'Twas The Night Before Breakfast {Titus 2 Tips Thursdays: A Guest Post}

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I have always felt that way. I am someone who needs a cup of coffee and something to eat before I start my day. I have often said, that eating breakfast is a priority for me and, I would rather be late than miss breakfast. Until recently, breakfast for me was a bowl of cereal or 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and jam. In the last few years, I am trying to be vigilant about the food that I consume and I serve to my family; I think about things like dyes, genetically modified foods, whole grains and extra salt and sugar and I am always looking for creative ways to serve breakfast to my family so that they (and me too) are ready to start their day on the right foot.

We definitely still have cereal and toast mornings . . . but the mornings that everyone is the most satisfied is when I start the breakfast preparation the night before. Here are my two favourite breakfast recipes:

Pancakes
2 cups Spelt
2 cups Organic Yogurt ( I use plain or fruit- whatever I have on hand)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp melted butter

Soak Spelt in yogurt overnight. 



In the morning, stir in other ingredients and thin to desired consistency with water. 





Cook on a hot, oiled griddle.





Serve with fruit and maple syrup.



Breakfast Porridge
1 cup oats, I used whole
1 cup filtered water plus 2 tbsp yogurt
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup of filtered water

Mix oats in 1 cup of water and yogurt overnight (or longer). In the morning, bring an additional 1 cup of water to a boil with the sea salt. Add soaked oats, reduce heat, cover and simmer for several minutes. We enjoy porridge, with maple syrup, cinnamon and dried fruit on top.

Why the night before?
I should explain the necessity of the "night before" preparation, as up until a few years ago this was new to me too. There are many detailed explanations, but in simple terms, soaking grains for 12-24 hours breaks down complex starches and difficult to digest proteins. Soaking increases the vitamin content and makes all of the nutrients in the grains more available. I wouldn't go to this effort if the final product wasn't delicious and sustained us for the morning. It's worth it!

{Credit is due to: Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats; this cookbook started me on the path to Traditional Eating.}

It's definitely a process, and I continue to be challenged to find the balance between a busy house and life and making good food decisions for my family; surprisingly, I find the 2 are often at odds. I will continue on this journey and as I find "gems"; recipes that are so tasty and easy, I will share them with you here.

Krista has always been a lover of food and studied Foods & Nutrition at Western University. Now a mother of 2 with a third on the way, Krista is a member of a local organic food co-op and finds joy in making healthy and delicious meals for her family (that the kids will actually eat).  Krista enjoys swimming, running, downhill skiing, hot baths and sharing great meals with friends.  Krista is an active volunteer in the community and has a hard time saying no to causes that she is passionate about.

Titus 2 Tips I am honoured to host these guest posts in this series on women mentoring women.   Some weeks you may find tips from the kitchen or healthy recipes, tools other women have used to grow spiritually, hints to help us build up and love our husbands, and lessons they have learned as they have walked along with their children to teach them to love God wholeheartedly, habits they have developed in keeping their home, ways they have worked on to keep their behaviour respectful, or rhythms that allow peace and rest in the home and hearts that dwell there within. You will find all the posts in the series here. "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." {Titus 2:3-5}