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Community Round-Up! How do you use PB2 in oatmeal?
Hi everyone! I was putting together a round-up of ideas for using PB2 (or similar brands) with oatmeal. I was halfway through when I realized that I could put together even more ideas with your help.
Comment below! How do you use PB2 in or with your oatmeal?
My One-Year VEGANNIVERSARY!
I know I don’t normally do posts like this, but this is a big deal. One year ago (yesterday), I woke up a vegetarian, and I went to bed an actual herbivore. After tinkering with the idea for multiple years, I attended a Meetup for NYC vegetarians and vegans, and after having brunch with some fellow vegans, I suddenly felt the ambition to make it official. (more…)
#FarmFreshOatmeal Update
Remember, the jam/applesauce giveaway will go to the Instagrammer who uploads the 50th #FarmFreshOatmeal post! I am happy to announce that we are over halfway there, and we need just ELEVEN MORE to reach 50 before next Friday!! As I said earlier, if we don’t reach 50, I’ll keep them for myself. ^_^
Here are some of my favorite uploads from the past couple of weeks.
First of all, I was super pleased to see that someone already made my Strawberry Pretzel Overnight Oatmeal…with farm fresh strawberries!
Lenore made use of her local peaches.
Get those berries before they’re gone!
FIG SEASON, YOU GUYS.
I don’t know about everyone else’s markets, but the blueberries at the Union Square Green Market have been taking over!
Love this. 🙂 This is Morning Glory Oatmeal, and it’s perfect for this time of year. Zucchini, carrots, and apples are everywhere!
Victoria takes such beautiful pictures!
Keep ’em coming! We have to reach 50, and there’s only 6 days left!
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
#FarmFreshOatmeal
Hello, happy people! Or unhappy people. I don’t discriminate.
Like I mentioned last week, I’m digging farmer’s markets lately. It’s my new weekend hobby. I absolutely love living in Manhattan and having such easy access to so many markets. It’s kind of like this:
Anyway, I have been using the farmer’s market as inspiration for my oatmeal recipes. My list of recipe ideas is pretty much a mile long, and being the indecisive person that I am, it’s a tad overwhelming to select which recipes to make that week. Using the ingredients that are available at the market alleviates the stress of that decision.
(Yes, I have intense decision-making problems. You should have seen me trying to decide what hashtag I should use for this post.)
This is a habit I have been trying to develop for about four years, ever since I watched Food, Inc. and read various books and blogs about food culture. However, this is the first time that I’ve had regular access to such large and diverse markets, making it far more convenient for me to commit to them.
Maybe you feel similar to how I did. I mean, living in Brooklyn, I had plenty of farmer’s markets to choose from–I just made excuses (I don’t want to take the bus! I don’t want to carry all of those bags that far! etc.). OR maybe you’ve never been to a farmer’s market and you don’t know what you’re missing.
I challenge YOU to haul yourself (and a reusable bag, if you have one) to your local farmer’s market. Buy an ingredient you can use for your morning oatmeal. Then, after you make your oatmeal, post a picture of it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FarmFreshOatmeal and a caption that says which ingredient you bought from the farmer’s market.
Example: “Nutty ‘Nana Berry Oatmeal made with blueberries from the farmer’s market! #FarmFreshOatmeal #oatmealartist”
Every couple of weeks, I will make a post sharing my favorite pictures from you!
GO! GET OUT THERE! This is the perfect season for farmer’s market produce.
Oh, and P.S. Using produce from your own garden, or a friend or neighbor’s, also counts. 🙂
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
I’m hosting a giveaway!
Exciting announcement!!
My friends over at Country Choice Organic have developed and released a handful of new products. I had the honor of trying them out for you. 😉
I’m particularly excited about their gluten-free oats. Here’s what Country Choice has to say about their two new gluten-free options:
Though oats don’t contain gluten, they are traditionally grown and processed in close proximity to wheat and other gluten containing grains. Producing GF oats takes extra care to ensure no cross contact with gluten containing grains. To answer consumer demand for gluten-free oats, Country Choice Organic is packing gluten free organic oats in traditional resealable canisters and pricing them to sell at a similar price as conventionally grown gluten free oats. With Country Choice Organic, consumers who prefer organic products, but need to avoid gluten, no longer need to be concerned about cross contact and the price will not be a barrier to consumption. [TOA: Emphasis added by me.]
In other words, you can have gluten-free AND organic oats without shelling out more money. These canisters are available in old-fashioned (aka “rolled”) and steel cut varieties. Although I do not have a gluten intolerance and cannot comment on that aspect of it, I can confirm that these oats act identical to their regular (non-gluten-free) counterparts. I tested it out in the (upcoming) recipe pictured below!
The other new addition to the CCO line is flavored, single-serve packets of steel cut oats! Technically speaking, these are their quick-cook steel cut oats (my favorite!!), but in pouch form. They already came in a plain variety, but now they’ve added two flavors: Maple & Brown Sugar, and Apple Spice.
The pouches contain directions for how to prepare them in the microwave in five minutes…which was pretty darn helpful for me because I never really could figure that out. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to clean out a messy microwave from cooking oatmeal that bubbled over! However, you can also prepare them in the traditional format on the stove.
Here’s what CCO has to say about them:
Country Choice Organic Single Serve Steel Cut Oats contain only organic, whole grain steel cut oats, a powerful source of fiber and protein. Every box includes eight single serve packets, each with 150 calories, four grams of protein and three grams of fiber. Apple Spice and Maple & Brown Sugar join Original flavor, creating a flavorful variety of oatmeal that can be cooked-up in just five minutes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything in between.
As you know, I am all about plain oats and making my own “flavor,” but I will admit that I was impressed by the ingredients list on these puppies. I can pronounce and identify all of these ingredients! If you know anyone who is devoted to pre-flavored pouches of oats (*cough*MYMOTHER*cough*) that resembles more of a science project than actual food, maybe you could persuade them to make the switch to one of these!
Now for the announcement: to celebrate these new products, Country Choice Organic and I would love to give away one of each to YOU! This means there will be four “winners:” one will win a canister of gluten-free steel cut oats, another will win a canister of gluten-free old-fashioned oats, another will win a box of Maple & Brown Sugar steel cut oat pouches, etc.
To be sensitive toward those of you with a gluten intolerance/allergy, we are providing two separate “registries.” One is for the gluten-free canisters, and the other is for the boxes of single-serve steel cut pouches (which are not certified gluten-free). You may register for both if you want. Each “task” that you complete (such as liking Country Choice Organic on Facebook) will increase your chances of being randomly selected.
Enter the Gluten-Free Giveaway Here!
Enter the Single-Serve Steel Cut Pouches Giveaway Here!
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
The Elephant in the Room (My Blog + Its Role with ED)
After (finally) purchasing an iPhone and joining the Instagram community, I watched my follower count grow quickly. This should have been exciting for me, but instead I began to worry. I noticed a pattern immediately. At least half of my new followers used similar handles: most of them made references to “ana” (short for anorexia) or “recovery” (as in, recovering from an eating disorder). Similarly, when I searched the #oatmealartist hash tag, they were accompanied by ED-related handles and hash tags. Here is a glimpse of some of the pictures I frequently see:
Why did this worry me?
As someone who is awkwardly tall and thin, I have received my fair share of condescending weight comments and have always been self-conscious about it. Thus, when I started seeing all these Instagram followers, I freaked out. My thought process was as follows: Is my blog the new hangout for teenage girls with eating disorders? What does that say about my blog? About me? Do they think my blog is diet food? Do my friends and family think that my blog is diet food? Do my friends and family think I am eating oatmeal to diet?! Do my friends and family think *I* have an eating disorder!?
I suffered silently with these thoughts for months until I collaborated with Charlotte, May’s Oatmeal Enthusiast. She wrote:
I have struggled with an eating disorder for 8 long years, but it got very bad in 2011. My anorexia took over my life, and I was no longer able to enjoy food. I found Lauren’s blog in 2012, and even though I was still very much in denial and did not want to get better at all, there was something about those delicious looking oatmeal recipes that caught my attention! I suddenly had an interest in food again, which was both scary and exciting. I started experimenting with my breakfasts, and although I was too afraid to follow the actual recipes, it was still a step in the right direction.
I went inpatient for 4 months in the summer of 2012, and as I was getting better all I could think about was going home and finally be able to try all of the recipes on The Oatmeal Artist’s blog. Unfortunately I had a very bad relapse, but even through that relapse I continued to eat oatmeal almost every single morning, and that was without a doubt one of the reasons I made it through. Today I consider myself recovered, and Lauren’s blog has definitely helped me get to where I am now.
I heard similar narratives from many other young ladies, all with the same point: my blog helped them recover, not fuel the disorder. I then recognized that the Instagram handles I was seeing all discussed recovery; these were victims of EDs who were using online communities to overcome their tough relationships with food.
I recently read this article on Buzzfeed called “Teenage Girls are Using Instagram to Fix their Relationships with Food.” By the title alone, this article struck a chord with me. Considering that the majority of the pictures tagged #oatmealartist on Instagram also contain hashtags like #EDrecovery, I have personally witnessed this trend. The article states:
“I think sometimes that people (me included) get so caught up on having what some might regard as the perfect and healthy diet, that they forget that it is also very important to have a healthy mentality towards food and not be obsessive,” wrote 15-year-old Tina, who recently shared a bowl of oatmeal cooked with artfully displayed raspberries, banana, sesame seeds, cacao nibs, medjool dates, and homemade chocolate almond butter to her 45,000 followers.
[…] Aside from purported health benefits — less bloating, more energy, clearer skin, etc. — popular users said the practice was therapeutic, not just because it helped suppress the urge to diet but because it made eating fun instead of traumatic.
Several months ago, somebody left a comment on one of my posts stating that they used my recipes during the peak of their eating disorder, and was wondering what my role was in fueling eating disorders. My initial reaction was horror, and then anger. To suggest that my recipes caused her eating disorder was infuriating to me. The comment bummed me out for days, until I responded with some almost-cordial-but-mostly-snippy comment about how my blog does not need to play any role at all.
Any health-focused blog could obviously become a haven for someone looking to restrict calories, but that’s not what my blog is about. Never does my blog discuss limiting calories, trying to lose weight, or dieting. That has never been my focus. I create recipes that I believe are nutritious, filling, and delicious; what someone chooses to do with those recipes is out of my control. Am I to blame if someone cooks their oatmeal in water instead of almond milk and omits the peanut butter?
Furthermore, you will not find calorie counts on my blog. This was a choice I made from the beginning. I believe focusing on calories creates feelings of guilt or stress that should never be associated with food. Food is fuel! This is the vibe I try to create on my blog, to empower us to make healthy choices not as a “diet,” but as a way to nourish us physically, mentally, and spiritually in a world where we are constantly bombarded with options that are making us sick.
Anyway, I’ve been avoiding the “ED recovery” community because I did not want my blog associated with eating disorders in any way, mostly stemming from my own self-consciousness. However, after seeing the role my blog has played in so many girls’ recoveries, I have realized I should no longer ignore this community out of fear of what others would say. If my goal as a blogger is to alter people’s perceptions of food, then my vision aligns with theirs. May my oatmeal bring them nourishment and recovery.
Instead of posting a recipe today, I would like to share with you four Instagram users whom I personally follow, who are winning (or have won) the fight against an ED, and who post gorgeous food pictures almost daily. Most of them are vegan because vegans are the best. 😉
Please check out these ladies, and feel free to share your story below in the comments!
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Why Organic? My story, and an announcement!
It was spring break during my sophomore year of college in 2010. I was curled up in my bedroom at my parents’ house, watching documentaries on Netflix. The words showed up boldly on the black screen:
These were some of the words from the final minutes of the documentary that changed my life, Food, Inc. Although it can be melodramatic at times (like most documentaries), I highly recommend it to anyone, especially if they have little knowledge or have never questioned the American food system. This film not only exposed me to the horrific nature of a few dirty companies, but it empowered me with my right to choose–three times a day.
Of course, it is speaking about the three meals of the day, “voting with your fork,” if you will (I personally prefer to vote with my spoon as it’s better suited for oatmeal…). After that spring day in 2010, I wandered into the teensy organic aisle in my local grocery store for the first time. I quickly found myself able to adjust to the small price increase, and I made it work by opting for sale items and avoiding the pricier options (I do not need organic prepared salads, for example. A bag of organic baby spinach will do just fine!). I was delighted to find that I could buy organic Braeburn apples at a sales price of $1.29/lb, which was perfectly within my budget and wasn’t too far from the conventional apples (in some cases, it was even less!).
I believe not everyone has access to or can afford to eat exclusively organic. I myself admit to purchasing some conventional produce on a regular basis. However, knowing my money is going to people who respect the earth and its inhabitants motivates me to “vote” for the organic or local options as frequently as possible. John DePaolis, the General Manager of Country Choice Organic, agreed with me about this when we talked over the phone the other week. Certainly it’s not for everyone, we decided, but more people need to be aware of where their money is going and the quality of the food they’re consuming.
On that note, I’m proud and excited to announce my new partnership with Country Choice Organic. Country Choice Organic is a company from Minnesota (oh hey!) that specializes in–gasp!–oatmeal. One of the issues John and I discussed is that oatmeal presents a phenomenal opportunity for consumers to “vote with their fork” (or spoon!). Oats are an incredibly cheap item; by choosing oats that are grown and nourished using organic practices–free of chemicals and harsh treatment of the soils–one can take a small step without breaking the bank. Think about it: a canister of oats costs less than a box of cereal, AND contains more servings. In fact, this is one of the factors that hooked me on oatmeal to begin with! If you’ve joined my oatmeal-loving club, congratulations! You’re already saving mega dollars every month.
I cannot tell you how pleased I am about this partnership. John told me that my recipes were a hit with the CCO staff, and that they believe the mission behind my blog could inspire a new generation of oatmeal lovers. I mean, what more can an Oatmeal Artist ask for?
Feel free to visit the CCO website (linked above and on the badge at the side of the blog) to learn more about their product line and read their story, as well as find information about whole grains, the organic industry, and even the history of oats.
No new recipe today, but I have one coming up soon, as well as an extra special guest post that I’m practically peeing myself to publish! 🙂
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
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)
A Belated Announcement!
Hey everyone!
Something incredibly spectacular happened to me way back in October, but I kept forgetting to post about it! It feels almost foolish to post it now, but it seems more foolish not to share it.
An online journal called The Violet contacted me in September asking if they could feature me and my blog in their Fall 2012 issue. I not-so-hesitantly responded, “YESOMGAREYOUSERIOUS?!”
For the issue, my Sweet Potato and Cranberry Oatmeal is featured in the recipe section, and little ol’ me is featured in a Q&A section a couple pages later. The recipe is on page 52, and my survey is on page 54. Please check it out if you have the time!
Major, major thank you to Molly for giving me this opportunity! Looking back over everything today reminded me just how excited I was back in October when I saw the issue for the first time!
P.S. Sorry for no new recipe this weekend. I was too busy marveling at Greek and Roman statues at the Met. 🙂
(Photo courtesy of my roommate Allison!)
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Updates
Hello! I’ve returned from California. It was such a blast!
I didn’t check my email the entire time I was gone, and I was so pleased to come home to so many new blog comments, as well as my lemon poppy seed oatmeal being posted on Healthy Aperture! Hurray!
Can you guess what I missed the most while I was gone?
Yep, oatmeal. I felt like something was missing from my life every single morning. Naturally, the first thing I did upon arriving back at my apartment in South Dakota was whip up a bowl of grapefruit oatmeal, using the grapefruit I bought from the farmer’s market in Poway!
I’m continuing to work on updating all the pictures in my blog posts. You may notice that the older ones have far worse quality than the newer ones. 🙂 Since getting home last night, I’ve already updated the pictures for grapefruit oatmeal and chocolate strawberry oatmeal.
I’m also planning on including ingredients lists in my recipes. I’ve put it off for a while, but I feel like it’s necessary, especially with my more complex recipes.
And finally, I have an extensive list of new recipes to try! I also have a savory oatmeal recipe coming in the very near future. Get excited! 😉
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
