Popular Porridges
Monthly Archives: August 2015
8 Simple Tricks to Spruce Up Pre-Flavored Oatmeal
Several pictures below originally appeared in my post 10 Tips for Eating Oatmeal While Traveling.
I think we’ve all been in that spot before: maybe you’re stuck with the limited options of a hotel continental breakfast, you’re a guest trying to make your daily porridge in a home without plain oats, a well-intentioned friend has given you a box of Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal, you’re “making it work” in a campus dining hall, or perhaps you’re simply trying to use up an old supply of oatmeal from before your transition to homemade porridge.
At one time or another, we’ve all held a packet of Apple Spice or Peaches ’N’ Cream or Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal and thought, “How can I possibly enjoy this?”
Maybe I’m being too presumptuous. Some of you may still like those famous flavored packets. However, judging by the sentiments repeatedly expressed by my Oatmeal Enthusiasts, many of you share my dissatisfaction of the old packets. Once you go homemade, the pre-flavored stuff just doesn’t do it anymore.
Certainly, it may not reach the same level of enjoyment as your usual Sweet Potato Fudge Oatmeal or Peach Cherry Almond Oatmeal at home, but you can hack a flavored packet to make it more tasty!
Here are some tricks to make a flavored packet more enjoyable to your new, sophisticated palette. 😉
Blueberry and Basil Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans [Guest Post]
Hello, TheOatmealArtist readers! It’s Monica from My Pink Recipe Book again, back to share another oatmeal recipe, this time for a Blueberry and Basil Steel Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans. Being a full-time med student, my food-focus is typically quick and easy, while always being healthy and full of nutrient-dense ingredients. Thus, oats are a very common staple in my diet.
My love for combining fruits and herbs all started with a Strawberry and Basil smoothie I made at the beginning of this summer. Realizing what a fantastic pairing they were, I vowed to create more recipes pairing fruits and herbs. One evening, as I was pondering what to have for my breakfast the next morning, I glanced over, and similarly to Lauren, spotted my basil plant by my window. (aside: my too has since withered away) Immediately, I knew I wanted to make a steel cut oatmeal in the morning that would pair well with this delicious, slightly sweet and licorice-tasting herb.
Since I had tried strawberries already and knew they were a winner, I thought to venture out to more berries and include blueberries instead. Since I like to keep my breakfasts high in protein, I tossed in a generous amount of chopped pecans. Topping this oatmeal dish off with a drizzle of honey made it feel almost like a dessert, but knowing how healthy it really was made it that much more enjoyable to eat.
To get the recipe, head on over to my blog and read more about the Blueberry and Basil Steel Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans.
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Cassie!
Although I have discovered many previous Enthusiasts on Instagram, Cassie was a special case. I love seeing my recipes duplicated on Instagram, but another thing I love is receiving comments on my posts. Cassie was consistently posting enthusiastic responses to my new recipes, and it didn’t take long for me to notice and start to recognize her name. I couldn’t wait to invite her to be August’s Oatmeal Enthusiast, and I’m so happy she accepted.
Wow, I cannot even begin how exciting it is to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast of August! I was beyond ecstatic since I comment on Lauren’s posts regularly and cannot get enough of her amazing concoctions. I tend to put the most effort into breakfast since it is my favorite meal of the day as well!
My name is Cassie, otherwise @superfitbabe on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, and I am an 18 year-old health and fitness blogger, foodie and traveler who loves trying new things. Oatmeal tends to be an exception since I frequently go back to making it, but I always discover creative recipes—including my favorite banana PB&J oatmeal and banana chocolate chip oatcakes from Lauren’s blog!
Growing up, my mother usually made my oatmeal for me. My first favorite oatmeal was the “Magicolor Cinnamon Crunch” Quaker instant oatmeal I had every day for breakfast before I would leave for preschool. I slowly grew out of rainbow sprinkles and grew to love cold cereal, especially the most popular kid brands such as Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms.* It stayed that way for a long time until eighth grade when I saw I needed to make healthier choices and switched to whole wheat bran flakes and fruity granola. The problem with cold cereal was that I was never full after one serving and would end up eating more than seven bowls in one sitting!
*TOA: I can’t help but interject that these were my favorites, too!
Eventually I researched that oatmeal was the main alternative to cold cereal and asked my mother to buy me my first large canister of rolled oats—yes, none of that pre-packaged instant oatmeal stuff! Later as I became more expertise in making oatmeal, I found amazing recipes and add-ins that thicken and volumize my oats—my favorites became egg whites, coconut flour and vegan protein powder!
I’ve been hooked on oatmeal ever since developing a healthy lifestyle and relationship with food—it’s so hard to get bored! If you don’t believe me, hopefully you’ll find so otherwise when you take a look at my week of oatmeal eats below!
Sunday: Salted Caramel-Glazed Oatmeal
I decided to use one and a half spoonfuls of coconut flour as my main oatmeal thickener. After sprinkling some cinnamon on the oats, I topped it with a golden plum, a strawberry, raspberry, some Evoke Healthy Foods Athletic Fuel muesli (with pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, cashews, almonds, and raisins), Nature’s Path Qi’a chia cranberry buckwheat cereal, and a healthy salted caramel glaze topping I made by stirring some Quest Salted Caramel protein powder with a few splashes of water. I loved the sweetness of the glaze and the fluffiness of the oats—it was basically eating a giant cinnamon bun with a bunch of my favorite toppings! (more…)
