Popular Porridges
Category Archives: Stove Top
Peach Almond Oatmeal with Pomegranates
Mmkay. Time to be vulnerable.
I’ve been somber lately. Maybe even a little hopeless.
My apartment does not offer great lighting. My window faces almost directly south, meaning the sun never fully shines inside, despite our big windows. I cannot take pictures outside without walking straight onto the bustling sidewalks of New York and lookin’ like a fool. I try taking pictures near my bedroom window during the brightest time of the day, but they still turn out grainy and discolored.
I have a pretty great camera (the top-rated point-and-shoot on the market), but it functions best in natural lighting. It’s not ready for indoor, dimly-lit food photography. Having just signed a lease on my first how-the-heck-does-it-possibly-cost-this-much NYC apartment, I can’t even fathom buying a fancy camera at this point.
Sweet Corn, Blueberry, and Basil Oatmeal
The best part about Manhattan can be summed up in one word: access. In this city, you can basically track down anything..with relatively little effort (as long as you’ve mastered the public transportation piece). Certainly, I could access most things from Brooklyn, but it was always such a drag. I used to make excuses about how inconvenient or tedious it would be, and I would just stay home. In my new location, it’s so easy!Farmer’s market. No excuses.
What is it about farmer’s markets that is so incredible?! Maybe it’s because there are so many unique items (love the habanero jam I bought from Beth’s Family Kitchen). Maybe it’s because there are free samples. Maybe it’s because everything is so stinkin’ fresh. :
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Nutty Pumpkin Berry Oatmeal, + Other Hacks for Banana Haters
Dear Banana Haters,This post is for you. Although it may seem like we play for opposite teams (I’m all like, “BRING ON THE ‘NANAS,” and you’re all, “UGH, I GAG!”), we’re not all that different.
You see, as much as I love (and NEED) my daily banana(s), I also know what it’s like to loathe an ingredient. Even before my transition to a herbivore lifestyle, I have never appreciated the taste of sour cream. I think it’s pretty vile, in fact. If my favorite blog kept making oatmeal topped with sour cream, I would be pretty ticked.
Therefore, I have a solution. You have probably noticed by now that most of my favorite recipes contain banana. Not wanting you to miss out, I have compiled a list of hacks for all you banana haters…including one new recipe (pictured below–scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe)!
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POSTED IN: berries, nuts, peanut butter, pumpkin, sweet potato, tips and tricks, winter squash
POSTED IN: berries, nuts, peanut butter, pumpkin, sweet potato, tips and tricks, winter squash
Cherry Almond Fudge Oatmeal
Since going to my parents’ house a little over a week ago, I’ve been hooked on my Fudgy Banana & Peanut Butter Oatmeal. Every time that I’ve had to photograph a new recipe–like this one–I basically had to force myself to say “no” to my beloved favorite. This recipe was a little easier to swallow since it’s still “fudgy,” but…no peanut butter?! The horror!
Luckily, I am satisfied with my decision as soon as I take the first bite!
I love cherry season. I think frozen cherries lack flavor, and dried cherries are tough and too chewy. Whenever I have fresh cherries to work with, I am a happy lady.
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Black Forest PB and J Oatmeal
The frustrating part about moving is having such limited groceries. I’m trying not to purchase any excess food before moving day, which means I’m stuck making oatmeal solely from pantry items. Luckily for you AND me, this gave me a reason to finally share a recipe I’ve been hoarding recently.
It’s easy for me to say that this oatmeal can be whipped up without making an extra trip to the store, but it would be delusional of me to think that everyone keeps chocolate nut butter and cherry jam on hand at all times. I do. ^_^ Thus, when I had no fresh fruit this morning, this was the perfect oatmeal to make.
Grape and Orange Marmalade Oatmeal
I must share a story with you.
This is my last day of school as a first-year teacher. On one of the days earlier this week, a student (whom I love, of course) brought goodies for the teachers. My colleague came into our workroom holding a bag of cookies and encouraged me to check out my mailbox because the student had left treats for each of us, along with personalized drawings for gift tags. Like every time a student brings gifts, I felt the same mixed feelings: flattered, but disappointed. Nine times out of ten, I end up giving away the non-vegan food item to a coworker (but appreciate the thought nevertheless).
I hustled to my mailbox anyway, eager to see the drawing this student left me. What did I find?
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Stewed Fig and Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Happy Tuesday! Happy last week of school for me! Happy birthday to my older brother, Christopher!
There are so many reasons to be happy this week. One of the reasons includes starting every morning with this oatmeal. The inspiration actually came from my dislike of the appearance of fresh figs. Why are they so unattractive? Thus, I thought to myself: maybe if I stew them or make a compote, I can enjoy the flavor of figs without the ugly appearance.
Well, it turns out that stewed figs are, in fact, uglier than a regular ol’ fresh fig. Bummer.
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Roasted Strawberry and Almond Butter Oatmeal + Getting Fit #6
Yay! Oatmeal! You love oatmeal! I love oatmeal! Let’s roast some strawberries and be friends.
But first, let’s check in with Crystal.
This is the sixth segment of my Getting Fit series. This series features my friend Crystal, a rockstar figure skater and fellow oatmeal lover. You can her blog, Confessions of Crystal, and check out her Instagram,@crystalchilcott.
TOA: Hello! How’s the concussion?
Crystal: It’s better now, but I’m at home in Pennsylvania and haven’t skated or worked out. It’s driving me crazy! How did the last two weeks go?
TOA: Great! I finally reached my goal of running 3 miles (twice!), and oddly enough, it was at my fastest pace yet! (~10 min/mile)
Crystal: That is wonderful! Has your energy level improved?
TOA: Not particularly. I’ve noticed I have more energy Saturday through Monday, but the rest of the week, I’m hopeless. I’m moving around my running schedule around to fit my “high energy” days and doing the bulk of it on weekends and early in the week (Mondays and Tuesdays). Last weekend, I went on a hike with a friend instead of my usual jog to switch things up!
Crystal: That’s great! Changing things up can help maintain your motivation and desire to run. Did you try interval running?
TOA: I did! This past Sunday, I didn’t feel like running at all, so I gave the intervals a shot. Every time I felt like walking, I started sprinting instead. Surprisingly, it worked! That night, I ran three miles again, and my whole body was exhausted afterwards. It was such a great workout.
Crystal: That’s great! That’s something you can always consider if you’re tired or not motivated. How do your strength exercises feel?
TOA: I’ll be honest: the last time I did three miles, I skipped them. My whole body was limp. But on this past Wednesday night, I only ran 1.5 miles (it was sweltering hot), so I did them. They are my least favorite part of the routine haha.
As I reflect on the last few months, I am so proud of how far I have come. Do I love exercising? Nope. Still hate it. Have I skipped a routine along the way? Definitely. Did I once go an entire week without running? Sure did. HOWEVER…have I given up? NO. The past several weeks, I have run at least twice (usually three times) every week. And I’m up to THREE MILES, and that’s with my super exhausted body right now. I can’t wait to see what I accomplish once summer vacation starts and I’m no longer a walking zombie.
Such a celebration demands some fancy porridge. I’ve been meaning to top my oatmeal with roasted strawberries for ages, but I finally tried it. It’s actually absurdly easy–just time-consuming.
Oh, and great news: I made this jar of almond butter last more than three days (because that happened once…). It’s been a solid two weeks and I haven’t finished yet. Yay?
Roasted Strawberry and Almond Butter Oatmeal + Getting Fit #6
What you'll need:
- 5 strawberries
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water
- 1/4 cup quick cook steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract OR almond extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon (omit if using almond extract)
- 1-2 tbsp of almond butter
- pinch of salt
- sliced or slivered almonds for topping
For the Roasted Strawberries
For the Oatmeal
How to make it:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an oven-safe ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Hull and quarter strawberries.
- Toss with maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Place in oven for about 20-25 minutes, until warm and juicy but still holding its shape. Set aside.
- Bring milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/4 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add extract of choice, optional cinnamon, and salt. Stir.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, swirl in almond butter. I like to not mix it in completely because I like finding globs of it when I'm eating. 🙂
- Transfer to a bowl. Top with sliced/slivered almonds and roasted strawberries. Add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.).
Salted (or not) Caramel Apple Oatmeal
One week remains of my first year of teaching! Each year, as my life and career become increasingly more demanding, I worry about how my blog will fit into my schedule. This year, I consistently worked 70-80 hours a week, yet I somehow managed to squeeze in a few hours each weekend to manage this blog . . . So if you’re wondering why I’m not so great at responding to blog comments anymore, that’s why. I’m sorry! I read and appreciate all of them!
Despite my long hours of classroom prep, I remained loyal to this blog. I think that’s quite telling. No matter how stressful my life was, I made this blog a priority. Why? I enjoy it. Yes, it’s a LOT of (more) work, but it’s also gratifying and therapeutic.
This recipe, like many others, has been stumping me for at least a year. How could I make a VEGAN caramel sauce? It’s not that I didn’t know how–there are tons of recipes out there. I just didn’t feel like making it (see above re: 70-80 hours a week)!
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Berry Blackout Oatmeal
All of my favorite recipes just made a baby.
It’s Brownie Batter + Fudgy Banana & PB + Nutty ‘Nana Berry. It’s the best threesome ever, and their baby is a GODDESS. YOU MUST MAKE THIS NOW. Cocoa powder + banana is my favorite oatmeal base. Strawberries are my favorite fruit topping. Peanut butter is MY LIFE. And this is CHOCOLATE peanut butter, so it’s obviously the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
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