Lavender Latte Oatmeal

This week’s oatmeal is inspired by two wonderful things. The obvious inspiration is that I literally had a lavender latte last month at Watercourse, my fave vegan spot in Denver. As most of you know, I’m more of an espresso type, but I decided to branch out and try a fancy latte. Considering lattes aren’t my style, I really enjoyed this! I’ve wanted to transform it into oatmeal ever since.

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water*
• 1/4 cup quick-cook steel cut oats*
• 1 tsp dried lavender (culinary grade)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree OR 1/3 cup grated zucchini (can omit)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or another sweetener)
• pinch of salt

How to make it:

1. Add milk and lavender to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add oats, and reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally.
2. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add pumpkin puree (or zucchini), vanilla extract, coffee granules, maple or other sweetener, and salt. Stir until puree is evenly distributed.
3. When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Top with desired toppings: steamed milk, nuts, coconut, etc.

Just an FYI:

As for the other inspiration …

Remember back in August when I gushed about lavender and its role in my mental health? Well, I have an announcement to back this claim up. Some of you already saw it on Instagram, but for those of you who didn’t…

Yep, I inked it. I like to think of it like an anti-anxiety medication that’s permanently attached to me. It’s a little tough to tell, but this is on the inside of my arm.

I just got this on Friday the 19th, so as I write this, it’s still a little tender and the green part is still tinged brown from blood (yikes). Despite this, I can’t stop looking at it. It’s beautiful. It’s three times bigger than what I actually wanted, but I’ve adjusted to seeing it there, stretching across the length of my upper arm, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. The added specks of blue and white are so charming.

ANYWAY. This week felt like the right time to try this lavender latte business. You could argue with the authenticity of this recipe since I use instant coffee granules instead of actual espresso, but it’s also oatmeal, so authenticity is already out the window. 🙂

And you might be wondering why the oats are so orange. I used pumpkin as the base of this oatmeal because I like the creamy texture, and I knew the coffee would successfully overpower the subtle pumpkin flavor. I kind of expected to still get a subtle hint of pumpkin (which I would be okay with) but I honestly didn’t. It was fabulous.

However, feel free to swap for zucchini if you want a truly neutral flavor. (Banana or applesauce may also work, but I haven’t tested it.)

Random Recommendations: 

• [tunes] Lil Wayne’s new album Tha Carter V