Started off my day with a bangin’ breakfast!! Did I mention that I love my frother from IKEA?? Did I mention that it was only $1.99 and that it works really well??

This morning I made a pumpkin spiced latte, which hit the spot. There is no formal recipe, but here is what I did.

Heat about 1/2 mug of almond milk, mixed with 1t maple syrup, 1T pumpkin puree, splash of vanilla, 1/4t cinnamon, and a few shakes of ginger, nutmeg, + cloves.
Brew espresso. I bought ground espresso beans and brewed it in my drip coffee maker. Nothing fancy!!
Froth heated almond milk mixture and pour in espresso.

I brewed the espresso with a little too much water, so the strength was about half of what it normally is. I poured in about a 1/2 mug of the espresso.

Creamy, spiced, frothed, coffee yum!

Next up was something I haven’t made for weeks!!

Vanilla bean broken farro!!!!!! Gosh, this is my favorite morning grain bowl!! I don’t eat it all the time, because oats keep me full a bit longer. While cooking, I also added about 1/2T Earth Balance [soy free] to the mix.

I don’t like mixing the banana into farro, like I do with my oats, but on top it’s delicious! I was out of almond butter and really prefer that on farro, compared to peanut butter. A handful of almonds did the trick instead!

I just can’t get over the flavor + texture of this bowl!! I hit the bottom way too fast.

A fun package arrived to day from the lovely Maddy + Alex, owners of Love Grown Foods.

I’ve mentioned numerous times before about how much I love their granola [which uses gluten free oats] and their business in general. They are local to Colorado and really know what they’re doing!! Maddy + I became friends through our weekly chats at the farmer’s market, where she sold granola. I am so excited about the little sample packs. They’re perfect for traveling and are my 2nd favorite flavor, Raisin Almond Crunch. I was lucky enough to get another full size bag of my favorite flavor, Cocoa Goodness. The perfect amount of cocoa, crunch, and sweetness all mixed together!

Maddy + Alex are “spreading the love” [as they say] and donating granola to the Ronald McDonald House of Denver for every new Twitter follower and/or facebook fan they receive. So definitely check them out on twitter + facebook! :) They do so much more than make granola. M + A are two of the most generous and hard working people I know!

There was a lot of interest in hearing more about Chris’s recipe for breaded tempeh. I had no problem eating it again so soon. Every bite I was “mmm’ing” with delight.

Here is the breaded tempeh goodness in it’s glory!!!

The recipe is approximated. There was no official measuring involved. The most important part is making sure you have enough oil in the pan for cooking.

Chris’s Breaded Tempeh [serves 2]

1 - 8oz block of tempeh [my favorite is West Soy 5-grain]
1c panko breadcrumbs [or whole wheat or white]
1 large egg + 1T water
1T rounded oregano
1/2t parsley
1/2t garlic powder
1/4t fine grain sea salt
~1/4c olive oil
~1/2c flour [white or whole wheat will work]

Cut the tempeh into strips or squares [about 1x3 or 2x2] and then slice each piece in half, so they are each half as thick.
In a small bowl whisk the water + egg together.
In another small bowl mix breadcrumbs with oregano, garlic powder, salt and parsley. If the breadcrumbs are really large [the Whole Foods panko were very big] crush them a bit in your hand. *I don’t advise using freshly ground breadcrumbs, as I think they would be too moist.
In another small bowl add the flour.
In a pan, large enough to spread the tempeh out in a single layer, heat the oil just below medium heat. You want to make sure to use enough oil in the pan. Depending on the pan size you use 1/4c – 1/3c should work. You want it to heavily coat the pan. It should be about 1/16” deep.
While the oil is heating, roll the tempeh in the flour, then dip in the egg wash, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Use your finger to help press the breadcrumbs around all sides of the tempeh.
Place each piece on a dish + continue coating.
Place each piece in the pan and let cook for 3-5min. Avoid moving them around much, to help the coating stay on.
When golden brown, flip to the other side and cook another 3-5min.

Now you should have perfectly golden brown, breaded tempeh, as pictured below! Chris started making this while I was away in Cleveland. He was really excited to make it for me when I got home. The technique is nothing new and very similar to breading chicken. This is better than any breaded chicken I’ve ever had though. I could never get the breadcrumbs to stick and it always dried out. Tempeh is not juicy, by any means, but it doesn’t taste dried out either.

This is the perfect recipe if you’ve never had tempeh before, or if you’re trying to convince someone you know to give it a shot.

I’m not sure how to express just how delicious this is. I was completely impressed with this recipe + his cooking skills. Whenever he does decide to cook, it always ends up turning out really well. I told Chris that I’m going to be requesting this once a week! He said that is totally fine, but he also reminded me that that means I’m on dish duty. Hrmph! Whoever cooks, the other one cleans.

Maybe I’ll have him make it bi-monthly instead. ;)

Tonight, Chris made himself a panini sandwich, and I made an open faced oven toasted sandwich.

I used a soft mozzarella and an inexpensive but tasty store bought sauce. I love the Whole Foods Organic 4 Cheese sauce. It’s great in a pinch!

I savored each + every bite.

He made extra tonight, so we have leftovers for lunch. I’m not complaining. The dishes were worth it.

Hoping to maybe get back to the pool tomorrow. I’ve had a 2 week hiatus from swimming, so I’ll definitely be feeling weak. While I was home, I didn’t have much time to work out. I hopped on the treadmill for a few 30min hill workouts and one good elliptical workout at the little community gym. They have a crazy intense elliptical like machine, that is just awesome. These 30min cardio workouts just aren’t doing it for me!! Excited to get back to the gym + pool for something a bit more substantial. :)

The melty cheese on that sandwich is really making me hungry……..better get to bed before I start digging in the fridge!

Ashley