Healthy Red Velvet Overnight Oatmeal

It's been a long time since I posted an oatmeal recipe. I know! I still eat it almost every day. I just don't experiment as much, hence no new recipes to post. This time, though, I have something for you: a way to get in your fruits, veggies, carbs, and protein all in one. Feel free to portion this recipe to meet your needs.

Ingredients:

1 c water
1 fresh beet
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c rolled oats
4 T cocoa powder
2 t cinnamon
4 scoops protein powder* 

*I use the plant protein powder from Winco and each scoop is about 3 T.

Directions:

1. Pierce the beet. Place it in a bowl and cover it gently. Microwave 5-10 minutes, or until done. Let cool slightly.
2. Place the beet and 1 c water in a high powered blender and blend until smooth.
3. Mix together the remaining ingredients and divide portions based on your needs.
4. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Top with vanilla Greek yogurt, if desired for a true red velvet experience.

This recipe was inspired by Flora and Vino's red velvet overnight oats with raspberry puree and Rise and Run's red velvet superhero muffins.

Pepper Jelly Breakfast Pizza

Every once and a while, one of my "experiments" really turns out. In this case, my quest to use up some of the abundant Instant Pot pepper jelly I made Christmas time last year turned into a sweet, savory, and scrumptious breakfast. Move over Egg McMuffin, there's a new handheld breakfast in town!

Ingredients:

6 T warm water
1/4 t sugar
1 t yeast
1 c flour
4 T pepper jelly
2 c frozen pepper and onion blend (thawed)
1 c mozzarella cheese
4 eggs
Ground black pepper
Optional: Seasonings of your choice

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

2. Prepare the pizza dough.

a. Dissolve 1/4 t sugar and 1 t yeast. Let activate for 5-10 minutes.
b. Add sugar, yeast, and water to 1/2 c four. Stir with a wooden spoon.
c. Turn out onto a silicone baking mat and gradually kneed in an additional 1/2 c flour.
d. Form into a ball and let sit for five minutes.

3. Divide the pizza dough into four balls. Roll each ball into a 6 inch circle. Place on a silicone baking mat lined cookie sheet. Roll up the edges of the dough slightly.

4. Brush each dough circle with 1 T pepper jelly.

5. Bake for five minutes.

6. Meanwhile, squeeze out excess moisture from the vegetables using a tea towel.

7. Remove the dough circles from the oven. (Jelly may have boiled over, but this is not a problem.)

8. Mound 1/4 c cheese around the edges of each pizza dough. (Leave the center empty).

9. Divide the vegetables among the four pizzas and arrange on top of the cheese. (Again, leave the center empty.)

10. Crack one egg into the center of each pizza.

11. Top with ground black pepper, plus any other seasonings of your choice. (I used the smoky seasoning from My Vegan Minimalist.)

12. Bake for 10 minutes.

13. Remove from the oven. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

*Dough inspired by Budget Bytes' thin and crispy pizza crust.

*Pizza inspired by Krazy Kitchen Mom's breakfast flatbread with pepper jelly; Safe Egg's sweet pepper, cheddar, and egg pizza recipe; and The Worktop's individual breakfast pizza by Maya from Treats and Eats

Microwave Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict: that luscious, splurge-worthy restaurant or weekend breakfast. Can it be done at home, in the microwave? I set out to try.

Base: 2 ingredient microwave bread (Kirbie's Cravings)

Ham: Sandwich meat warmed in the microwave

Eggs: poached in the microwave (Simply Recipes)

Hollandaise sauce: also made in the microwave

Verdict: Yes, microwave Eggs Benedict is possible. It is not as great as the real version, but a decent substitute. I was least satisfied with the microwave poached eggs, as they kind of disintegrated during cooking. If I could get that down, I would feel far more satisfied with the overall result. Perhaps more experimentation is in store.

Meals to Feed A Crowd

We were blessed to attend a family reunion this past weekend. My mom planned most of the food, but I helped, and as a note to myself, if nothing else, I wanted to document the meals we made. Feeding many people requires catering to food preferences, food allergies, age differences, and more. The meals below checked all the boxes and successfully met the needs of the 15 people we had attending.

Breakfast

Pancake bar (can be made dairy-free, gluten-free, keto, vegetarian, and toddler friendly)

Toppings: Butter, jam, jelly, syrup, yogurt

Other things to add: bacon, eggs, cocoa, coffee, fruit

Dinner 1: Baked potato bar 

Baked potatoes (caters to dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and toddler needs)

Optional toppings: broccoli, butter, chopped ham salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper

Dinner 2: Spaghetti

Spaghetti sauce (caters to dairy-free, keto, gluten-free, vegetarian, and toddler needs)

Additions: cheese, meatballs (I used this gluten-free, paleo recipe), noodles (gluten-free, keto, etc.), vegetables

Dinner 3: Fajitas

Chicken meat (caters to dairy-free, keto, gluten-free, and toddler friendly)

Sautéed peppers and onions (caters to keto, gluten-free, vegetarian, and toddler needs)

*Watch ingredients in seasonings if using a packaged mix.

Side items: chips, tortillas (corn and flour to meet different dietary needs), salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream

Low-Heat Meal Prep

It's hot! We hit 118 several days last week, and the heat has not let up much this week. People in our geographical area have experienced power outages, and the city sent out an e-mail asking users to conserve energy between 3 and 8 pm by using less appliances that take a lot of power (as dishwashers, ovens, etc.). Meal prep is part of our current way of life, but given the heat and the city's request, I needed to do things a little differently. That led to this low-heat meal prep.

What is low heat? Well, since we keep our house at 80 degrees already, that meant meals that created as little heat as necessary to make. The oven was definitely off limits, and I wanted to use the stove as little as possible. Additionally, I wanted meals that could be eaten cold, or reheated with little extra energy output. 

Here is what I came up with:

Breakfast:

Carrot cake overnight oats (No cook/raw)

Stove-top granola (Not pictured)

Lunches:

Mexican chicken and vegetable bowls (Chicken cooked in the Instant Pot; eaten cold)

Sandwiches (Not pictured)

Dinners:

Ricotta/asparagus pasta salad with ham (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Spicy black bean and caramelized onion tacos (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Snacks:

Apples (Not pictured)

Bananas (Preferably frozen; not pictured)

Baked oatmeal (based on this recipe by Budget Bytes; eaten cold)

*I cooked this in the microwave for 14 minutes verses 45 minutes in the oven based on GE's microwave recipe conversion ratio.

Carrot sticks (Not pictured)

Cheese sticks (Not pictured)

Peanuts (Not pictured)

--

Could I have reduced or eliminated stove-top cooking for this prep? Sure! I could have made raw meals, or solely used the Instant Pot, but this worked. I made the no-cook recipes at night, and spent a few mornings with the stove and voila, done!

--

Readers, what are your favorite low-heat/no cook recipes? What do you eat to help survive the summer heat? Please share in the comments section.

--

*For more inspiration, see Work Week Lunch's "Cold Lunch Ideas" blog post or no-reheat meal preps.

Sriracha Turkey and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits

Quarantine cooking creativity? 

It comes and goes. I've been trying to make "special" breakfast on Sundays, but I had run out of ideas. In search for something new, I came upon a few interesting recipes, but didn't like any one specifically, so I combined them  to create this savory and satisfying entree. 

Butter, biscuits, cheese, meat, and heat, this breakfast has it all!

Ingredients:

1/2 t salt

4 T cold butter, diced

1/6 c powdered milk

1 t apple cider vinegar

2/3 c water

8 slices turkey meat

1 c grated cheese

Sriracha to taste

(Biscuit recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour. Sandwiches inspired by a recipe from Budget Bytes.)

Instructions:

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Cut cold, diced butter into mixture until it forms clumps the size of peas.

3. Mix powdered milk, vinegar, and water in a separate cup. Stir into flour and butter mixture.

4. Turn out on a floured surface and fold over until all ingredients are incorporated. Add water or flour a tablespoon at a time, if needed, to get to the right consistency.

5. Roll dough into a rectangle shape 1/2 inch thick.

6. Use a sharp knife to cut in 12-16 squares.

7. Lay half the squares face down on an ungreased baking pan.

8. Top each square with one piece of turkey meat, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, and a squirt of sriracha.

9. Fold turkey meat over to encase the cheese. (Try to flatten each mound of cheese as much as possible to avoid seepage, some of which will happen.)

10. Add the remaining biscuit squares on top, pressing gently, to form sandwiches.

11. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove pan from oven.

12. Use a thin-edged spatula to push melted cheese back into sandwiches and serve.

Step-by-step photos:

Roll dough into a rectangle shape 1/2 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut in 12-16 squares.

Top each square with one piece of turkey meat, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, and a squirt of sriracha.

Fold turkey meat over to encase the cheese. (Try to flatten each mound of cheese as much as possible to avoid seepage, some of which will happen.)

Add the remaining biscuit squares on top, pressing gently, to form sandwiches.

Patriot Run 3.0

I've been trying to train for a longer race. If I get there, I'll let you know. But on the training schedule, I was supposed to run a 5K. This one fell at just about the right time. I've run the Patriot Run before, but each time I run it, it feels special.

Since I am trying to train for a longer race and also live close to the race location, I walked to the start line this time. That made a for a good warm-up and greeting to the day. (Bonus: I did not have to fight potential crowds to find a parking spot.)

I sipped some water, since I've been trying to proactively hydrate, and took some photos with Mom and Dad. (My husband was at a church conference.)

The 10K started at 7 am, and 15 minutes later, we were off running the 5K. People started fast. I was running with my phone and tried to pace myself and tell myself I could catch them later. The first mile or so felt hard, though, and I wondered how I would ever finish in the time I wanted, let alone catch the people in front of me. And let's be honest, I was feeling competitive because this race is small, and I thought I had a chance of placing. Slowly, but surely, I found a stride, and my splits got faster.

I didn't catch all of the people. (The top guy finished in 21:00 flat. Craziness!) I did manage to catch the other ladies, though, and finished with a time of 26:07. That isn't my fastest, but it's my fastest at this elevation, and I was very thankful!

I ended up placing ninth overall and first for my age division. And they actually pronounced my last name correctly when I went on stage, which is a first for me. (It's also the first time I've run under my married name.) Happy girl!

--

In foodie news, my parents and I tried out a new bakery for breakfast. Mom and I split the early bird breakfast of a basted egg, sausage, and sourdough toast.

That left me ravenous, so I went for splitting a honey pecan roll with Mom for breakfast: round two.

Ooey, gooey, delicious! (And way better than Dad's cinnamon roll. Sorry, Dad!)

I had a bottle of water with electrolytes when I got home, and a health(ier) salad for lunch, but then pizza for dinner, and a big nighttime snack.

I might should have eaten a greater quality of food after running so hard, as my stomach feels a bit off today, but live and learn. At least I had a good quantity of food for refueling.

--

On to the week, and, Lord willing, more training, but praise the Lord for a fun weekend!

My First 10K

I saw a meme on Pinterest that said:

Yeah, maybe that applies to me. I ran Pat's Run last weekend, and my first 10K today. A long run last week was part of the 10K training I did, but yes, it was still a lot of running. At least this race was local.

The Whiskey Row Marathon is pretty iconic, mostly because of the hills. The 10K I ran accompanied it. The race supports the YMCA, so I felt good about registering, even if I couldn't run (but I'm glad I did.)

I picked up my packet and bib Friday evening at the YMCA. The goody bag wasn't the greatest, but I'm not necessarily in it for the goody bag. I'm in it for the run, and the medal and the t-shirt (if I can have the latter two). 

It had been a long week, so I decided to do a little self-care Friday evening and painted my nails. How funny that the Sally Hansen color was called Red-y to Run!

Wake-up came at 5 am Saturday. I listened to my Bible readings and got ready to go. It was cold! Chris picked me up at 5:45 am.

Unlike last weekend, the roads were dead. Downtown was dead. We kind of just roved around for awhile. But then they started the half-marathon, and the two mile. A Guidance helicopter flew over before my race.

At 7:20 am, the Regulators shot their rifles and we were off! I knew the first part of the course was hilly. I saw a lady from church and she told me where the worst was. (It was bad, but I guess since I made it back down the other side, it doesn't seem as bad now.)

I told myself not to go fast, as I wanted to finish, and have never run a documented 6.2 miles straight before. I wanted to enjoy a little of the scenery along the way, because it was pretty. 

I mean, look at Thumb Butte!

I wanted to finish in an hour if I could, and by my phone pacing, thought I could.

And guess what, I did! The last hill and corner were a little hard, and I was tired, but I finished! And I ran the whole way!

My dad and Mom and fiance were all at the finish line. That was pretty sweet. 

                            

   

And we all went to breakfast afterward. I've wanted to go to Lone Spur Cafe for awhile, and there wasn't even really a wait!

I got the skinny cowboy skillet with basted eggs and raisin toast. (I think the strawberry jam was homemade.) Yum!

Then it was off to run errands, home for a shower, and more errands. I got pretty tired after lunch, so I took a nap.

All in all, it was a good day. 

Praise the Lord! 

Praise the Lord that I was healthy. 

Praise the Lord that I finished. 

Praise the Lord for the support of loved ones.

Praise the Lord for good food.

Praise the Lord for nice weather.

Praise the Lord for rest.

Praise the Lord, and to Him be the glory!

Craveable Chocolate Oatmeal Muffin Cups

Returning to physical therapy means early mornings. I decided I'd rather sleep in and eat breakfast in the car than get up early. That meant figuring out an on-the-go breakfast. I've been craving chocolate, and you know I like oatmeal. So I searched for a recipe and found these chocolate breakfast oatmeal cupcakes from Chocolate Covered Katie. I subtracted some sweetener, substituted some and came up with these delightful and satisfying chocolate oatmeal muffin cups.

The dark cocoa in these muffins makes them slightly decadent. The applesauce adds sweetness without overpowering. Almond butter adds protein and satisfaction. It's a pretty good combination. So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c water
2 T almond butter
1 1/2 T vanilla

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2) Grease 12 cupcake tins. (I used coconut oil.)
3) Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
5) Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.
6) Bake at 380 degrees for 25 minutes.
7) Allow muffins to cool in the pan before removing.

I put my muffins in the freezer after they cooled and pop out a few before I leave in the morning, but how you eat them is up to you!

Healthy Homemade Cereal

I've eaten a lot of cereal since moving home. I didn't buy cereal very often when I lived on my own, so I guess now I'm making up for it. Like I eat cereal almost every night for a bedtime snack.

As part of my bucket list project, I wanted to try a new cereal. But then I got to thinking that I should make a new cereal. One of my Instagram friends posted about making cereal last week, and so I embarked on the cereal-making journey. 

I'd pinned several recipes for homemade cereal after constructing my bucket list, but I decided on this one from Southern Kissed. I didn't have oat bran and I'm not a fan of sugary sweet cereal, so I adapted the recipe and made it my own. Then I shoved my concoction in the oven and waited.

What emerged was a somewhat soft, definitely hardy version of granola. I'm not sure it's like cracklin' oat bran (as per the original recipe) since I left out the bran, but it's definitely good enough to share. I ate the cereal plain for my first bowl, but I mixed it in with other cereals afterwards (as per the first photo). It definitely grew on me, and after a week, it's all gone!

If you want to make a batch of this hearty cereal for yourself, follow the recipe below.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c rolled oats (divided)
1/2 c dried coconut
1/2 c ground flax seed
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
2 T maple syrup
2 T olive oil
1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Place one cup rolled oats in the food processor and grind to a coarse powder.
2. Add the remaining dry ingredients and pulse 5-6 times.
3. Add wet ingredients and process until the liquids has dispersed.
4. Place on a greased pan and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
5. Allow cereal to cool on the pan. Then break into clumps and store in an air-tight container.

If you try this recipe, please comment below and tell me what you think!

What's Helping Me Get Through

Work's a little busy. Life's a little crazy. How am I getting through? These five self-care practices help:

1) Slow breakfasts: Giving myself 45 minutes to sit and eat and scroll through my phone. Admittedly, I can get overly caught up in negative research on my phone, or fall into the comparison trap of social media, but overall, it's a good habit.

2) Sleep: I can't get enough of it, and weekend naps are key! I sometimes give up other social engagements or activities to get in my time. Sleep is just so important right now.

3) Podcasts: Filling my mind with positive thoughts helps fight the negative ones. External noise also helps quiet the internal noise. Right now, I'm a major fan of The Chasing Joy Podcast with Georgie Morley. It's positive content and helpful tips for living a life of overall wellness. Double win!

4) Eating more protein: Days are long and being hungry/having low blood sugar just isn't good. So even though I'd like to be vegetarian, I've started eating more meat. I've also started supplementing my diet with and protein powder and protein bars. Right now, I just need that little "extra."

5) Moving: I still haven't quite figured out the right rest and exercise balance, but moving feels good, especially when I sit at a desk or ride in a car all day. Sometimes movement is walking, sometimes slowly running (or trotting, as I prefer to call it), sometimes yoga, and sometimes weightlifting and/or HIIT. Movement just makes the day go better, and sometime being sore gives me something to focus on other than ruminating about the craziness of life

These are the current ways I'm practicing self-care, but what about you? What's getting you through right now?

Date with Dad

Today marks my second annual date with Dad to the Watson Lake Car Show. I'd argue that it's one of the largest car shows in our area, and it happens every summer about this time. Dad like cars and I like spending time with Dad, so it works for us.

Our date started with breakfast at Panera, my suggestion since it is kind of on the way to the car show. Dad had suggested a local breakfast place in our town, but I countered, and he agreed.

Yummy ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich

We then continued on to the car show. Thankfully Dad drove the pickup truck as the parking was in a field and a bit dicey. And there was mud. My little old four-door car wouldn't have liked that so much.

Dad usually starts at the front of the car show and works back. That's okay, except that the front part is the small engine section in the shade while the back part is the actual car show in the sunny field. Dad also likes to talk to the guys at the front which is fine, but sometimes results in it getting late and us not making it to the back of the show. So this time, I asked Dad if we could start at the back to see the cars first and we did! (We also saw some interesting swap meet items.)

There were some pretty fancy cars in the back, like a wheelie truck and an Opel and a Jaguar. Some of the coolest cars are at the front of the show with the small engines, though, like this old sheep herder's truck:

And this shiny red truck (I'd have to ask Dad what it is):

It was a good morning spent out in the sun with good company, but I think the key thing that made this date with Dad enjoyable was compromise. I used my voice to speak up and ask Dad for things that would make the time more enjoyable for me, and Dad compromised. Sure, I might not have stayed so long at certain booths or talked so long to certain people, but that was my compromise. I don't know about Dad, but I came away satisfied and content, which is the ultimate goal in any compromise. I also got to spend time with Dad which is rare, due to our work schedules, and something we're trying to work on since I didn't get along that well with Dad that well in high school and then moved away for ten years.

End of story? Second annual date with Dad to the Watson Lake Car Show = Double win!