If you don't think you have enough time to get to work after taking the time to make your own breakfast, I completely understand. At 40, I moved fairly hard and fast trying to get to the point where my career could support a lifestyle where I can take on dramatic change in middle age. I built the know-how over time. I didn't necessarily take my own advice. There's no time like now!
Even if I enjoyed my Sunday with a drink or two, I enjoyed them for brunch. I didn't overdo it like I might have in my twenties. They made me fairly tired to sleep the night soundly. On a Sunday night, looking forward to the workweek, at my age I'm not going to stay up all night and party. I like to party like it's 1999 whenever I can. Sometimes, it's just not wise for me anymore.
I woke at 4am. By 4:30am I was working out. I did 20 minutes cardiovascular exercise. Another 20 minutes doing strength training. I was a little sore to do too much. Just getting in there and doing it on a schedule is good. When the cycle breaks, I get back on it and return to a workout lifestyle as best I can. I wanted a solid breakfast thinking about my post yesterday. I had to get going before the the Monday work started in earnest.
Right after the workout, the morning sun began falling on the city with some spectacular scenery from my vantage point. I took some photos that include the Trump Tower, the Sears Tower (which has been renamed to Willis Tower). I also took a photo looking out on Near West where the Coop is located. The Coop review in Timeout Chicago is ranking on
Disa Johnson, which has me smile every time I see the result.
While taking the photos today, I read the newspaper. The stories that I found particularly interesting other than business things, were about how
Yosemite is losing its big trees and
Kepler proves it can find new earth size planets, hopefully habitable planets. That's a good mix of news. Bad news for our planet. What else is new? Intriguing news for the future of our species (if we only get our act together). Then I decided to make breakfast.
If you don't think you can afford the time to make breakfast, I really get it. Just consider that I spent time working out, reading the paper and ended up making a good breakfast by 8:30am. That's plenty of time to get ready and make it to work by 10am, which is when I began to start. I wrote this in the intervening 90 minutes. I made a good breakfast. Pictures follow.
I was reading the Tribune and suddenly, within 10 minutes, the sun broke out looking like this.
Here is a photo how the buildings cast a shadow across the city looking out West.
I spent a little more than hour finishing the main sections of the paper, listening to NPR and taking a shower, getting ready for the work day. By the time it was close to 8am, I started making steel cut oats. I make a cup which serves four. I wrap and refrigerate the remainder after a serving. I got the ingredients together for a special egg toast treat. Recipe with pictures can't be beat. Here it is with 5 minutes or so left for the oats left to cook. All the ingredients are gathered.
Here it is after the oats were finished and removed from the heat source.
Now is the perfect time for heating the pan and a pat of butter for the eggs.
You want to heat the pan so the butter is nice and bubbling. Here is it 5 minutes from cool pan to bubbling butter, ready to cook eggs.
With the pan this hot make sure not to burn the butter. Don't under cook eggs either. With the pan hot, the eggs will cook fast. They won't be runny or messy. You want to make sure to cook them to prevent disease from possible bacteria contamination. According the FDA, it happens. Cooking properly will keep you healthy safe and sound.
I measured a tablespoon of butter for two eggs. Some nutrition info is at the end of the post. Here the eggs are setting after a little more than one minute.
Once the eggs were nice and set like the picture above, I added about 2 ounces of cheddar, and sprinkled cayenne pepper. There are so many things you could combine, I like a little spice.
I then add one or two tablespoons of fresh water around the eggs and cover it! While I let it cook for another two or three minutes, I start the toaster and serve the oats covering the rest with wrap. Steel cut oats with blueberries are tasty and contain plenty of fiber and antioxidants with blueberries. I put all four servings of oats
in the dish. I wrap and refrigerate the remainder in that dish.
Blueberries contain molecules for healthy epigenes. More on that later.
Toast is ready now too!
Oats are wrapped, served, just in time for the lovely eggs...
I kept the Business section of the Tribune for reading while enjoying this breakfast. I added a banana to the scene, which adds potassium and a bit more fiber. The oats have plenty of packed energy with the wheat toast. The eggs carry a payload of protein. It isn't altogether the healthiest thing to eat everyday because of the portion and fat. It is great after a good workout. It will satisfy you through lunch.
The whole thing took 30 minutes start to finish, 900 total calories. You won't need much lunch. Lots of fiber, minerals and vitamins. Really healthy, tasty eating. It's a treat. Not an everyday breakfast. Cut out 200 calories by making just one egg on one toast, half the butter.
Steel cut oats = 140 calories
Blueberries = 50 calories
Banana = 70 calories
Toast x 2 = 200 calories
Eggs x 2 = 140 calories
Butter = 100 calories
Cheese = 200 calories
With that many calories, don't eat much lunch. Have a satisfying snack intead. Like toast with cottage cheese, sprinkled with thyme and cracked pepper. That only adds 200 calories for barely over 1100 calories before dinner. A light dinner and you can lose weight eating like this. I do that exactly. It keeps me energetic and healthy while I do.
Stay tuned.
