Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie and Cool Stuff Weekend

"The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.  "

- William Faulkner

This smoothie is so great, it's virtually breakfast in a glass. It's filling and nutritious. A great way to drink your breakfast! The oats make it thick, and the frozen banana makes it frosty, cold and creamy. It was a great breakfast for me this morning when I couldn't figure out what to eat, but I was starving, so I needed to get something in my belly fast. (Keep reading for the recipe, below.)

This is the first installation of my new feature, Cool Stuff Weekend. Like I mentioned in my last post, I want to start featuring artists and other things I like out there in the world. So every weekend I will post a beverage, something easy, and it is the weekend so sometimes that beverage will involve alcohol, as well as a bunch of things I'm liking. Mostly it will be unique, different and interesting stuff. Who knows? I don't really like to put rules on myself, so I'm just going to say it will be stuff that I like.

So here's some stuff I'm digging right now, and I hope you like it too!

How cool is this? It's a quilt with little green army men in the form of a peace sign. This comes from Creatures By Diana. Diana lives just a few towns away from me in Olympia Washington.

Unicorn Coat Hook -a solid cast aluminum unicorn bust. By Architecture Jones. This would look great in a little girls room, or heck, in my room. I just love it.

You Rock Dad, Guitar pick for those dads that rock out. (I know fathers day is today, but you can tell dad you love him other days too!) By Sweetheart Circle. And to my Dad, if you're reading, this is how I feel about you!

Origami Gift Box- By Photo Mama Regina- Can you believe she made this box! Gorgeous! Inexpensive too, only $5.25. What a great thing to have on hand for gift giving.

Set of 4, Quilted 12 oz. Mugs available at my Etsy shop, House of Lucien.

Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

adapted from "Food Writers Favorites, Beverages".
makes 1 Smoothie

This is so versatile, add yogurt or don't. You can also use another type of fruit instead of a banana.

It's difficult to remove the peel from a banana right out of the freezer. If you let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes, it makes it easy to remove the peel as well as keeping the banana frozen enough to make your smoothie cold and delicious. If you don't have 10 minutes, put the frozen banana in the microwave for 20 seconds. If you don't have one frozen, then add a few ice cubes along with the room temperature banana.


Ingredients

1/2 cup (43 g.) oats - any type, old fashioned, or quick, or even plain instant, should be fine

1 frozen banana, peeled

1 cup (237 ml.) milk, any type

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-4 Tablespoons real maple syrup, or honey

a small tub of yogurt of your choice, optional


Directions

Place the dry oatmeal in the blender container, and blend it to a fine powder. Add everything else. Blend well for 2 minutes or so, to make sure the oatmeal is finely ground and everything is smooth. Pour in a glass and drink immediately.