Ryan did something beautiful this morning. At 4:45 a.m. he turned off the alarm and said, “Let’s sleep in today.”
Yes, please!
Usually I like to knock out a workout before the sun comes up and get my day rolling, but Ryan has plans to golf with a coworker tonight which basically means I’ll have all day and evening to myself to work and workout whenever I want.
Though I typically stop working when Ryan gets home from work, I know myself and know that I’ll probably spend more time at the computer today, so I don’t feel bad about taking a midday breather to fit in the five mile run on my half marathon training plan.
We’ll see if I decide to run in the morning or evening. The afternoon is out because the temperatures are supposed to reach 88 degrees today. Nothing says fall like sweating your face off, right?
Breakfast
Breakfast today was super easy thanks to last night’s baking extravaganza! I guess “extravaganza” is a bit of an exaggeration, but the recipe really is pretty darn good.
I made a banana bread mini loaf, perfect for one person! I initially made this recipe one time thinking I would save it for breakfast, but it quickly became dessert last night, so I made another one immediately after the first and managed to save it for this morning.
Banana Oatmeal Bread Mini Loaf
- Serves: One
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Bake Time: 15 – 18 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 banana, mashed
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin butter (optional)
Note: If the banana doesn’t add enough sweetness for you, adding two teaspoons of brown sugar may help!
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Stir oats, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl
- Add banana, egg white and pumpkin butter and mix with a mixer until everything is combined and no clumps of banana remain
- Spray mini loaf pan with cooking spray and pour batter into pan
- Bake 15- 18 minutes, until loaf is set and springs back when touched lightly on top
The loaf is great on its own, topped with syrup and nuts or crumbled on top of Greek yogurt.
A recipe winner!
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Hi Julie!
I just wanted to comment on how much I love your blog! I follow Shape magazine on Twitter and stumbled across your blog. It is amazing to me how much you remind me of myself- except a few years older. As I casually looking through your previous posts I could not get over how many similarities we have! From the foods you eat, your love for exercising, your sense of style, and your outlook on life.
I am a junior in college at Clemson (in South Carolina) but am originally from Charlotte, NC. I noticed on of your posts on thinking of moving to North Carolina and you should consider it! It is so beautiful! Ironically enough, my mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer- another similarity that shocked me!
I couldn’t help posting a comment because your blog is truly going to inspire me! As cheesy as it sounds I really hope that in a few years my life will end up someone what like yours. A continued love for food, exercising, and to have a wonderful husband to share that with!
I really look forward to reading your blog!
That really is a beautiful thing. Such amazing words to hear first thing 🙂
And I love the idea of this oatmeal bread mini loaf! It looks completely delicious and is such a nice change from a regular old bowl of oats!
I love baking for one ideas! Thanks Julie!
Does it have the texture of banana bread or baked oatmeal? Because I tried baked oatmeal once and the texture was awful, but I love banana bread. Hmmm….torn
Sounds delicious! Do you know the ingredient ratio if you were to make a regular sized bread? I don’t have mini tins and, let’s be honest, I will probably want more. ha.
Thanks!
Hang on a second – 4.45am??? Why so early? I’ve never set an alarm that early unless I have a flight to catch!
YUM! I actually make a bigger batch of baked banana oatmeal, a recipe on Katheats.com I found a year or so ago. I love to make it, then cut it into portions, wrap em’ up and stick em’ in the fridge. Each morning I grab one to mix with greek yogurt, almond milk and sometimes I add Puffins. 🙂
And I LOVE to bake too, but I always end up eating a big portion of what I’m making during the process – OOPS! 🙂
i just finished making this recipe (your blog is one of the first ones i read every morning, and i had already starred this in my google reader!) and it’s delicious! i’m trying really hard to be nice and save some for my husband, but i keep telling myself “but it’s just for one!” i have a feeling i’ll be making another one later this afternoon 😉
Yum, that sounds amazing!!
And I’m totally laughing because it’s supposed to be 88 here today too (91 tomorrow?!?) – and my fiance and I were like, ‘what the hell happened to fall??’ this morning.
SO ready for those mornings where you walk out the door and feel that little nip in the air… not ‘crap, why did I wear a fleece to walk the dog?’
I don’t have mini loaf pans, but I bet small ramekins will work, too.. plus, they’re cute and round 🙂 And I’m going to use apple butter instead since I live in Northern Mexico (j/k… but really, the middle of nowhere) and we don’t have pumpkin butter!
What a great little recipe! So quick and easy. In my house breakfast type food often becomes dessert too! I’ll be baking one of these bad boys up today!