VeganMoFo Day1: Breakfast time!

WoooHooo! It's MoFo Season again! This is my 9th year straight of participating. That first year that I participated, I missed one day because we stayed in a hotel and their wifi didn't work. I was bummed. Other than that, I have a perfect streak of posting every single MoFo day for all those years. Hopefully I can keep the streak going this year. This month is a busy one, so I actually got a head start a couple of weeks ago with some of my posts. I can't wait to see all your posts and Instagram pics and Facebook updates and all! Please leave a comment and tell me where to find and your MoFo efforts. (I'll be doing bonus posts on Instagram: @ameyfm)

Tofu Cubes (from Oh She Glows Cookbook), Stone fruits, hot coffee, crossword puzzle.

Today's MoFo prompt: "Rise and shine! It's MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast"

First things first, I am a fan of breakfast. I wake up hungry and I generally start eating within about 15 minutes of getting out of bed. Ha ha. A couple days a week, I work out early with my trainer, and have to wait until I get home again to eat. It is such a hardship.

Here's how the best-case-scenario morning goes:

I wake up, at least 30 minutes earlier than I actually intend to get out of bed... mostly so that I can appreciate the joy of pet cuddles while awake. During this time I like to surf around on my phone, or just cuddle the various sleepy cuties surrounding me on the bed.

driveway time

Once I get up, the first thing I do is go out into the driveway to get the paper. (Yes, I still get the newspaper delivered. I am old-fashioned / actually old). This outing is partly so that I can fetch the paper, and partly so that I can have a fun little driveway time with the pets. It started out that it was just a special time for Yummers and me, but then the dogs caught on that Yummers was getting to go out to the driveway, and now the whole gang comes along. It's really cute. Yummers goes straight to work at eating grass. Dottie goes straight to peeing on the orange tree. Snoopy follows her, mostly to pee whereever Dottie has peed. Sweet little Stevie just comes out to say hi and get some extra morning enthusiasm, and then she goes right back inside and right back to bed until we feed her. It is so damned cute. She is really the best. Footie goes off and disappears to do his own thing, which is mysterious and unknown to us.

Then I take my newspaper, assemble my breakfast, and get to work with my favorite little routine. If there's time, I love to do the crossword puzzle. I started doing the crossword puzzles about a year ago and I'm getting better. Mondays and Tuesdays I can definitely do the NYT puzzle. Wednesdays it's hit or miss, it's often too hard for me. After that, I'm really out of the running. But luckily for me, our local paper also carries an easier crossword puzzle, so when in need I do that one instead. If there's no time, I postpone my crossword joy for lunch, which is something nice to look forward to. 

Rice cakes with Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese, white nectarine, coffee.

I usually get into a bit of a system for breakfast, and eat the same thing for at least for a week or so at a time. Mostly this is so that I can wake up and begin eating as soon as possible, without a terrible wave of breakfast uncertainty washing over me in my fragile morning hours. 

One thing that has been consistent through the summer is a good, summery nectarine. I LOVE nectarines! Especially the white ones. Also coffee. At least half the time, I just make decaf, but I still like to have coffee. I like the taste, and I like how it's super warm and toasty and makes me feel cozy. Also I like how I can savor my coffee long after I've finished eating my breakfast. 

Homemade soy yogurt, white nectarine, muesli

The yogurt and muesli is a good fall back, and it's light and fruity, which I enjoy on a nice sunny morning.

I couldn't wait to take a bite.

 That said, lately I've been a bit more enchanted with savory breakfasts. I find them much more satisfying. Lately I've actually been eating loads of Kittee's pudlas for breakfasts, like day after day after day. I love that I can make a batch of batter and then divvy it up, and cook up a piping hot veggie pancake each morning in about 10 minutes. Even with a savory breakfast though, I gotta have my white nectarine or the world will go out of balance.

Nectarines won't be in season too much longer, so then I'll have to switch to oranges or back to strawberries, or whatever fruits I can find at the farmer's market. 

Here's to a hearty breakfast that keeps us all going strong through the rigorous demands of MoFo!