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Author Archives: Lauren Smith
Rosemary Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
Last week, I gave you my Rosemary Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal, inspired by one of my new favorite cookies. This should show you just how much I love it (or, perhaps, how quickly I finish a bag of chocolate chips and how quickly rosemary turns into sad, dried-up needles).
Maybe a bit of both. 🙂
I guess this is kind of like the “cookie dough” version of the baked recipe. However, I didn’t use “cookie” in the title for either because 1) I hate long titles, and 2) not that many people hear “rosemary chocolate chip” and immediately think, “COOKIES!!!” Maybe someday.
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Weekend Musings: 20 Instagrammers Who Will Satisfy Your Inner Foodie
I often tell people, “My Instagram feed is entirely food and cats.” While my blog focuses on oatmeal, I think it’s inspiring to follow what other people are doing in the kitchen. Not only do I need ideas for what to make for the remaining meals of the day, but I often find inspiration for my oatmeal recipes from what flavors and ingredients other bloggers are working with. Because I am so fond of my food porn, I’m going to share with you my twenty favorite Instagram foodies this weekend.
Rosemary Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
HOLD YOUR JUDGMENT. Hear me out.
Before you scrunch up your nose, you should know that I did not come up with this concept. It’s already a thing. Just ask Pinterest. In other words, many people have already given this baby the stamp of approval, so you have no reason not to try it.
Here’s how I discovered it. My favorite coffee shop, which I have visited over 140 times because espresso is a fundamental human need, recently began selling salted rosemary chocolate chip cookies. There are several aspects of this that grabbed my attention:
- Salted cookies are fabulous.
- Chocolate is wonderful.
- Rosemary is my Herb of the Moment.
- Mmm, cookies.
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Elnè and Claudine!
It’s time for my first Enthusiast duo! I have often admired the oatmeal photos shared on Elnè and Claudine’s Instagram account, @happyhealthyhangry, and after finding out it was run by a sister pair, I couldn’t think of a reason why they both shouldn’t have the spotlight together this month.
We’re Elnè and Claudine, two sisters living in South Africa who have slowly but surely developed an obsession with oatmeal. About two years ago we both decided to start living healthier lifestyles. The first thing we cut out was sugar. So, no more breakfast cereal. This is where oatmeal, especially quick oats, came into play. It was a convenient and healthy breakfast perfect for Elne, who is a university student without a stove, and Claudine who needs to get up early for school.
We started experimenting with different flavor combinations and cooking methods. The first of which was simply adding a heap of peanut butter to oats, which is still a favourite. We became more and more adventurous and after discovering The Oatmeal Artist’s blog our horizons have broadened even further and we find inspiration in the loads of recipes she has on her blog. Sometimes our crazy combinations work (can anyone say Bovril and banana?) and sometimes they don’t. We take full advantage of the end of year holiday in South Africa which provides us with more than enough time to experiment and fine tune our oatmeal baking skills.
As of 2016 Claudine will start a new chapter in her life by joining her older sister Elnè, now in her fourth year of studying medicine, at university. Claudine plans on pursuing her love of cooking by becoming a food journalist. We plan on staying oatmeal enthusiasts for the rest of our lives.
Saturday 26 Dec 2015: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Smoothie
After the massive amounts of food consumed on Christmas, neither one of us felt like having a heavy breakfast. Cue the smoothie. A bit of oatmeal keeps you full, without that heavy, sluggish feeling. Making this smoothie is very simple; just blend about 2 tablespoons of uncooked oats with frozen yogurt, Peanut butter, cacao, milk and any sweetener you prefer (we use a low kilojoule sugar substitute). (more…)
Best of 2015
See also: Best of 2012 / Best of 2013 / Best of 2014
In the “Best of 2014,” I said that it had been “definitely the most difficult year of my life.” That’s because I hadn’t met 2015 yet. Happily, I escaped the soul-sucking nightmare that is teaching and have spent the last several months focusing on my mental health and progressing my professional career in grad school. One of my favorite parts of this major life change is that I’ve been able to return to blogging with purpose and enthusiasm after struggling to keep the blog afloat during my teaching years. With that dedication, my blog has flourished and progressed in ways I never imagined. First and foremost, 2015 was absolutely the year of zucchini!
Without further ado, here are some of the top recipes from the year!
1. Fan Favorite Recipe
Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal with Java PB2! I wasn’t sure how you would receive this new spin on my Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal, but it turns out, you loved it! The only page you visited more than this recipe in 2015 was the Recipe List. ?
Lemon Berry Rosemary Oatmeal + Product Review: BetterOats
It has been a while since I put out a lemon recipe. Then I saw this recipe for Lemon Rosemary Shortbread cookies, and considering my recent love for rosemary, I knew this needed to happen.
Lemon pairs well with almost any herb. I’ve already paired it with thyme, but rosemary is my jam right now. This recipe uses the hidden banana trick, and it was adapted closely from my Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal, so if you’re (inexplicably) not into rosemary, you can always just make it sans herb. (more…)
Gingerbread Persimmon Oatmeal + Product Review: BetterOats
Lately, I have been on the constant prowl for recipes that would work well with persimmon. My philosophy is this: persimmon has a muted but pleasant flavor, and pairs best with bold flavors. That is why I used this delightful fruit atop my Chai-Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal; it contributed a calm sweetness to an otherwise “loud” oatmeal base.
Next up? Gingerbread.
I have made gingerbread oatmeal a variety of ways: with banana, with sweet potato, and with pumpkin. Truthfully, they all work beautifully, and it all depends on what “background flavor” you want in your life (i.e. just pick your favorite). Alternatively, you could use grated zucchini or yellow squash for a nutritional filler that adds no flavor. (more…)
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POSTED IN: bananas, dessert lovers, hidden banana, persimmon, pumpkin, review, sweet potato, veggies, zucchini
POSTED IN: bananas, dessert lovers, hidden banana, persimmon, pumpkin, review, sweet potato, veggies, zucchini
10 Oatmeal Recipes to Celebrate Your Holiday Weekend
While I completely support eating any oatmeal at any time of the year (Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal in July? Yep, I’ve done it), it can be satisfying to enjoy seasonal recipes, especially during the holidays.
For me, and I’m assuming many other people, holidays like Christmas become a weekend (or week-long!) event. Here are ten recipes to start every morning with a festive bowl of oats.
Gingerbread Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Not only is this sweetened by bananas, but it makes more than a single serving. Hizzah! (more…)
Chestnut Maple Latte Oatmeal
Like my Chestnut Maple Oatmeal, this originally took inspiration from chestnut praline. In fact, I had heard of Chestnut Praline Lattes from Starbucks, and, despite the fact that I have no idea what that is or what it tastes like, I thought I should replicate it. I have been known to do that. ?
But then I saw it’s already been done, and I decided not to go through the trouble. What is praline, anyway? I don’t have time for that nonsense. We all know maple syrup is tastier anyway.
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Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese
I’m not going to sugar-coat this: I hate these pictures. I planned to post this recipe ages ago, but I hated the pictures too much. However, I’m also too lazy to retake them.
Ugly pictures it is, then.
This recipe is honestly just my Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Tofutti* cream cheese swirled in. Ground-breaking, I know. But is there any better compliment to carrot cake than cream cheese? (Don’t you dare say raisins.)
*This is not a sponsored post.
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