. . . BECAUSE IT’S MY BIRTHDAY.
Before making this, I thought to myself, “Bacon? Or white chocolate chips? Bacon? White chocolate chips?”
“. . . OR BOTH.”
It felt a little bit wrong to celebrate my birthday without peanut butter–although I assure you I had it later in the day–but once I came up with this idea, it seemed like a worthy alternative. The sweet potato base is cozy and earthy, the white chocolate chips add sweet and gooey bliss, and the bacon is–well–BACON. ‘Nough said. The three components together create a sweet-yet-salty, creamy-yet-crunchy, healthy-yet-indulgent combo.
You can use whatever bacon you want, but I highly recommend Sweet Earth “Benevolent Bacon” if you can find it. The BEST vegan bacon on the market, if you ask me (and no piggies harmed ?). Om nom nom.
**This is not a sponsored post!**
I have officially reached the second half of my 20s. I think now is when I’m supposed to go on some tangent about how “old” I’m getting. However, I find that aging comes with a lot of benefits. Childhood is obviously unbeatable, but once you reach young adulthood, there’s no going back, so you might as well look forward.
Reflecting on the last several years, I have found that every year gets a little easier. I understand myself better, I have more confidence, and I’m less stressed out by “adult” duties, like signing leases or paying bills.
Furthermore, when I was teaching, I valued getting older. Teaching is one of the few professions that values age, and as a young, newbie teacher, I constantly worried about how parents perceived me. With every birthday, I felt a little more valid, like I belonged in that classroom.
(As it turns out, I don’t belong in any classroom, regardless of my age. But I digress.)
So bring it on, 26. If you’re anything as good as this oatmeal, I think you and I are going to get along great.
Random Recommendations:
- [reads] My article on ThoughtCatalog: 11 Words that Take on New Meanings When You Move to NYC from a Rural Town.
- [vids] Did you know Waka Flocka Flame is a vegan?! I didn’t. Anyway, here’s his recipe for blueberry muffins.
- [tunes] My boyfriend introduced me to Duffy. We love her song “Warwick Avenue.”
What you'll need:
- 1 strip bacon of choice (I used Sweet Earth Benevolent Bacon, which is vegan)
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (or water)
- 1/2 cup quick cook steel cut oats
- 1 smallish sweet potato, peeled and cooked (or 1/2 a large one)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
- pinch of salt
- handful of white chocolate chips (I used King David brand, which is vegan)
How to make it:
- Cook bacon as directed on package. Set aside to cool.
- In a saucepan, bring milk/water to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you’d like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Mash sweet potato. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, stir into the oatmeal.
- Add vanilla extract, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Stir.
- When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Chop up the bacon and add to the top of the oatmeal, along with the white chocolate chips and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, fresh fruit, nuts, etc.).
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