Sunday Brunch MEME - Simplicity

Rosa started a foodblog event for Sunday Brunch. She is from Geneva, and her Sunday Brunch table reflects the romantic European style of a brunch. Her table included lovely cheese, fresh bread with butter and other spreads, and cherry tomatoes that looks like I would want to pop one right into my mouth and enjoy the squirt of juice in the middle. My typical Sunday brunch simple and enjoyable too.

Breakfast, or weekend brunch is a time to slow down, and enjoy the time. Simplicity for Sunday Brunch or breakfast is the generally the game plan at my house. I love taking time to look at something like Cook's Illustrated, the New York Times, or some magazine I don't have time for during the week. I love sipping on my coffee I get from Bongo Java. Bongo Bob was really the first locally owned coffee shop guy in Nashville to run his business with a conscience. He sells fair trade organic coffee. His stores are designed and run to fit the character of the neighborhoods they are in. The food he sells have a healthy percentage of fresh and vegetarian options, with a good blend of traditional breakfast and lunch foods for the mainstream. Bongo Bob is a good local business owner, he roasts up good coffee beans, and I am more than happy to enjoy the flavor of his coffee every morning.

To put in my coffee, I have discovered Rock Spring Dairy, a 35 cow operation which is less than 100 miles from my home. The whole milk is not homogenized, so there is a good rich cream layer on the top. The first few glasses from the bottle tastes like what milk is supposed to taste like. It is rich, nutty, creamy, and heart warming. I have been using this milk in my coffee for 3 weeks now, and it is like a treating myelf to a Cafe au Lait everyday. I ran out right of milk after this photo was taken, and I cannot get anymore until Tuesday after the long weekend Memorial Day holiday.

My cereal is my homemade toasted oats with nuts. This recipe comes from Brian and Joann, two foodie friends of mine from the 'Burgh. They were down visiting, and they brought their own cereal with them for breakfast. When I tasted it, I was hooked, and this is the only breakfast cereal I have eaten in 2 years. The simplicity of the toasted oats is as follows:

6 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup oil (canola and/or olive oil)
1/2 cup soy milk or regular milk
1/4 cup sugar or honey, or maple syrup (real stuff)
handful of oat bran or wheat germ if you want
flavorings like nutmeg, vanilla, anise etc
crushed nuts as you like
Dump all in a bowl and stir until all is moistened
Divide onto 2 jelly roll pans
Bake at 350F for 20 min, stirring once at about 10 min
Completely cool before storing in an air tight container
when cooled, add dried fruit or shaved toasted coconut etc

Bon Apetit!