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Category Archives: Announcements
The Blog’s 5th Birthday + a GIVEAWAY by Nairn’s!
Friends!
Tomorrow, my blog turns five years old. Five years! This little baby is ready for kindergarten.
I’m celebrating with a GIVEAWAY for FIVE winners, courtesy of Nairn’s and their fabulous gluten-free oatcakes and crackers!! Scroll down for details.
This past year has not been easy as I’ve gotten more and more frustrated with my inadequate camera and photography skills ? but I’m still proud of the posts I managed to publish this year.
Like this Pumpkin & Kale Steel Cut Oatmeal:
Contest Announcement: Spring Recipes!
Hello, oatmeal lovers!
It’s time for another oatmeal recipe contest. First there was the Savory Oatmeal Contest, then the Brownie Baked Oatmeal Contest, and now I am pleased to present the SPRING Oatmeal Contest!
(I do recognize, of course, that in the Southern Hemisphere, it is not spring. I apologize for that.)
^ Strawberry Basil Oatmeal ^
What is “Spring” Oatmeal? That’s the best part of this contest–you can take it in many different directions, as long as it reflects seasonal spring produce. (more…)
Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars + Oh She Glows Every Day Cookbook Review
Last month, I completed a self-imposed challenge in which I tried 20 recipes from the original Oh She Glows cookbook. Coincidentally, I’m back today for the virtual cookbook tour of Oh She Glows Every Day, Angela’s second cookbook.
Like the original, this follow-up book seeks to wow plant-based and omni eaters alike with wholesome and hearty meals. Angela’s ability to create soul-enriching and nourishing meals never ceases to amaze me, always bursting with invigorating fresh flavors. If you’re stuck in a frozen veggie burger stage, Oh She Glows Every Day has several enticing recipes that may convince you to swap your ketchup and frozen fries with some green onion and roasted chickpeas. I can’t wait to try The Best Shredded Kale Salad, Mocha Empower Glo Bars, Roasted Breakfast Hash, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Coconut “Bacon,” and the Sweet Potato Casserole. And that’s just the beginning!
Weekend Musings: OSG Cookbook Part II
I am completing a challenge using the Oh She Glows cookbook (the first one). For this challenge, I am preparing 20 recipes from the book in one month’s time. To read Part I of this challenge and see the first ten recipes, click here.
Recipe 11: Immunity-Boosting Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms
I had a ton of baby bellas leftover from the Easy Mushroom Gravy, and they were screaming to be used ASAP. Considering I already had many of the remaining ingredients for this sauce in my fridge, cupboard, and spice rack, this seemed like the perfect recipe.
I used to make my own marinara sauce on the regular, so this reminded me of my hardcore #FoodRevolution days, before I calmed the heck down. I was anxious about having actual chunks of tomato in this sauce (as opposed to pureeing them), but the sauce is well-flavored and the tomato soaked it all up nicely.
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Call for Submissions! Savory Oatmeal Contest
At the request of a reader (I searched the comments but could not find who said it–sorry!!), I am holding a guest post contest for savory oatmeal recipes! While I enjoy savory oatmeal and have a long list of ideas for them, I rarely have the motivation to actually make them, so I’m pawning off my duties to YOU! (I’m not too proud to admit my laziness. ^_^ )
What are the rules for the contest recipes?
- It must be a savory recipe and use oats–not other grains.
- The recipe does not have to be vegan, but preference will be given to vegan or vegan-friendly recipes.
- It must be inherently savory (e.g. herbed pumpkin & leek oatmeal), NOT a sweet-salty blend (e.g. salted plum oatmeal).
- The recipe can be a single serving or a big batch. It can be steel-cut or quick. It can be baked or stovetop. Please no pancake, muffin, or baked goods recipes.
- I recommend looking through my savory recipes to avoid pitching an idea for something I’ve already done.
Announcement! TOA Comment Contest
Happy Sunday, friends!
You can tell by the fact that I’m posting on Sunday that I have a special announcement today.
I love blogging. I do a lot of writing (did you see my published article on Thought Catalog???), but blogging allows me a constant, structured, uncensored outlet for my writing. Seeing my “fanbase” (quotes added because I feel unworthy to call it that) grow steadily throughout my blog’s three and a half years has been such a blessing.
I apologize for the excessive amount of parenthetical comments in that paragraph. Bad writing.
However, I’ve noticed something. You guys don’t comment much. As I peruse other blogs, even ones with fewer followers than mine, I see a slew of comments on each post. Why are my posts not receiving comments? Hmm. . . Being trained in data-driven education, I can infer that people are less likely to comment if they so nobody else is commenting, and they are more likely to comment if they see it’s what everyone else is doing. Perhaps I have not done my part as the blog host to create a culture of commenting.
Why does it matter? Because comments are fun. They give me motivation and push my creativity. The also give me valuable feedback about how my recipes turn out in YOUR kitchens. They also show which recipes you guys are more interested in, and which you couldn’t care less about. This is all valuable data for me.
So here’s the contest.
For every FIVE comments that you post on ANY recipe/post (including the Oatmeal Enthusiast series, Saturday round ups, and Weekend Musings) between TODAY and November 14th at 11:59 PM EST, you will receive one point.
The commenter with the most points will get to be the final Oatmeal Enthusiast of 2015 (the coveted December slot!) . . . even if you’ve already been one!
Rules:
- Your comments may not be spam in nature. This includes copy-and-pasting identical or near-identical comments on multiple posts. Give me authentic comments, please.
- “Throwaway comments” will not be counted. A throwaway comment is something with minimal meaning, like “Cool!” or “Interesting!” I am looking for engagement. The definition of engage is to “occupy, attract, or involve someone’s interest or attention.” “Cool” is not attracting anyone’s interest. Here are some exemplary comments:
As you can see from the last example, they need not be lengthy, but Cassie was explicitly responding to the conversation within the post. - All eligible comments (see rules 1 and 2) posted between NOW and Nov. 14th at 11:59 PM EST will be counted. Five eligible comments = 1 point!
- Make sure you post under the same name/account each time, as that is how I will track who is commenting. (Yes, I’m doing this manually–yippee!) Anonymous posts will not be counted. Consider using your last initial if you think it will help with identification.
- Responding to other readers’ comments also counts.
Here are some tips for getting started:
- Obviously, comment on new posts as they come out. Let me know what you think of the recipe idea. However, my favorite comments are your thoughts on the oatmeal after you’ve actually made it. Here’s an example of my favorite kind of comment (although I don’t expect every comment to be of this caliber!):
- Look back at your favorite recipes on the site and leave a note telling me why/how much you like it.
- Leave a comment on a recipe telling how you adapted it to suite your taste/dietary preferences.
- Leave a comment on an Oatmeal Enthusiast post sharing how you can relate to their story.
- Leave a comment on a “Weekend Musings” post sharing additional tips that I may have missed, or anecdotes that relate to mine.
- Leave a comment on a post requesting more of that kind of recipe. For example, I don’t have a lot of recipes with plums. If you love plums, tell me on a plum recipe that you’d like to see more plum recipes in the future!
Ready . . . set . . . COMMENT!
You have until Nov. 14th at 11:59 PM. 🙂
Restaurant Review: Grød [Guest Post]
TOA: The following review was written by reader Renee. Grød can be found in Copenhagen, Denmark. If you have a special oatmeal eatery in your stomping grounds, we’d love to hear about your experience!
I have been a faithful follower of The Oatmeal Artist for several years now and eat oatmeal every day for breakfast, come what may. Eating in an oatmeal restaurant has long been on my bucket list, but as I only knew of the one in New York City, I wasn’t sure when I would get the chance. However, I have been working in Paris for a semester and recently took a trip to Copenhagen. Before my trip, I learned that there is an oatmeal restaurant there called Grød. Visiting Grød was on top of my list of things to do there, and I convinced three friends to come along on Sunday morning. Grød has three locations in Copenhagen, and we chose the location in an indoor specialty food market that was near our hostel.
The menu was Danish, but they had an English translation available. There were several sweet and savory options, with additional grains other than just oatmeal. However, the savory options were not available until after 11 am. There were also several options for people with food allergies: gluten-free oatmeal or quinoa, and a choice between soymilk, ricemilk, or water. The oatmeal came in two sizes: regular or large. (more…)
