by Jen
on November 24, 2015
There’s nothing like a big bowl of oatmeal to warm you up on a cold morning. Temperatures in Charlotte have been dropping down into the 20s overnight so breakfast has been all about warm foods. After spending last winter drinking green smoothies while shivering in front of a space heater I decided that while smoothies are delicious, they’re not worth freezing over!
I have been playing around with all sorts of new oatmeal combinations. One of my favorite ways to switch up my oatmeal is to incorporate other grains. I rediscovered Cream of Wheat while visiting my grandmother a couple of weeks ago and brought the box back to Charlotte with me. Using a tablespoon of it in my oatmeal has made it super fluffy and voluminous, especially if I stir in an egg white at the end. If you haven’t tried this yet, I promise it’s not weird. My grandmother was so confused to see me stirring egg into my oatmeal but it’s tasteless and adds volume and a few extra grams of protein.
I also like to mix and match the fruits in my oatmeal. While banana and apple are my standard flavor choices, I’ve been loving a fall-themed pear and cranberry mixture lately.

Pear & Cranberry Cream of Wheat & Oatmeal Bowl
I wanted to share a recipe for you today for my Pear & Cranberry Cream of Wheat & Oatmeal Bowl. It’s a delicious mix of cream of wheat, oatmeal, chia seeds, pears and cranberries. If you want to take your oatmeal bowls over the top, add a scoop of peanut butter and some preserves on top. In this bowl I used blueberry preserves and natural salted creamy peanut butter but I can’t wait to make this again after Thanksgiving and top it with homemade cranberry sauce. Yum!
Pear & Cranberry Cream of Wheat & Oatmeal Bowl
(Recipe developed by Jen Eddins, Peanut Butter Runner)
And here are the nutritional stats. I shoot for 400-600 calories with breakfast so this falls nicely in that range. If I need a little staying power I usually just double up on the peanut butter. Always a good idea! 🙂
Looking for more warm breakfast inspiration?
Banana Egg White Oatmeal
Quinoa Breakfast Bake with Blueberries and Bananas
Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
{ }
July 22, 2026
I am such a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast. 95% of the time I’m craving a breakfast that is on the sweet side. That mostly alternates between smoothies or yogurt bowls with overnight oats, chia pudding or oatmeal occasionally thrown in there. On the rare occasion I go savory – it’s scrambled [...]
{ }
July 19, 2026
I want to bottle up this summer and make it last forever (well, maybe minus the wildly hot and humid weather that makes running a big thumbs down). I mentioned this in my last post…but I am really enjoying the slower pace and the days that feel like they have more space. While I’m trying [...]
{ }
July 10, 2026
Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the summer. We are in the dog days of it over here in Charlotte – the heat and humidity is off the charts – but it’s something I’ll embrace because I deeply appreciate the massive slow down that summer has brought. A lot of [...]
{ }
June 21, 2026
I recently traveled to Big Bear Lake, California for the inaugural Big Bear Peaks + Pines three-day stage race hosted by TransRockies Running. This was my third TransRockies event in 12 months (see also Colorado + Moab) and I’m here to tell you that they can do no wrong when it comes to race organization [...]
{ }
May 30, 2026
Happy weekend! Another week in the books! I got three runs in (6.5 miles, 5.5 miles, 5.5 miles) and I have a trail run planned for tomorrow. Total weekly mileage will end up around 30-35 miles depending on if I go for 13 or 17 tomorrow! I’m 16 weeks out from the Golden Ultra so [...]
{ }
May 23, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a very rainy one here in Charlotte and while I am a little bummed not to be spending the weekend in Florida with the fam or by the pool at our swim club (just opened for the season!), I’m also welcoming a slower pace and time at home. It’s been [...]
{ }
May 3, 2026
Hi and happy May! As we roll into the first full week of a new month, I have almost a month’s worth of lunch ideas for you. It’s a great mix of sandwiches, bowls, salads and wraps. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your midday meal! Open-faced chickpea salad sandwich on toasted [...]
{ }