Orzo with Dried Fruit

Orzo with Dried Fruit, page 39

You already know breakfast is my most favorite meal to share. Sharing an early morning meal requires extra effort to meet before the day begins or a level of intimacy & comfort in your friendship to wake up under the same roof.

Mornings in our home are not lacking in activity. Boys sleepy eyed, mom sipping coffee, DandyDog pacing to go outside, lunches to pack, clothes to be pressed, permission slips to sign, a meal to eat...busy, busy.  This morning the boys asked to have bacon, although I planned to try a new Feed Zone recipe, so I made both.

I did not have the pasta cooked prior as the recipe stated. Instead, I cooked it this morning. This allowed me to prepare extra pasta, add red sauce, filled 2 thermos containers, making a pasta lunch for the boys. If your morning has you making breakfast and packing lunches, go ahead, try this, it worked well.

I under-cooked the orzo a bit, adding it to the almond milk to finish. I hoped it would add a little extra flavor. After it simmered for about 5 minutes, I added the other ingredients, simmering another 5 - 7 minutes. It was quite runny, not as thick as shown in the picture, so I added a sprinkle of quinoa flakes (maybe 2 T, I didn't measure) to thicken. Quinoa flakes are without flavor and serve well as an alternative way to thicken.

The boys were out the door, bellies happy with bacon, when I joined Jonathan at the table to try another new recipe from The Feed Zone. Orzo = Pasta = Gluten = I didn't get to taste it, so I had tapioca bread, topped with almond butter and honey and a cuppa black Rwandan coffee. More mornings than not, I get a breakfast date with Jonathan at the table in our home and the days I do not, I miss it.

What are the mornings like in your home? Are you a toast and coffee gal, a bacon kinda kiddo or a full on, napkin in your lap kinda guy? However you begin you day, I hope today it was a great start to the week.

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry:  nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: a sprinkle of quinoa flakes to thicken and I used dried tart cherries and walnuts as the mix-in ingredients
What I'll try next time: add cinnamon and a splash of vanilla
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4, "It's different, I like it."