The Best Snack Ever

You all know I like oatmeal, and chocolate, and nighttime snack. But I've got a new recipe for you, one I've been making every week since we got that 50 pound bag of black beans. Simple, satisfying, sweet, but sugar free? This snack checks all the boxes. Don't knock it until you try it. Fudgy. Chocolate-y. Just right!

(Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie's Flourless Chocolate Blender Muffins)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c cooked black beans

1/3 c old-fashioned or quick oats

2/3 c unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/4 c peanut butter

1 t vanilla

3/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/8 t baking soda

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. (I prefer to use coconut oil.)

2. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until mostly smooth. (There may be some lack of uniformity.)

3. Divide into 10 muffin cups and bake 20 minutes.

4. Remove muffin tins from the oven and let cool on baking racks.

5. Remove muffins and refrigerate until ready to eat.

*These muffins can also be frozen and thawed for later enjoyment.

Comfort Food: Lent Part 2

For me, Lent is a time to refocus and re-prioritize. People traditionally fast from food during Lent, and that was the second part of my fast. (Read about Part 1 here.) I chose to fast from cereal, as that was something I tended to overdo. 

Food is a form of self-care. Eating highly palatable foods for comfort is a choice. The problem was that I was mindlessly eating cereal and not finding it fulfilling.

So I took Lent to focus on other food choices. I went back to chocolate bowl cakes (based on this recipe) and peanuts and raisins and hot cocoa. Sometimes they satisfied and I didn't think about cereal, and sometimes they didn't and all I wanted to do was pull down the cereal box and fill my bowl. But I didn't.

I bought special cereal for Easter: chocolate peanut butter Cheerios!

I expected these Cheerios to be amazing, but  they weren't. Don't get me wrong, the cereal is decent, but not as rich and satisfying as I'd hoped. (I have something against the way that peanut butter tastes when it bakes. It's a hold over from my dislike of peanut butter for the first 21 years of my life.) My mom likes the Cheerios and I'm mixing them with things, so they'll get eaten, just maybe not as quickly.

I'm a little disappointed that my return to cereal hasn't been as satisfying as I hoped, but that's part of the point of Lent. Food isn't designed to give ultimate satisfaction. It's a good gift from God, but only He ultimately satisfies.

Hereby ends my series of reflections on Lent. Anyone else have Lenten experiences they want to share?

30 Days of Oatmeal: Pumpkin Apple with Maple Peanut Butter Drizzle

Hooray! I've reached my final day of oatmeal, and I wanted to celebrate with a special bowl of porridge. Enter pumpkin apple oats with a maple peanut butter drizzle.

The Oatmeal Artist has done pumpkin apple before, but what makes this bowl special is the maple peanut butter over the smooth, spicy, and warm porridge. See all that melted peanut butter gooeyness on top of the oats? Yum!

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
2 T pumpkin puree
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1 apple, diced
1 T peanut butter
1 t maple syrup
1 t coconut oil

Directions:

1. Combine diced apple, oats, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.
2. When oats reach desired consistency, stir in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Transfer oats to a bowl.
4. In a separate pan, melt peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Drizzle over oats and enjoy!

30 Days of Oatmeal: Orange Peanut Butter Blossom Oatmeal

I found some orange extract in the back of Mom's cupboard. I wanted to use it, but didn't want to miss out on my nightly dose of chocolate. (I often eat oatmeal as a nighttime snack before bed.) I remembered the chocolate oranges I had growing up, and this recipe was born.

I didn't know how peanut butter would play into this recipe, but I wanted it, so I added it. It really blended the flavors and made the orange and cocoa flavors stand out. Without the topping, the porridge was just bland.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
4 t dark cocoa powder
1/2 t orange extract
2 T natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Bring oats and water to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cocoa, and orange extract.
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl and top with peanut butter. Swirl the peanut butter into the oatmeal for the best effect.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Curried Peanut Butter and Jelly + Afghan 48

I have a confession: I didn't eat peanut butter until age 20. And I only ate it then out of duress. I was missing far too many meals at the college cafeteria and needed a portable meal. Peanut butter sandwiches became my thing.

In this recipe, I incorporated many of my favorite oatmeal techniques: cooking oats with applesauce, mixing spices into peanut butter, and leaving my topping on top, rather than swirling them in.

I'd say this recipe was pretty successful. I liked the earthy spice of the curried peanut butter with the sweet oats and strawberry topping. I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla in my peanut butter mixture, but found it too strong, so I reduced it here.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1/4 c applesauce
1 T strawberry jam
1 T peanut butter
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 t vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or cup, mix peanut butter, curry powder, and vanilla until combined. Set aside.
2. Combine oats and water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.
3. When oats reach desired consistency, stir in the applesauce. Bring all ingredients to warm.
4. Pour oats into a bowl and top with the curried peanut butter and the strawberry jam.


--

And now for a different subject: Crochet. 

I finished this afghan on Thursday. 

It took me about two and a half months to finish, but I'm happy with that time given my last afghan completion time of nine months.

I'm still having trouble with my hand. The injection of botox helped the clenching and the pain, but took away my grip strength. After the injection, I found myself unable to open a door, gas up my car, or even hold a half gallon milk carton. (I found this out when the carton fell from my hand clear to the tile kitchen floor. Thankfully, it didn't burst.) I could hardly braid my hair or grasp anything at all. My pinky stayed permanently extended. The only way to put it down was to force it down with my other hand. Thankfully, through it all, I could crochet (hence the finishing of this blanket).

The botox has started to wear off and I find my grip strength and ability to make a fist returning, but my hand clenching a bit again. I still have trouble typing. I walk and jog with my hand in a fist to keep the hand from flopping. I'm not healed, so I see the doctor again next month.

I don't know if the issue with my hand is really dystonia, or if it is something else. (My hand oddly twitches at times.) For now, though, I count the blessing of another afghan's completion and pray for strength for future days. To God be the glory.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Wassail Oats

Are you familiar with the classic Christmas quaff, wassail? It's a mulled cider drink filled with all kinds of warming spices including cinnamon and cloves. Today, I've recreated it in oatmeal form.

Maybe not the prettiest bowl of oats ever, but yummy for sure!

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c cranberry grape juice*
1/2 water
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1 T (or more!) natural peanut butter for topping.

Directions:

1. Bring the oats, juice, and water to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cinnamon and cloves.
3. Pour the porridge into a bowl and top with the peanut butter.


*Substitute apple cider, apple juice, or straight cranberry juice for a slightly different take on this recipe.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Cinnamon Vanilla + Oreo Butter

The Oatmeal Artist is a huge proponent of using PB2 to make oatmeal toppings. I've never purchased PB2, however, and I don't plan to do so. PB2 takes all the good stuff out, like fat and protein. Fat and protein are the reasons I started eating peanut butter in the first place!

Anyway, I digress. I went with a simple cinnamon vanilla base for this porridge so as to accentuate the peanut butter topping.

I didn't expect the cocoa peanut butter to taste like Oreo, but man, did it? This little bit of chocolate on top of my porridge made my night!

Ingredients for the porridge:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

Ingredients for the Oreo butter:

2 T natural peanut butter
2 t dark cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
Enough water to make the mixture spreadable (about 1 T)

Directions:

1. Bring the oats and water to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the Oreo butter ingredients until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the cinnamon vanilla porridge into a bowl and top with the Oreo butter.

Chocolate Spice Oats

You can probably tell from this blog that I like chocolate. Here's my most recent rendition:

Dark cocoa powder + some of my favorite spices + peanut butter on top = Mmm!

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick oats
1 c water
1 T dark cocoa powder
1/4 t cardamom
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
2 T natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Combine oats and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once oats reach desired consistency, stir in cocoa powder and spices.
3. Transfer oats to a bowl and top with peanut butter.

Ginger Lemon Oats with Stewed Apples

I went a little crazy with my flavor combinations this time. This wasn't my favorite bowl of oats ever, but I did enjoy it. Plus, ginger is good for the tummy, and an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Add cinnamon that helps control blood sugar and the protein of natural peanut butter, and you've got yourself a healthy bowl of oats!

Plus, the bowl looks pretty. Don't you think?

Ingredients:

1 apple, diced
1 t vanilla
3 T water

1/2 c rolled oats
1 c water
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t ground ginger

2 T natural peanut butter
1/2 t cinnamon
Enough water to make a paste

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the apple, vanilla, and water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Allow the apples to cook until the water evaporates and a thick syrup forms around the apples.
2. Transfer the apples to a bowl, and add the oats and water to the same pan.
3. Bring the oats to a boil and allow them to cook until thick and rich.
4. Add the lemon juice, ginger, and a little more water. Cook until the oats reach the desired consistency.
5. In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, cinnamon, and enough water to form a paste.
6. Transfer the oats to a bowl and top with the stewed apples and cinnamon peanut butter.

Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Oats

It's fall, and it's Pumpkin Palooza at Trader Joe's, so naturally it's time for a pumpkin oatmeal recipe. This is based on a recipe I found when I started experimenting with oats, but for the life of me, I can't find the original blog. So here's my rendition:Creamy pumpkin oats with just a bit of spice, topped with decadent vanilla spice peanut butter, all made in my own kitchen. Mmm!

Ingredients:

1/2 c rolled oats
1 c water
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 t pumpkin pie spice, divided
2 T natural peanut butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t real vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine oats and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook oats until thick and rich.
3. Thoroughly stir in pumpkin puree and 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice. Let simmer until oats are cooked and desired consistency is reached. (Add a bit more water, if necessary.)
4. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.
5. Dish up the oats and top with the peanut butter mixture.
Enjoy!

Salted Cardamom Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Yep, I'm on a cardamom kick! It's SOOO good. This time, I added it to some traditional banana oats.

Mmm! Top it with some pink Himalayan sea salt to bring out the natural sweetness of the banana. Finish off with a dollop of natural peanut butter and dig into the creamy goodness!

Ingredients:

1/2 c old-fashioned oatmeal

1 c water

1/4 t cardamom

1/2 t vanilla

1 banana (half mashed, and half sliced) 
Himalayan sea salt

2 T natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Bring water and oats to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cardamom, vanilla, and mashed banana. Simmer oatmeal on low until the liquid absorbs and the porridge is rich and creamy

3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl and top with the sea salt, sliced bananas, and peanut butter.

Raisin-ette Oatmeal

Sweet chocolate-y coating. Plump juicy fruit. Do you remember Raisinets, that sweet theater candy that probably didn't contain much real chocolate? Well, I recreated it, in oatmeal form.

Yes, I did it. I combined chocolate and raisins, and it was EXCELLENT.


Ingredients:
1/2 c rolled oats
1 c water
1 T cocoa powder
1/4 c raisins
Natural peanut butter and sea salt for topping.


1. Combine oats, water, and raisins in a small pan. Bring to a boil.
2. Simmer until oats reach desired consistency.
3. Stir in cocoa powder, and transfer oats to a bowl.
4. Top with peanut butter and sea salt and enjoy a blast to the past.

Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats

Yes, I'm writing about oatmeal again. Yes, this one includes chocolate and peanut butter. And I realized as I ate it that it is really a variation on my favorite oatmeal. But this was so good for breakfast that I have to share the recipe. I could really eat this for dessert, as it reminded me of the Braum's peanut butter cup ice cream I ate in the middle of the night last night. (Yes, the middle of the night. I was hungry and couldn't sleep and so I chose to enjoy ice cream and the novel I was reading.) So without further ado: peanut butter cup overnight oats (adapted from Bran Appetit's Double Chocolate Overnight Oats)

Rich chocolate, salty peanut butter + the health of oats? Mmm!

Ingredients:

1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 t maple syrup
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
1 T (or more) natural peanut butter for topping

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients except the peanut butter in a small bowl or a medium-sized jar.
2. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
3. Before eating, "fill" the chocolate peanut butter oatmeal shell with the peanut butter.

Notes:

Don't omit the salt mixed in with the oats. It really brings out the richness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the maple syrup.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Porridge

Warm peanut butter cookies alongside a glass of cold milk are a childhood favorite, right? So why not reinvent the combination into a healthy oatmeal breakfast?

This recipe came to me last fall during pumpkin season (hence the pumpkin pie spice), but I think it is good year-round.

Ingredients:

1 c water (or milk for a true reinvention of cookies and milk)

½ c quick oats
½ c unsweetened applesauce
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t pumpkin pie spice (or more cinnamon)
1 t vanilla extract
2 T natural peanut butter
Honey for drizzling
1-2 T old-fashioned oats (or peanut butter granola) for topping

Directions:

1. Bring water and oats to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the applesauce, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Simmer oatmeal on low until some of the liquid from the applesauce absorbs and the oats reach the desired consistency.
3. Stir the peanut butter into the oats until it all melts and melds with the oatmeal

4. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl and drizzle with honey.

5. Top with the old-fashioned oats or granola and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Applesauce Oatmeal

My All-Time Favorite Oatmeal Recipe

Adapted from The Oatmeal Artist's Fudgy Banana and Peanut Butter Oatmeal



If you know me, you know I love oatmeal. After stumbling across The Oatmeal Artist's Blog a few years ago, I started becoming more creative with my oatmeal. I tried the Brownie Batter Oatmeal and learned that adding cocoa powder to oatmeal is a beautiful thing. Next, I tried the Sweet Potato Fudge Oatmeal and found that stirring other foods into my oatmeal wasn't such a bad idea. One night, in desperate search for something rich and chocolate-y, I tried my own version of these recipes: Peanut Butter Chocolate Applesauce Oatmeal. Since then, it's been my go-to recipe for a decadent, but healthy breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oatmeal

1 c water

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

2 T natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Bring water and oats to a boil and reduce heat to medium. (I find that cooking my oats in the water from the beginning makes them creamier.)

2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cocoa powder and applesauce. Simmer oatmeal on low until some of the liquid from the applesauce absorbs and the oats become thick and rich.

3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl (or cup, as in my case) and top with the peanut butter.

Notes:

Yes, I often eat oatmeal out of a cup. It keeps the oats warm longer and makes the oatmeal conveniently portable. A special friend gave me this Wonder Woman cup and I use it often.