The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
’Tis the season of pumpkin
Put pumpkin puree to work as part of a frozen winter treat
All four of my daughters love frozen acai bowls because they feel like you’re eating ice cream for breakfast, except healthier. If you haven’t hopped on the acai bowl craze, allow me to update you. Superfood acai berry puree is blended up with fruit — usually berries or banana — and then served thick, creamy and semi-frozen, topped with granola, fruit, nuts or other goodies.
You can buy gorgeous berry-topped bowls at juice bars across the country, or make your own by blending up the base, pouring it into individual bowls and freezing. Once frozen solid, they’ll last for weeks.
But, you’ll need to let it soften a little to achieve the desired consistency, which means this is a great make-ahead breakfast. Stock up the freezer with frozen bowls, and pull them out as needed to thaw a few minutes on the counter, adding toppings, and eat.
But frozen breakfast bowls are also fantastic as a to-go snack in a lunchbox: an icepack slows down the thawing enough to have the bowl at the perfect texture about two hours later. And don’t worry if you miss the mark: even if it completely thaws, the bowl stays tasty, even if more smoothie-bowlesque than ice-creamy.
Today, I’m winterizing this summertime treat by swapping out the acai and bringing in the beloved flavors of the season in my Pumpkin and Spice Breakfast Bowl. Pumpkin puree is not only perfectly seasonal, but it boasts a ton
of vitamin A (more than a day’s worth in one serving), and a smattering of other vitamins, minerals
and fiber. And, it’s naturally sweet so not a lot of extra sugar is needed to make this breakfast feel
like more of an indulgence than it actually is. Loading up the freezer with these bowls is an excellent planahead strategy, whether you’re a mom of four, or you just want to streamline your mornings.