All in Breakfast
The Mix: Steel cut oats, dried cherries, hazelnuts and shredded coconut
The Story: Reading the local paper while fueling up on this hearty bowl of oats last Saturday morning, I came across a listing for a local 5k race. Always up for impromptu exercise, SJ and I decided to throw on our running shoes and jump in the race.
On the eve of what the weatherpeople are calling the storm of the century, I can't help but long to be back in Hawaii. Tomorrow we'll get to relive the Ironman race on the NBC broadcast, but what they won't show you are the the little bits of paradise just steps off the race course.
The Mix: Oatmeal Topping Bar
The Story: When serving breakfast to a group of athletes, it's hard to satisfy everyone's likes and dislikes, allergies and special diets. That's why when I have friends over to watch the NYC Marathon next weekend, I'll set up a top-your-own oatmeal buffet for breakfast.
The Story: SJ and his partners from Team ATP Light finished third in the masters division at this weekend's USARA Adventure Racing Nationals (10th overall). This trip to the podium required almost 30 straight hours of paddling, mountain biking, and trekking in the western Catskills.
The Mix: spiced apples, pumpkin puree, and toasted nuts
The Story: This holiday weekend is one of the busiest apple picking weekends of the year in the Hudson Valley. Some of the local orchards attract busloads, but my favorite is a small, off-the-beaten-path orchard that doesn't advertise or have a corn maze or hayrides, just acres of apples and a small roadside stand. They grow older varieties of apples not sold in stores. Yesterday I picked golden russets, which are brown like a pear on the outside and, on the inside, as tart and crisp as a honey crisp.
The Mix: Steel-cut oats, stone-ground cornmeal, and wild blueberries
The Story: Yesterday morning I picked two quarts of wild blueberries at an overgrown golf course that's now park of a state park. As I picked, I focused on a single goal: recreate the delicious Blueberry Polenta Muffins from Locanda Verde, a restaurant in Tribeca.
The Mix: Steel-cut oats with toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, slivered almonds, and birch syrup
The Story: I recently ordered some Birch Syrup from Alaska after talking about it with a visiting friend who works as a fishing guide at Intricate Bay Lodge. It tastes like a cross between maple syrup and molasses and it flavored my morning oats without making them overly sweet.
