Strawberry Limeade Overnight Oatmeal

This week, I did something I’ve never done before: I purchased a fresh lime.

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Gasp! I know, I know. That’s pathetic. Using fresh limes and lemons was never something my family opted to do. We used those sketchy bottled juices and called it good. Recently, living with my roommate Allison has taught me the value in using fresh citrus. First of all, the taste is unmatched and incredibly bright and refreshing. Furthermore, it’s cheap!! Sure, I will continue to have the bottles on hand for unexpected citrus needs, but I will be turning to fresh limes and lemons more often.

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The lime was purchased for this recipe. I’ll be honest – I was exceptionally nervous about its result. I tried a similar recipe once upon a time, but I did not blend the strawberries and citrus together, and the strawberry became unpleasantly sour, to the point that it tasted nearly rotten! As it turns out, blending the fruit together before letting it sit overnight cures this fluke. Don’t ask me why; I’m an artist, not a scientist. 🙂
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Honeydew Overnight Oatmeal

For the most part, I have transitioned beautifully to urban life. I love public transportation, bustling sidewalks, diverse eateries, and city parks surrounded by cement and skyscrapers. The one thing that continues to challenge me is grocery shopping.

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I do not own a car in New Jersey, so I either walk or take public transit. I have several different grocery options, but all of which are at least a mile away. This is not a terrible walk, but it can get uncomfortable when I’m lugging heavy grocery bags. Thus, items like melons, squash, and big cartons of almond milk can be a pain.
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Become a fan on Facebook!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Starting today, you can “like” The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook! I will share links to new posts, ask “poll” questions to survey my audience, and share other pictures, news, and info. I hope you will consider liking the page so you can keep up with all my latest shenanigans!

Other ways to stay up-to-date:
– Follow me on Twitter @lauren_015
– Follow me on Pinterest @lauren015
– Follow me on BlogLovin (The Oatmeal Artist)


Lemon and Kiwi Oatmeal

I hope nobody is bored of my lemon recipes! This will be the last one for a while, I promise. And trust me, this one is a fabulous one to finish with. It’s bright, fruity, and energizing! I made this for dinner on a beautifully sunny day (didn’t need a jacket!), and I savored every golden spoonful while lounging on my wood floor next to an open window. Oh, spring! I love thee.

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I resent the idea that oatmeal is only a “winter food.” Boo on that! If you haven’t noticed, I enjoy oatmeal year-round.  The heat doesn’t bother me because I’m usually cold in the mornings, regardless of the season. Of course, I could always prepare refrigerator oats instead…but I rarely eat cold oatmeal anyway. As I’ve mentioned before, I always heat up my overnight oats before eating them. There is just something so comforting about warm porridge!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Oatcakes for One

After exploring every oatmeal option to use my lemon extract, I had to move on to the next format: pancakes.

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I’m so glad I discovered how to make these single-serving pancakes. It’s wonderful to have pancakes in the morning without standing over the stove, flipping extra pancakes for half an hour. Also, these oatmeal pancakes treat me without ripping my stomach apart. My body hates Bisquick!

Now, I’ll be honest, these pancakes are perfectly tasty but not overly sweet. I included an optional sweetener in the ingredients list for those of you who know you have a sweet tooth. No judgment. 🙂
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Orange, Cherry, and Chocolate Oatmeal

Success! I finally got three posts in a week again. I’ve been in a two-post slump for a while. It’s probably because I’ve been going through a major Lemon Coconut phase, and that’s all I’ve been making! Today, I finally pulled myself together and made a new recipe.

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I know I’ve told you this before already, but these dried cherries my mom sent me were a game-changer. I find them so much more flavorful and appealing than frozen cherries…or even fresh ones. I love using them in my oatmeal because they actually provide a cherry taste! The frozen cherries I bought from Whole Foods are just not cutting it for me.
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Fruit-on-the-Bottom Oatmeal

I’ll be honest right from the start: I have never had (nor do I have the desire to try) fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. First of all, it’s not available in nondairy varieties, so that’s an obvious deterrent. Moreso, the “fruit” on the bottom has been heavily processed and coated with sickeningly sweet high fructose corn syrup. Um, no.

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Like most of my recipes, I’ve been eager to try this one for a while. It required me to have yogurt on hand, which I usually lack. Whenever I have it, I end up demolishing it before I can even attempt this or the other yogurt-demanding recipes.
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50 Toppings to Spruce Up ANY Porridge!

Today we’re talking about TOPPINGS! Although I tend to stick to the same toppings (sliced almonds, anyone?), I love jazzing up a classic oatmeal with new and exciting topping ideas. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I have posted a few recipes for sauce-like toppings (link below, #50), but this post will dare to go further! Some are a little obvious, and some are a little more out there. Nothing is off the table. 🙂

50 Topping Ideas for Oatmeal
  1. Nuts – whole, sliced, pieces, or crushed
  2. Sunflower, pepita, or sesame seeds
  3. Ch-ch-ch-chia! (shown below)
  4. Apple sauce
  5. Homemade caramel sauce
  6. Lemon (or orange, lime, or grapefruit) zest
  7. For savory oats: fresh chives, basil, parsley, cilantro
  8. Chocolate-covered raisins or nuts
  9. Chocolate-Avocado Mousse
  10. Nondairy yogurt (shown below)

Lemon Drop Overnight Oatmeal

My goodness. Ever since I made that Lemon Coconut Oatmeal over spring break, I just CAN’T. STOP. I came back to the Jerz, went to Whole Foods, and somewhat begrudgingly (I’m cheap) passed over the ~$5 for a bottle of lemon extract. But now I can have wonderfully lemony oatmeal ALL THE TIME!

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You could obviously top this with coconut and make it Overnight Lemon Coconut Oatmeal, but as is, this recipe is just a straight-up celebration of lemon. Don’t skip the banana; I promise it’s necessary! The yogurt will make it creamy but is not essential to the recipe.
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Savory Greek Oatmeal

[This post was updated on Jan. 3, 2016.]

I’ve said it once (or twice) and I’ll say it again: I’ll take my oats sweet, thank you. Still, I’m eager to keep experimenting with savory oatmeal, and I’m especially eager to bring you new, exciting recipes!

Savory Greek Oatmeal #vegan

As much as I would love to say Greek food is my favorite, I have to admit that my definition of Greek food is embarrassingly shallow. I love Greek salad, and basically any menu item that claims to be “Greek” due to the inclusion of black olives and feta. I even used to think falafel was Greek, but I’ve since learned better (ahem, it’s Middle Eastern. whatever . . .). Continue reading