Alternative title: S’mores Oatmeal 2.0. The original version was great, but I wanted to take another stab at it. It’s not often I have vegan marshmallows in my kitchen, so I wanted to create a s’mores-themed porridge that could be done with no marshmallows at all.
I know, I’m a rebel.
I promise you, this oatmeal is actually better than my original s’mores recipe, in my opinion. I can’t explain it, but I found this one way more enjoyable. Continue reading
Happy April! Meet this month’s Enthusiast, Rachel. You may know her from Instagram as @rachelhoatmeal, but I know her as the person whom I secretly thought was my sister-in-law for several months due to the fact that they share a first name and last initial, and I’m stupid like that. ? I eventually convinced myself they were not the same person, and I’m happy to share Rachel’s story here today!
Hi fellow oatmeal lovers! My name is Rachel. I am 18 years old and a high school senior in Missouri. I am a very active person, involved in gymnastics, track, student council, yacht club and AP classes. A busy lifestyle like mine requires much energy, and I get a great deal of my energy from a hearty bowl of oatmeal each morning.
In elementary school, I always ate breakfast at school; then throughout middle school I usually had Pop-Tarts or chocolatey cereal for breakfast. Sometime around my transition from middle school to high school I decided to try making chocolate oatmeal with instant oatmeal packets I found in our pantry. Unfortunately, I was not too pleased with my first oatmeal concoction. Following my first oatmeal blunder, I began to put Nutella and/or chocolate protein powder in my oats and thus began my relationship with oatmeal. Pinterest helped me discover many more ways to spruce up the measly instant oatmeal packets, besides Nutella and protein powder, soon I started using oats out of the carton instead of the packets. I happened upon Lauren’s blog when I was googling recipes, and I hopped onto the oatmeal bandwagon.
My sophomore year of high school was when my oatmeal enchantment really took full swing. I was infatuated with all the different recipes to try on the Oatmeal Artist and many of the overnight oat recipes on Pinterest that I enjoyed after morning weightlifting for track. Most often I made oatmeal with ⅓ cup oats to ¾ cup almond milk and water because the instant oatmeal packets were a ⅓ cup. However, during this time I also began to develop an obsession with working out and eating healthy. This year was a great time for me in track because my height in pole vaulting increased two and a half feet, but my weight dropped into a low percentile. Eventually my mom took me to the doctor who instructed me to gain weight for my health. Following this ordeal, I began to make my oatmeal with a full serving of oats. This aided in my recovery, but I also learned to love my body for all it allows me to do.
At the beginning of this year, I showed my friends the wide variety of oats I had on my camera roll, and they suggested I make an Instagram account to display my oats. I was hesitant but gave in, and my friend Emily named the account Rachel Hoatmeal, as a play on my last name and the word oatmeal. I have constantly made Lauren’s recipes, but until the beginning of this year I had never shared them on social media. I do really enjoy sharing my oatmeal in the mornings and my Instagram has become like own little oatmeal collection.
This is a bit of a twist on Lauren’s Dark Chocolate Dreams Oatmeal, but I made it overnight oats because I had track weight lifting before school. To make this an overnight recipe I used equal amounts of oats, almond milk, and Greek yogurt, then put some strawberries and bananas into it along with chia seeds and mixed everything in a nearly empty peanut butter jar. I usually eat a banana and maybe drink some coffee before weights then eat my overnight oats afterwards because I don’t like to eat a whole lot before weights and because it’s quicker in the morning to just pack already made oats then eat them at school.
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!
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. Continue reading
My concepts for savory oatmeal are often pretty complex and labor intensive. Last weekend, I decided to pursue a simple one—one that would come together with easy ingredients and could be topped with anything.
Here’s what I came up with!
Spring is my FAVORITE season. All the bad parts of winter literally melt away, and the sharp pains of bitter cold mornings are left behind. Warmer days come along, and an exciting anticipation of summer takes hold. I think the anticipation is even greater than summer itself, which comes with scorching hot days, sweat, and steep electricity bills. But not spring. It exists in a perfect little vacuum of mild temperatures, sunshine, and rebirth. Naked trees become green again, and Washington Square Park turns its mesmerizing fountain back on.
Another fabulous part of spring is the food. By the time March comes along, the prospect of spring produce can shake us free of our invisible contracts with potatoes and squash and let us explore greener things again. When the first day of spring snuck up on me yesterday (winter was such a whirlwind!), I couldn’t wait to start thinking of what would go in my bowl.
Here are my favorite recipes featuring spring produce (at least in the northern, western hemisphere).
Inspired by a popular risotto, this oatmeal features the king of spring vegetables (asparagus!!!!!) and its favorite flavor enhancer, lemon. There’s also peas, another springtime leader. A dusting of dairy-free parm and black pepper garnish this savory beauty perfectly.
>> RECIPE >>
If you love the idea of rhubarb (which explodes in gardens during the spring months) but aren’t a big fan of its intense tartness, try cooking it down in a reduction sauce. By pairing it with strawberry (another spring fave), you’ll tame that tartness AND capture that classic strawberry-rhubarb pie flavor. Add this to a simple oatmeal base or pancake!
>> RECIPE >>
Arugula (along with spinach) hits its prime during spring. Enjoy it in this savory oatmeal that gets a touch of sweetness from another spring royalty, oranges. This steel-cut porridge hits every taste bud with its sweet, savory, tart, and bitter flavors. Highly recommended!!
>> RECIPE >>
Another way to sweeten that tart rhubarb stalk is by pairing it with a hyper-sweet fruit like mango. Apparently, mango is also in season during spring months. Since I live nowhere near a tropical region, it’s hard for me to conceptualize this, but this is what the interwebz tells me. This is a super simple recipe that can also be prepared using frozen mangoes!
>> RECIPE >>
Feeling frisky? Chocolate for breakfast is always a great choice. Orange and cherries, both springtime fruits, pair beautifully with chocolate on their own, and altogether the three make an enticing combo of sweet, tart, and luscious that is hard to beat. The recipe can use fresh, frozen, or even dried cherry, so whatever you can find will do!
>> RECIPE >>
Here’s a nondairy company that I’m totally loving!
I first heard of Oatly in January 2016, when I received an email about the “up-and-coming” brand. I browsed their site, impressed by their offerings (a nondairy creme fraiche?!) and their ethics. Oh, and not to mention the design of their site itself. As a lover of aesthetics and good writing, I adore the playfulness of their site. Again, go back to the creme fraiche link and see what I’m talking about.
In the past few months, I’ve started seeing their products (just milk so far) popping up in grocery stores around NYC. Then, just a couple weeks ago, my favorite coffee shop ditched their soy milk and started using Oatly instead. ? NO SOY?! Continue reading
My Irish Soda Bread Baked Oatmeal is the St. Patrick’s Day-themed recipe that I am most proud of. The other minty creations (like the Shamrock Oatmeal Smoothie) are certainly fun and fit the essence of St. Patrick’s Day, but I love how this baked oatmeal is based on a real Irish dish.
Every Saturday, I gather oatmeal recipes from around the web from the previous 1-3 weeks, as well as outstanding Instagram photos. These posts may grow or evolve as time passes. Please feel free to give your feedback in the comments section!
Hello again!
Today I’m sharing with you a gluten-free snack brand called Nairn’s. This Scottish oat-loving company describes its products as a “versatile range of oatcakes, oat biscuits, oaty bakes and gluten free products which do not contain any artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives.” Of COURSE a snack brand dedicated to oats comes from Scotland. Where else? 🙂
In addition to being gluten-free, many of the products are also vegan, so I was able to try them myself!
My favorite thing about these treats is how they are NOT excessively sweet (compared to most American snacks). When I took a bite of the graham crackers, for example, I didn’t get a hit of cloying sweetness or flavors that many American crackers or cookies have.
As I’ve said before, toppings are a fun way to add just a dab of indulgence to an otherwise nutritious bowl of oatmeal. Dessert-like toppings are the perfect solution when you want to treat yourself but also don’t want to start your day with a stomachache.
