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There’s Chocolate In My Banana Brulee

Please forgive me if there are a bazillion typos in this post.  My mind’s not exactly in top shape today.

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 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! I took a rest day from running, which gave me ample time to cook a delicious, energy-packed breakfast:

Melted Banana Trick oatmeal.

brownie batter oatmeal

Brownie Batter Oatmeal

  • I cooked 1 serving of oats (using the “Voluminous Oatmeal” trick) with water and a pinch of salt.
  • Later, I mixed it with about a tbsp of Extra Dark cocoa powder and some non-dairy milk.
  • Then, I added frozen, melted banana (using the famed melted banana trick), and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • I cooked it all up, then blended a bit (but I don’t always bother blending, as I like the chew).

(My favorite caffeinated green tea, pictured below,  helped!)

Published on October 11, 2009

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Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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175 Comments

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  1. Kate says

    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!

  2. Naomi says

    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!

  3. Eliza says

    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! 🙂
    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 😛 lol…
    love you girly, enjoy your Sunday. 🙂
    xx
    Eliza

  4. Kiersten says

    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!

  5. Jenny R. says

    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 😉

  6. bundleofbeans says

    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

  7. Crystal says

    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 🙂

  8. Abby says

    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 🙂

  9. Mihl says

    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 🙂

  10. Marina says

    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

  11. Katharina says

    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!

  12. Heather Eats Almond Butter says

    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. 🙂

  13. balancejoyanddelicias says

    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?

  14. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says

    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
    thanks for entering my contest 🙂 You’re always a winner in my book 🙂

  15. Justine says

    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

  16. Jenny says

    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!

  17. Pure2raw-twins says

    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!!! 🙂

  18. Emily says

    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!

  19. Maria says

    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!

  20. Shelby says

    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!

  21. Jess says

    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 🙂

  22. maya says

    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

  23. The voracious Vegan says

    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!

  24. Peanut Butter Bliss says

    you are a oatie genius!! So trying this out tuesday for that cozy comforting breakfast before school 🙂

  25. J@WholeBodyLove says

    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.

  26. Lara (Thinspired) says

    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…

  27. wingitvegan says

    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.

  28. Carolyn (sandyfeeteats.wordpress.com) says

    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!

  29. Neela Marijana says

    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!

  30. Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga) says

    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 🙂

  31. Kim says

    Gee, I woke up at about that time this morning too and couldn’t fall back asleep! That breakfast looks like an awfully good idea. Thanks!

  32. Kaye says

    Hi Katie. I love your site.
    Yerba Mate, Red Rooibos, and Green Ginger are among my staple teas. I do love a Hot Tazo Chai tea latte (Soy~of course!) from Starbucks on the weekends!
    I have a tough time falling asleep usually 3 days out of the week. No T.V., music, or computer too late and no eating past 7 is very helpful, but lately I can’t seem to achieve that. No exercise or caffeine in the evening is a must. My husbands snoring is a total bother too, so I sleep on the couch usually half of the week. If all else fails I read until falling asleep.

  33. Renée says

    My favourite tea is Celestial Seasonings’ holiday flavour Sugar Cookie Sleigh ride. I stock up in the winter so I’ll have enough to last me until next year 😀

  34. ali says

    i love early grey in the morning (for a little more motivation to get going), but the rest of the day i’m usually sipping on peppermint tea. I adore anything peppermint, yum.

  35. Radioactivegan says

    any kind of tea is great. i tend to prefer black teas to green, but i have a weakness for all of them! I really like celestial seasonings sleepytime tea at night. maybe it’s just the picture of the snoozing bear on the box, but it really helps me feel sleepy 🙂

  36. Liz says

    I really like Celestial Seasonings’ holiday Gingerbread flavor. I also want to try their Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride next time too.

  37. Sünne says

    My favourite tea flavour as of late is Sweet Chili (licorice, cinnamon, mint, chili, …). I’m not quite that fond of berry-teas but prefer spice teas.

  38. Haley says

    I love any kind of tea, let’s be honest; but lately I have been having a delicious coconut chai every morning…it’s AMAZING!

  39. Mara says

    My favorite tea is also my second favorite drink in the world (right after water) and it’s VANILLA CHAI!!! I ALWAYS drink it on the weekends when I wake up since it has caffeine and I hate coffee. I put half water and half soy or almond or coconut milk with some soy or coconut creamer on top, honey, TONS of cinnamon and it immediately makes the world seem better — I am not even kidding!

    I looove tea of any kind, though. =]

  40. Marianne_Auburn says

    I’m a total insomniac and once I fall asleep I wake up repeatedly. I have been loving some Celestial Seasonings peppermint tea lately (decaf!!). Everyday without fall I have a big cup!

  41. Sarah L. says

    I am a tea addict so picking a favourite is soooo hard for me. But I’d have to say it’s the “Apple Cinnamon” from David’s Tea in Toronto. It’s a mix of green and black leaves and it has this incredibly juicy, apple flavour… it tastes like drinking an apple pie. YUM!

  42. Sarah says

    I love Celestial Seasonings Christmas teas! There’s a peppermint one and a nutcracker sweet tea that I adore, but you can only get them around the holidays… thanks for the giveaway, as always!

  43. Tiggy says

    my favourite tea would definitely be peppermint! you really can’t go wrong with it! i sip it alllllll day long! 🙂 but i recently discovered fennel tea as well, and ill give it second place, because it’s pretty amazing as well!

  44. Just Audrey says

    Hmm, my favorite tea…? That’s a tough question; there are so many great ones! I like mint teas, and orange spice tea, fruit teas, green teas, cinnamon tea, and lemon balm tea… I guess I’ll go with chamomile-mint. That’s pretty slurpilicious. 😀

  45. Melissa S. says

    Oh, my, I do love yummy teas! The favorite black tea would be Earl Grey and the favorite herbal tea would be Candy Cane Lane – pepperminty & vanillaish green tea!

    Thanks for this opportunity to celebrate teas!

  46. Daria @ Daria Can Cook says

    My favorite flavor of tea is blue flower earl gray. I have no idea what the blue flowers are, but they taste amazing!

  47. Kayla says

    I had a lovely pommegrant, mango and cinnamon tes the other day, sooo much nicer than ordinary tea and caffine free 😀

    I have sleep problems too, only sometimes it takes me hours to get to sleep and my doctor won’t give me any meds for it.

  48. Kelly Michelle says

    I love almost anything by Celestial, its the only brand I buy! I especially love the Gingerbread Spice, Roastaroma, and Chocolate Raspberry Bliss.

  49. Jen says

    my favourite flavoured at the moment is an herbal type, peppermint as i feel that it calms me and it was an acquired taste…celestial seasonings actually! (or their sleepytime, chamomile) 🙂 xox

  50. Megan says

    My favorite flavor of tea is raspberry zinger, but I rarely get to have it. But I do drink at least 3-4 mugs of green tea each day!

  51. janet says

    Hi Hi

    this giveaway looks all kinds of awesome because i am going through that “i cant sleep” stage of life now 🙁
    or maybe its just the volume in the halls of my dorm (:

    anyways, i loveeee french vanilla tea… it tastes like a liquid cupcake (i know that sounds dank but trust me it is WAY good)

    love the blog!
    janet.

  52. Sarah says

    I love that tummy mint! I got some when we visited the Celestial Seasonings factory out in Boulder, but haven’t been able to find it anywhere since. 🙁

  53. Sarah A says

    Mint! Every summer my mint plant throws out bushels (that I didn’t know what to do with for the longest time). Thank goodness it finally clicked that I could brew it! : )

  54. Rachel says

    I’m such a tea fiend it’s ridiculous.

    Green is probably my favorite. I also love the minty flavors like Peppermint (yay Holiday flavaz). And I have to have my Sleepytime Vanilla almost everyday.

  55. Keegan says

    I love country peach by celestial seasonings. And I just tried it in my oats with sliced peaches…. heaven!!

  56. Katherine: What About Summer? says

    Red Teas by celestial seasonings is great! box after box (but it could use some quote-updating). It’s basically just a yummy roobios

  57. Danielle says

    Hi Katie, I have really been enjoying your blog over the past few weeks. I am looking forward to trying some of the fudge baby recipes!

    My favorite flavor of Cel Seas tea is Magic Mint, and Candy Cane Lane was a great find over the holidays. Another runner-up is Sleepytime tea, and Sleepytime Extra sounds really effective!

    I have trouble sleeping sometimes (the problem flared up in middle school for me, too). Recently, I began taking melatonin supplements. It gives me vivid dreams, which I didn’t like in the past, but now kind of dig! (Note that melatonin should not be combined with other sleep remedies, such as valerian. But I think it would be fine with Sudoku!)

  58. elaine says

    hi katie! thanks for holding this wonderful giveaway! my favorite tea is chai. absolutely love it especially in the winter months. takes the zip out of these vicious winds!

  59. Melissa says

    My favorite tea is Celestial Seasonings’ seasonal tea- Candy Cane Lane (peppermint green tea- sooo tasty!)

  60. Treslyn says

    My favourite teas are Country Peach Passion and True Blueberry (both are Celestial Seasonings!)
    If I need some caffeine then it’s all about Jasmine green tea :]

  61. Dani says

    When Im in a chai mood, it’s Yogi Sweet Thai Delight and when I am in a fruit mood, it’s celestial seasonings Apple Cranberry – yum!!!

  62. Heather Gates says

    I have loved Sleepytime forever. It reminds me of my college years and the rare moments that I was not studying and just relaxing with my roommate.

  63. AB says

    Right now I am lovin’ the Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Tea! (I know, I know, the holidays are over. But it’s sooo good and vanilla-minty! And I stocked up!)

  64. Anna says

    well for CS, i used to really like the Vanilla Maple tea….not sure as it’s been years. Discovered, while in england, that Pineapple Grapefruit Green tea is NOT a good combination…actually, kinda decided to stop buying boxed tea and start sampling the bulk teas…have a spicy chai, a carob rum, and this lovely rosey herbal concoction to try. great sleep aid for me is to NOT have chai before bed…silly me. and some good ol’ outdoor work helps too. problem with counting sheep is they then stop jumping over the fence or there becomes a contemplative investigation into property rights and wool ownership in a sheep grazes entirely on the neighbor’s fodder….errrr….

  65. Autumn says

    This is SOOO yummy 🙂 Having it for the second time (in a week :p ) this morning in celebration of Valentine’s Day!!! AND I’m making your cookie dough dip for my Screw Valentine’s Day Party tonight :):) Everyone absolutely LOVED it at the last event I brought it to!

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