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Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Katya!
November’s Oatmeal Enthusiast is one of my favorite Instagrammers. Her pictures have a simplicity to them without being dull. She appreciates a great aerial shot, just like me, and she doesn’t bother with excessive backdrops or props–except an occasional hand grasping the bowl. Instead, all the focus is on her beautiful bowl of oats, thoughtfully prepared with surprising twists and unique flavors. Read on, oatmeal lovers, and then check out her Instagram page: @vegankween.
Greetings fellow oatmeal worshippers!
My name is Kat (although the full name happens to be Katya) and I am a senior (grade 12) at an all-girls school in Canada. Between busting my butt at field hockey practice and studying up to be accepted into my university of choice, I always find happiness in the humblest bowls of oatmeal.
To be honest, I really have no clear reason when it comes to why I was first drawn to oatmeal. As a child, I would have marmite and butter on toast, or on weekends (at my cottage) my mother would make AMAZING fruit pancakes with whatever seasonal fruit was at the market, but somewhere along the line my mother found out about steel-cut oats. Steel cut oats are thicker, meatier and chewier. They are delicious, but take a heck of a long time to make (about ½ an hour if they’re not the instant kind) so I fell back on its quicker and less chewy relative: the rolled oat for rushed school day mornings.
The classic brown sugar and cinnamon was interesting for a while, but soon became boring. I wanted MORE adventure in my life, and I decided to become a self-proclaimed ‘Oatmeal Daredevil’. Let’s just say I am adventurous when it comes to flavour profiles. I’m a pretty strict vegan (no honey or bee products, etc.) and because of that, I always need to be thinking outside the box for substitutions, or making vegetables taste better. I have been known to make some pretty weird combinations like: curry-apple, sesame ‘n gingerbread or even pizza oatmeal! [TOA: Pizza Oatmeal is the best!]
I love oatmeal because it’s a blank canvas, every morning there’s a new combination to be made, and it can be spicy, sweet, salty, or even sour, and the fact that it’s nutritious is an added bonus!
My mind is always running on what interesting oatmeal flavour I should make next. I even have a growing list of ideas on my phone [TOA: ME TOO!] for inspiration and sometimes I use the ideas, other times I think “what was I thinking?!”
Mostly I go along the general outline of what makes a good bowl of oats into a meal: I choose 1 or 2 different types of fruit, a spice (my favourite’s are: garam masala, cinnamon, ginger and rosemary), normally one of my various extracts that I keep in my cupboard (I have: vanilla, chocolate, almond, anise, orange, coconut, maple, banana and mint), and then some type of healthy fat (like almond butter, tahini, nuts or avocado)
I make my oatmeal a very specific way: ¾ c. of almond milk, ¼ c. water and like a splash of soy milk. I add the oats while the liquid is boiling, then I add the fruit so it can soften, and usually I add grated zucchini if the oats need some bulking up. After everything had been cooked, I let the oats sit off the heat for about 2 minutes so they solidify. And then I dig in!
So, that is how I came to be an oatmeal enthusiast. Without further ado, here is my week in oatmeal recipes!
Monday:
I started my week on a truly colourful note, and I woke up groggily, and got my itchy uniform on (pleated skirt and everything), and made this warm bowl. The unhappiness that accompanies Monday’s was contradicted by the sunny delight of Maple & Pumpkin oatmeal with a delicious drizzle of golden tahini and maple sugar flakes. (more…)
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Kira!
TOA: What drew me to Kira’s oatmeal posts on Instagram was how creative she was. She would take my recipes and add a personal touch that I always found appealing. I guess you could say she and I would make a great team!
Hello fellow oatmeal lovers,
I was over the moon when Lauren asked me to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast for October. Not only because I had been dreaming about being an oatmeal enthusiast, for any month, for months, but because I was secretly hoping it would be for October as I turn 18 this month. I was actually talking to my mother about it a week or two before Lauren asked, and when I told her it actually happened she was elated. Best 18th birthday present EVER!! (Cue painfully big smile, weird happy noises, and ecstatic bouncing up and down/irish dancing).
I hyperventilated on the spot, re-reading her message a bajillion times before I could fully understand it. No joke.
Now, let me introduce myself. My name is Kira, I’m seventeen, but not for much longer. I’m a proud Brit, currently doing my second year of A-levels in media, general studies and most important of all, film studies. I dream about being a part of the world of film production either as a screenwriter or director.
Just over a year ago I made a life changing decision to completely change up my diet and overall lifestyle. I started exercising more regularly and dived in at the deep end when it came to food. I quit cold turkey and cut out everything I was 100% sure was pure ca-ca. Bumping up my clean-eating regime with fruits and veggies and leaving the fast food behind me. Thinking it was going to be just that easy. I lost 25 pounds in just a few months.
Now I’m not going to lie, I have had my struggles with food and exercise. For months I fell into a dangerously additive downward spiral of restrictive dieting and over-excising. I won’t go into any detail but I will quickly bring this post back to a positive mood by saying I am steadily making my peace with food, not restricting and giving myself enough rest days a week to keep me balanced. Even starting an online nutrition course to properly educate myself. I no longer desire to be stick thin, but lean, strong and powerful. I wholly enjoy my ‘diet’. My, do I hate that word. On the clean lifestyle I follow now I feel fantastic, and have made amazing progress with my physical abilities i.e strength and endurance. I have fallen back in love with foods like bananas, a beloved stable on this blog, as well as discovered new ones like pomegranates, avocados, zucchinis, beetroot. I even eat brussel sprouts now. To the shock and awe of my family.
I still treat myself regularly though.
On to oatmeal. My mum actually winces whenever I call it that. “It’s porridge. You’re not American.” I pefer ‘oatmeal’ though. It sounds so much more appealing. The first time I tried it, I hated it. I loathed it even. Though looking back it was all down to the fact that I had no idea what I was doing when I first made it. But to 2012 me, oatmeal was disgusting, it was gloopy, tasteless, grey mush. I had to add FIVE TBSP’s of sugar and even then I only had two more spoonfuls before chucking it in the bin and making a bowl of cereal.
I left it a year before I tried it again. This was when I was just starting out trying to eat healthier. It still sucked. Thinking about it now I’m kind of ashamed. I had cooked it in the microwave, and it was an overcooked, stodgy mess. Even worse this time, I added Splenda. No offense to anyone who uses it. But artificial sweeteners…it makes me cringe to see people use them. When there are such better alternatives both for health AND taste; honey, maple syrup, stevia, FRUIT!
Anyway…
Fast forward a few months and I realised that its better straight from the hob (The stove for all you Americans). And with milk. Unsweetened almond milk being my liquid of choice. And most of all, laddened down with lots of fruits, jam/nut butters, nuts, chocolate chips etc, etc. Midway through this period of oatmeal adventureous..ness..ness (That’s not a word is it?), I came across one of the best discoveries I have made. Lauren…and her blog. I was overwhelmed with just how many different combinations she had created, and because of her I found other blogs (Oatgasm and the Cinnamon siliqouy) which gave me even more to try out and enjoy. Oatmeal has so many benefits, and because I can make it with gluten-free oats it doesn’t give me a tummy ache afterwards either, I suffer from IBS, irritated significantly by gluten, so this is a big selling point for me.
Now. Even more months after that I still follow them and others, checking everyday for new posts, and have even started up my own blog where I post my own creations. Writing this, I thank my lucky stars that I decided to choose a healthy lifestyle, and more over that I found Lauren and ‘The Oatmeal Artist’ because I have no idea where I would be now. Not enjoying a new, exciting, delicious AND nutritious breakfast every morning that’s for sure. And I do eat it every morning. Without fail. My day doesn’t start till I’ve had my oats. Which brings me to the end of the ‘get to know me’ segment of this post. (Sorry it was so long!)
If you’re still reading after that lot… Well done. I mean it. Now how about I get down to it and show you the main attraction of this post? My breakfasts for the week.
These were my oatmeal dishes from the 14th-21st of Septemeber. Hope they were worth it 😛
Monday
Molten Mexican Hot Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
Lauren and I had the same idea this week. A baked variation of Mexican hot chocolate oatmeal. I just added a chocolate centre. I found that this calmed some of the heat and made it extra indulgent. I had some yogurt on the side so it was like having a posh dessert for breakfast. (more…)
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Yasmin!
TOA: Happy first day of September! It’s also Labor Day, which means I have the day off. 🙂 Today, I’m happy to share with you the work of Yasmin, whom I know better as @binilein from Instagram. While searching through the #oatmealartist hashtag, I was immediately smitten by her gorgeous, cozy photos of oatmeal. She and I share a love for aerial food photography, bananas, and peanut butter. I could not wait to feature her beautiful photos on my blog!
Hello fellow oatmeal lovers,
My name is Yasmin and I am in the proud position to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast for September. I got so excited when Lauren asked me because I have been a fan of her blog for quite a while. I love oatmeal, and breakfast in general is my favorite meal of the day. Let me tell you some facts about myself.
I am German and I lived in northern Germany until the age of 18, when I started to study Journalism which took me to the other end of the country. Since then, I haven’t lived in the same city for more than a year. I finished my BA studies last year and continued with my masters shortly afterwards, which will take me to London this fall. When I am not trying out new oatmeal recipes, I like to run, read and travel.
I don’t really know anymore how I discovered oatmeal, but I remember my first attempt to make oatmeal. Thinking it was enough to just heat up the milk, I ended up having some kind of oatmeal soup with a sliced banana in it. This was in the fall of 2011, and since then my oatmeal skills have improved immensely. How I found Lauren’s blog I don’t know anymore either, but it has been bookmarked on my list of favorite websites from the day I found it.
You have to know about me that I have suffered from an eating disorder for years and years. But no matter how bad it was, I always would have breakfast. Breakfast was the only meal I never ever skipped. Days ahead I would plan what I would eat for breakfast (and lunch and dinner) and I always would look forward to my morning oats. I would come up with new combinations and would add more fruits, nuts, and nut butter after a while. Oatmeal became and still is to this day my favorite breakfast. There are so many flavors to add, different kinds of fruits to put into it, that it never gets boring. Luckily, today, I am way better and healthier.
I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you fuel to get through the day. I could eat breakfast foods all day long, to be totally honest with you. Oatmeal is so nutritious, healthy and filling that it makes the perfect breakfast. Especially on cold winter mornings, a hot bowl of oatmeal is the best way to start a busy day.
For the week I documented I decided to try out a lot of new recipes. I always bookmark new and interesting looking recipes I want to try, but then I tend to be too lazy or I am just too busy to really try them. But since I have summer break now, I didn’t really have an excuse not to try all these recipes – and I really was looking forward to every one of them and enjoyed every bite I had.
Day 1: Quinoa Flake Porridge
I love trying new recipes and experiment with other grains than oats such are buckwheat and quinoa. I recently purchased a bag of quinoa flakes, so I was looking forward to have them for breakfast. I used the quinoa flake porridge recipe from superfoodsiobhan.com and it was delicious. Apart from the banana the recipe requires, I added blueberries, dried white mulberries, almonds and almond butter. It’s a great alternative to my usual oatmeal, very nutritious and filling!
After my morning workout, Lauren’s recipe for Elvis Oatmeal sounded perfect. Recipes that include a banana are always great and worth a try to begin with. Not only did I swirl in some peanut butter, I also topped my bowl of oats with some more. There is no such thing as too much peanut butter, if you ask me. The recipe is totally worth a try – it’s delicious and super filling!
Day 3: Quinoa Overnight Oats
This morning I had a super delicious bowl of overnight quinoa, which I topped with a banana, blueberries, almonds and almond butter. I used this recipe.
Day 4: Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal
While in Paris I bought a single serve casserole dish from Le Creuset in my favorite color lilac. To inaugurate my cute little dish, I decided to make baked oatmeal. I didn’t have it in a long while, so I to make baked banana bread oatmeal with blueberries and crunchy pb, using another recipe from superfoodsiobhan.com which can be found here.
Day 5: Coconut Chia Overnight Oats
This morning I had overnight oats, coconut chia overnight oats to be precise. I find that overnight oats are perfect if it has to be quick in the morning or if it is too warm during summer to have a hot bowl of oats. My recipe requires the following: ½ cup oats, 150ml coconut-rice milk, 50ml coconut milk and 1tbsp. chia seeds – simply mixed and put in the fridge overnight. I added mango, blueberries, almonds and almond butter in the morning and thus was perfectly fuelled for a day of work ahead of me.
Day 6: Banana Oat-Quinoa Porridge
As you might have guessed so far, I am a huge fan of quinoa. It’s not only a great grain for lunch recipes, but cooked in milk for breakfast it is super yummy as well. Which made Lauren’s recipe for banana oat-quinoa porridge just perfect. I added some blueberries, walnuts and peanut butter.
Day 7: Creamy Quinoa Porridge
For my last day, I tried another new recipe – again, I had quinoa porridge, this time from naturallysassy.co.uk. I also like this recipe to which I added banana, blueberries and cashew butter, but to be honest I like the recipe I used on my first day way better.
There you have all my recipes for this month’s edition of the Oatmeal Enthusiast. If you want to see more of my oatmeals and other meals, check out my blog iloveoatmealandpeanutbutter.tumblr.com and my instagram @binilein.
TOA: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Marina!
Happy August! This month’s Enthusiast has been a long-time follower of the blog. She already eats and photographs oatmeal every morning, so asking her to complete the Enthusiast challenge was no struggle for her. 🙂 When I saw her delicious photos on Instagram, I was instantly sold!
Helloooo fellow oatmeal lovers!!
My name is Marina and I am beyond ecstatic to be this month’s featured Oatmeal Enthusiast! I discovered Lauren’s blog about two years ago and have fallen in love with oatmeal and breakfast in general. It will forever be my favorite meal of the day. Alright, here’s a little more about me!
I grew up in a household that preached eating your basic doses of vegetables, fruits, carbs, and occasional red meat. However, you would NEVER find cookies, chips, or candy in my house, and I was always amazed at my friend’s pantries compared to mine! Wait, you have Doritos?! WHOA. Also, I was never (and never will be) a meal-skipper, but it took me years to realize that the so-called “healthy” cereals I ate every morning were actually processed junk. Yes, Honey Bunches of Oats and Frosted Mini Wheats, I’m talking to you! Now that I think of it, I was usually hungry an hour after I ate breakfast and my energy levels were pretty low after a certain point in the day. Now as kids we learn to ignore this, eat a cookie, and move on, because everything is so much easier when you’re a kid! 🙂 As I grew up, I realized what my goals were and decided I needed to get serious about my health if I wanted to become a stronger dancer, both physically and mentally. Oh I forgot to mention that, I’ve been dancing for 15 years and plan on doing it professionally!
Anyway, my journey to better nutrition really started the year before I got to college. Knowing that I would be in for some rigorous days, it was important to be fueling my dancing body properly. It’s not that I was out of shape or anything, I was just tired of not seeing results from all the hard work of dance. I wasn’t happy with my eating habits. While I still ate pretty healthy foods of course, I wasn’t really thinking about portion controls, snacking, or processed foods/sugars. I felt sluggish and knew I had to whip myself into shape. I used to run sparingly, but then I started running almost every day along with dancing and I immediately saw a change in my mood and health. I started by making smarter food choices, eating about 5 smaller portioned meals a day, (rather than 3 huge ones), and also stopped eating meat, except for seafood. I still love me some salmon! 😉 All in all, I ended up losing about 12 pounds this year at school. Good for me, right?!
Not necessarily…I started to develop a problem…a really big one.
During my weight loss period, I cut my calorie intake drastically and started counting them like crazy. High numbers really scared me! Thinking this was normal, I noticed that my clothes were really loose and I could see my bones more than I ever have. I was also always tired and irritable, but I thought this was just from dancing all day long. I didn’t understand, I was eating just like everyone else! My problem was that I wasn’t eating enough calorie-dense foods to match my activity level. My food obsession took over my life and I became its slave. But wait, cue OATMEAL Stage Right!
Oatmeal has been the food that started my journey to health. Not only is it a nutritional powerhouse, but it was the only breakfast food that kept me full throughout the morning. The more I ate it, the better I felt all day. Personally, I’d take Apple Pie Oatmeal over boring cereal any day…Lauren, along with other bloggers, create recipes that showcase how oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring either!
Not convinced yet?! Here, let me help you out a bit by showing you what a typical week of breakfast is like for me:
Sunday: PB and “No J” Baked Oatmeal
All PB, no J! I used fresh grapes and blueberries instead of jelly and it was fantastic! Sunday oatmeal usually consists of whatever fruit I have left in the house before we do the weekly shopping. In this case, there were about 10 grapes left and a handful of blueberries so I made it work and I guess it was pretty good… 😉
Monday: Fudgy PB Banana Mocha Oatmeal
Because why not start off the week with the greatest oatmeal in the world, not to mention Lauren’s favorite oatmeal, with an addition of caffeine to jumpstart the morning… [TOA: I approve this addition!!]
Tuesday: Apple Baked Oatmeal with Almond Butter Espresso Frosting
When I saw this new recipe last week I knew I just had to try it!! Unfortunately my frosting didn’t spread as much as I thought, but next time maybe I’ll try it with peanut butter…
Wednesday: Banana Cream Pie Oatmeal
I’m so surprised how this one turned out! It was delicious! I loosely based it on Lauren’s Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats but I added an egg white for some extra protein; couldn’t even taste it!
Thursday: Blueberry Muffin Baked Oatmeal
Okay, now this tastes EXACTLY like a blueberry muffin. There is no better feeling than your whole kitchen smelling like a bakery…not to mention the oatmeal really expands in the oven, so you’re basically getting a bigger muffin than the one at Starbucks without paying $3! This, my friends, is goodness. J
Friday: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Yup, you read that right. Because it’s perfectly acceptable to eat Pumpkin Pie in July, or anytime for that matter…it’s my favorite Thanksgiving dessert!! Happy Fancy Fridays guys!
Saturday: Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
Every Saturday, my traditional bowl of oatmeal takes the form of these delicious pancakes. I finally found the perfect recipe from Mind Body Green, you gotta check it out! The recipe is easily adaptable and will keep you full all morning long!!
There you have it! All in all, oatmeal fuels me, makes me very happy, and now I want to show everyone that it can make you happy too. J
Feel free to check out my new health blog, A Dancer’s Live-It, and for your daily oatmeal fix, check out my Instagram! A million thanks to Lauren for this amazing opportunity, she is such an inspiration!!
Be well,
Marina J
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Isaiah!
Happy July, oatmeal lovers! When I found Isaiah on Instagram, I was delighted: a male reader! Hizzah! Considering I find most of my Enthusiasts on Instagram using the #oatmealartist hash tag, and we ladies are the ones who are most likely to post pictures of our breakfasts (haha), it’s hard for me to find a diverse population. As soon as I knew Isaiah was a fan, I invited him to be July’s Oatmeal Enthusiast. Yay! Read about him below, and don’t forget to wish him a happy birthday!
Hello fellow oatmeal fans. I have to say it’s my great pleasure to be a part of the Oatmeal Artist blog this month. In fact it’s particularly special to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast this month because it’s my birthday month. I am a licensed social worker, therapist, and health coach. I am equally passionate about working out as I am with the food I consume.
On my journey to live a healthy lifestyle, I really got into the science of food and nutrition. As you may already know, oatmeal is one of the healthiest items you can consume for breakfast, packed with whole grains and even some protein. If you add some healthy fats and a little fruit you have a complete meal. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast for years. My favorite way to make it is with (almond) milk, bananas, peanut butter, cinnamon and honey or golden raisins (later discovered through the blog that was Elvis’s Oatmeal recipe; who knew we shared this in common?) After sticking to this recipe for who knows how long, I decided it was time for some variety.
One short internet search later I stumbled upon the Oatmeal Artist. Wow, all of these incredible recipes now before my very eyes. I literally jumped out of bed early and made different recipes every morning. I stuck with the stovetop recipes at first because I didn’t own a mason jar and what exactly is a ramekin anyway? Of course now I have both. I was stuck on the baked recipes for a while and when I woke up too hungry I went straight for the stovetop to break-the-fast. Eventually I started to dabble in the overnight recipes as well. Being the adventurous person that I am I found myself turning stove top recipes into overnight recipes and overnight recipes to baked recipes; eventually it was “Oatmeal Gone Wild.”
As of late I have been turning recipes from all three versions into oatcakes, and I am totally hooked! Topped with fruit, greek yogurt icing and or peanut butter mousse; like Lauren I use a lot of Peanut Butter & Co. varieties because they are truly awesome (and I make sure I visit their shops whenever I travel to NY.) I also discovered an up-and-coming brand Wild Squirrel; they have some really great flavors that are all natural and Non GMO certified.
Without further ado, the oatmeal recipes of the week:
Day 1:
Sunday had to be a little special, so I really went the extra mile for this one. Here we have oatmeal whole wheat waffle topped w/ maple pb, spiced apples, and of course bananas. This was quite delicious and a wonderful way to start the week.
Day 2:
Monday I was still feeling the theme from Sunday so I went with waffles again. Just to add a little twist I combined the gingerbread oatmeal recipe with the caramelized bananas recipe. I don’t have to tell you how incredible this was.
Day 3:
Tuesday I changed the whole format and cooked my oats right on the stove. I usually have carrots to snack on and carrot cake is easily one of my favorite desserts, so it wouldn’t be long before I made the carrot cake oatmeal happen. I recall Lauren writing the ambitious version had greek yogurt frosting so mine had to have that as well.
Day 4:
Wednesday I guess I will still craving beta carotene, but had some leftover sweet potatoes from dinner and still plenty of shredded coconut from my last Co-op visit. When I looked down the recipe list, coconut sweet potato oatmeal seemed just right.
Day 5:
Thursday I wanted to try this recipe for awhile but never seemed to have all the ingredients on deck at the same time. Once I finally did I knew this would easily be one of the best. Berry and cream cheese baked oatmeal recipe is highly recommended if you haven’t tried this one as of yet!
Day 6:
Friday…still thinking about the berry and cream cheese baked oatmeal. Recreated into oatcakes. Basic recipe for oatcakes added half a scoop of vanilla whey protein and some strawberries to the batter. For greek yogurt icing used another ½ scoop of whey, 1oz of low fat cream cheese, 2 oz greek yogurt and 1 tbls of almond milk.
Day 7:
If you’re lucky on Saturday, things slow down a little but and you have a little extra time and desire to make something really awesome for breakfast. I used Lauren’s recipe for german chocolate baked oatmeal added a ½ tsp (rounded) of baking powder and voila german chocolate oatcakes w/ coconut pecan butter.
So there you have it my oatmeal recipes for the week. I strive for the trifecta of healthy, filling and nutrition in all meals I prepare. Lauren has definitely aided me in this mission; thanks again for having me.
Isaiah
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Taylor!
Sometimes I worry that people will see my Instagram handle (@oatmealartist) and be concerned about my strange interests. Thankfully, I’m not alone. It amuses me to see other people on Instagram with oatmeal-related usernames. For example, this month’s enthusiast is Taylor, but I met her as “thehealthyoatmealer.” We are not alone, oatmeal lovers! Keep spreading the love.
Heeeeellllllloooooo fellow oatmealers!!!
My name is Taylor and as you can see, Lauren has asked me to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast for June!!! After reading the comment on Instagram asking me to be June’s Oatmeal Enthusiast, I started jumping around, dancing crazily, and screaming “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!!!”, which earned me a few “She finally went over the edge.” stares from the rest of my family. Ah well, getting to write this post definitely makes up for the whispering and the tentative suggestions that I had gone crazy. :0)
Now here’s a bit about me. I am a 14 year old health nut, yogi, runner, newbie martial artist, and wow, here’s something you definitely couldn’t have guessed (Sarcasm people, sarcasm.): I absolutely adore (a.k.a I am obsessed.) oatmeal. I even made up a name for us oatmeal lovers….oatmealers! We have to be called something right?
Anyways, when I was younger, I would skip breakfast because there was nothing that I was really interested in eating, never mind that it was said to be the most important meal of the day. Eventually, I started eating those brands of sugary cereal (Ew.) that most little kids happen to love. When I tried oatmeal on a whim for the first time, I must admit, I thought it was gnarly (I know, I have no idea what was wrong with me either.), so I went back to my boring bowl of sadness.
I tried oatmeal again when I went to Ireland with my family and the first thought that went through my mind was “Nope, still gross.”. I’m not really sure why I decided to try oatmeal again after that, seeing as how I had had two bad experiences with it, but boy am I glad that I did! I guess third time’s the charm because when I tried oatmeal for the third time (this bowl with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins) I actually enjoyed it, and oatmeal permanently became part of my morning routine. I had the same thing every morning, sometimes with a little dollop of peanut butter and I was pretty happy with it, but I was getting bored and wanted to try something new. I did a little research, and soon enough I stumbled across a treasure chest of exotic and delicious looking oatmeal recipes…which happens to be the website you are currently reading this post on.
I could not believe my eyeballs. A whole website dedicated to oatmeal! I spent hours combing through every oatmeal recipe that was documented, and soon I had written down a handful in a little notebook to try out ASAP. Ever since that fateful day, I have had oatmeal every morning (and sometimes for dinner!), but I try not to eat the same recipe twice. Unless of course it happens to be uber delicious. Then it gets an exception. Of course, with my oatmeal obsession I have found quite a few other websites that feature a lot of oatmeal, and I definitely use those recipes too (Sometimes I even make my own!), but this blog in particular has a special place in my heart for being the place that started me on oatmeal. :0) Before I begin I’d just like to say thank you one more time to Lauren for giving me this wonderful opportunity to express my love for such an amazing, versatile breakfast food.
Now enough boring fluff! On to the main attraction……oatmeal!
Sunday Oats:
Blueberry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal with coconut and peanut butter. I can only have baked oatmeal and weekends because of school, so this was definitely a treat. Sadly, even on weekends I’m usually too lazy to make baked oatmeal, but after this recipe, I’m going to have to motivate myself to make them more often! Just look at those baked bananas!!!
Monday Oats:
This bowl o’ Caramel Oatmeal topped with peanut butter, banana, a dried fig, and coconut helped make my Monday less Monday-ish. :0) Nums……
Tuesday Oats:
This here is a bowl of what I like to call Spicy Zoats topped with peanut butter, a dried fig, a date, coconut and dried cranberries. It was actually my first time trying zucchini in my oatmeal and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it left no taste, but added volume and nutrients. I’ll definitely be using zucchini more often!
Wednesday Oats:
I hadn’t realized that Black Forest cake included cherries until I read the Oatmeal Artist’s recipe for Black Forest Cake Oatmeal. Huh. Well that’s besides the point. What I am really trying to tell you is that The Oatmeal Artist’s recipe for Black Forest Cake Oatmeal topped with coconut flakes, coconut butter, and dried cherries is better than the cake version. I suggest that you go to your kitchen immediately and eat some like, right this minute. Once you’re done reading my post of course. ;0)
Thursday Oats:
Okay, I know watermelon is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think oatmeal, but I had to try it. I topped this bowl with toasted and regular coconut flakes, coconut butter, and chocolate chips (Choco-coconut Watermelon Oatmeal?) and it actually worked out really well! Who knew watermelon could be put in oatmeal? Just a warning though: if you add watermelon chunks to your oatmeal, EAT WITH CAUTION because boy, do they heat up! I burned my tongue at least three different times while eating this bowl of oatmeal! :0P
Friday Oats:
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats Parfait? Um, yes please! Ok, this should actually be layered in a mason jar, but it is physically impossible for me to take decent mason jar photos, so I layered it in a ramekin. It still tasted great though. I mean, come on, how could chocolate sweet potato pudding and peanut butter overnight oats topped with more peanut butter (because you can never have enough) and peanuts taste bad? Please ignore the fact that the sweet potato pudding looks like a pile of poo(and my bad lighting). It did not taste like poo, I swear. I now give you permission to drool. ^-^
Saturday Oats:
Ah, we have come to the final bowl of oatmeal….it’s so sad. :*0( This magical thing that you are looking at is a Deep Dish Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie (a.k.a. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal deliciousness.) topped with banana, coconut, a dried fig, and Greek yogurt. I bet right now you’re imagining breaking into its crispy outside, warm from the oven, and delving into the oatmeal’s gooey innards….. Ok, maybe innards wasn’t the best choice of words but you get my point. ;0)
OH THE HORROR! It’s been a week already!!! How time flies when you have oatmeal to document….*sigh* Well, I’d best wrap this post up (even though it breaks my heart to do so), but first I’d like to thank Lauren one last time (Sorry, I lied before, but I promise this is the last time! Pinky swear!) for including me in this wonderful celebration of oatmealers. It has been a dream come true and an experience I never would have imagined that I could ever have. I wish all you oatmealers happy times oatmealing your way through life! Thank y’all for reading and I hope that there are many oatastic (Haha, you get it? I’m so funny….Ok maybe not. Sorry.) bowls of oatmeal in your life to come!
Taylor :0)
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Charlotte!
We’re nearly a week into May, and I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. Where has this year gone? For this month’s Oatmeal Enthusiast, I am thrilled to finally introduce you to Charlotte. I’ve been enjoying her lovely photos on Instagram and was so excited to ask her to post as an Enthusiast.
Hello everyone!
Hello everyone!
Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to thank Lauren for everything she has done for me. Not only has she picked me to be The Oatmeal Enthusiast of May, but her blog has also been a big inspiration to me for the last few years.
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.
Now allow me to introduce myself! My name is Charlotte and I’m a vegan yogi, runner, and pole dancer. I live in Denmark but I don’t see myself living here for the rest of my life. I am currently not studying or working; I’m simply taking some time off to figure out what I want to do with my life. Ever since I was a child I’ve dreamed about becoming an actress, but now that I’m older I have discovered a passion for helping and “fixing” people so I’m also considering becoming a doctor.
My passion for health and good food started about a year ago when I decided to start treating my body with kindness instead of abusing it. I was not exactly a super healthy child. I was a very picky eater and I would often refuse to even try things I thought I wouldn’t like. I was a meat and pasta (or fries) kind of gal, and I would sometimes skip breakfast and lunch and eat ice cream or cookies instead. I also hated any kind of exercise unless it was gymnastics or badminton and I would usually just sit on the couch all day long.
That has certainly changed now! I make it a priority to move my body, keep it hydrated and feed it well.
I became vegan in September last year and it’s probably the best decision I have ever made. I feel so much more connected with nature, and it has done amazing things for my body. I recently decided to try the 801010/rawtill4 lifestyle, and even though I feel incredible eating this way, I may have to give it up because of some stomach issues I have developed (caused by my eating disorder).
Now let’s talk oatmeal!
I was just a baby when I had oatmeal for the first time. Back then the only toppings I got were milk and sugar, but that was more than enough to make my tummy smile. I stopped eating oatmeal for quite a long time because it was just easier to eat toast in the mornings before school.
I rediscovered oatmeal in 2012 when I went inpatient. It was one of the breakfast options, and I still remember the first bite. I expected it to be bland and boring, but it was far from it. It was nothing exciting, just oats cooked in water with raisins, a pinch of salt and drowned in milk, but at the time that was the most delicious breakfast creation I had ever eaten. From that moment I was sold. I had oatmeal every single morning throughout the 4 months I was inpatient.
I discovered Lauren’s blog at the end of my hospital admission. I was looking up oatmeal recipes and accidentally clicked on a link that took me to theoatmealartist.blogspot.com. Seeing all of the different ingredients and toppings blew my mind! I never knew oatmeal could be so versatile! I started to experiment with different spices and fruits, and that’s also when I developed my love for bananas and nut butters, especially peanut butter. I add mashed banana and some kind of nut butter to almost all of my oatmeal creations; it’s just not the same without it! [TOA: I agree!!!]
I started to really experiment with oatmeal in the fall of 2013, and I have even managed to come up with a few savory kinds like pizza, Mexican and curry style oatmeal. My oatmeal journey is far from over, and if I ever have kids they will be served oatmeal every single morning!
Here is my week of oatmeal goodness:
Monday: Overnight Apple Pie Oatmeal
This is so easy to prepare and it’s perfect for a busy morning. I layered it with banana coins, apple slices and fresh dates. I topped it with almonds and peanut butter!
Tuesday: Baked strawberry and chocolate oatmeal
I love baked oatmeal because it means I can have cake for breakfast! I went all in on the chocolate and topped it with both a chocolate and peanut sauce, cacao nibs AND chocolate chips!
Wednesday: Spicy pear and banana oatmeal
This is one of my all time favorites! It’s sweet because of the banana, but the cayenne pepper is what makes it pop!
Thursday: Vanilla and cinnamon oatcakes
This is very much inspired by Lauren herself! I shared one with my brother but I had the rest all to myself. They are delicious!
Friday: Kiwi and pear oatmeal
I had never tried this combination before but it was surprisingly good, and the pecans added a very nice flavor as well.
Saturday: Berry and coconut oatmeal
What makes this oatmeal so good is without a doubt the coconut aroma, and it goes so well with berries!
Sunday: Vanilla and dried fig oatmeal
I decided to get fancy and make something extraordinary since it was Sunday so I topped it with a hazelnut and coconut sugar crusted caramelized banana – yum!
If you want to see more of my pictures I have an instagram and it’s @capturingcharlotte. I will also be creating a recipe blog and there will be a link to that on my instagram. I have a Tumblr blog as well and I will be more than happy to give you the URL to that if you send an email to citahscharlotte@hotmail.com!
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Lyndsey!
Happy April, everyone! It’s my favorite month, and I’ve been enjoying having my window open and sunshine peeking through my curtains later into the evening. For this beautiful month’s Oatmeal Enthusiast, I found Lyndsey on Instagram. She’s been posting oatmeal pictures almost daily with the #oatmealartist hashtag for months! Like me, she also turned to oats to control a diet-related syndrome, and the habit stuck!
Hello, oatmeal lovers! When Lauren invited me to be her April Oatmeal Enthusiast, I was ecstatic. I have been following (AKA stalking) her blog ever since I found it on Pinterest last fall and I love the creativity of every recipe. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could write a post on her blog! This has been such fun and unique opportunity. I am also proud to be representing the younger generation of oatmeal fans.
Let me introduce myself. I’m Lyndsey, a fourteen year old singer, actress, student, clean eater, Disney-lover, big sister, Starbucks addict, Midwesterner, yogi, and, of course, oatmeal lover (hence my Instagram name, @oatmeallover14). I perform in professional musical theatre, and I work hard to balance a busy schedule while keeping up with schoolwork. One day I hope to move to NYC to perform on Broadway, but would also enjoy working in the medical field.
I have become interested in organic and clean eating in the past year or so, for health and environmental reasons. However, I believe in moderation, and I know that a treat from time to time won’t kill me. But most of the time, I lead a clean lifestyle filled with fruits, veggies, and protein, and low in saturated fats, processed food/artificial dyes, and refined sugar. I don’t eat a ton of gluten, but this is mainly because of food preferences, not diet choice.
Now let’s talk oatmeal. I have always enjoyed a creamy bowl of oatmeal, but my passion for porridge really took off a couple of years ago, when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. At one point before diagnosis, one of the only foods I could tolerate was oatmeal, and fortunately, I could load it with enough protein and calories to maintain a healthy weight. My Crohn’s is now under control, but oatmeal has stuck with me through thick and thin, and has become my breakfast of choice every day. Sometimes I eat in twice a day… But you won’t judge, right?
Here’s what a typical week of oatmeal looks like for me!
Sunday: Banana Brûlée Oatmeal
This oatmeal was a delectable breakfast packed with nutrients that tasted like an indulgent dessert. The caramelized bananas were definitely the highlight of the dish, and I would recommend it to anyone that is a fan of bananas. And if you like this blog, you pretty much have to be a banana fan. 🙂 [Editor’s note: She’s right!]
Monday: Clean Shamrock Shake Oatmeal
While the vast majority of Americans were slurping down’s the McDonald’s version filled with artificial dyes and a week’s worth of sugar and fat, I enjoyed this clean version of a St. Patrick’s Day treat. Free of artificial everything, and packed with a heaping of spinach to fuel you throughout the day. This is my kind of Shamrock Shake. PS. I posted my own recipe on my Instagram page a few days before her, but you can find The Oatmeal Artist’s version here.
Tuesday: Snicker’s Oatmeal
Some days I like to add spinach to my oatmeal, but other days I just like to splurge. And this recipe was definitely splurge-worthy. The best part was, it had no added sugar besides the drizzle of caramel sauce, and had a dollop of peanut butter for nutrition. Win-win. 🙂
Wednesday: Strawberry Cucumber Oatmeal
I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to try this recipe, since I have never seen anyone use cucumber in oatmeal before. But then I thought, if I have tried spinach, carrots, and zucchini in oatmeal, how bad could cucumber be? In the first bite, I regretted not trying this recipe earlier, because it was delicious. Cool from the cucumber and naturally sweet from the strawberries. This recipe would be perfect for a warm summer morning.
Thursday: Caramel Frappuccino Oatmeal
This was another recipe that tastes and looks indulgent, but is secretly pretty healthy. Again, the only added sugar comes from the caramel sauce, and the ‘ice cream’ on top is really just frozen milk. This is a great recipe to satisfy a craving of a high sugar Starbucks drink. Although, I do love Starbucks… 🙂
Friday: Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl
This is all-time favorite oatmeal recipe. Partly, because I have an obsession with blueberries, and also because blending rolled oats after cooking them on the stove is my favorite way to eat oats. The thick texture melts in your mouth, and I swear it is heaven. Anybody who likes oatmeal at all needs to try it at least once. The recipe can be found on Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog.
Saturday Breakfast: Chocolate Raspberry Oatcakes
This was my first time trying Lauren’s Oatcakes and I wish I had tried it sooner. These ‘pancakes’ would be great for someone with a gluten allergy, who is trying to avoid gluten, or simply for someone who loves oats (such as me). I took The Oatmeal Artist’s basic Oatcake recipe and added some dark cocoa powder and raspberries.
Saturday Lunch: Broccoli Cheddar Oatmeal
Like I said, sometimes oatmeal manages to sneak its way into my lunch or dinner, which is, of course, fine by me. Broccoli Cheddar Soup is my favorite soup ever… so I was so excited when this healthier version popped up on The Oatmeal Artist blog. I made it right away, and it was so yummy!
That concludes my week of oatmeal, although there are so many more amazing recipes out there that I would love to share with you. To see more of my daily oatmeals, follow me on Instagram at @oatmeallover14. I would love to meet more oatmeal fans like me! Thank you again for this opportunity, Lauren!
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Laura!
Like most of my Enthusiasts, I discovered Laura on Instagram. What initially drew me to her account was the adorable heart-shaped bowl she used for most of her oatmeal pictures. It made her pictures truly stick out whenever I searched the #oatmealartist hash tag!
You can’t imagine how excited I was when Lauren asked me to be the next Oatmeal Enthusiast. Thousands of ideas for porridge appeared in my mind. I could not wait to start experimenting and eating!
But first I’ll introduce myself a little 😉
My name is Laura, and I’m 16 years old. Some of you may know me from my instagram account @laura__kiss. I live in Switzerland, but I lived my first 2 years in Scotland. I still go to school and I’ll start at the university in about 1 and a half years. In the last 2 years I struggled with anorexia; I’m not ashamed to say that I had an eating disorder because it made me the person I am today. With my account I got inspired and hope to inspire others to recover.
I have to admit that I don’t like bananas or peanut butter :O I’m not vegan or vegetarian but I avoid sugar. I’m sorry Lauren, but I add sweetener to my porridge. I have a huge sweet tooth and I haven’t found any other way to satisfy me …
That’s enough from me… now comes the oatmeal, or how I call it, porridge part.
In Switzerland, cooked oats are very unpopular, almost not existing. The only oats that are eaten here are mueslis. The first time I discovered porridge was about 2 years ago. I went shopping and in an English bookshop there was a food corner with tea, marmite, and porridge pots. I have a crush on British/ American food so I grabbed one of those and went straight home. I put the kettle on and added the boiling water. The first spoon full of the golden goodness was like heaven in my mouth! But those porridge pots were really expensive, about 5 Swiss franks / $5 for 40g oats!
I had to find another way to have porridge in my life. I found at the same shop those instant sachets and a 1 kg box of plain oats. Yep, I was a happy girl.
First I just had plain porridge then I became braver and tried various flavors like blueberries or chocolate. My love with porridge has gone way too far but in a good way, maybe a little obsessive 😉
I often wish I could eat breakfast all day long…
I was trying to choose which porridge I’d make for my post but I couldn’t decide. There were just too many delicious recipes and flavors. No way I could fit them all in just one week. But then I had a moment of enlightenment, maybe it was just madness, I thought why shouldn’t I go a little over the top and finally give in to my craving for porridge? There’s no reason I can’t have porridge 3 times a day! And that’s what I did! One week full of porridge!
Now I can tell you this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
I usually use steel cut oats because they give you a creamier porridge, but I appreciate biting on a whole oat. I often add egg whites to my porridge for some extra volume and protein.
Monday Breakfast: Mango Porridge
I always wondered how fresh mango and oats would work together. Now I know they are made for each other! If you like mango you’ll love mango porridge!
Monday Lunch: Blood Orange Porridge
When I saw this recipe on Lauren’s blog I knew I had to try it! All though I don’t like oranges that much I love the color of them! And I wasn’t disappointed!
Monday Dinner: Porridge Soufflé
At dinnertime I watched a cooking show and thought, if they can do a soufflé why shouldn’t I?! Porridge tastes completely different when you prepare it like that. Light, salty yet sweet. A bite of lightness.
Tuesday Breakfast: Toasted Porridge
I stumbled across this recipe and got curious how it would taste like. Toasting the oats before you cook them gives them a hearty and rough flavor. For this recipe I tried to give bananas a last chance but I just don’t like them …
Tuesday Lunch: Lime Meringue Porridge Tart
This doesn’t look healthy or like breakfast but it is! Lime Meringue tarts is one of my favorite deserts. Unfortunately they are full of sugar and not that healthy, so I had to find a replacement. Although I takes a lot of time to make this recipe but it is so worth it!
Tuesday Dinner: Tonka Brownie Baked Porridge
Basically this is Lauren’s Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal but I substituted the salt for Tonka beans. Tonka beans have a strange taste, like chocolate, rum and cinnamon together. It gives a nice twist to plain chocolate.
Wednesday Breakfast: Sweet Pea Lemongrass Porridge
I made a few savory porridges, I did like them but sweet and savory is just unbeatable! I planned to make pea porridge but something was missing. I added some lemongrass and a few drops of sweetener and BAMM! Flavor explosion!
Wednesday Lunch: Lava Cake Porridge
Everybody loves lava cakes. The warm cake and the liquid filling that melts in your mouth. Dessert Heaven. Obviously I had to find a way to enjoy lava cake everyday!
Wednesday Dinner: Crunchy Salted Caramel Porridge
Who ever had the idea of adding salt to caramel deserves a Nobel Prize or something! I used caramel flavored tea and flax seeds for the crunch.
Thursday Breakfast: Cherry Porridge
I don’t like black forest cake, that’s the reason I hesitated to use cherries for my porridge. Big mistake! Without chocolate it doesn’t taste like black forest cake, it tastes like a summer night, fresh and warm.
Thursday Lunch: Apple Maple Porridge
For this recipe I used again tea to give flavor to my porridge. I wish I had some real maple syrup but it’s so hard to find and expensive here! It’s a shame! if you combine apple and maple here, you get automatically a Canada flavor, so you could also call this Canadian Porridge.
Thursday Dinner: Red Velvet Baked Porridge
This hasn’t much in common with breakfast porridge. Although I made it with the salted brownie baked recipe, I baked it in mini tart shells and stacked them with fresh strawberries and natural yoghurt. It tastes like a guilt free dessert. Everybody in my house got jealous and wanted to have a bite 😉 It’s not an everyday recipe but if you got the time DO IT!
Friday Breakfast: Sweet Potato Fudge Porridge
This is one of my favorite recipes from Lauren. As she said, the sweet potato gives so much to the porridge! This is porridge heaven!
Friday Lunch: White Chocolate Vanilla and Cranberry Porridge
I used real vanilla beans, white chocolate powder and fresh cranberry sauce to create this one. Cranberries and white chocolate is a great couple but the vanilla brings it all together and flavors melt together and create a whole new taste!
Friday Dinner: Lime Cheesecake Porridge
This is a variation of Lauren’s Blackberry and lime cheesecake oatmeal. First I wasn’t sure about how the cream cheese would work in the porridge. I wasn’t disappointed! The cream cheese gives the porridge a great twists, especially with Lime.
Saturday Breakfast: Vanilla Snowmeal
Snowmeal is oatmeal cooked with snow instead of water. That day I was in the mountains and everywhere was snow and then plopped the Idea of including snow into my porridge into my mind. This recipe isn’t the most flavorful but the most fun to make.
Saturday Lunch: Lemon and Thyme Porridge
Lauren I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! As I don’t like honey I just went with Lemon and Thyme. The warm herby flavor of the thyme goes perfectly with the fresh tanginess of the lemon. This is defiantly one of my favorite recipes.
Saturday Dinner: Very Berry Porridge
I know this isn’t that special but some times simple things are all I need, especially if you’re surrounded by a snowy landscape.
Sunday Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Porridge
I know that it’s not really pumpkin season but I had a tin of pumpkin purée that begged me to use it today. Also I was really craving the hearty, nutty flavor of pumpkin. I’ve never had real pumpkin pie before but since I discovered Pumpkin Pie Porridge I don’t feel like I ever need to 😉
Sunday Lunch: White Chocolate and Orange Jam Porridge
Vanilla beans and white chocolate powder work well together, it gives the porridge a warm and cozy touch. By adding the orange jam, the whole porridge changed. It became an expensive tasting piece of heaven.
Sunday Dinner: POMegranate Porridge
This is my final porridge and I wanted to end this amazing experience with a POM!
I’m a lucky girl as my mom found the biggest pomegranate I’ve ever seen! It had the size of a melon! I also added a vanilla bean to give this fresh and fruity recipe a slight warm flavor. I can’t stop dreaming about this porridge; pomegranate seeds are just wonderful! They are so rich in flavor and give you a really nice texture and an amazing crunch!
I hope you enjoyed my guest post and thank you for reading – Laura
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
Oatmeal Enthusiast: Meet Maria!
I am pleased to introduce you to yet another Oatmeal Enthusiast, Maria. She reached out to me on Twitter, showing me her own blog and some of the oatmeal recipes on it. Her passion for porridge was obvious, so I’ve added her to the Enthusiast club. Here’s how her week of oats turned out.
First and foremost, I would just like to thank Lauren for giving me this opportunity to collaborate with her and be the February Oatmeal Enthusiast. I’ve been a huge fan and an avid follower of The Oatmeal Artist ever since I discovered the blog, which is well over a year ago now. Back then, I never thought I’d be writing up my own feature for The Oatmeal Artist herself, so it’s sort of a dream-come-true for me.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Maria Foran and I am a nineteen year old girl who lives in County Offaly, Ireland. At present, I am under-going a horse-riding instructor coaching course through Horse Sport Ireland and I should have my Level 1 qualification by the end of summer 2014. I then plan to complete a Personal Fitness Trainer course through Image Fitness, as my next venture. I also run my own blog called Breakfast Addiction, and as you may have gathered from the title of my blog, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I not only eat typically breakfast related foods at breakfast time, but often for lunch or dinner too.
I am very passionate about healthy eating and leading a healthy lifestyle. I choose to lead a dairy free diet and eat only poultry and fish (although I have been considering going Vegan recently). I also consume only wholegrain carbohydrates and avoid added sugar and salt whenever possible. This is for health and performance reasons. On the exercise front, I have a passion for running. I began running back in November of 2012 and have never looked back since. I typically run at least three times a week and usually clock up a distance of between 3 and 5 kilometres each time. As you may have guessed from my current study choices, I also love to ride horses. Although, I don’t really count it as high intensity exercise, personally I view it as more of a recreational sport which I do for pleasure. I have my own horse. He is an Irish Draught and his name is Kendwa.
I have always loved oatmeal ever since I was a child. My favourite way to eat oatmeal back in the day was made on the stove with full fat cow’s milk, finished off with about a tablespoon of sugar mixed through it and a big spoonful of sugary raspberry jam piled up in the middle. Not very healthy though, is it?
Since then though, a lot has changed. I became very health conscious when I moved to Australia in 2011 and by the middle of 2012, I had rediscovered oatmeal, in a whole new way. I started off buying the instant microwavable packets (I still remember the flavours; brown sugar and cinnamon or fruits of the forest), but once I realised that they really weren’t all that good for a person because of the added sugar, I began buying rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats) and making porridge for myself from scratch, and it’s just grown from there! I moved back to Ireland in the middle of 2013, but my love for oatmeal still stays strong. To this day, I still have porridge every single morning, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
So enough of all that, onto the important part. I’ve documented a week of my porridge recipes every morning, starting from Friday the 10th of January to Thursday the 16th of January. I started documenting my porridges straight away after Lauren contacted me, so I guess you can say I was a bit excited. I’ve even thrown in a bit of a ‘holiday’ themed recipe, since I am the February Oatmeal Enthusiast after all, so I felt I should include a Valentine’s Day porridge recipe.
I hope you all enjoyed my post and maybe some of you might even want to try some of my original and inspired recipes. You will find all of my recipes below, plus loads more on my blog, Breakfast Addiction. Finally, thanks a million, once again, to Lauren for giving me this opportunity.
Friday 10th January – Chai tea steeped oatmeal
I steeped a Starbucks chai tea bag in boiling water and then let it cool before removing the tea bag and using the room temperature chai tea to cook my porridge in.
Saturday 11th January – Sweet potato pie oatmeal
I grated a raw sweet potato (leaving the skin on for extra fibre) and added a 1/4 of a cup of it to my porridge along with some sultanas and a pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
Sunday 12th January – Peanut butter and jelly oatmeal
I made a peanut butter porridge by adding a teaspoon of organic peanut butter (I buy a brand with minimal ingredients and no added sugar) to my regular oatmeal. Then, I finished the porridge off with an additional teaspoon of organic peanut butter and a teaspoon of my home-made no-cooksugar free raspberry jam.
Monday 13th January – Cranberry & almond oatmeal
I added a pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to my regular porridge oats and then topped the oatmeal with a tablespoon each of toasted slivered almonds and dried cranberries.
Tuesday 14th January – ‘The Elvis’ oatmeal
I cooked up my usual porridge oats then garnished it with a sliced banana, a tablespoon of organic peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. This combination of flavours was apparently Elvis’ favourite, but in fried sandwich form.
Wednesday 15th January – Mint chocolate chip oatmeal
I steeped a peppermint tea bag in boiling water and then left it to cool to room temperature before removing the tea bag. I used a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the cooled peppermint tea to cook my porridge. I then topped the porridge off with some chunks of 70% dark chocolate chips. Since vanilla and mint chocolate chip are my all time favourite ice-cream flavours, I appropriately used my cute ice-cream bowl too.
Thursday 16th January – Valentine’s Day pink velvet oatmeal
I created this ‘pink’ porridge by cooking the porridge using two tablespoons of my home-made no-cook sugar free raspberry jam. I then topped the porridge off with ‘icing’ which consisted of a tablespoon of Alpro vanilla soy yoghurt (read my review here) and a few chunks of 70% dark chocolate chips. This was by far my favourite oatmeal I made this week.
Favourite oatmeal of all time: Its a draw between my interpretation of The Oatmeal Artist’s original recipe for pina colada oatmeal…
or my original recipe for poached pear and walnut oatmeal.
[Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in becoming my next Oatmeal Enthusiast, be sure to show your enthusiasm by tagging your oatmeal pictures with #oatmealartist on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Thank you for all your love and support!]
**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!
