Once again, the weather forecast is inaccurate. I watched the five-day forecast for this week on Sunday. At no point was I advised that it was going to be hazy, hot, humid and close to 90 degrees.
They are currently calling for cooler temperatures for Memorial Day weekend. As long as it is sunny, I don’t care but I also don’t trust their predictions anyway.
It is amazing that we have suddenly reached the temperatures where I need to venture out for my run super early to avoid the heat.
I don’t mind running earlier; I find that my best runs occur early in the morning.
I don’t know about you, but I have to eat before I run. In fact, I wake up starving and ready for breakfast every day.
I am quite a creature of habit when it comes to my morning meal. Always have been.
When I was a teenager, I ate Life Cereal with raisins every single morning for breakfast. For years.
I consumed so much Life cereal that my father would buy the boxes in extreme bulk (must be where I got my couponing from?) to the point where we didn’t know where to store it all.
I recall finding Life Cereal boxes in the pots and pans cabinet.
At some point, exact date unknown, I switched my breakfast routine to peanut buttered English muffins.
Crunchy, creamy, with jelly, without jelly, with banana or blueberries or apple or just plain, I ate peanut butter topped english muffins for easily eight years straight.
If I happened to go out for breakfast, then the peanut butter/muffin combo occurred for lunch.
If I traveled, it came with me. If I stayed over at someone’s house, I ensured they had my essentials in their kitchen.
The random and sudden switch to oatmeal occurred about two years ago.
Started with Trader Joe’s frozen steel-cut oatmeal.
Then one day I thought who I was and decided I could make it myself, just as well.
And I never looked back.
Steel cut, old-fashioned, baked, hot, cold, with fruit, peanut butter, yogurt, in a jar or a bowl….I became so adventurous with all of my combinations yet still staying loyal to my morning bowl of oatmeal.
Recently my trend has been steel-cut oats served cold mixed with plain greek yogurt, fruit and peanut butter.
Remember when I had the Hello Kitty Pineapple from Edible Arrangements?
For months this has been my winning combination breakfast.
Until recently.
Enter the Oatmeal Pumpkin Chia Pancake.
Oh yes.
Now, I have made oatmeal pancakes before (pretty sure even given my recipes).
But my latest concoction has a very special place in my heart.
Why?
Well, not only is it delicious, it happens to be super filling and satisfying. And that is what it is all about folks.
Such a simple (short) list of ingredients, you must try making one of these pancakes ASAP!
It may not be pumpkin season but I still buy my cans of pumpkin. Perfect dose of Vitamin A, pumpkin adds a nice texture to my bowls of oatmeal as well as to my pancakes. The pancakes become firm yet still mushy – the peanut butter melts right in creating an amazing breakfast experience.
I think the Chia Seeds play a major role in the texture as well as the reason behind the filling nature of this breakfast. I used to make my oatmeal pancakes with egg or egg white- those pancakes were good but not as satisfying.
Don’t be afraid of the Chia – you would NEVER know the seeds are in the recipe unless I told you.
Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes (Makes One Large Pancake):
- 1/4 Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (I mixed with oat bran – you don’t have to, use whatever you have on hand)
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
- pinch cinnamon
- tsp chia seeds*
- Berries – optional
- Peanut Butter
*If you do not have chia seeds, you can sub with an egg white.
Directions: In a bowl, mix chia seeds with about 2 tablespoons of water. Add oats, pumpkin and cinnamon. Let mixture sit for a few minutes (If you are short on time you don’t have to wait for mixture to thicken, I have made it both ways).
Scoop onto greased skillet on medium heat.
Add blueberries (optional but recommended). Allow it to cook until seems firm to flip. Keep an eye on the pan but give enough time to cook, until slightly brown both sides.
Top with fruit and peanut butter.
Voila. Breakfast.
The shape isn’t always the same, but the taste remains delicious.
And taste is what matters, yes?
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Are you a creature of habit when it comes to your meals?
What do you normally eat for breakfast?
Do you take breakfast with you to work or do you have time to eat at home?
Do you eat before you run?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
I am boring out of convenience with breakfast. I’ll have a little baggy of dried fruit and nuts on the train ride in, then a cup of steel cut oats with coconut, PB2, cinnamon, ground flax, and strawberries once I get into work. I also wake up hungry and ready to eat. I’ve never cooked with canned pumpkin but I love pumpkin flavored things so I’m sure this one is a hit!
Definitely buy some pumpkin and add it to your bowl of oatmeal. Just a little bit thickens the bowl and adds so much volume – not to mention great source of the Beta Carotene. lol
I love oatmeal but usually only in the winter when I want something warm and comforting. I am more of a yogurt/fruit/smoothie person in the warmer months. I was never a cereal eater though (probably because I never drank milk growing up!
Oh my goodness, I now have a HUGE craving for Life cereal!! 😉
I adore your routine breakfasts of Life cereal and your supportive parents who kept the boxes anywhere they could fit! 🙂 How wonderful! As for this recipe – sounds divine. I love oatmeal so much, so looks like a winner! Plus, I feel the shorter the ingredient list, the better (for health and lazy reasons!).
My feelings exactly – I love short ingredients lists when I am cooking as well as for health reasons!
Ah those pancakes look good. I’m ready for pumpkin again too! I’m definitely a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast, and most meals really. Right now, I’m eating my overnight oats with pb and chia seeds mixed in. Once I finish that, I’ll probably make some muffins or something like that. I’m all about having my breakfast foods ready right when I wake up 🙂