Tag Archives: dried fruit

Eggnog Oatmeal

Sadly, my family was never an eggnog family. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I asked my mom what it was, so she bought me a carton of the store-bought variety so I could try it. I’ll admit now that most of it ended up being poured down the sink two weeks later (i.e. I was unimpressed). I’ve never had homemade eggnog, but it’s never been high on my priority list for foods to try, either.

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Now that I avoid dairy, I have even less desire to try the real stuff. However, I was exceptionally curious to try the dairy-free varieties after reading some reviews. I saw the rice ‘nog appear in Whole Foods even before Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t until a week ago that I finally captured the coconut ‘nog! As soon as I spotted it on an obscure refrigerated shelf in the corner of the store, I snatched a jug up in less time than it takes for my roommate to complain whenever we play Christmas music. 😉
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Cran-Apple Oatmeal

Growing up, my elementary school was across from my grandmother’s apartment. On days when it was too cold to walk home, I would go to her apartment until my mom could pick me up after work. She’d always make me a snack, but it’d be something simple like peanut butter spread on saltine crackers. It sounds dull, but I loved it.

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Along with the snack, she’d also have juice for me. I always thought her juice selections were strange and “grandma-ish,” like cranberry or cran-apple. For some reason, though, drinking it at my grandma’s house while I watched Arthur on PBS made it seem special, even if it wasn’t my favorite.
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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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Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffins

What do you do when a hurricane pummels your town and cancels school for four days? Bake. Bake all afternoon. Bake multiple batches of muffins and have your roommates taste-test for you.

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Here’s the result for you! These muffins are perfect for a healthy breakfast. They’re sweet enough to be delicious and satisfying, but not overly sweet like traditional muffins. They are also free of refined sugars and flours. You’re welcome!
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Sweet Potato and Cranberry Oatmeal

Having this job means packing lunches again. My entire first week, I stuck to two meals. The first was a PB&J sandwich. Shocking? No, not at all. 🙂

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The second was a baked sweet potato. With Earth Balance. And cinnamon. And a little salt. And dried cranberries. GOOD GRACIOUS.

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Zucchini-Nut Bread Oatmeal

I do actually make up the majority of my recipes. I slide out of bed, zombie-walk to the kitchen, and experiment. Trust me: when you make something every day, it’s hard not to become somewhat of a master at it.

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But sometimes I just like to try other bloggers’ ideas. Why not, right? Like I said about my Gingerbread Oatmeal: there’s no point in reinventing the wheel!

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Loaded Banana Oatmeal

Do you ever have trouble deciding which kind of oatmeal to make in the morning because you kind of just want everything??

If so, this one’s for YOU. It’s like an Everything Bagel, without the garlic.

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Normally, when we hear the word “loaded,” we think of heart attacks like loaded chili or loaded baked potatoes, which usually feature bacon, sour cream, and junk food like “Funyuns.” No, thanks.

THIS loaded concoction can be as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like. For a healthier route, look for toppings like fresh fruit, dried fruit, peanut butter, puffed rice, any type of yogurt, nuts, raw chia or hemp seed, banana butter, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, granola, or more sliced banana. You could also add maple syrup or honey on top.

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Fruity Tea-Steeped Oatmeal with Kiwi

I’m extremely picky about my teas. If it’s weak and boring, get it out of my sight. However, if it’s too strong and the flavors are super intense, I’m not a fan of that, either.

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This makes purchasing new teas extremely risky. They come in packs of twenty, so if I end up not liking it–too bad! I still have nineteen more. Luckily, I’ve developed ways to use up the teas I don’t like.
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Honey Nut Oatmeal with Apples

If you’re allergic to peanuts, look away now… 🙂

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The idea behind this recipe began a while ago, but I’ll take you back even further: I highly admire several food activists fighting Big Food these days. One of my idols right now is Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian from Seattle. He’s one of the best tweeters, constantly posting clever, educational, and witty updates. He’s also friendly and helpful, and he always answers any questions I ask him.

One of these questions popped up about a month and a half ago. I saw that bizarre PB2 product at the store; it’s basically a jar of dried peanut butter, in the form of powder. I rolled my eyes the first time I saw it, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about it later. Think of the possibilities! And what would it be like in my oatmeal? Wouldn’t it be like using cocoa powder instead of chocolate syrup (not to suggest chocolate syrup is in any way nutritionally similar to peanut butter!)?

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Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

There are so many beautiful things about oatmeal that make it perfect for poor college students like me. First of all, it’s insanely cheap. One large container of Quaker oats, which contains around thirty(!!) servings, costs around $3. That’s $3 for a month’s worth of breakfasts! Second of all, you don’t need fancy or expensive ingredients to make it special. A few pantry staples can whip up a fantastic bowl of porridge.

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My Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is the perfect example of this, which is probably why it’s a standard in my oatmeal repertoire. I originally posted this in my list of basic oatmeal recipes on my other blog. However, I refer to it so frequently that I felt it deserved it’s own post, so voila:

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