Would you guys believe that I’ve been saving this French toast recipe for weeks just so that it would be closer to fall? I don’t know if anyone would’ve been on board for warm French toast when its 90-125 degrees outside.
Weirdly enough, this summer I’ve been eating a lot more warm foods for breakfast than ever before. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I’m a hardcore smoothie enthusiast. Yet, as I’ve dabbled in ways to improve my digestion, I found a new love for warm breakfasts.
This recipe came about one morning when I was low-key craving cinnamon raisin buns—using this recipe from RachLMansfield—but did not have any of those around. Her recipe is super simple but when you want breakfast now, not hours from now, you get creative.
Here was my thought process:
Ooh cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread in my freezer? This might taste similar to cinnamon buns.
Let’s use some vanilla unsweetened almond milk, too. Oh, maybe French toast?
Hmm but then I need to turn on the stove and that takes too long. GROAAANN.
Wait, how about the ol’ microwave? Yeah, this could work!
Honestly, the microwave is never my first choice for cooking but I knew it would provide the dried-out top the way the oven does for baked goods. I had a very specific texture I desired: crisp top and chewy center. I am happy to say I achieved this!
As a final note: I whipped this all up in the morning but, if you’re a planner, this would probably be excellent made-ahead. You could set it in your fridge overnight and then microwave it in the morning.
Single French Toast Bake in a Microwave
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
½ tsp cinnamon
½ scoop vanilla protein powder
½ scoop collagen peptides (optional, but adds a “chewy” texture)
A tiny pinch of sea salt
2 slices cinnamon raisin Ezekiel
Instructions
Cut the bread slices into cubes. I did three slices horizontally and vertically for 9 cubes per toast!
In a microwave safe bowl or wide ramekin, mix the milk, cinnamon, protein powder, and collagen until combined.
Then, dredge the bread cubes into the mixture. Lightly press them down while trying to coat all sides of the cubes. After all of the bread cubes have been dredged, press the cubes into a flat, even layer and place in the microwave.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, depending on your microwave. The top should look and feel dry to the touch.
Be careful when removing because the bowl will be HOT! Let cool for a few minutes before adding syrup, yogurt, or additional raisins to your French toast (microwave) bake!
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It makes me excited when I can discover a shortcut to something that usually takes a lot longer to make. I’m planning on just prepping containers of this in my fridge and warming them up for the weekday mornings. 😎
Let me know if you give this recipe a try! Comment below or tag me on Instagram!
After my candida prevention protocol, following my wisdom teeth surgery, I wasn’t eating fruit. I may have consumed a few dates here and there but I largely stayed away from fruit. I finally feel like my body is in a better place where it can tolerate fruit so I’m siked to enjoy some of my old favorite foods!
HELLO ACAI SMOOTHIE BOWLSSSS 💃💃💃
My elimination diet showed me that ripe bananas aren’t all that great for me. Barely yellow bananas are more tolerable but the nice, sweet, RIPE bananas I enjoyed before throw off my blood sugar. Therefore, I’m choosing to keep my banana intake to a minimum. So how else can you get a smoothie bowl to taste sweet and creamy sans bananas? I’m about to show you! 😉
Frozen fruit & veg – As you may remember from my Sweet & Fluffy Smoothie Bowl post, FROZEN ingredients are always the way to go to make a smoothie thicker. I also make sure to include a powerhouse fruit like MANGO to help compensate for the flavors banana would otherwise provide.
Yogurt– A game-changing ingredient that provides some creaminess and body. Use whatever kind you like but this Forager Project one is the best dairy-free kind I’ve tried!
Superfoods– I like to throw in some flax mixed with water—a “flax egg”—for creaminess and fiber. The addition of protein powder also helps to provide staying power and more substance than the typical acai shop bowl. I like a neutral-tasting protein powder such as hemp because it allows the acai and fruit flavors to take center stage.
If you’re into lower sugar or alternative ways to make your favorite sweet treats, then you’ll love this bowl! Tell me what your go-to smoothie order or combination is in the comments down below 🙂
If you haven’t yet made a flax egg, add the tablespoon of ground flax plus three tablespoons of water to the blender and wait 5 minutes for it to thicken.
Then, add all of the other ingredients to a blender or food processor (my lazy go-to) and blend until thoroughly combined.
Serve in a bowl with whatever fresh toppings your heart desires! I like berries but you can totally skip fruit toppings and opt for low-sugar granola, nut butter, bee pollen, and coconut. (Okay, usually I add coconut but I forgot this time!)
Note: *If using fresh blueberries, your smoothie bowl will be a little more liquidy than frozen but it is still delicious!
Have you ever wondered how to make your smoothies ultra thick and fluffy but just end up with a flat fruity liquid? Stay tuned for my top fluffy smoothie tips!
As I write this, I’m currently at home, in my comfy clothes, and with a mouth full of stitches. Okay, that sounds dramatic but, with all seriousness, I did just get my wisdom teeth removed. I know the thought of dentists and teeth weirds some people out so go ahead and skip to the bottom if you’re just here for the recipe.
Ever since November of last year, I knew 2018 was going to be the year I would get my wisdom teeth removed. My dentist has been telling me they were surfacing and close to pushing on my other teeth. So, after my last dental check-up, I just bit the bullet and made an appointment.
I’ve never had cavities or any big problems with my teeth so I can’t say I had too many concerns going in. Obviously the pain was concerning. Also, the fact that I would need to take some days off of work for recuperation was concerning (since I’m currently on my first year probationary period). Though, the real fright came the day of my wisdom teeth extraction when I got some news sprung on me.
While I was prepared to get all four of my teeth pulled out, I was not prepared for was the information my dentist gave me that day. Apparently, my two bottom teeth were literally grazing the top of a very sensitive nerve canal in my jaw. Basically, my dentist said, if the nerve gets damaged during the extraction, I could end up with numbness for a few weeks, months, or even a lifetime.
Perfect timing to break this to me, doc.
The chances were super slim. Apparently 99% people who have that occur will regain feeling within six months. So, I mean, my wisdom teeth were still wreaking havoc in my mouth… I figured I just needed to go through with the procedure as planned.
Thankfully, I’m here three days later and I’m okay. My cheeks are super swollen but I hardly have pain so that is good. I was even able to eat some solid (but soft) food today! Yay!
Let’s keep up the spirit of celebration by talking about this Sweet and Fluffy Smoothie Bowl, yeah?
Sometimes a drinkable smoothie is good. Sometimes a thick frozen puree is calling my name. And sometimes, I’m craving a fluffy cloud for breakfast. Anyone else?
If you have trouble getting your smoothie fluffy, use these ingredients:
Frozen banana – a usual suspect in smoothies but undeniably the best creamy and naturally sweet addition.
Chia seeds – add a tablespoon to your smoothie liquid (milk or water) to soak before adding the rest of your ingredients. Trust me. The soaked chia makes ALL the difference.
Ground flaxseed – follow the same method for the chia seeds for an easy, nutritious way to add body to a smoothie.
Frozen mango – serves to add thickness and fluff, and sweetness, just like banana.
Frozen cauliflower – the trendy fruit-free smoothie thickener. When mixed with other berries, spices, or flavored powders, it will remain unrecognizable in your smoothie. Try my Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie!
Frozen zucchini – you’ve seen me use this in previous smoothies like my Green Banana Tahini Shake and Zucchini Smoothie Bowl. I love using this light and easily digestible vegetable to give my smoothie some body.
Protein powder – it’s hard to get a fruit-only smoothie to be fluffy but add in some protein powder and suddenly it becomes a thick shake-like texture.
And for a new fluffy smoothie ingredient discovery of mine…oat milk!
Oat milk – make your own by soaking half a cup of dry rolled oats in 2-3 cups of water. Blend and strain as you would nut milk (reserve the oat pulp for overnight oats!). The starchiness from the oats releases into the water which helps add incredible thickness to any smoothie.
This list of ingredients is not comprehensive but it does include my go-to choices for making a delicious, thick smoothie. Tinker around with whichever ingredients sound good to you. Mix one or two with your favorite fruit or greens and let me know what you think!
If you want a little inspiration for how to combine some of these fluff-boosters then look no further.
The addition of Minimalist Baker’s Rawnola, bee pollen, and ground flax make this breakfast bowl a real treat.
Sweet and Fluffy Smoothie Bowl
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 bowl
I use a combination of my top fluff-boosters to make this ultra creamy, dreamy, and fluffy smoothie bowl!
Add ¾ cup of the milk and frozen goods to the blender. Process until everything is nice and smooth.
Add the protein powder and, if needed, the remaining milk to the blender.
Let the blender run for at least a minute. The longer it blends, the more the ingredients get whipped (aka FLUFFY).
Once your smoothie is sufficiently fluffed, pour it into a bowl and add whatever toppings you like. I’ve been loving rawnola and bee pollen lately but coconut or fresh fruit would also be good! Enjoy!
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Thanks so much for reading! I am living off of pureed soups and smoothies these days but you definitely don’t need to have your wisdom teeth pulled out to enjoy this baby. If you give it a try—or if you try using any of my favorite fluff-boosters—let me know what you think! xoxo
Hey, friends! How are you? Please tell me; I really want to know. Are you just here to see what the “Adventure” part of Breakfast Adventure Jar is? If so, that’s okay, too. See the recipe at the bottom of the page 🙂
I need to talk about some thoughts first. Just today, I was scrolling through Instagram and got to talking with a friend about passions. I started thinking of how we may dive into something as a follower but down the line it ignites a fire that motivates us to be a leader in that same field. For my friend, it was fitness. Following Tone it Up encouraged her to pursue personal training and nutrition coaching—both very different from her day job. Similarly, I started my fitness journey with Tone it Up and that transcended into an exploration of healthy eating and now I’m basically a nutrition fanatic.
I strongly believe in a whole foods way of eating. For me that is mostly vegan but, I recognize that for others, a whole foods way of eating could be varied. Plus, we all have to start somewhere. I try to keep my preferences to myself but the few times I do talk about food, I think it influences others. I get asked all sorts of things about what I eat, how to cook quinoa, and how to de-bloat.
Of course, I’m not a dietician so I can only offer my personal experience and knowledge from reading but I wish to do more. Here on the internet, especially in the health and wellness community, there isn’t a question about how to use kale. Though, offline, I need to remind myself that many people still have trouble formulating a plate of nutritious food.
I thought of a quote I’ve seen floating around but I haven’t ever resonated with until now:Right now, my ability to influence the community or public’s view of nutrition is limited as my day job is an office assistant. Though, I do hope that if someone has questions, they can have the courage to seek out answers. I enjoy helping steer people on the right path but fully want them to create their own healthy relationship with food. I don’t yet know how I can further advocate for this subject which I feel strongly about IRL but I know it isn’t going away soon.
In the meantime, let’s get to the Breakfast Adventure Jar.
The adventure part of the name comes from a few different places. One, it stems from the fact that your jar is never going to look or taste the same way twice. It is a complete mystery based on whatever fridge or pantry goods you’ve got to use up. The idea for the Breakfast Adventure Jar came one day when I had baked a gingerbread loaf that wasn’t terrible but just wasn’t that great for snacking. I turned it into a parfait with some chia pudding, peanut butter, sliced nectarine, and cocoa coconut chips. That was the moment I knew.
Second, the adventure comes from looking around for goodies to put in your jar. Half of an apple? Throw it in! Mostly empty coconut butter jar? Use that to build the mish-mash concoction!
So, I guess I should say, this isn’t so much of a recipe as it is a guideline to make a bomb, texture-filled, parfait! (Keep reading for my suggestions.) Lastly, the jar is the vehicle for a delicious set of ingredients that you may have otherwise lain out on a plate at home. Now the goods are all conveniently packed into a jar for the ease of portability for you to take on YOUR adventures. 🙂
The idea for the Breakfast Adventure Jar came one day when I had baked a gingerbread loaf that wasn’t terrible but just wasn’t that great for snacking. I turned it into a parfait with some chia pudding, peanut butter, sliced nectarine, and cocoa coconut chips. 👌
Be sure to tell me what adventures you go on with your delicious on-the-go breakfast parfait!
Breakfast Adventure Jar
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 parfait
Ingredients
1-2 homemade loaf slices or muffins* (I use 2)
Chia pudding, yogurt of choice, or leftover protein smoothie
A bit of whatever fruit you like: berries, sliced stone fruit, or good ol’ banana
Granola, crushed up nuts, toasted coconut chips, and/or cacao nibs
Peanut butter or other nut butter for drizzling
Instructions
If making chia pudding for your Breakfast Adventure Jar, start with that. Add the chia seeds and milk to the jar and let set at room temperature for 10 minutes or so until thickened. If using yogurt or smoothie, save that for after the loaf/muffins.
Next, you can top the set chia pudding with crumbled up loaf slices or muffins OR, use them as the base of the parfait and top with yogurt/smoothie. Personally, I like adding the loaf to the base of the jar but the chia pudding wouldn’t be able to set properly that way—and we want to keep this a 1 jar recipe!
For the third layer, add chopped fruit or omit if your loaf, yogurt, smoothies, etc. have fruit already.
Finally, top it all off with crunchy goodies of choice and perhaps a hefty drizzle of nut butter.
Notes
*There is no science to this. Literally use whatever bread you have and just add flavor pairings that you like. Banana bread, zucchini bread, or protein muffins are just A FEW possibilities. I’ve even used brownies once before 😊
If you liked this post, then be sure to also check out my Yogurt Pro Bowl post where I share how to make a great yogurt bowl with unique topping ideas!
I’m such a fan of sweet potato. I used to eat whole sweet potatoes all by myself, multiple times a week, every week. Oh, the good days. Now, I sync food with my cycle phases so I mostly consume sweet potatoes during my luteal phase. The more I cycle-sync, the more I’ve adapted my cravings to phase appropriate foods. So, this shake is a mash-up of WomanCode recommended luteal foods like sweet potato, cauliflower, and peach. More deets about cycle-syncing here, but you don’t need to follow WomanCode to enjoy this smoothie!
The Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie does require a bit of prep work for the veggies but once you have these items in your freezer arsenal, you will be able to reap the benefits of many future smoothies! So, I promise it’s worth it!
First up is the cauliflower. Raw cauliflower can wreak havoc on the tummy so I steam and freeze it for smoothies. It’s also easy to rinse and chop cauliflower and then stick it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until tender. Let it cool to room temperature before freezing it on a tray to avoid clumps. Then, move it to a freezer bag or container. In a frozen state, the cauliflower makes a neutral and thick base!
Is there anything more delicious than roasted sweet potato? I think not. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and caramel-like flavors in sweet potatoes so don’t skip this step. Once roasted and cooled, you can slice it into large cubes (to make it easier on your blender later) and freeze. The sweet potato can be used roasted and cold but frozen creates thickness to make this smoothie shake-like.
I also throw some dark leafy greens into my smoothie. Be warned: fresh ones will have a greener taste. Frozen greens, on the other hand, can hide their taste a little better in the smoothie. Both methods, fresh or frozen, and any leafy green should work.
I always prefer frozen over fresh produce for smoothies because frozen goods make a cold and frosty smoothie. Though, for this recipe, I’m taking advantage of summer peaches and using it fresh. The fruit is extra sweet when used fresh, just like how the fresh leafy greens taste extra green. I haven’t tested with frozen peaches but be sure to add more liquid if you go that route.
I cut out the flesh from aloe vera leaves (as shown) and throw it into my food processor. Once blended, the aloe becomes a sticky liquid which I pour into an ice cube tray. I fill each slot 3/4 of the way so that I can easily pop a cube into my smoothies each day.
Aloe Vera is the last and the optional addition to the Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie. Lately, I’ve been into adding a tablespoon’s worth of frozen aloe Vera gel to my smoothies. Supposedly the plant has crazy health benefits. My Mexican ancestors used to vouch for the spectrum of benefits cactus has. It can help everything from your skin to your digestion and even help your immune system. Though, store-bought aloe should also work if you want to incorporate it into this smoothie (or any other smoothie recipe)!
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Peach Smoothie
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Smoothie
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 smoothie
Here is where summer and fall meet. Warm flavors of sweet potato and cinnamon combine with the fruity freshness of peach to make a delicious smoothie. Admittedly, I like my smoothies thick so this recipe is more shake-like but smoothie sounds more pleasant in the title. 🙂
Ingredients
3/4 cup frozen sweet potatoes
1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
A large, fresh white peach
2 tbsp almond butter
1 cube frozen aloe vera gel, optional
A handful of greens
1 scoop vanilla protein
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp maqui berry powder, optional
About ½ cup water or milk (plus, more to thin to desired consistency)
Instructions
To make the layered smoothie, start with the base of sweet potato, cauliflower, peach, almond butter, aloe, and cinnamon. I like to blend these up with water before adding the protein powder. Otherwise, the protein powder seems to absorb the liquid without leaving any for smoothing out the ingredients.
Next, add the protein powder, and blend again, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Once smooth, pour almost half of the mixture into a serving glass. To the blender, add the maqui berry powder and blend again.
Add half of the maqui berry layer to the top of the first layer in your glass. Reserve the remaining contents for the green layer.
Scrape down the sides of the blender and add the handful of greens. The smallest splash of water also helps get the mixture going. When the greens layer is smooth, pour it into your glass.
The top layer will taste very GREEN so be sure to stir it up after taking a picture 😉
Notes
The prep time does not include freezing time. Most of the main ingredients are frozen except for the peach. See the post for preparation tips and why I use frozen vs fresh.[br]If you don’t have maqui berry powder, skip the middle layer and just make one larger green layer. It doesn’t contribute much flavor-wise, anyway.[br]If the layering business is too much of a fuss, the smoothie also tastes awesome when it is all blended up together at once.
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