Tag Archives: almond

Choco-Cherry Cashew Oatmeal

KIND bars cost too much. Let’s all agree on that. Certainly, they are a high-quality product and deserve to cost as much as they do. However, this girl will not be buying them on the regular. This girl receives a living stipend (not an actual salary) and spends too much money at Banana Republic.

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However, I splurge on one or two bars from time to time. In August, when I was technically homeless for a week, was massively in debt, and had no functioning kitchen to cook in, I survived on bananas, hummus, and whole wheat naan. To make my life seem less pathetic, I also treated myself to one single KIND bar.

I remember unwrapping it for a mid-morning snack during my staff training session. For a moment, my boss’s voice faded off as my attention focused on the brilliance happening in my mouth. Dark chocolate, sweet cherries, and salty cashews worked harmoniously and created a chewy, crunchy, decadent snack bar.
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Peach Cherry Almond Oatmeal

Sometimes, I write these posts shortly after I’ve finished eating the oatmeal. Sometimes, I write it weeks after the last time I ate it. And sometimes, like right now, I write it while I’m eating it.That’s how you know it’s good.

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Almond Berry Overnight Oatmeal

What’s the general consensus on almond extract? Sometimes, I truly love it. It’s dynamite in my Pear and Almond Baked Oatmeal and killer in Almond Joy Oatmeal. Other times, I can’t help but be a little peeved by it. I mean, it doesn’t actually taste like almonds, in my opinion.

Anyway, the perk of almond extract is that it steals the show, meaning it’s perfect for a “hidden banana” recipe. I make this overnight recipe whenever I’m in the mood for a creamy and fruity porridge, but I’m not in the mood for the taste of bananas. (Lately, I’ve filled this need with my Lemon Drop Oatmeal, but hey, it’s good to have options!)
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Berry Chocolate Crunch Oatmeal

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, taste buds!
For I ne’er tasted true beauty till this week.

Sweetest pepitas…

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If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To EAT YOU.

I know I’m being incredibly overdramatic, but my confession must capture the scale of my new infatuation. This past weekend (thanks to my mother’s birthday present), I tried pepitas for the first time. I’ve had “roasted pumpkin seeds” before, but they were nothing like “pepitas.” You would think they would be equally wonderful (considering pepitas are pumpkin seeds), but there is definitely a difference, the first being that pepitas are as glorious to this night as is a winged messenger of heaven, and “roasted pumpkin seeds” are just a big pile of “meh.”
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Single-Serving Muesli

Are you aware that muesli is just raw oats and a smorgasbord of random ingredients that could easily be assembled in thirty seconds? Are you aware that you could just grab whatever nuts, dried fruit, seeds, or what-have-yous and throw it in to your muesli? Are you aware that you need not purchase $6 boxes of mediocre muesli from the store?

I’m going to give you a moment; this revelation can be a little troubling. After all, if you’re like me, you may have been depriving yourself of this wondrous breakfast because “it’s too expensive” and it’s a “luxury item.” Now, you’ve realized you’ve been wrongfully missing out.

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When I studied abroad in Ireland (thank you, world, for your kindness to me), I ate muesli for breakfast every single morning. The first morning, I chose porridge for obvious reasons. However, it was bland and runny and not my style. Then, I noticed that every place we stayed was serving Alpen Swiss Muesli. I had never heard of muesli before then, but I was immediately smitten. It was like a healthier version of granola, and it went beautifully with peaches and plain yogurt, which must be popular in Ireland because every single place we stayed at offered these items in their “buffet” lines.
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Peach and Almond Butter Oatmeal

Guys, I might have a new favorite oatmeal recipe. I mean, I love the Baked Peanut Butter Cookie, and the Nutty ‘Nana Berry, and the Neapolitan, but this one has peaches! PEACHES!! And almond butter!! Two things that are amazing on their own are now brought together in this beautiful bowl of happiness.

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First, let’s talk about peaches. Juicy. Sweet. Tastes like summer. And then there’s almond butter: rich, but sweeter and milder than its peanut cousin. Because of its milder flavor, it lets the peaches be the star, while still lending that rich, buttery taste.
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Cranberry Almond Oatmeal

It’s been a little quiet this week, for which I will not apologize! I enjoyed the break. I came down with the flu last weekend, and it set me back quite a bit. I had recipes to post, but I felt pretty tired, busy, and lethargic the rest of my week. It took me heap-loads of ambition to drag myself out of my funk this morning, but I’m finally back.

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I recently received an Amazon gift card for Christmas. Being a very strange person, I decided to buy groceries with it. Like anyone who eats freakishly strange but healthy food, some products (e.g. chia seeds!) can be expensive and/or hard to find, and Amazon is a beautiful place to find these things. What did I buy with my earnings? KIND bars.

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Pear & Almond Baked Oatmeal

Like a pear and almond tart…

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Fluffy…flavorful…sweet…
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Blueberry Oat Muffins

I am extraordinarily fond of my Blueberry Muffin Baked Oatmeal recipe. It was my very first baked oatmeal attempt, and it ended up being one of the most popular recipes on my blog. It was actually #1 for several months, until the Salted Brownie came along. 🙂

If that recipe hadn’t turned out as well as it had, I might have been turned off baked oatmeal forever. Instead, it sparked my curiosity. Yes, it was more time-consuming and finicky, but it had its pay-offs. Now, of course, I’m almost as obsessed with baked oatmeal as I am with stove-top.

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But I’m getting off-track. I realized today that if I loved that recipe so much, why not convert it to mimic actual blueberry muffins?
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Blueberry Almond Baked Oatmeal

Happy Saturday, fellow oatmeal lovers!

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It’s so nice to have a Saturday morning at home again. I returned to my usual weekend morning routine of simultaneously making oatmeal and cleaning the kitchen. Why is cleaning the kitchen so cathartic to me?
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