Ice Cream Sundaes for Breafast... on a Wednesday!

Happy Humpday everyone! How's your week been so far? 

The great time I had with my grandmother last weekend has definitely kept me going. A little rest and relaxation really can do the body good. (I could still use more sleep, but that is another story...)

...Especially if it includes one heck of a cauliflower. I wish you could see how big this was; it was about double the size of my head and weighed a few pounds. The bounty of fall is surely upon us!

The end of the first quarter in school is swiftly approaching for me,---eek---so while I am busy now, a little reprieve might be in my future. But all work and no play is just not fun. Everyday, it is our job to find those little things that really make our heart sing. It may be cozying up with a good book or even just giving a hug to someone you can tell needs a little love. It is the thought, not the time, that counts!

How do you play? 

I find the most freedom on my yoga mat and in the kitchen. Actually, today's creation is thanks to that. It seems that we are always waiting for something, most notably Friday and the start of the weekend. I try to remind myself to live in the moment, and today I did just that. Today might be just another Wednesday, but why should that mean it cannot be special? Heck, every day should be a cause for celebration. Maybe even with an ice cream sundae...

...for breakfast!

Breakfast Chocolate Wednesdae 

Oatmeal Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 TBS ground flax seeds (optional)
• sweetener, vanilla extract, or other flavorings (optional)

Protein Hot Fudge Sauce:

• 1 TBS hemp protein powder (or protein powder of choice) 
• 1/2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder 
• liquid stevia or other sweetener, to taste
• 2 TBS water or non-dairy milk, divided 
• toppings (ex. raspberries, chocolate chips, sprinkles, shredded coconut, etc.) 

Directions: 

To make the oatmeal "ice cream" base: prepare the oatmeal according to your your preference. (I add 1 TBS ground flax seed while cooking the oatmeal to make it fluffy and creamy. Please note: adding flax seed will require more liquid to be added as well. Sweetener, vanilla extract, or your favorite flavoring can also be used in order to recreate your favorite ice cream flavor.) Remove from heat and place in a bowl.

To make the hot chocolate fudge sauce: mix the protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, stevia (or other sweetener), and 1 TBS water in a bowl. Slowly add the other TBS of water, adjusting the consistency to your liking. Taste and add more sweetener, if necessary. (Optional: warm sauce in the microwave for a few seconds.) Pour over hot oatmeal. (If you used flax seed, it will stay on top instead of sinking. Either way, it is delicious!) Sprinkle on your favorite toppings and devour! 

I love that I can enjoy my healthy take on an ice cream sundae on a chilly day, for breakfast, no less! Sometimes its just nice to have a hot breakfast to warm you up from the inside out. Now if only I could figure out how to make banana soft serve appropriate for colder days... hmmm... 

Anything can be special with just a little imagination, even breakfast on a Wednesday. And there are so many options, too! You could experiment with different oatmeal flavor bases and play with your toppings as much as you want. The options for topping your breakfast oatmeal hot fudge sundae are really limitless. I toped mine with ground flax seed "sprinkles" and raspberries, but you could go a more traditional route by using sprinkles, chocolate chips, or shredded coconut. Maybe even a dollop of cashew cream or nut butter? Go crazy! 

And the fun does not even have to stop there! I love using this fudge sauce for dipping apples or drizzling over strawberries. All you have to do is adjust the liquid. To make it more dip-able, simply add more liquid until you reach a viscous sauce.

Actually, you could make it more like a piece of fudge, as well, by using less water. Yumm, I love me some chocolate!

The hemp protein is also such a welcomed bonus. I do not usually use protein powder since I prefer to get my protein from whole sources (and would rather just eat the food), but it is really nice to have a way to use it when I want. To be quite honest, this grew out of an experiment that started with me finding my mom's neglected, never-opened Bob's Red Mill Hemp Protein Powder in my cupboard.

Source

Hemp has so many nutritional benefits that I figured, why not? (I also have a hard time throwing food out, but again, that is another story...) I am always up for trying something intriguing :). Hemp is usually touted as tasting too "green." However, I think that is exactly what I liked about it. I did not feel the need to cover it up and actually ended up using very little sweetener. (Accordingly, please adjust the recipe to your protein powder's sweetness and your taste.)

I guess it just goes to show that playing around is really important. Not only does it give us an outlet, but it can lead to amazing (and even extremely delicious!) things.

Do you use protein powder often? What is the best thing you recently created by "play" (it does not necessarily have to be food)? 

Have a lovely Wednesdae! ;)

xox,
Mandiee

P.S. Did you notice I went through a whole post without mentioning winter squash? (Unless you count that, of course.) My love for it is running stronger still, but I figured I would give you a little break. Are you still loving squash or a little tired out? It seems like the blogosphere is pretty divided.