Friends!

I have a new job and a new house. I’ll be working (very soon!) as a coordinator for basic adult education and literacy programs at a career center just a few minutes from home. I am so unbelievably excited.

Also…this new home of mine is filled with boxes. Seriously. I don’t totally know how to begin the unpacking projects, and am sleeping at my parents’ house for a few more nights until things are settled a little more here. (Real life picture. I’m sitting on the floor where the couch goes (I think) to write this…because the couch is in the garage.) (I think.)

I have exactly one recipe, created and photographed and eaten in my archives. This means…we’re talking about breakfast quinoa today, and I’ll probably overshare about my new house the rest of the week (on my blog, Baking Serendipity.)

Are you in?

Good.

I made this breakfast last week for my mom and I. It was a wake-up slow and drink too much coffee kind of morning. (I love those.) You should know upfront, there’s a little bit of time involved in cooking the quinoa. But! This makes leftovers that are ridiculously good and quick and perfect for those mornings when you can’t stop with the snooze button.

First, quinoa is rinsed, toasted in juuuust a little butter and cooked in a combination of water and cream. This is what designates it as a breakfast food. (Obviously.)

Canned pumpkin, mini chocolate chips, brown sugar and just a little extra cream for good measure are stirred into the quinoa. It’s like oatmeal sort of, but also not. I’m an oatmeal lover…and my mom is seriously not. We both liked this quinoa.

In case you didn’t know yet, there’s protein in the quinoa, making this one of these breakfasts that sticks with you. Also…I’m a major lover of recipes that call for just a little pumpkin this time of year. I think there’s always some stored in my refrigerator. (Okay. Except now when my kitchenwhole house life is sort of in upheaval. No bigs.)

Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Breakfast Quinoa

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drain
1 cup water
1 cup half and half

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, rinse and drain quinoa. Add to the melted butter, and stir to toast. (This should only take a few minutes.) Add water and cream and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from heat and fluff. Recover and let sit for 15 minutes.

To serve, add the following to about 1/2 cup cooked quinoa:

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
2 teaspoons brown sugar (feel free to adjust according to your tastebuds)
splash half and half