5-Minute Oat Bran Breakfast {or Anytime} Custard

As I've mentioned in the past, I've been having a love/hate relationship with the Dukan diet recently. I love it because it works and it works quickly. I feel trimmer, less bloated and overall happier when I'm locked into the diet and doing well. And the hate part? Well, just like any diet I imagine, it gets tiresome after a while to always be making my own food, to be armed with tons of it each day at work, and to simply not get whatever I want to eat whenever I want it. There are two things that I struggle with the most: breakfast and dessert. Luckily, I found a remedy to both.

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Teaspoon of Spice. I really love this blog because it features so many fresh and healthy recipes for families and kids. Though Penelope will still eat {almost} whatever I give her, I know that in the near future there will be a revolt and I'll have to start getting very creative. With recipes like cherry oatmeal bars w/yogurt frosting and frozen banana s'mores, I can't wait to get cookin'! For this months recipe, though, I chose their 5 Minute Breakfast Custard since I'm always on the hunt for simple, quick breakfast ideas. On Dukan, it's really hard to branch out beyond eggs and so most mornings, I end up with hardboiled eggs...which are fine, but certainly not an exciting breakfast in my book. Since I wanted to make a recipe that I could Dukanify, I swapped out the oatmeal that the recipe calls for and instead, used the 'Dukan-approved' oat bran. 

This recipe is unlike any other I've made before in that it calls for eggs to be mixed into the oats while it's heating on the stove. Once I got past my fear of scrambling the eggs, I got really excited to see how this would come together for a decadent custard. To my surprise, this recipe was actually enjoyed best when cold. I refrigerated my custard right after it was cooked because I had to run out for the day and chose to sample {and photograph!} it later {that's life with a toddler, friends}. For once, I'm so, so happy that my schedule is insanely busy because that's how I found out how awesome this custard is when cold! I topped it with sugar-free syrup and a healthy dusting of cinnamon and dug right in. It was soo good, certainly breakfast-appropriate but could also pass for dessert in a pinch. Even Shaun "Mr. No-Sweets" loved it. Thanks to Deanna and Serena for this great recipe!

Since Dukan makes it pretty clear that one can only have 2 Tbsp of oat bran per day, I made a pretty small batch of this stuff. I haven't figured out the exact measurements of what 2Tbsp of oat bran would be equivalent to in the custard in terms of daily intake, but I will keep you posted once I do.

5-Minute Oat Bran Breakfast Custard

*Adapted from Teaspoon of Spice

1 C oat bran

2 C skim milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 packets Splenda, or sweetener of your choice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs, beaten

sugar-free syrup & cinnamon for topping

The night before you want to eat, place oat bran, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and Splenda in a saucepan. Stir, cover and place in refrigerator.

The next morning, remove cover and stir. Place over medium to medium-low heat and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, beat 2 eggs in a bowl with a fork. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the oat mixture and stir constantly with a fork. Cook until the eggs are incorporated and no longer shiny, about 1 minute more. 

Serve warm, or let cool, refrigerate and top with syrup and cinnamon.

Enjoy!

What are your favorite breakfasts?

An InLinkz Link-up

Sweet Mini Donuts

Last week, I mentioned that we took a trip to Siesta Key, Florida. We rented a condo on the beach and cooked a lot of our meals, and thus little food finds were extra special. One morning when Shaun ventured out to find me Splenda for my morning cup o' joe (just can't go without it), he found this sweet little donut shop on the main drag. We enjoyed fresh, warm donuts for a few mornings thereafter. These donuts were not only adorable but so, so delicious. 

I seriously could've eaten my weight in donuts :\ There were a few different flavors, ranging from strawberry cheesecake to classic powder and cinnamon and sugar. On our last day, we decided on the strawberry cheesecake, key lime and chocolate peanut butter cup.

Tiny, warm, fried donuts, straight out of the fryer. We brought these back to the condo and devoured them immediately.

How cute are they?! Now all I can think of are little warm donuts. I think it's time I got a donut pan.

Isn't vacation food the best? What are your favorite vacation food finds?

Simply S'mores Brownies

For some reason, s'mores brownies have been on my to-make list for quite some time. It's funny because growing up, I was never a brownie girl. As I've gotten older, however, I could happily eat them all the time. While I love a classic fudgy brownie, there's something about s'moresifying (it's a new thing) them that makes them seem extra appealing. 

I honestly couldn't be bothered with the whole crust-making, brownie setting, broiler running situation that a typical s'mores brownie would call for. Would all of that make these better? Possibly. But I found a way to make them so easily and deliciously that there's really no need!

Simply S'mores Brownies

1 batch of brownies, prepared to your liking (I just used a box of milk chocolate brownie mix)

1 jar marshmallow cream

1/4 C graham cracker crumbs

Bake your brownies according to the package or recipe directions. Once cooled, carefully spread the entire jar of marshmallow cream over the top. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.

Let set and cut into squares. I found that using a pizza cutter, dipped in warm water, really made the slicing process so much easier and I got nice, clean edges. The marshmallow, though seemingly set, will still ooze over the sides, making it a messy, finger-lickin' treat...just as a s'mores brownie should be.

What messy treats are you loving lately?

What recipes are on your to-make list this summer?