All things Breakfast

There is just something so special about breakfast...

Tania says that her peanut butter and banana pancakes on Monday morning helps her to retain the weekend feeling of chill..

Again, a girlfriend of mine highlighted the other day that “Food is the only escape” from the monotonous reality of a day in, studying. It’s not the food itself –rather, it is the distraction, the creativity, the thought + the mindfulness which goes into preparing something nutritious and energizing to eat that makes it such an appealing part of the day…

Cinnamon Greek yogurt banana pancakes with butter & Maple syrup <3

Tell me, at what other time of the day, week or, year is this more seductive than at breakfast?

Sometimes, we wait for the new year or month to have a fresh start. Sometimes we anticipate Monday…or sometimes we just wait for the next day.  A new day to do something right. A new day to embrace that new, clear headed motive that will enhance how we live...

This is where breakfast comes in. Breakfast is the fuel for the start of your new day. Breakfast settles you and gets you up and going by luring you with its sweet/savory appeal. Breakfast likes to do it right. Breakfast lives just for you..

So, if pancakes and maple syrup can convince you that it is actually Saturday and makes you happy; then so be it; If eggs and bacon with croissants and jam fly you to Sunday brunch; then just enjoy. If your peanut butter and jelly or banana concoction persuade you to take a fresh morning run…then it’s definitely working in your favour.

I’ve certainly made no secret of my love affair with these Greek banana and maple syrup buttery pancakes…

And who knew that bread substituted for oaties in milk worked so well with pools of peanut butter?

We have an amazing bakery just next to uni (Kamps!) I have to say that (one of) my favorite breakfast would have to come from there…giant cinnamon buns and custard apple pastries…crumbly chocolate shortbread buns with creamy, honey porridge and cappuccinos…mmm. 

The breakfast club London is on my to-do list. Yes, Still…have any of you ever been there?

But for now…

Love breakfast. Love your day. Embrace the energy and the choice to take off as you wish & cherish the power to choose... 

What’s your ideal breakfast? 

Molten Choc Chip: Banana and Oatmeal Peanut Butter cookies (Butter free & Flourless!)

I just love old people.

I went to visit my Nana today before she leaves for her 3 month travel to Asia.

Here's how our greeting conversation went:

"Tasha! Why aren't you at school?"

"I'm at uni, Nana. We don't go back until next week".

"Oh. And do people come to eat at your restaurant?" (Where I waitress)

"Yes Nana. They do. Everyday".

Cool story bro (?!)

Then I told her about the gorgeous Molten chocolate chip, banana-y, oatmeal peanut butter cookies that I had encountered just earlier on in the day... 

You can probably tell from the title that there is not enough adjectives in the world to describe these beauties.

Speckled and sweet, ripe banana folded into thick and dreamy...and super whippy-like peanut butter...

It looked like Mr Whippy's handsome, peanut cousin...

Whole grain rolled oats

Moist, caramelized brown sugar

The humble egg, and few other bits n bobs. 

And finally...Ooey gooey, creamy melted belgian dark chocolate chips. O.k - Belgian...was that necessary??

It was...it just really, really was...

I woke up with a taste for peanut butter. Peanut butter.

Nothing out of the ordinary (for me at least). 

We had a bunch of bananas. And a whole box of cheap oats that don't make the best porridge. 

It appeared that I had some using up to do....SO I went ran out quickly to buy 2 humongous jars of smooth peanut butter (can't use natural for cookies - too runny) because it's totally better to be safe than sorry. Especially regarding peanut buttery matters. 

I could not for the life of me find an oaty banana peanut butter cookie recipe ANYWHERE which wasn't either: 

a) Vegan 

b) Paleo 

c) Only 2 ingredients - where's the fun in that?

 And nor could I find one which used an enticing photograph...(Looks like I've filled that void, eh?!)

I was hungry and kinda stuck, so made up a recipe based on about 10 others I'd jumbled up across about thousand tabs and 3 window. I just went for it, estimating pretty much everything by hand...but they came out absolutely p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

I hope you enjoy them just as much as me and my family did. The batch has been polished in less than 3 hours since school ended and the hungry horses came crashing in. Need I say anymore? 

Chocolate overload, and i'm lovin' it.

By the way...when I say molten...I mean molten. They were pure gooey, crumbly, chewy bliss. 

I used 3 bananas but you can probably get away with less.

The great thing about these is that there is nothing that is just too overpowering.

I've made peanut butter chocolate cookies before (no banana) - but there was always something in excess. I personally have a seriously challenging sweet tooth, but even I seemed to get a headache after those crazy dense cookies. These, however, are once again - a different dimension altogether. 

These are perfect. They are equilibrium cookies. Balanced, sweet, light, tasty, chewy, crumbly, oaty and nutty with a great texture and kinda filling - but not sickly heavy. 

You kind of had to be there...

The best you can go from here is trying them yourself and sinking into your own little bubble of bliss...

I was going to drizzle them in white chocolate in zig zags across the top because it seemed like a super cool, photogenic artistic-y thing to do...

But they got eaten too quick. 

Say no more. 

Recipe (Makes about 12-17 medium sized, chunky cookies depending on how you size them)

• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (use jar peanut butter, natural is too runny and will make unhappy cookies...)
• 3 small- medium, ripe bananas (mashed)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 large egg
• Dark/bittersweet chocolate chips. (I just blitzed a block of chocolate in the food processor)
• 1 cup rolled oats or more if desired. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F or 175*C. 
2. Melt the peanut butter a bit so its runnier (Microwave for 20 seconds on high)
3. Mix in the sugars with the peanut butter, add the mashed banana, soda, vanilla and egg. 
4. Add the oats and stir. Be careful not to over mix. 
5. Chuck in the chocolate chippies and give the whole thing a quick stir (You may nibble, - they are too tempting)
6. Take a small bit of batter (prepare to get messy) and roll into a ball as best as you can (the banana makes it runnier and harder to do)
7. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and space out (darker paper gives you softer, chewier cookies)
8. Try not to make the 'balls' overly big because they can fall apart easily when they come out - just go for normal sized cookies so they all get cooked the same. 
9. Bake for about 8-12 minutes, until the edges are browned and they have lost the 'raw' look. 

Enjoy and drink with a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate...and off of your favorite plate of course.

 And, P.S: Try with them ICE CREAM when they are fresh and super gooey out of the oven! OH.MY.GOD. 

Let me know how it goes!

Tash xo

Gooey and dense: Praline Brownie & Honey Oatmeal

The penny dropped at some point between morning and lunch. You know when you're not quite hungry, but lunch should really happen sometime soon...but your strong chocolate cravings muffle up your nutritional pangs?

I had a waitressing shift from 12pm on wards. I wasn't hungry enough to chow down something too hearty, but everyone knows it's a bad idea to serve delicious, fried food, cheesecakes and crumbles on a gnawing stomach unless you really want time to go super slow and you generally enjoy the feeling of starvation...

Oatmeals good, right?

Oatmeal sounded perfect. 

It wasn't as if I had eaten 2 bowls of granola and with a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast already...

But then again, so did a nice big, endless block of rich and creamy dark chocolate. (Maybe 55% cocoa - gurl knows her chocolate)

Sigh. I was getting ready for work on a Sunday. Was this really my dilemma? 

Finally, I made oatmeal. Or 'porridge' as we English like to say. Into the microwave it was chucked. 30 seconds, a little bit of soda and a heap load of cocoa powder later...voila. It was the densest, most decadent bowl of oatmeal ever. It had a consistency like how under baked, peanut butter brown sugar and chocolate cookies do...just so....gooey. There wasn't even peanut butter in it. Yet, it managed to be fluffy, creamy, smooth and well textured all at the same time. I credit this the baking soda that was added before cooking it.

Mouth water.

Mouth is watering.

Mouth is watering now...

The photo really does not do it justice. It was so rich and just oh-so purely chocolatey. 

I am authorized to verify this for you. I am the girl who eats 90% dark chocolate with unsweetened hot chocolate on a normal day.

The picture kinda looks like the batter for rice krispie choco squares? Either way. This was so quick. Around 3 minutes from cocoa jar to table. 

By the way, there's a rule. If you make it...you have to eat it with your favorite spoon our of your special bowl. There is just no other way. 

I had literally 15 minutes to concoct, photo and eat it. It might inspire you to know that I also added about 40g of chocolate chips afterwards. Well. I say 'chips' like a good, well stocked baker....but in reality. I just did my best to crumble a load of alpine praline chocolate that's been sat here a while, over shadowed by my giant stash of dark chocolate (in all the consecutive percentages, of course).

When I put them on top, they melted and went super ooey gooey and captured my heart in a single mouthful. My taste buds were pulsating, taking a trip to paradise (the budget kind). 

This oatmeal is dangerous. But super substantial too (this makes it a little more sensible sounding).

I was going to sweeten it with honey. But then I found some Golden Syrup. I know golden syrup isn't so good for you but I love is so much and it goes so well with porridge and it is so thick and sweet and golden and oh...I love you golden syrup (even if my teeth don't). 

You can totally have a kg of chocolate for breakfast with this genius excuse:

Recipe: (Makes 1 serving)

• 1/2 cup quick cook oats
• 1/2 cup whole or semi skimmed milk/vegan alternative 
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Heaped tbsp cocoa powder
• Honey/sweetener of choice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Extra chocolate/chocolate chips for meltage bliss!

1. Mix the oats + milk. Stir well. Next add the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. 
2. Microwave on high for about 1.5 minutes. Add cinnamon, put back into the microwave for another 30 seconds. (Be careful because the soda will make it rise)
3. It should be done after around 2 and a half minutes. Stir again, add any more milk (it should be quite thick) to get your desired consistency
4. Add honey and stir
5. Go crazy on chocolate chips.
6. Enjoy!

Wanna try? Tell me what you think! :):)

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Tash xo