breakfast Archives - Simply Happenstance

Berry Vanilla Quinoa Bowl

July 23, 2016

Berry Vanilla Quinoa Bowl //

Hello, friends! It sure has been a long time since Nicole and I have posted a recipe here on our sweet blog! We’ve missed you all… and are excited to be back in our creative space!

So, my family and I recently took a summer road trip to Colorado. Driving from Southern California was going to be quite a long time in the car for our four kids — so we decided to spend one night outside of Zion National Park in Utah. (What a grand adventure that turned out to be! In fact, it was so amazing, that I think I will do a separate post on our travels sometime in the near future.) While staying in the darling town of Springdale, my husband found the most wonderful coffee shop with tasty organic treats for breakfast. He picked up a quinoa breakfast bowl, which I’ve been craving ever since!

This Berry Vanilla Quinoa Bowl was inspired by the one we shared this summer! It’s simple to make, healthy, and insanely delicious!

Just like making your favorite batch of soup… this quinoa breakfast bowl allows you the freedom to add a pinch of this, a little of that, and whatever fresh fruit, nuts, or seeds you have on hand. The key to making it extra decadent, is infusing the quinoa with hints of vanilla and topping it with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

For this particular variation, I topped my prepared quinoa with fresh blueberries, sweet blackberries, roasted coconut, and slivered almonds. I then poured a drizzle of pure maple syrup with a splash of vanilla almond milk, to sweeten things up naturally… and to keep it moist. The end result was absolutely scrumptious! My four kids even approved!;)

TIP // Quinoa will stay fresh in your fridge for up to a week. I recommend placing the cooked quinoa in individual mason jars with lids. This will create a quick, on-the-go, healthy breakfast option for you and the kids! Simply mix in your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Berry Vanilla Quinoa Bowl

This Berry Vanilla Quinoa Breakfast Bowl is infused with hints of vanilla and topped with fresh seasonal berries, roasted coconut, slivered almonds, a splash of almond milk, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Not only is it irresistibly delicious, but is a clean and healthy way to start the day! It's also kid approved!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 4

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

QUINOA:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or sliced vanilla bean
pinch of sea salt
TOPPINGS:
fresh berries I used blueberries & blackberries
roasted coconut I used these
slivered almonds
splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
pure maple syrup

Instructions

Rinse and drain the quinoa.
Place the quinoa in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract (or vanilla bean split), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a high simmer, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 more minutes or until the almond milk is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. (If you used the vanilla bean -- remove now and discard.) Depending on how you like the consistency and flavor -- stir in a splash of almond milk (to increase moisture), and some maple syrup to sweeten (if desired).
Scoop the quinoa into four bowls. Top with rinsed berries, roasted coconut, and slivered almonds. Serve with a splash of vanilla almond milk poured on top and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Notes

- This dish can be served chilled or warm. To serve chilled, simply place the cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before topping with fruit, nuts, etc.
- The cooked quinoa can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Serve at room temperature or heat it as you're ready to serve. If it's dry, simply add some more almond milk until you reach a consistency you're happy with.
- Get creative and add any seasonal fruit you like. Other optional toppings are: chia seeds, almond butter (or other nut butters), raw honey, cocoa nibs or chocolate chips, and crunchy granola.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, friends! Let us know in the comments how you like to prepare your breakfast bowls!

For more of our favorite healthy breakfast bowl ideas, see these recipes from our archives:

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

Energizing Smoothie Bowl

Breakfast Power Bowl

Apple Pie Breakfast Bowl

Apple Pie Breakfast Bowl

October 21, 2015

Apple Pie Breakfast Bowl //

Hello, friends… we hope you’re all enjoying the fall season! Nicole and I have been staying busy with our little ones. We love having spare time to share our favorite recipes here on Simply! We also are super fortunate to be contributors over at the fabulous, Simple As That Blog! We recently shared an irresistible recipe for an APPLE PIE BREAKFAST BOWL. This dish is a new favorite… and we hope it becomes one of yours, too!

The base of this bowl is a rich, creamy vanilla chia seed pudding. Greek yogurt, almond milk, pure maple syrup, a touch of vanilla, and loads of healthy chia seeds create the thick, slightly-sweet mixture. Sliced crisp apples, crunchy granola, dried cranberries, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkling of brown sugar top the pudding, making it the tastiest fall breakfast that your whole family will love! Take a peek over at Simple As That to get the recipe details! Enjoy, friends! {xo}

Find our berry version of this breakfast dish ==> HERE!

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops

August 16, 2015

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops // For School Lunches

Well, it’s hard to believe… but summer vacation is officially over for my crew. Boy that went by fast! Two months out of school surely wasn’t enough! We fit in a couple road trips to far off places, a week of VBS, and some time visiting with close friends. Besides that…. we soaked up the down time together.

I’m still in denial about the school schedule and extra curricular activities. I don’t personally love being tied down to a schedule, so it’s something I struggle with every year. We’ve embarked on quite a few big changes in our family… one being the start of middle school for my oldest (wish us luck)! I hope to update the blog with photos of our summer adventures and news about this new chapter in our lives. Until then… let’s talk school lunches!

I have to admit that I fell into a rut last year when packing their daily lunches. My oldest is pretty picky and won’t eat typical lunch items. I found myself making three to four different lunches every day. My goal was always to provide them with a healthy variety of foods, but towards the end of the school year… I was completely over it all!

This year, I’ve started thinking about different things I could include to mix things up. I watched a few videos on school lunches, including this one from 100 Days of Real Food. I really appreciated her ideas about making at least one thing in their lunches ahead of time (like soup, homemade uncrustables, muffins, or even frozen smoothie pops)!

That brings me to this post! I purchased these super cool silicone mighty pop reusable holders from Sunsella. They’re durable, dishwasher safe, and easy to use! Simply fill with your favorite smoothie recipe, freeze, and pop into your kids’ school lunches!

I don’t tend to use smoothie recipes… I prefer throwing in the fresh/frozen fruit that I have on hand. I always add a few things to make them even healthier, too … such as almond milk, coconut water, greek yogurt, nut butters, and/or chia seeds. I included some helpful tips, links to buying the molds, and also a Triple Berry Smoothie Pop recipe for you to try out! Happy lunch packing, friends!

TIPS & LINKS //

Mix up your favorite healthy smoothie recipe and use a funnel to fill your silicone molds. I used this funnel from Oxo. (There is also an optional strainer you can attach to the funnel for those of you that have picky kids that don’t like chunks of fruit in their frozen pops). I used these Sunsella Mighty Pops for the mold.
Leave approximately one-inch of room at the top of the mold to allow for expansion once the smoothie mixture freezes.
Freeze overnight or for a minimum of 4-6 hours.
Depending on your insulated lunch box, the pops may stay frozen, or turn into a cold drinkable smoothie!
This is a simple recipe that the kids can help with! From my experience, if they help, they tend to be more open to trying new things!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops

A simple way to add healthy smoothies to your kids' school lunches!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: School Lunches

Servings: 6

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

2 cups of coconut water
2 cups of fresh or frozen berries I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients into your blender.
Blend on high for approximately 1 minute until smooth.
Add in more coconut water if the mixture appears too thick.
Using a funnel, pour smoothie mixture into silicone molds. (I used large plastic tumblers to hold the molds in place while I poured in the liquid.)
Leave one-inch of room at the top of the mold to allow for expansion when the smoothie freezes.
Place lids on molds and freeze (standing upright -- I placed my tumblers in the freezer) for 4-6 hours.
These can be made ahead of time and used as desired in school lunches, for quick breakfasts, or for snacks!
Enjoy!

Protein Packed Energy Bites

April 28, 2015

Protein Packed Energy Bites //

There are few things I enjoy more than whipping up something delicious for my four little ones. I love knowing the ingredients that go into the foods that nourish their bodies. I also love the sweet smiles on their cute little faces when they bite into homemade treats!

This recipe is a simple one that the kids can even help with. With only a handful of healthful ingredients — this snack can be made in minutes. Their little hands are perfect for rolling the (no-bake) mixture into bite-sized balls.

I must admit, once you take your first bite, you may feel a little guilty! It’s sort of like eating a ball of cookie dough… only this time, you don’t have to sneak it!

Oatmeal, flaxseed, chia seeds, natural peanut butter, unsweetened coconut, raw honey, and chocolate chips make up the ingredients. The kids will have no idea that you are really filling up their bellies with protein-packed energy food!

These energy bites are great served as part of breakfast, packed in school lunches, eaten as an afternoon snack, prepared for upcoming road trips, for a fun day hiking, or an outing to the beach. (In fact, these little goodies will be accompanying my little girl on her field trip today!)

There are so many ways that you can customize these energy balls to make them your own! Try adding nuts, pretzels pieces, dried fruit, white chocolate, peanut butter chips, and/or endless other ingredients! (Just make sure to add enough nut butter and honey to bind it all together.) Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Protein Packed Energy Bites

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Healthy Snack

Servings: 20 -25

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

1 cup dry oatmeal
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour.
Once chilled, roll into balls (I used a 1" cookie scoop to make mine bite-sized for the kids). If the mixture isn't forming/staying in a ball, simply add a bit more honey to bind it all together.
Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/

Breakfast Power Bowl

March 31, 2015

Gluten-Free // Breakfast Power Bowl

Breakfast… it’s hands-down, my favorite meal of the day. I honestly wake up each morning, excited for my cup of coffee and ready to eat! I typically start my day with a healthy protein shake or smoothie. However, if I have a little more time, or if it’s the weekend, I get a bit more creative. Thank goodness for those days! They’re truly my favorite!

This satisfying dish is one you can whip up the night before. (Sure… that takes a little more planning, but some days just call for a special morning treat!) If you are already having quinoa for dinner… make a little extra! When the kids go off to bed, add some chia seeds and almond milk to it, give it a stir, and place it in the refrigerator until morning. Simple, right?

[Read more…]

Cucumber Mint Green Juice

March 17, 2015

First off, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY, friends! To be completely honest, I was posting this green juice today — without thought of the holiday! How perfectly fitting! (I love when that happens!) Now on to the recipe!

Cucumber Mint Green Juice //

A few months ago, I bought my first juicer (after watching the fabulous documentary… Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead). I did my online research, as I wanted a juicer that got the job done well, without a huge mess to clean up afterwards. I also didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on my first one (in case my new found obsession became short lived). I ended up purchasing the Breville Compact Juice Fountain, after reading some excellent reviews. (For sure do some price comparison shopping because I found a site that offered 10% off your first purchase + free shipping, so I only spent around $85! I think I got a huge bargain!) I am happy to report that I’ve been using my juicer a few times per week ever since it arrived!

I put a lot of consideration into whether or not I should post a ‘juicing’ recipe on here, as I understand owning a juicer is somewhat of a luxury. For those of you that already own one… this is a delicious green juice recipe to add to your mix. For those of you that are considering a juicer… I say GO FOR IT! (It is such an excellent way to add fruits and vegetables into your diet!) For those of you wondering why you may want to juice, check out this lovely post on the site, Simple Green Smoothies, for information on the difference between juicing and blending. What I personally love most about juicing, is the instant boost of energy I feel after drinking a glass! It really helps in the afternoon when I am in the mid-day slump (which for me, is around 3 p.m. when the kids come home from school). [Read more…]