Please forgive me if there are a bazillion typos in this post. My mind’s not exactly in top shape today. I usually get about 8 hours of sleep per night, but for some reason I woke up at 2 this morning and could not fall back to sleep. Of course, the harder I tried, the more wide awake I became. So frustrating. Does this ever happen to anyone else? If it does, what do you do? I’m happy to say it doesn’t often happen to me… and hopefully it won’t happen again. I like my sleep!
I definitely needed something to wake me up this morning. Caffeine was a no-brainer. I’m not a big coffee-drinker,which left one thing:
Chocolate, of course!
(Well, that and caffeinated green tea.) I took a rest day from running, which gave me ample time to cook a delicious, energy-packed brekkie:
Hello Breakfast!
Employing the ever-useful melted banana trick, I whipped up a restorative bowl of Brownie Batter in a Bowl.
Woke me right up 
Other recent Banana Brulee sightings in the blogworld:
![DSC00577_thumb[1]](http://chocolatecoveredkatie.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dsc00577_thumb1.jpg "DSC00577_thumb[1]")
The Melted Banana Trick art above belongs to the following girls: (Photos in order)
This week’s Agenda:
I have quite a few new recipes to post, as well as a quick giveaway. (No, I haven’t forgotten about that best-ever giveaway. But I’m going to save that one for next month when I have more time to host it.)
Also on the agenda: more sleep!!
Happy Sunday
Katie,
Hope you get some rest today. I usually don’t have trouble falling back asleep, but if I do, I’ll have a little snack and then read for a bit. That usually does the trick.
I want to go for a swim in that beautiful bowl of dark chocolate goodness.
When I can’t sleep I pop in a movie that I know really well so I can close my eyes and listen to it instead of watch it. Sometimes that helps. Or a bath. I’ve been known to wake up the house while running my bathwater-not a popular trick!
omg those oats look sooo good, way to wake me up this morning, katie!!
sorry you havent had some great nights of sleep1 what helps me is falling asleep with a fan on, sounds crazy but the noise of the fan is so soothing i just love it! helps me every night!
i hate waking up so so early, i wake up usually every morning at 3 am :/ but i slept till 7 3 days in a row this week, but i think that was because i was sick, but today ugh woke up at 3 am…but glad you had a delicious nourishing breakfast to get you going, chocolate for breakfast, nothing better!
lol…
and all those banana brulee photos look so good! makes me want to make your banana brulee oats tomorrow, cant believe i am not on the banan brulee bandwagon yet
love you girly, enjoy your Sunday.
xx
Eliza
I have a lot of problems with sleeping. I’ve learned to just adapt at this point though, so I am probably not the best person for advice. Your oatmeal sounds delicious Katie! I don’t think I’d mind staying up all night if I could treat myself to that in the morning.
Try to take it easy today and rest!
Isn’t that the worst?! I know how you feel b/c I get insomnia for like 3 months straight where I can’t fall asleep until like 4am (and then I have to wake up at 6 so 2 hrs of sleep!!) and then it will stop for like 6 months and I’ll be fine. It sucks and makes me so paranoid. The best thing to do is to get out of bed and go read a book away from your bedroom if possible. But don’t turn on a lot of lights…just maybe a lamp. I know it sounds strange.. but light interrupts our natural sleep rhythms. I gotta work on not falling asleep to the tv.
p.s. your breakkie looks really good!! I think I’m going to try that one tomrorow
I just commented underneath your sweet head by 1 minute on HEABs post over there
Choco in the oats…girl, we’ve been hooking that up around here for awhile with the chocolate stevia and cocoa powder too sometimes. Soooo goood. Except ive never tried the hershey’s dark. Just regular cocoa powder. Must get on the DARK action!
xoox
You’re always a winner in my book 
thanks for entering my contest
Wow, those are some beautiful bowls of grains. I had dark chocolate Mighty Tasty Gluten Free Hot Cereal this morning and it hit the spot!!
~Justine
Ohmigosh brownie batter oatmeal! Sounds like dessert!
Hey Katie!
I love reading your blog
Sorry to hear about your lack of sleep, I actually struggle with the same problem and have found that burning some lavender essential oil in my room will help me to fall into a nice, dream filled slumber.
Liz xx
Lack of sleep happens to me a lot.. for some reason my body doesn’t like sleep a whole lot even if I feel really tired. This week it happened to me actually, and I was so awake- I did some yoga.. There are specific poses that you can do to try and wind down- a lot of forward bends and stuff like that.. it did work somewhat- and I was able to get a couple of hours (I finally got to sleep somewhere around 4 am, but woke up at 6:30) Good luck
A chocolate bowl of goodness. WOW, looks amazing!! I also am having trouble typing.. Im sure there will be some errors in this comment! Rest up
I didn’t see any typos, just some delicious foods. Waking up in the middle of the night happens quite often to me. I’m dealing with it by ignoring it. I get up and organize my bookshelf, read something, or do something else to distract me. Even if that doesn’t help I don’t have to spend the night by getting upset about not being able to sleep
I woke up at 3 this night, and I didn’t feel like sleeping.But it’s harder to get up when you have someone by your side
Next time, try some warm beverage, I like warm milk with some carbs. It always helps me sleep better
That happened to me the other day. I woke up at 3 am and could NOT go back to sleep. Then I eventually was able to take a 30 mins. nap. Blah!! Those banana brulees are lookin’ gooooood.
Happy Sunday to you too. It’s so beautiful out over where I’m at
Hope it’s like that in Texas too!
Luckily for me I have been sleeping really good lately. Though, I would try reading or do some light stretching or medidation. Your chocolate bowl of goodness sounds amazing!!!
unfortunately it happens to me often, maybe 2-3 times a month? when that happens, I eat some carbs, read for an hour and go back to sleep… 90% of time works.
you got a great breakkie to counteract the frustration, don’t you?
Yikes! I’m so sorry you woke up super early. I actually woke up at 6:30am today! Not fun! I wanted to sleep in like a normal teenager
Aw, thanks for posting my pic! It all looks so delish, I will have to try out the cocoa powder next!
[...] I woke up this morning and saw Katie’s “There’s Chocolate in my Banana Brulee” post staring me in the face in my Google Reader, I knew I exactly what I was going to make [...]
i love oats!!! lol hope you get some sleep girl
chocolate in my banana brulee oats is a problem I definitely would not mind having
ugh I hate when I cant sleep.. I feel so alone and like i’m the only person awake on earth! no lie — I’ve gotten so frustrated from not being able to sleep to the point where I’ve cried.. wish I were joking.
hope you catch mad z’s tonight Kataaaaay!
I’m a banana hater but even so, that brownie batter oatmeal just looks so impossibly good!!
I have been skimping on the sleep lately, too, but I’m sorry you had a restless night! Hopefully you can get some extra zzz’s tonight.
I love your chocolately oats. Glad they woke you right up. I think there’s nothing better than a little chocolate in my oats, especially if it’s dark chocolate!
I know exactly what you mean! Whenever I know I have to wake up early and put a lot of pressure on myself to sleep, I suddenly can’t!
Yay for new Chocolate Covered recipes
Can’t wait to see them, Katie!!!
Chocolate in oats is a brilliant way to get that much needed morning caffeine, hehe!
Mmm, delicious looking melted banana bowls!
<3 jess
xoxo
P.S I just posted about hug a carb month in my latest post–sorry for the confusion! It was my fault, not yours
all those yummy banana oatmeal’s are making me wanna go to sleep soooo i can wake up and have some banana oaties!
banana brulee oats are the best! so sweet and creamy, perfect way to eat nanas in oatmeal!
sorry lovie that you couldn’t sleep, i feel your pain! i often wake up at a ridiculous time of 2 a.m and stay awake all night, :/ so frustrating is right! recently i have been sleeping until 5 which feels like a vacation haha.
have a great sunday!… or hope you had a great sunday!
Xo
maya
How do you make oatmeal so darn appealing?! I will have to try that melted banana trick.
I’m having a really big giveaway right now (two this month actually) to fill in while you break
you are a oatie genius!! So trying this out tuesday for that cozy comforting breakfast before school
yum!!!!
That Brownie Batter Bowl looks delectable! I love seeing creations of other bloggers! Thanks for posting mine! I definitely need to work on my oat pics.
I hate nights like that. I’m usually a great sleeper but there are some nights, luckily very few, when it will take me an hour or two…or three to fall asleep. Pure agony!
Today is a big day around here so last night I was a bit nervous and excited so I couldn’t fall asleep and then kept waking up over and over again until my alarm finally went off at 6. Whew. Now I am debating if I should head to the gym to try to generate some energy or if I should just take the day off and lounge around. I’m thinking lounge…
That brownie batter oatmeal is beautiful! Chocolate in the morning will always do the trick!
Ok, I’m going to have to try this melted banana trick! I normally just slice some banana on top of my oats but the melting bananas and banana brulee sound lovely!
I do love cocoa powder in my oat bran but I always need something to sweeten it! I’ll have to check our your brownie batter recipe…
You’re oatmeal looked yum! I hate those night when I just can’t sleep, you’re right, they are totally frustrating. Hopefully tonight is much better
Wow, that’s the best looking oatmeal I’ve ever seen!
Have you tried shredded carrot and coconut in your oatmeal? I read it somewhere and they said it tastes like carrot cake. So you can try it and let us know how it tastes! lol!
Everyone jumped on the Bananawagon! Sorry you had such a bad night, that sucks! When my brain won’t stop thinking or worrying about something there is no sleeping. It’s so annoying, I wish we came with an on/off switch.
Your brullee is making waves! Brullee, soft serve…can we start a banana club?
Yum! Your brownie oatmeal looks AMAZING!
<3 jess
xoxo
Hello,
I just found your blog and i love it. i tried brownie batter oats immediately, so simple yet so delicious. i love the positive attitude your blog takes, so great to read.
take care!
aww sorry to hear you couldn’t sleep! i always sleep like a baby so sorry no adivce there!
i am in love with your chocolate oats katie! i tried the banana brulee last night as a nice evening snack and i nearly passed out by the goodness and the smell of this stuff! you are a genius!
Geez, I should come to your place for breakfast. I have no culinary passion in the AM. Ha ha
[...] week you got Brownie Batter Oatmeal. This week, you [...]
[...] Even if they were diet derailers (and I know I’m not a doctor, but I seriously doubt they are), wouldn’t you rather be five pounds heavier if it meant you got to enjoy a delicious—and über healthy—dish such as Brownie Batter Oatmeal? [...]
[...] Brownie Batter Oatmeal tasted amazing as usual, but when it came time to eat the Cookie Dough bar, I realized I was [...]
[...] Katie was right, Melting Banana is totally awesome. Mixing it with Tahini was inspired by HEAB. Thank You [...]
Ok this is my entry for the food scale. My computer I’m using on vacay has such a horrid screen, pretty much all I could tell is that the close up is…white. haha!
Scavenger hunt is pretty clever, love the way you think
Scale guess #4!
[...] The Melted Banana Trick [...]
[...] a snack is coming in another 2 hours or so, so I can deal. I did the melted banana trick. Thanks Katie! She may not be the one to come up with this trick but she is the one I learned it [...]
[...] breakfast was so satisfying! (inspired by brownie batter oats, thanks [...]
[...] Banana mudslide oats have taken over my life. I used my fluffy oat method, and stirred in 1/2 a banana (melted, of course). [...]