Rise and shine.

I love a healthy and filling breakfast in the morning, especially if I have to go to work.  Oatmeal, made with old fashioned oats, has been my staple breakfast for the past 5 or 6 years. In the old days I used to top it with cinnamon and brown sugar, but then I started competing and forced myself to enjoy plain old oatmeal with a touch of fresh fruit. Now, that's my favorite!  When I found this recipe, I was really excited because it sounded so delicious. It is inspired by Russell James' Chia Seed Porridge. I started buying Chia Seeds about a year ago after my midwife told me about them. They are a very high source of Omega-3 fatty acids and great for hydration. My husband read a little story online about how Indians used to eat them before a battle because they kept them hydrated when they were fighting and couldn't eat. Interesting eh? Here's a few great reason to eat Chia Seeds:

7 GOOD REASONS TO START EATING CHIA SEEDS

1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.  

If you go to the link attached to, "7 good reasons to eat chia seeds," you will be able to read a little more about them. You can also purchase them there. The prices listed are pretty comparable to what I have seen in the Madison area. I first started buying them ground, but now buy the seeds in bulk and grind them myself. This website has other nuts and seeds that are sometimes hard to find! Pine nuts for one are not easy to buy in bulk:)

HEARTY BREAKFAST CEREAL

1/2 C. sunflower seeds

1/4 C. pumpkin seeds

1/4 C. dry coconut

1/4 C. almonds or 1/2 C. pulp

1/2 C. raisins

6 small dates

1/4 C. chia seeds

1 1/2 C. almond milk

Soak the following in bowls overnight:

Bowl #1

sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dry coconut, and almonds

Bowl #2

raisins and dates

Bowl #3

chia seeds in 1/2 C. water

In the morning:

1. drain and rinse seeds from bowl #1 and place in blender

2. drain and rinse dates and raisins (keep soak water) place all in blender except for half of raisins

3. add chia seeds to blender along with the almond milk

4. blend briefly, but leave some texture

5. add extra whole raisins

Additional Options

 Top with fruit of choice

 Sweeten to taste with soak water

Top with agave, honey, or maple syrup

Sprinkle with cinnamon

I started out making homemade almond milk. Takes about 5 minutes.

Soyabella is what I use. You can make all kinds of almond milks in this thing. I haven't ventured out that far yet!

And there you have it! So delicious and pure:)

I used Medjool dates. Don't forget to remove the seed before you add them to the blender.

My almond pulp. I used whole almonds for this cereal and saved my almond pulp. It would probably be more cost effective to just use the pulp.

Rinsed and ready to add to food processor.

It doesn't look good, but it's great. I ground my chia seeds and then soaked them. I wanted to make sure they would get blended. 

I topped mine with fresh organic banana, a dash of cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Man was it good!

When I got home yesterday and started the soaking process, I realized that I was out of dry coconut, so I just omitted it all together. I'm sure it's quite tasty with it though. I LOVE this recipe. It was so good, I'll be eating it tomorrow morning too:) Try it and let me know if you use any variations of this recipe. Be creative with it! Enjoy the "rawfully wonderful"!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I work a late shift at the hospital, 1500-2330 so before work I'll be posting a super delicious Raw Tomato Soup!