Favorite Things: Part 1

I'm really excited about this favorite things week for a few reasons. As I posted on Friday, there are a lot of people in my life who are recently trying a gluten free diet, for one reason or another. As a veteran gluten free-er, I've spent a lot of years seeking out quality, nutritious products that taste good. I gave a lot of thought as to the products I wanted to write about, but Favorite Thing #1 was a no-brainer for me!

Perhaps my absolute favorite, or maybe it's because I choose to start most days with him, Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Hot Cereal is my Favorite Thing #1.

I first decided to try this product a couple of years ago after wishing I had something like oatmeal that I could eat for breakfast or a snack in the winter. Frozen waffles, toast, etc. just weren't filling me up for a respectable amount of time!

When I first experimented with the cereal, there was some learning involved. I choose to cook my cereal in the microwave on most mornings to save time. I think I've developed a science behind making sure my bowl doesn't boil over in the microwave! The key is to heat the mixture of cereal and water (almond milk, etc.) for 1 to 2 minutes at a time, stirring often, and watching closely to avoid the dreaded cereal spill-over!

Over time, I've experimented with different flavor combinations to avoid boredom with this delicious breakfast. I also recently started to combine it with toasted buckwheat groats to mix up the texture just a little bit and add a nuttier flavor.  Here are a few flavor highlights:

Peanut (and Almond) Butter and Jelly!

Vanilla Blueberry

Sunny Pineapple

Maple Berry with Sweet Potato

Nectarine Blueberry

Oats in a Jar

Enjoy! In my honest opinion, eating this cereal is a great way to start your day!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Favorite Things tomorrow!