Quick & Healthy Breakfast - Oatmeal with Fresh Rainier Cherries, Pecans, & Maple Syrup

Rainier Cherries

 Like most moms, I am always looking for a quick, but healthy breakfast for both me and my children. It has become a family tradition that in the summertime I take the kids to go pick cherries at our local orchard, Orr's. They have a great farmers market and pick your own produce.

My favorite cherries are Rainier Cherries. These are not the bright red cherries that you are accustom to. No, these are cherries have a beautiful pale yellow flesh that is encased with a blush outside. They are sweet and tart at the same time. I look forward to them each summer.

This summer Orr's happened to have a great special they day we arrived. $10/bucket. We picked three full buckets, or nearly 18 lbs of cherries. Needless to say, cherries have been coming out of my ears.

For breakfast this morning, I thought I would try to speed up finishing up the cherries. I am a big fan of oatmeal, but I try to avoid the instant oatmeal that is loaded up with sugar.  I use Mom's Best Plain Grains. It is a great plain oatmeal with flax seed added. Below is a great recipe of how to jazz up plain oatmeal without packing on the extra sugar.

Oatmeal with Rainier Cherries, Pecans & Maple Syrup

1 packet of instant plain oatmeal
3/4 cup water
1/2 c. chopped fresh cherries
a handful of pecans
splash of milk (almond milk is great, too)
a drizzle of maple syrup, the real stuff.

Directions:

Cook the instant oatmeal as directed. In my case, I popped it into the microwave for 90 seconds. While it was cooking, I assembled the rest of the ingredients: chopped the cherries, grabbed the maple syrup and pecans. For the pecans, I place them into a sandwich bag and smack them with the back of a large wooden spoon. (I find this is faster and if the kids are not fully awake, the noise helps get them moving.) By the time the oatmeal is cooked, I am ready to assemble

In the bowl of oatmeal, I add the toppings. First the cherries, then the pecans, followed by a splash of milk (just enough to cover the top), and then a quick drizzle of maple syrup. I think it makes a difference if you use the real thing.


Enjoy!