid for 30 minutes. Remove the cooked apples from the heat. Allow the apples to cool and mash with a potato masher or in a food processor.

That's it! All finished...............

YUMMY!!! :)

*If you are using Granny Smith apples and they are very tart, stir in a dash of organic maple syrup- about 1/2 a teaspoon should do it. Taste it first, though.  The fresh orange juice might add just enough sweetness to the mix.

Cynfully Good Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash. For years, I avoided it. I thought it was a decoration. You know, to put in a basket of gourds on the table when Autumn rolls around.

When I became a Vegetarian, I discovered how wonderful and yummy Butternut Squash really is! It's so versatile. I can steam it, boil it, bake it, stuff it, fry it, mash it, tranform it into healthy fries, even use it as a stuffing for home made ravioli......the possibilities are endless.

Butternut squash---the perfect food!


If all the amazing ways you can prepare Butternut Squash doesn't convince you give it a try, take a look at how healthy it is for you.........

Butternut squash is low in fat and loaded with fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. The folate content adds yet another boost to its heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.

And the color of Butternut Squash? Once you cut one of these beauties open- you will see for yourself. . The gorgeous color means it's packed with carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. Butternut Squash has very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A) identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns. A 1-cup serving of Butternut Squash provides nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C. 

Wait! There's more! Butternut Squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content.  This means it could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

Convinced yet? YOU SHOULD BE!!!

Here's is a very simple, delicious way to make Butternut Squash. Cut it up and roast it in pan, like potatoes. Only better......and so gorgeous.

Here's how:

Peel one Butternut Squash and chop into cubes. Coat in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss in some fresh, chopped herbs if you have them. I add sprigs of fresh rosemary to my roasted squash. Thyme is delicious, too. Sage......Mmmmm. This is starting to sound a little like a song, isn't it?  :)

Roast them in a pan at 400 degress for about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

If you want, omit the fresh herbs and season with cinnamon and a dash of organic maple syrup. Freshly ground nutmeg is amazing with roasted squash, too. This is so much better and healthier than sweet potatoes loaded with butter or those candied yams everyone eats at Thanksgiving!