#1.  Pina Colada Smoothie

In Spanish, Pina Colada roughly translates to “flowing pineapple”.  In your mouth, Pina Colada translates to a tropical taste explosion that’s cool and refreshing.  If you’re looking to get buzzed, add 2 shots of rum to the ingredients.  If you’re looking to start your day in a smart, sunny and fun way, follow the instructions as written.  I liked this smoothie so much, I made a video about it (below).  For the recipe, refer to the handy card above or visit the recipe’s page here.

Video: “How To Make A Pina Colada Smoothie (Featuring Kid Breakfast)”

#2. Antioxidant Smoothie

This smoothie might help remove toxins from your body, but more immediately it will remove any sense of boredom from your breakfast.  A combination of blueberries, cherries and acai berry juice creates a berry burst you’re sure to love.  Get the recipe here.

#3. Grapefruit Blast Smoothie

Grapefruit isn’t a flavor often associated with smoothies.  People tend to go for a less tart citrus like an orange or tangerine.  But when grapefruit is mixed with banana, strawberries, vanilla yogurt and a touch of honey, the tartness of the grapefruit is muted and it becomes a new and interesting smoothie component you’ll probably want to use again.  Get the recipe here.

#4. Banana Papaya Delight

I asked my 2-year-old daughter what this smoothie tasted like to her and she said, “Like the stars and sun.”  It was a weird answer, but I get it.  Papaya has an indefinable essence that tastes like the tropics or a beach under the stars or sun.  When you mix that flavor with a banana and some orange sherbet, get ready to smile.  Get the recipe here.

#5. Peach Smoothie

When peaches are in season toward the end of summer, this smoothie is a must.  It’s terrific with frozen peaches any time of year, but there’s something special about the taste of a fresh peach.  This one includes just a pinch of cinnamon to enhance the already fantastic flavor.  Get the recipe here.

#6. Frozen Pumpkin Smoothie

Go into your cupboard and take out that can of pumpkin puree that’s been taking up space since Thanksgiving.  This smoothie tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass.  It might seem like a purely seasonal drink, but this is something you’ll want to have again and again once you’ve tried it.  One of my very favorites.  Get the recipe here.

#7. Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Oatmeal is a bit of secret ingredient for smoothie enthusiasts.  Once blended with ice and fruit, it breaks down into a kind of thickening agent.  The taste contribution is minimal, but you get the added benefit of having some whole grains in your breakfast-on-the-go.  This smoothie tastes great and, because it has oats, you stay full longer.  Get the recipe here.

#8. Strawberry Delight Smoothie

This smoothie packs a double strawberry punch by using fresh strawberries and strawberry yogurt.  The banana and orange juice in the recipe are noticeable but strawberry is the true star.  If that sounds like your kind of thing, get the recipe here.

#9. Blueberry Orange Smoothie

So far this recipe has received all perfect ratings on the site.  I loved it too.  Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used.  A hint of grated orange peel adds a fun flavor element.  Get the recipe here.

#10. Morning Protein Blast

A little cocoa powder and a spoonful of peanut butter make this high-protein smoothie taste like dessert for breakfast.  Get the recipe here.

For many more smoothie recipes, visit the Breakfast Drinks section of this site.

It’s hard to explain why zucchini bread is so good.  The zucchini doesn’t add significant flavor.  You never take a bite of zucchini bread and say, “That’s some quality zucchini.”  The vegetable flavor seems to disappear completely during cooking. The bread is not as distinctive as banana bread and not as decadent and dessert-like as carrot bread (which is essential carrot cake).  But a slice of warm zucchini bread with a pat of butter and cup of coffee is the essence of homespun goodness.   It’s playfully sweet, incredibly moist and completely satisfying.

I may not know exactly why I love it, but I do.  I think you will too.  This article presents a reliable, easy recipe for zucchini bread.  I’ve made it many times and it comes out fantastic every time.  Above, you’ll find a zucchini bread cheat sheet with the recipe in its most basic form.  Directly below is a video showing the recipe in action.  That’s followed with tips to make the most of the recipe and link to the printable recipe.

Video: How To Make Zucchini Bread w/ Baby Breakfast

Tips To Make Great Zucchini Bread

Cooking Time Changes Based On The Amount Of Zucchini – This recipe specifies two medium zucchini.  That should yield between 2 and 1/4 cups and 3 cups when grated.  If your amount is at the low end, the cooking time is likely to be 55 minutes.  If you get a full 3 cups, expect the cooking time to exceed an hour by 5 or 10 minutes.  The reason is that grated zucchini is treated like a wet ingredient.  The wetter your batter, the long it takes to bake.

Cover Loaves With Aluminum Foil Toward End Of Baking – To prevent the tops and edges of your bread from over-browning, cover the loaves loosely with aluminum foil at about 45 minutes.  Don’t do it earlier or the tops will stick to the foil.  I usually prep some foil before baking so that it is molded to the size of the loaf pans.

Test With A Toothpick – At 50 minutes, start testing your bread for doneness.  Stick a toothpick in the center of the bread.  If it comes out clean, the bread is done.  If batter sticks to the toothpick, you’re looking at more cooking time.

Don’t Get Bummed Out During Baking – I once had my loaves take an hour and 15 minutes.  I thought for sure the edges would be dry and over-done.  I was worried for no reason.  The bread was perfect.  This recipe is hard to mess up.

Try Adding More Stuff – As long as you don’t over do it, you can add more ingredients and flavor to this bread.  In place of or in addition to the nuts, try mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, raisins or dried cranberries.  As long as the total amount of add-ins doesn’t exceed 1 and 1/4 cup, the bread should turn out fine.

Try Making It Healthier – If you want, you can replace up to 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.  You’ll notice a hint of wheat flavor in the final product, but the bread will still taste great.  You can also replace half of the canola oil with apple sauce.  You won’t notice any apple flavor.  The bread will be a bit more soft and crumbly.

Mini Loaves – I’ve used this recipe to make four 6×3-inch loaves.  The cooking time was 48 minutes.

Storing The Bread – I’ve found that a loaf covered in plastic wrap at room temperature is great for 5 days.  In the refrigerator, it’ll be fine for 8 or 9 days.  When frozen, I’ve had loaves taste terrific 3 months after I’ve made them.  I always wrap the loaves tightly with plastic wrap and then wrap them a second time before I freeze them.

This article is a companion piece to following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Zucchini Bread

The Caveman Diet (aka The Stone Age diet; aka The Paleo Diet; aka The Paleontology Diet) is based on an understanding of foods that were consumed during the Paleolithic era.  During that time some 2.6 million years ago, our ancestors relied on hunting and gathering to provide 100% of their nourishment.  It’s a common belief among those on the diet that consumption of grains and any processed foods runs counter to the nutritional needs of man (prehistoric or modern).  They tend to lay blame for modern ailments on ‘unnecessary’ advances in food technology.

The simple rules of a Paleo diet are this: If you can’t pick it or kill it, you can’t eat it.

Disclaimer:  I don’t endorse this or any particular diet.  However, I do endorse that everyone on any kind of diet should be entitled to have a tasty breakfast every morning.

Foods To Avoid: All grains and foods made of grains, all dairy products, sugar, potatoes and all processed foods.

Foods Allowed:  Vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs and nuts.

At first glance, you might assume that the Paleo Diet is no friend of breakfast.  Common recipes for pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins, coffee cakes and hash browns are off-limits.  But a look through the MrBreakfast.com treasury of recipes turned up a number of very satisfying recipes that adhere to Caveman standards. Plus, there’s a bunch of recipes that can be made Paleo compliant with slight ingredient substitutions. Here are a few of our favorites. Ugga-booga.  Ugga-bogga.

Bacon Breakfast Cups – Follow directions for the recipe but skip the layer of bread at the bottom of each cup.  Bacon should be eaten in moderation on The Caveman Diet as it is considered too salty.

Stone Age Biscuits And Gravy – The biscuits are made with a combination of almond flour and coconut flour.  The gravy is rich, nicely seasoned and loaded with sausage.

Ham-Wrapped Breakfast Burritos – It’s a breakfast burrito but the tortilla is replaced by a hearty piece of ham.  This one has eggs, bacon, peppers and onion.

Bacon-Wrapped Breakfast Links – What’s better than sausage? How about sausage wrapped with bacon.  Traditionally, this is a breakfast side dish.  But on the Paleo diet, it can be a fun main course.

Broccoli And Bell Pepper Frittata – To make this recipe Caveman Diet appropriate, replace the milk with water and omit the cheese.  It will still be quite flavorful if you use fresh vegetables.

Simple Bacon Omelet – No adjustments are necessary.   Just be sure to limit your salty bacon intake to only once or twice per week.

Green Eggs and Ham Omelette – To make this recipe Paleo proper, just replace the butter with olive oil and skip the optional cheese and salsa (unless you know your salsa is paleontology-approved).

Scrambled Eggs In A Green Pepper – Roast a green pepper in the oven at 375 degrees until somewhat tender – about 12 minutes.  Then cut it and fill the halves with scrambled eggs.

Low Carb Spinach Scramble – To make this scramble Stone Age appropriate, put a dab of olive oil on a paper towel and wipe the inside of your pan instead of using cooking spray.

Afghani Eggs – Use the recipe as directed, but make sure to use olive oil instead of canola oil.  Canola and vegetable oil are must-avoid items on The Caveman Diet.  Olive oil and certain other un-pressed oils can be used.

Onion And Tomato Scramble – You’ll want to skip the toast that’s shown in the picture.  Besides that, this recipe is stone cold stone age appropriate.  Be sure to use olive oil where the instructions mention oil.

Eggs And Corn Scramble – For this one, omit the cheese and milk and replace the butter with olive oil.  If possible, replace the canned corn with 11 ounces of fresh corn kernels. Unfortunately, you must also skip the toasted English muffins shown in the picture.

Kentucky Scramble – To make this scramble applicable to the Stone Age Diet, use bacon dripping and not butter where that option is offered.

Mushroom And Herb Omelet – Replace the butter with olive oil and this omelet is Paleozoic perfection! Replace the toast in the photo with an apple or a carrot.

Fruit Smoothies – To wash down your Paleontology breakfast, consider blending together any combination of fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juice or berries (with a couple of ice cubes).  If a smoothie recipe calls for yogurt, replace it with a banana to achieve the creamy smoothness that yogurt provides.  If you throw enough good stuff in a blender, it can act as breakfast all on its own.  Visit our Breakfast Drinks section to get more ideas.

Other Omelets And Scrambles:  If you take a look through our Omelets, Scrambles and Egg Dishes recipe collections, you’ll find hundreds of other recipes you can easily modify. Just remember to skip any cheese, replace milk with water and opt for olive oil or bacon drippings instead of butter or canola oil.

Studies indicate that enjoying a healthy breakfast every morning suppresses hormones associated with elevated blood sugar and improves insulin production.  Skipping breakfast (or any meal) is a bad idea for diabetics as it usually leads to an increase in blood sugar levels.  Portion control is particularly important as overeating and fasting both lead to significant fluctuations in glucose levels.

Ideal breakfast for diabetics include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and eggs in moderation.  Low-fat cheeses, yogurt and milk can be included in reasonable amounts.

Here’s 10 ideas for the discerning diabetic to get the most out of breakfast.

Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pancakes – This recipe is egg-free and dairy-free, but it’s anything but flavor-free.  Be sure to use a sugar-free syrup and consider replacing the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar in the recipe with a sugar substitute.  A garnish of nuts and dried fruit provides additional taste and energy.  While a stack of 5 pancakes is attractive, it’s advised that you keep your portion to just 1 or 2.

Microwave Farmers Omelet (In A Cup) – This quick recipe provides all the satisfaction of a diner-style breakfast in a matter of minutes… in a mug.  As long as your ham isn’t glazed, it won’t affect glucose levels.  The American Diabetes Association recommends having 2 to 5 ounces of protein-rich foods daily.  The cheese can be omitted or you could use your favorite low-fat variety.

Strawberry Banana Smoothies – When it comes to smoothies, avoid using fruit juices (which can be deceptively high in sugar) and always taste before adding any sweeteners.  Most of the time, the fruits you use are plenty sweet on their own.  If a recipe specifies yogurt, choose a low-fat or non-fat option.

Basic Oatmeal With Nuts – For this recipe, replace the honey with a sugar substitute.  Honey and sugar have similar effects on blood sugar. 1% or skim milk are the best milk options for diabetics.

Afghani Eggs – This simple baked egg dish has only 4 ingredients minus an optional sprinkle of salt and cilantro.  Tomato provides some vitamin C, vitamin E and iron.

Iced Fruit Smoothie – This recipe is so simple, you might think it’s fake.  Basically, you throw any frozen fruit you have in blender with skim milk.  The combinations are endless.  I tested the recipe with bananas, raspberries, blueberries and pineapple and I loved it.

Low Carb Spinach Scramble – Next time you’re ‘scrambling’ to find a healthy breakfast, try these scrambled eggs with onions and peppers served over a bed of sautéed spinach.

Low Carb Pumpkin Pancakes –  During the holiday season when everywhere you look is sugar and more sugar, these pancakes can provide holiday flavors and make you hyper-happy instead of hyperglycemic.

Banana Nut Oatmeal – The beauty of this recipe… if your banana is ripe, you won’t feel the need to add additional sweeteners.  This is a microwave recipe that takes about 5 minutes from start to finish.

Poached Haddock (U.K.) – The American Diabetes Association recommends having fish at least two times per week.  Don’t rule out getting one of those servings at breakfast.  Smoked haddock is hugely popular for breakfast in the U.K.  Here, it is served with poached eggs.

Studies about Breakfast & Diabetes:

University of Missouri: People with type 2 diabetes can reduce blood sugar spikes later in the day by starting the day with a protein-rich breakfast.

Tel Aviv University : Diabetics who eat big breakfasts and small dinners have fewer episodes of high blood sugar than those who eat small breakfasts and large dinners.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem : A big breakfast may help people with type 2 diabetes better control their hunger and their blood sugar levels.

Harvard University School of Public Health: Women who skip breakfast have a 20% higher risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who eat breakfast daily.

University of Minnesota: People who eat breakfast regularly have a significantly lower risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Harvard University: Men who skip breakfast are 21% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who eat breakfast daily.

Georgia Centenarian Study: People who regularly eat breakfast have lower rates of Type 2 diabetes and are less likely to develop heart failure.

American Heart Association: Those who eat breakfast are less likely to become obese and develop type 2 diabetes than those who do not eat breakfast.

For more about Diabetic-Friendly Meals:  Visit the American Diabetes Association or Diabetes Forecast (The Healthy Living Magazine).

Every now and then, I need to hit the reset button on my nutritional intake. As a rule, I try to squeeze a healthy breakfast of whole grains and fruit between each indulgent breakfast. But sometimes you’ll read a post here about donuts. That usually means I had a few consecutive mornings of overindulgence. Such was the case recently.

To get back on track, I spent last week having a different kind of oatmeal and smoothie every morning. I chose 14 recipes from the site that I’d hadn’t tested yet. I tried to create a menu with a wide range of flavors so the week would be exciting and fun (words not always associated with oatmeal).

It was a great week. I was reminded that oatmeal doesn’t need to be boring or routine. My beliefs about smoothies being amazing… totally reaffirmed. Who doesn’t love a recipe whose only instructions are to throw everything in a blender. I feel energized, a little leaner and ready to take on the deliciously difficult task of having to eat omelets and pancakes this week.

Take a look at my menu. Hopefully, you’ll find a recipe or two you might like to try.

Monday

Key Lime Pie Oatmeal – This steel-cut oatmeal dish tastes a lot like key lime pie because it contains many of the same ingredients including fresh lime juice and crumbled graham cracker.

Honey Banana Breakfast Shake – This is a very basic fruit smoothie featuring bananas, strawberries and noticeable notes of honey.

Tuesday

Banana Honey Flax Oatmeal – This recipe uses Old Fashioned oats and gets its flavor from bananas and honey with a nutrition boost from ground flax seeds.

Choco-Peanut Banana Shake – Three great tastes that taste great together! This smoothie contains peanut butter and cocoa powder. The flavor might remind you of a shake you’d have for dessert. Wheat germ adds extra nutrition.

Wednesday

Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Oatmeal – A couple of tablespoons of Nutella adds chocolate flavor to these Old Fashioned oats. A few chocolate chips add even more!

Cinnamon Smoothie – This smoothie has a little of everything: banana, raspberries, blueberries, orange juice, vanilla, etc. A pinch of cinnamon gives this one an almost candy-like essence.

Thursday

Sweet Scottish Oatmeal – This recipe uses steel-cut (aka Irish or Scottish oats) flavored simply with modest amounts of butter and brown sugar. I topped mine with raisins, walnuts and a splash of cold milk.

Banana Coffee Smoothie – For this smoothie, you’re supposed to use coffee flavored yogurt, but you can also use plain or vanilla yogurt and stir in instant coffee crystals. That’s what I did.

Friday

Maple Apple Raisin Oatmeal – This oatmeal is made from Old-Fashioned oats. There are pieces of apple and raisins in every bite. For more taste and texture, I added a few chopped pecans.

Oatmeal Smoothie – For a double dose of heart healthy oats, try an oatmeal smoothie. The blended oats make the smoothie thicker without really effecting the taste. The drink pictured above was pretty good. I personally prefer a recipe I tested last year called Banana Oatmeal Smoothie.

Saturday

Curach (Irish Honey Cream Oatmeal) – For the start of the weekend, how about a shot of Irish whiskey in your oats. Steel-cut oats are toasted and added to whipped cream that’s been flavored with the whiskey and honey. Then, fresh raspberries are added to make a fruit parfait.

Easy Orange Smoothie – This smoothie reminded me of an Orange Julius. If you’ve ever had one, you know that’s a good thing. This one uses orange juice concentrate instead of fresh juice.

Sunday

Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal – To close out the week, I went tropical… a taste of the islands in a bowl (or in this case… a tin) of oatmeal. Toasted coconut is used as a garnish.

Hawaiian Twist Smoothie – Completing my island-inspired breakfast is a smoothie with flavors of banana, pineapple and coconut. Aloha!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to oatmeal and smoothie recipes on MrBreakfast.com. Check out the following sections for many, many more options:

The Oatmeal Recipe Collection (156 recipes as of March 2014)

The Smoothie & Breakfast Drink Collection (167 recipes as of March 2014)

In this post, I’m recreating Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal from Jack In The Box. They charged me $2.49 per serving at the restaurant.  I calculate the price to make it at home to be about $0.60 per serving.  Their version tastes good.  I’m fairly confident that my version tastes better.

When you order this oatmeal from Jack In The Box, the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s not so much a serving of oatmeal as it is an oatmeal kit.

When you open the bowl of oats, you might be dismayed to find that it’s barely half full.  It may also be disheartening to discover their “blueberry blend” is a combination of blueberries and raisins.

When you assemble the oatmeal, the result is visually pleasing and the taste is actually quite nice. The flavor is vaguely reminiscent of a blueberry muffin. All in all, I liked their oatmeal, but there wasn’t much of it and it left me wanting more.

I analyzed the Jack In The Box components in preparation for my recreation (aka improvement).  The oats were unflavored except for sweetener.  They appeared to be quick-cooking oats (compared to larger Old Fashioned oats).  Due to their tiny size, the “blueberries” softened quickly and added a decent amount of flavor.  However, more blueberry flavor would have been preferable.  The crumble topping was the major component of distinction.  It added a welcome crunch and tasted a bit like crumbled oatmeal cookie.

Before I show you the wholesome homemade version, get a load of the ingredients in the fast food version:

Jack In The Box Oatmeal: Water, Whole Grain Rolled Oats and Sugar. Contains
2% or less of: Coconut Oil, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Mono and Diglycerides, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soybean Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color.

The Blueberry Blend: Dried Blueberries (Wild Blueberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil) and Zante Currant Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil).

The Crumble Topping: Brown Sugar, Oats, Butter (Cream, Salt), Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Natural Flavor, Salt, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate).

For my version, I opted for all blueberries. (Whoever heard of raisins in a blueberry muffin?) I also thought I’d be best to leave out any ingredients ending with “glycerides” or “phosphate”.  I created a crumble topping specifically for this oatmeal, but a quality granola works almost as well. Since store-bought dried blueberries are bigger than those in the fast food packet, I decided to stir them into the oats early in the recipe so they would have a better chance to re-hydrate.

Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal Recipe

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 and 2/3 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt,
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dried blueberries
• milk – for consistency

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, oats and salt to a boil.  As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.  Stir in all remaining ingredients and let simmer (stirring occasionally) for 3 or 4 minutes or until dried blueberries have softened.  Stir in milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until you get the perfect consistency.

Top with crushed granola or try this recipe for a crumble topping made specifically for oatmeal.

Makes 4 servings.

Now that we’ve successfully recreated the oatmeal, let’s make it even better.  Throw a handful of fresh blueberries on top for Double Berry Deluxe Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal.

For 155 other homemade oatmeal ideas, visit the Oatmeal Recipes section of MrBreakfast.com:

Today, we’re pitting three recipes against each other.  It’s a sizzling-hot brown rice hot cereal showdown.  The appeal of a brown rice hot cereal is that it’s similar to oatmeal in health benefits and, to some degree, texture.  However, it’s also similar to rice pudding in flavor and the way it’s prepared.  Therefore, it’s a hot breakfast that can remind some of an old-fashioned dessert.

It can be a welcome change for people who eat oatmeal regularly.  Those people understand the benefits of oats.  Now, they can get the same health benefits from brown rice and be able to mix up their breakfast routine.

Like oats, brown rice is a whole grain that’s rich in fiber and antioxidants.  That fiber makes you feel full longer, promotes regularity and some studies suggest that it may lower your risk for colon cancer.  The important antioxidants are selenium and manganese.  Selenium is a trace mineral that may reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease while easing the symptoms of asthma and arthritis.  Manganese is a trace mineral which plays a major role in the synthesis of fatty acids.  Those fatty acids aid in production of good cholesterol and contribute to a healthy nervous system.

Need more reasons to eat brown rice?  Studies suggest it may also help reduce bad cholesterol, incidences of high blood pressure, risk of type 2 diabetes and even the formation of gallstones.

But the question remains… does brown rice taste good for breakfast?  Let’s meet our challengers…

#1. Brown Rice Hot Cereal

Of our three contenders, this recipe is closest to a rice pudding.  Milk and an egg lend a custard element while cinnamon and vanilla are major flavors (as with a traditional rice pudding).  This hot cereal is sweetened with honey, however the amount of sweetener is a great deal less than in its dessert counterpart.  Will is be tasty and sweet enough to win?

Get the recipe.

#2. Brown Rice & Pumpkin Porridge

This is the most complex of our competitors.  It has 10 ingredients and takes about 30 minutes to prepare.  It has the potential to be the most flavorful, but will it be worth the trouble?  It’s also in danger of falling into a strictly seasonal taste category.  Will it work for any day, not just a holiday?

Get the recipe.

#3. Microwave Brown Rice Breakfast

This is the simplest of our challengers.  The instructions are to basically to throw all the ingredients in a bowl and microwave for a minute.  For ease of preparation, this recipe is looking good.  But as we learned from the tortoise and the hair, just because something is fast doesn’t mean it’s gonna win the race.  This recipe has the potential to be dud, just like that no-good, lazy rabbit in Aesop’s Fables.

Get the recipe.

The Results

Let’s start with the big loser.  The microwave cereal (#3) was really lame.  A minute in the microwave didn’t soften the rice.  The flavors were fine, but the rice didn’t absorb the flavors or much of the liquid.  It was like having firm rice in a milky vanilla soup.  That is technically a gruel, so #3 is eliminated from this competition.

And the winner is…

This was tough.  I loved both of the remaining hot cereal gladiators.  The pumpkin porridge (#2) was loaded with flavor.  It reminded me of the holidays, but I know I would enjoy it as much on the first day of Summer as I would on Christmas morning.

The Brown Rice Hot Cereal (#1) delivered on its promise that it would taste like rice pudding.  Honey is sweeter than sugar and what little there was turned out to be the perfect amount.  The dried berries in the recipe plumped and tasted fresh.  This recipe took 10 minutes less time to make than the pumpkin creation.

It was neck in neck, but I declare the winner of our first ever Brown Rice Hot Cereal Recipe Showdown to be… the aptly named #1… Hot Brown Rice Cereal!

Congratulations to all of our participants!  (Except for maybe #3.)

For more hot cereal recipes, visit the Oatmeal (and Similar) Recipe Section of MrBreakfast.com.

This oatmeal tastes like banana cream pie!  It gets big banana flavor from mashed and sliced bananas and a creamy richness from a modest amount of sweetened condensed milk.  If you add a dollop of whipped cream, you’re in for the full banana cream pie near-experience.  For the more diet conscience, you can skip the whipped cream and still get a pretty serious pie flashback.

This recipe is a modified version of a popular recipe on MrBreakfast.com called Banana Cream Oatmeal.

Here’s how to do it:

The ingredients are 2 cups of oats (Old Fashioned or quick-cooking), 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, a hint of cinnamon and 3 bananas.  The original recipe asked for 2 bananas, but I found that it really benefited from one more.

Prepare the oats as directed on the package.  I tried it with both quick cooking and Old Fashioned oats.  The end result was the same.  Both kinds of oats required 4 cups of water (double the amount of oats).  The only difference was – as you might expect – the quick cooking oats cooked quicker.

As the oats are cooking, mash two bananas.

Slice the remaining banana into coins.

When the oats have the constancy you like, stir in the mashed bananas, condensed milk and some cinnamon.  Top each serving with banana coins and final dash of cinnamon.

I added raspberries to make the pictures pop.  I found that they also made the recipe pop.  So, add ‘em if you got ‘em.

There it is… a delicious, unique oatmeal that takes about 15 seconds longer to make than it takes to make just the oats.  One might say, “It’s easy as pie!”

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Banana Cream Oatmeal

I love a little citrus as a breakfast side dish.  The smell is second only to coffee as as a way to wake up your sleepy senses.  The humble orange is is a sensible part of any breakfast.  It’s light, sweet and fresh.  It adds contrast and helps balance heavier breakfasts like pancakes or loaded omelets.  But let’s face it… how many times have you gone to a restaurant and ordered orange slices?  What we need to do is to make the simple orange pop (an allusion to a twist later in the post).  Nature has given us a great gift.  It’s time to appreciate it again in a new way.

Alicia Keys has a hit song right now called “(This) Girl (Is) On Fire”.  I offer you a new culinary hit called “This Orange Is On Fire” – a simple combination of oranges, honey and jalapeno!  (Don’t worry – it’s a subtle fire because the cool orange flavor and a drizzle of honey tone down the heat of the jalapeno.)

To make this extremely simple dish a little more interesting and beautiful, I went looking for a mix of different citrus fruits.  My local Ralph’s grocery store didn’t have a lot going on in the citrus department, but I was able to come home with a few navel oranges, Minneola  tangelos and honey tangerines.

Equipped with citrus, a single jalapeno and bear-shaped jar of honey, I was ready to take on this mad experiment.

You can probably surmise how this dish is made from the pictures.  But here’s how I did it…

For the quick and easy, printable recipe, click here.

Cut the oranges into 1/2-inch slices.  To make them perfectly round, use a biscuit cutter and rip away the peel.  This is strictly for presentation.  You could cut the fruit anyway you like and get the same flavors.

Slice the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds and pith from the center.  Chop the pepper up very fine.  I used 1/2 a jalapeno for 4 oranges.  Use more or less depending on your sensitivity to (or desire for) heat.

Arrange the citrus rounds in a slight overlapping fashion on a serving platter.  Sprinkle everything with chopped jalapeno and then drizzle honey over each slice (about 2 Tablespoons per 4 oranges). Let this set for 15 to 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle a little.

I really loved this as a side dish.  I tried it out on 2 other people and got positive feedback.  To paraphrase their combined reaction, “Wow!  Something about this really works.”

The batch in the pictures used chopped jalapeno.  I made another batch where I grated the jalapeno over the oranges.  I liked the results of grating better.  It made a more uniform coating or dusting on the oranges giving an overall warm essence instead of nibbles with surprising heat.  The chopped jalapeno looked more interesting in photos, though.

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Oranges With Honey And Jalapeno

Unusual Bonus Recipe:

I was so excited about this flavor combination that I actually made a soda pop out of the components the next night. We got one of those Sodastream machines a few months ago that carbonate ordinary water.  We’ve been experimenting with our own recipes with hit and miss results.  This one was pretty good if you know what you’re in for.

Orange, Honey & Jalapeno Soda Pop

Ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar, the juice and zest of 1 large orange, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1/3 of a jalapeno (grated) and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract.

Directions:  Bring all ingredients except the extract to a gentle boil in a small sauce pan.  Reduce heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the extract, stir and remove from heat.  Strain the syrup into a cup and let it cool 10 minutes.  Add the syrup to a 1 liter bottle of soda water that’s had 1/6 of it’s contents poured off or consumed.  Gently mix by tilting the bottle slowly.

The result is a natural orange soda with a pleasant bite that creeps up on you after you take in the initial citrus flavor.

There you have it. You came here for breakfast and you’re leaving with a side dish and a spicy drink.  Apparently, you take like your blog posts like I take my Jalapeno Soda Pop – with a twist.

It’s a crucial time of year for many people.  You may have made a resolution to eat healthier in the new year.  For the first few days, egg whites, wheat toast and packets of oatmeal seemed satisfying.  But after a few days, those things began to seem boring.  I have a solution for your resolution… an oatmeal revolution… Crock-Pot Carrot Cake Oatmeal with a decadent Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle.

I’m ahead of the game resolution-wise.  I resolved to eat more oatmeal and use my crock-pot more.

Before we start…. an admission.  If you make this without the drizzle, it’s not as special.  It tastes fine but lacks a certain joie de vivre.  But as soon as you add the Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle, magic happens.  It immediately starts to taste almost exactly like carrot cake.

Here’s how to do it:

For the short and sweet, printable recipe, click here.

The ingredients list is long, but the cooking process is amazingly simple.  Grab a couple grated carrots, some steel cut oats, water, maple syrup, applesauce, raisins, chopped nuts, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Chuck all that stuff in a slow cooker.  Give it a stir and then cook on low for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, stir it up – adding a little milk until the consistency is just how you like it.  Top each serving with a little Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle, just take some cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and whisk it up until a smooth frosting forms.  Add just enough additional milk so that it drips off the whisk in thick stream.  Dribble that good stuff over each serving and prepare to be dazzled.  It’s a good idea to have your cream cheese at room temperature.  The drizzle comes together much easier that way.  Another thing I like to do is place my mixing bowl over a pan of warm water.  A little gentle heat makes the mixing go smoother.

A Quick Note About Crock-Pots:

Over the years, I’ve learned that crock-pot recipes work only as good as your crock-pot works.  In so many recipes for slow cookers, you see a huge dichotomy in the comments and reviews.  The same recipe can work to perfection for half the people.  The other less fortunate half report scorching and crusty edges.  In most every case, the disappointed have crock-pots whose low setting cooks too high.  The solution is to get to know your slow cooker.  Like it or not, I know that 3/4 into the cooking time I need to stir the ingredients and probably add a little more liquid.  People with awesome crock-pots can sleep through an 8 hour cooking time.  Not me.  I have to set an alarm and wake up two hours earlier.  I’ve learned to live with it.

In short, check this oatmeal after 6 hours if you have any doubts about your crock-pot.  If the sides and bottom are cooking too fast, give everything a stir and add a few more tablespoons of water.

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Crockpot Carrot Cake Oatmeal

For over 140 more oatmeal recipes, check out The Oatmeal Collection on MrBreakfast.com.

Bonus:

Here’s two more ways to have carrot cake for breakfast…

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake

Carrot Cake Pancakes With Frosting