Overnight Oats

So I realize I am about 5 years late to the overnight oats fad. I have actually considered them multiple times. I first read about them on Oh She Glows way back when. I thought, "that sounds like a nifty thing to have for breakfast" but then thought it seemed weird to eat cold oats....and immediately forgot about them.

Years later, along came Pinterest, and, again, overnight oats resurfaced. People I know (and tons of people I don't know, because that is how Pinterest works) pinned multiple recipes for overnight oats. I dutifully re-pinned each recipe - slightly more open to the idea but still never quite committing.

As the mornings warmed to summer in Texas, I no longer wanted to bring my hot breakfast of eggs and kale. In my searching for something refreshing for breakfast I still ignored overnight oats and instead started bringing greek yogurt with granola and berries every morning. I LOVED it. It was delicious and filling and my new most favorite breakfast ever. 

And then I discovered I have a sensitivity of some sort - I assume to dairy. I noticed that I was having an issue with dry skin on my eyelids (which, luckily, according to my friend at work, looks like eyeshadow and not the freakish-mutant peeling skin that I thought it looked like). I also quickly deduced that this started around the time I fell in love with yogurt for breakfast. Even more damning was the fact that it would clear up on the weekends when I would typically have something aside from yogurt for breakfast. It was the only constant. So, on a very depressing Thursday, I brought eggs and kale to work for breakfast instead. 

After two mornings of eggs, and the temperatures nearing the 80s as early as 9am. I really wanted to find something refreshing for breakfast again. Which is when, in a moment of clarity, I remembered overnight oats. I decided to finally give them a try. It only took five years. And, let me tell you, I now regret that - because that is five years I could have been eating this amazing breakfast that I missed out on. What was I thinking?!?!?!

Overnight oats are easy. You make them the night before, with very minimal effort, and they are ready to go by the morning. They are full of vitamins, fiber, and good-for-you things. And they keep you full and happy until lunch. 

So far I have made two very basic recipes all based on the same concept: 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1/2 - 1 cup liquid. 

The first was loosely based on this recipe I pinned from Leaf Parade - coconut almond and cocoa overnight oats. 

coconut almond and cocoa overnight oats 

1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds 

Add to jar or other container with a lid and shake contents well. Place in the fridge overnight to set.  

Add toppings of your choice in the morning, shake and eat! (I added shredded coconut, strawberries, sliced almonds, and some dark chocolate slivers.)

The first try was good. Good enough that I was willing to try a second recipe the next day. After doing some searching I found a recipe on Skinnytaste to base my next round of overnight oats on. 

blueberry pie overnight oats 

1/4 cup rolled (quick) oats
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
two handfuls of blueberries (or however many you would like)
1 teaspoon of dark brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon 

Add to jar or other container with a lid and shake contents well. Place in fridge overnight to set.  

Add toppings of your choice in the morning, shake and eat! (I added slivered almonds to this one.)

Delicious! I am excited to continue to experiment with combinations. The ratio of oats to liquid is fairly constant, and outside of that you can mix up flavors, sweeteners, seeds (add flaxseed instead of chia, for example), fruit, crunchy toppings -- only your imagination (and the available produce) can limit you!!!!

Smoothies!

It has been awhile since I have posted, but I am going to try to get back into the habit. Obviously I claimed that back in January. Of this year. It is now November. I guess I should try harder.

That said, it seemed only appropriate that my first post back be about one of my new favorite things. Smoothies! This one doesn't have the best picture, mainly because I make my smoothies in the morning for my breakfast. Which, 99% of the time means I am running around like a crazy-person, cursing myself for not packing my lunch the night before, getting my gym bag ready the night before - basically doing anything that would make my morning go more smoothly. While simultaneously throwing things in my blender and hitting "liquify." Despite my constant promises to myself, I have obviously yet to become a morning person. Or actually wake up the first time my alarm goes off without snoozing five times....

But that is why the smoothie is so great! I often add greens (spinach, kale, etc), although I didn't with this one, and it is a great way to get in a healthy breakfast on the go!

Today I made a PB&J Smoothie. The recipe was a combination of about 12 different recipes I found online, and my own experience making smoothies for the past month or so. And the result was pretty good - I didn't even manage to snap a quick phone picture until it was already half gone!

I am crossing my fingers that Santa might bring me a Vitamix for Christmas, because then I could really get experimental with my recipes....my current blender, although pretty good, just really doesn't do the job very well on certain things, especially veggies.

I have also found that mason jars are a GREAT way to transport my smoothies from my house to my office - the pint size perfectly holds two cups, and it is guaranteed not to spill!

Ok - enough rambling,  here are all the ingredients - just blend together and drink!

PB&J Smoothie

• 1 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 frozen banana (if you are using fresh fruit you may want to add a few ice cubes to chill the smoothie)
• 2 tbsp PB2
• 1 scoop protein powder of your choice (this is my favorite)
• 1 cup almond milk (or your preferred milk -- add more if it is too thick)
• 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• A couple dashes of honey (for sweetness, if you want...)

Blend & enjoy!!!!

Lazy Sunday Morning

Weekends are everyone's favorite. Unless you work the weekend, then your favorite is Monday or Wednesday, or whatever your weekend is! Like many other people, we also love weekend brunch. But sometimes it is nice to stay in your jammies, make a warm carafe of coffee and just eat at home.

I made this delicious brunch the other Sunday, and the hubbie loves it. I only got the finished product on film, but the process is easy. It is a take on eggs benedict that you find at many restaurants: smoked salmon benedict. The components are simple: poached eggs, english muffins, arugula, smoked salmon (sockeye salmon in this case) and hollandaise sauce.

The hollandaise sauce is certainly the only complicated part of this meal. I received Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques for Christmas. This book is amazing for helping with technique (obviously). I had attempted to make hollandaise before, and failed. Using the step-by-step instructions in this book my second try actually turned out! After my first failed try, in which my sauce broke, I realized that our burners, although gas, still do not have a low enough heat for something as fragile as hollandaise.

As a side note, I had heard a lot of talk of "broken sauces." This is simply when your sauce separates out. With hollandaise, it creates an oily top layer that is separate from the whipped egg yolks. There are tips in the book on how to "fix" a broken sauce; however, those did not work for me. I dumped the entire first try and started over. This time I whipped the yolks over the heat, then held the sauce pan above the heat while whipping in the butter. The sauce turned out beautifully, although it is WAY more sauce than two people need. It is impossible to save hollandaise sauce (at least, I haven't found a way yet) so I will need to invite friends over for the next brunch!

One the hollandaise is complete, you have to poach the eggs. Everyone has their own technique for poaching eggs. I start the water boiling with a couple splashes of vinegar while I am still whipping up the hollandaise. Once the water is boiling rapidly, you can drop in the egg. I prefer to crack the egg into a small 1/4 cup measuring cup. I can then drop the egg quickly into the water. I let the egg poach for a couple of minutes, and then remove the egg with a slotted spoon once the whites have set. I drain the egg on a paper towel (sometimes I need to pat the egg dry to remove the excess water).

Once the hollandaise is made and the egg is poached the assembly of the breakfast is simple. Toast the english muffins and place on a plate. Layer the arugula on top of the english muffins. Place the smoked salmon on the arugula. Top with a poached egg. Then drizzle hollandaise sauce on top -- as much or as little as you would like!

A delicious, lazy Sunday morning brunch. Still in our jammies, the sun is shinning and the day is warming. A great start to the last day of our weekend.

Sunday morning breakfast

One of my favorite things about the weekend is a leisurely weekend breakfast, with a nice cup of coffee. This breakfast is one of my favorites.

I start out sautéeing chopped up potatoes and onions in a skillet until brown and crispy.

Next I add in some egg whites (I usually do a mixture of two whites to one full egg for my hubby and I) and scramble it all together.

Finally I top the mixture with whatever we have on hand, this week I used salsa and fresh avocado.

Fairly quick and super yummy Sunday morning breakfast. Now to sit back and relax with a cup of coffee.

Wow. Serious yum.

I have no pictures to show on this one, but I just made a delicious breakfast at work and I am so excited about how yummy it was...I needed to share!

I sprayed a Tupperware with cooking spray, put in two egg whites and sprinkled that with garlic powder and white pepper. (This was before leaving home). When I got to work I crumbled an Amy's Veggie Burger into the mix and stirred it up. Popped it in the microwave for 45 seconds, stirred it up some more and added a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. 45 more seconds - and DONE! A mini-microwaveable-made-at-work scramble.

I threw some berries on the plate to eat on the side, and the entire thing comes in under 226 calories. And chock-full of protein and other goodness to get me through the morning.

Serious yum.