Good Morning!

      Did you sleep well? Now that I'm all grown up (ha!) and have an 8-4:30 job, I've come to appreciate the weekends so much more. I especially love the mornings... waking up early to join the my friends in StarRunners for a long run (hi Emily!); shopping the Cooper-Young Farmers Market and chatting with some of our favorite vendors; making a half-pot of coffee and drinking it all by myself while reading a book on my green couch (mmmm...); being adventurous enough to keep trying out churches here on occasion; and listening to Pandora while making something special for breakfast!
     I stumbled across this recipe via Pinterest (seeing a pattern yet?) and thought I should try it! (I told you my favorite is breakfast.) When I moved down South, I knew I would eventually have to try the popular breakfast staple, grits. Ick. They were so bland! Basically a yellow version of unflavored cream of wheat. Then I came across this recipe. Grits and polenta are essentially the same thing in my head - both are made from yellow cornmeal and water and flavored with any kind of mixings your little heart desires. The difference is only in where the corn comes from I think. Personally, I think my grits (polenta) is so much better than any breakfast grits I've come across here yet! (Shhh...!)

Breakfast Polenta/Grits
(Adapted from Joy the Baker's recipe)
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
-Dash of salt
-2 Tbsp milk
-2 Tbsp maple syrup (less or more according to taste!)
-Dash of cinnamon
-1/2 tbsp butter
-1 banana
-2 tbsp raisins
Directions:
1. Boil water in  a small saucepan. Once water has started to boil add a dash of salt and lower heat to simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal making sure it doesn't clump. Stir until mixture begins to thicken.
2. Add milk, cinnamon, syrup, and butter. Continue to  stir until well mixed and butter is melted. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon into bowl. Top with chopped banana, raisins, and maybe a little more syrup (live a little!).
4. Devour!
This is a breakfast that is sure to warm up your belly! Feel free to try any other sort of toppings - pears? apples? craisins? Go crazy! It's not healthiest breakfast, but hey, it's the weekend!  :-)