Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I know exactly what I want to eat for breakfast. Other mornings, I’m not so sure. Do I want toast? Do I want oatmeal? Do I want a smoothie bowl? Do I want huevos rancheros? Breakfast is my favorite meal, so choosing between these options is taxing, to say the least.

This morning I wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat, but I knew that I wanted it to involve peanut butter and bananas. I’ve been craving that combo. I thought about making toast but then I decided to make oatmeal. Then, I realized that the caramelized bananas I made wouldn’t fit in the oatmeal bowl. I looked at everything in front of me and suddenly, it became clear: I should make a breakfast banana split.

I think that this idea could work well with a variety of bases. Instead of using oatmeal, you could use yogurt or ricotta cheese. I topped my banana split with caramelized bananas, blueberries, honey, hemp seeds, and crunchy peanut butter, but feel free to get creative on toppings. Next time, I want to use dark chocolate, strawberries, and bananas.

In other news, yesterday I went to Augusta, Missouri. I’d been there before to visit a winery but I’d never seen the downtown area. It did not disappoint.
Augusta is the kind of place I could see myself living in twenty or thirty years. It’s quiet, peaceful and everyone seems like they know each other, probably because they do. I went into a coffee shop and the first thing the cashier asked me was where I was from. It was endearing and off-putting at the same time. I’m used to living in cities where no one cares who you are.

There are some beautiful vantage points in Augusta. At one point, I pulled into a “no trespassing” zone on the side of the road to take a picture, because the view took my breath away.

I also discovered my spirit bakery, “The Cookie Doe.” I love deer, so finding a bakery that was decorated with deer paintings and had beautiful wares made out of butter and sugar was a little like hitting the jackpot. The owner was working at the counter and she told me that she opened the shop a few days ago. She bakes everything herself.

I ordered the mixed berry crumble and it was delicious. You can tell that the baker uses fresh ingredients. The berries were tart and juicy and the crumble had the perfect ratio of butter, flour, sugar and salt. The middle of the crumble is slightly gooey and melts in your mouth.

Here’s a song that I listened to while I was driving to Augusta yesterday. It’s good for road trips, discovering your spirit bakery, or, you know, whenever.

Breakfast Banana Split (from me, to you)

Ingredients

1 banana, split in half
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
blueberries, hemp hearts, crunchy peanut butter, and honey for topping

Directions

Start by cooking the oats. Combine the oats and almond milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the oats are your desired consistency (I like mine thick).

While the oats are cooking, caramelize the banana. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray or coat it with canola oil. Let it sit on medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Put the banana slices in cut-side down and fry until they’re golden brown. Then, flip to the other side and cook until golden brown. You’ll know when to flip them because they get fragrant.

Assemble your breakfast banana split in a banana split glass. Start by placing the oats on the bottom, then put the bananas on the side and top with the blueberries, peanut butter, hemp hearts, and honey. Enjoy!