The Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.” is one of my favorite karaoke songs.

This song, written by Paul McCartney, is a nod to Chuck Barry’s “Back in the USA” and something of a Beach Boys parody (“Georgia girls”=”California Girls”?)—a great musical example of pastiche.

Pastiche (noun):

: something (such as a piece of writing, music, etc.) that imitates the style of someone or something else

: a piece of writing, music, etc., that is made up of selections from different works

: a mixture of different things

The other morning, while trying to use up some ingredients that were taking up too much space in my cabinets, I threw together a Healthy Living Blog Pastiche for breakfast.

Ingredients:

For oats:

• 1/3 c rolled oats (instant would work too)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 scoop protein powder of choice (I used chocolate designer whey)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 c water (or milk of choice)
• 1/2 c blackberries or other fruit of choice

For PB2 “Fluff”

• 2 tbsp PB2 powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1-2 tbsp water

Directions

1. Mix oats, cinnamon, protein powder, and vanilla in a microwaveable bowl.
2. Add water and stir well. Microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring between—probably 2-3 minutes total.
3.  Top oats with berries.
4. In a small cup or bowl, mix PB2 powder and cocoa. Add water, a little at a time, stirring well until mixture has a uniform, fluffy texture. If preferred, you can add more liquid to make it more like a sauce.

What are your favorite karaoke songs? Some of my other faves are David Bowie’s “Modern Love” and Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives.” Oh—and the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Couldn’t forget that one…