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.

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.

Learning From Lent

I started practicing Lent years ago, probably ten years ago at this point. It was hard then, and it is hard now. Some years I haven't practiced, but most years, I get convicted about something I need to give up. I don't want to fast, but eventually I succumb to the Spirit and do it. The first days and weeks of fasting this year seemed long (and Lent was a whole 46 days this year). The last few days, I wanted to quit, but then Easter came and I was grateful I fasted, grateful for this ritual and spiritual discipline that teaches me so much year in and year out.

Easter this year admittedly felt a lot different. It was more somber, less celebratory, but it was still Easter, and Christ is risen. Hallelujah! And because Christ is risen, we have the Holy Spirit, and it is that Spirit that convicted me to fast.

This year I fasted from three things: listening to music or podcasts in my car, tea, and chocolate. I have fasted from all three of these before, but never in conjunction. This year, I felt convicted to give up all three, to let Jesus take their place. I fasted from these practices and things for many reasons, but mostly because I tend to overuse them for comfort. There is no harm in finding comfort in God's good gifts, but when the gifts become more important than the Giver, there's a problem. I was bordering on that: drowning my thoughts (and prayers) out with music in the car, drowning my hunger and longings in tea up to three times a day, and looking to chocolate to give me peace to sleep. So essentially, I gave up comfort for Lent.

Almost immediately, I felt the ache of my loss. My thoughts assaulted me as I drove. The commutes to and from work seemed extra long. I felt the ache in my belly from not having tea. I missed the lingering at the table after meals as I sipped. I missed the calmness of the tea's warmth as it slipped down my throat. I couldn't figure out what to eat as a nighttime snack. But as I faithfully stuck with the fast, God started to show me benefits. My doctor told me my vertigo might be due to my electrolyte balance being off. My mom told me drinking less liquids would help. Well, fasting from tea took care of that recommendation! I started to notice that I was hungry after a lot of meals, and drinking less tea made room for more food and more energy (a sore lack these days). I recognized that I could eat a lot of different things for snack and started to figure out what did and didn't satisfy, thereby enlarging my repertoire. Then COVID-19 hit, and I saw even more reasons the Lord may have prompted me to fast. Having no radio on in the car meant less exposure to news. I became more and more grateful for a small space free from virus talk. (The overhead freeway signs and billboards reminded me of COVID enough.) I found that I could use my commute time to pray, or call those I loved and could not visit. I found that could discipline myself to sit and linger at the table without tea, if rest was what I needed. Groceries became more random (though not scarce-thankfully we have food), so having variety to my snacks helped me roll with the flow of food.  And now that I can find no powdered milk anyway, I have ideas of what I can enjoy besides my preferred hot chocolate mix. I am thankful, even if the fasting was painful.

Did I give up the fast on Easter? Yes. Because fasting past Easter can become legalistic and judgmental for me. I sure enjoyed the tea I sipped with breakfast and the chocolate chip cookie I had with snack. I was encouraged by the songs I heard on the radio in my car this morning. I hope that as I add back these things, I will return to a place of more moderation and gratitude overall.

Did I learn from Lent this year? I sure did! Was it easy? No. But the Spirit is faithful. Praise Him!

Chocolate Zucchini Proats

I've been trying to eat more protein since my dystonia diagnosis and all the physical therapy I've been doing. But I'm also struggling to eat my veggies. These overnight oats covered all my bases and left me with a little more free time in the morning since they were pre-made. This recipe was a win for me, so I thought I'd share it with you, too.

I like bittersweet chocolate, so if you like things sweeter, feel free to add sweetener. Otherwise, enjoy as is.

Ingredients:

1/3 c quick oats
1 c grated zucchini
3 t dark cocoa powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cardamom
2 scoops protein powder (I like the organic pea protein from Trader Joe's
1 c water

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl or large jar.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Enjoy in the morning!

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?

Chocolate Oats 2.0

Those of you who know me well know I love chocolate oatmeal in all its many forms. And this year, the hustle and bustle of life helped me invent a new version: the all-in-one jar (or bowl) breakfast. 

I started drinking protein shakes again last fall when I was doing a little more intense weight-lifting program. (I saw "little" because the most I can lift is 40 pounds in a deadlift and my "program" simply looked like lifting weights more intentionally on more frequent occassions." I always liked to drink my protein shakes in a whipped up latte form, but then I got busy and didn't have time. One day I threw the protein powder into my oats and added my traditional applesauce and cocoa and was like, "Wow! This actually tastes good!"

I started in on protein powders in college and went from soy to whey to a vegan blend. I stuck with that blend from Sunwarrior for awhile. (I read a review that said Sunwarrior's Warrior blend had a complete amino acid profile, and I was trying to eat more vegetarian at the time.) When I moved to Arizona, I found Trader Joe's vanilla protein powder and changed to that. It's my favorite at this point because it stirs into oats easily and has natural sweetness from coconut sugar. (I find Sunwarrior's blend more earthy and powdery tasting. It's also sweetened with stevia, which I don't like.) But I digress. Any protein powder will work for these oats, so on to the recipes!

Stove-top:

1/2 c quick-cooking oatmeal
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 T dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1 scoop protein powder

Directions:

1. Bring water and oats to a boil and reduce heat to medium. 
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cocoa powder, applesauce, spices, and protein powder. Add more water, if neede
3. When oats reach the desired consistency, transfer oatmeal to a bowl and enjoy!

Overnight:

1/3 c quick-cooking oatmeal
2/3 c water
1/2 c applesauce
1 T dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop protein powder

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a jar and stir.
2. Refrigerate overnight.

Tell me: Which version of chocolate oats did you try? Which was your favorite? Please share in the comments section.

Easy Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

A few Saturdays ago, I found myself in need of a creative outlet. It had been an exhausting week and my brain just needed to make something new. (I read this week that the best self-care tasks for my personality type, ISFJ, are simple tasks that provide sensory input. Hello, cooking!) I wanted to recreate my favorite chocolate applesauce stove-top oatmeal in baked form, but couldn't quite find a recipe. So I adapted this one from The Conscientious Eater.

These oats were soft, fluffy, and popped right out of the greased pan. If you're looking for a make-ahead or on-the-go breakfast, this might be it!

Ingredients:

1 c. quick oats
2 T cocoa
1 T ground flax meal
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c milk of choice (I used Almond Breeze's almond coconut blend)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a small loaf pan. (I used coconut oil.)
3. Stir together dry ingredients, and then add wet.
4. Pour mixed ingredients into the loaf pan and smooth with the back of the spoon.
5. Bake for twenty minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Chocolate Cinnamon Cantaloupe Oatmeal

You might have noticed that chocolate oatmeal is one of my favorite things. With the heat of summer, I've still been craving it, but well, it's hot, so not as enjoyable. This lovely combo is the best of both worlds, though. Sweet, spicy, warm oats topped with cooling cantaloupe:

I included cinnamon in this recipe (to sweeten the oats), plus a little ginger. Eating each bite of cantaloupe with a bite of chocolate yields just the right ratio of cold and hot, sweet, and not. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 1/2 c water
3 t dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/2 c (or more) diced cantaloupe

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, cinnamon, and ginger.
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl, and top with diced cantaloupe.

Summer Produce Oatmeal

Have summer produce lying around? If you're rich in zucchini or summer squash, this is the recipe for you!

Yes, it's more chocolate, but chocolate makes for a good breakfast. Don't you think? You'll definitely think so after you try this oatmeal.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 -1/2 1/2 c water
1/2-1 c shredded zucchini or summer squash
2 T dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cardamom

Directions:

1. Bring oats, shredded squash and 1 cup of water to a boil and reduce heat to medium. 
2. When oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cocoa, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Add more water if needed.
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl, and add desired toppings (yogurt, nut butters, chocolate chips, etc).

Chocolate Mole Oatmeal

After a long hiatus, oatmeal recipes are back! Plus, this post includes the debut of a new dish I've deemed "the oatmeal bowl." (Thanks to my dear friend Joanna for this lovely birthday gift.)

I've been eating oatmeal since the 30 Days series, but I didn't feel like posting about it. After two weeks out of town and the arrival of the bowl, however, I feel it is time. I'd been making my traditional cinnamon chocolate oatmeal (2 T cocoa powder + 1 t cinnamon) bowls topped with dashes of cayenne, chili powder, and sea salt before I left home and I liked it, but wanted to deepen the flavor to go throughout the oatmeal. A quick Google search for chocolate chili oatmeal turned up two chocolate mole recipes (oatmeal chili and easy cheater vegan mole sauce), and I decided to adapt and go with it.

I wouldn't say that the chili and chipotle flavors came through strongly in this oatmeal, but they did add a nice level of heat to the cocoa. This recipe would probably be better in the freezing winter than the steaming summer, but I've gotta show off the oatmeal bowl, so here we go:

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 1/2 c water
3 t dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t ginger
1/4-1/2 t chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Toppings of choice (I added a chopped red delicious apple, but other fruits, candy, and nut butter would also be appropriate.

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, cinnamon, chili powder, ginger, and chopped chipotle peppers. 
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl, add desired toppings and enjoy!

Imperfection

Remember that post I wrote on self-forgiveness? Yeah, I'm having to practice that a lot. I'm having to face my imperfections.

I've always been a perfectionist (like in high school I would rip pages out of my notebook and rewrite them if I made a mistake). I thought I was getting better, caring less about the perfect, and more about the pure, good, and lovely things of life (Phil 4:8). But God's been showing me lately that I still have a long way to go.

Like I've always been a regimented exerciser. I try to follow a pretty strict schedule, and most of the time, it's worked for me. But lately, I've been tired. My body has hurt. So I've been taking time off walking with mom (saving cardio for runs to train for Pat's Run) doing yoga instead of weights, etc. I've felt lazy sometimes, but my body has thanked me by holding up for my runs.

Then there's the whole matter of training for Pat's Run. When I run, I run 3 miles, and a "hard" race is 5K. Now I'm taking on 4.2 miles. It's not that much further...but it is. I was "on schedule" with training, and then suddenly realized I was a week off. And that upset me. It wasn't that I didn't think I could do the next, harder week, but that I'd missed a week. I wanted to follow the schedule.

My eating is still all over the place. Like Tuesday night, there wasn't dinner at Bible study (I thought there would be), so I had a package of Nature's Valley peanut butter chocolate granola cups to tide me over. When I got home, I had a bowl of chocolate applesauce almond butter oatmeal (based off this recipe) and a TON of cereal. And I felt kind of sick afterwards, but I was so hungry.

And then there's chores around the house. I usually help my mom clean the bathroom on Wednesdays, and this Wednesday, I totally forgot, which meant she did it all. She was gracious with me, but I felt terrible!

So yeah, I'm pretty much imperfect. I don't have my life together. I fail at lots of things. And I'm human. A human in need of a perfect Savior. A perfect Savior who paid the perfect price for all my sins so that I can forgive myself...and others...for being imperfect.

Bread and Water: Reflections on Lent

To preface this blog post, I should explain about Lent. Growing up in nondenominational churches, I never practiced it. Then, in college, my resident director introduced me to this period of the church calendar. It is a time to deny oneself, a time to sacrifice in memory of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross to save humankind from their sins. Sometimes people fast from food. Sometimes people fast from a habit. As the Director of Spiritual Formation at my alma mater used to say, it's a time to put things back in their proper perspective. I've fasted from many things since then: radio, Facebook, blogs, eating out, chocolate, gluten. And some years I've fasted from fasting, like during graduate school when I just did not need to add one one thing to my plate.

This year as I thought about Lent, I decided to fast from oatmeal, drinks other than water, and chocolate? Why? I like to find biblical support for my fasts, and since Jesus is the bread of life and living water, I thought making these foods my focus would help me focus on Jesus. I could wax eloquent about how I thought about Jesus when I ate whole wheat muffins for breakfast instead of oatmeal, or toast instead of granola for snack. I could tell you I thought of Jesus every time I drank hot water instead of coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. But that's not the truth.

The truth is that this fast was hard. It felt more like a diet than a spiritual discipline. I found myself thinking more about food because of the extra intentional effort I needed to put into meal prepping (making muffins ahead of time, asking Mom to make more bread, making peanut butter muffins instead of brownies for dessert, etc.). I constantly found things I couldn't eat without breaking my fast: Mom's pancakes, granola bars, Clif bars, coffee cake, etc. Mom went out of her way to accommodate my oatmeal fast particularly, but people at work still offered me chocolate. Bible study offered chocolate cake. The chocolate oatmeal Mom made for herself smelled so good. I often wanted coffee or tea as that final step of a meal. I frequently felt unsatisfied.

So did this fast do what it was supposed to? I believe God used it, but not maybe in the ways I expected. I realized how much I rely on oatmeal, chocolate, and hot drinks as staples of my diet. I recognize the satiation and even comfort they bring. I've gotten more conscious of my nighttime snacking. I've enjoyed trying some new recipes, I guess. Not consuming oatmeal, chocolate, and hot drinks has become habit, part of life. In some ways, though, this is not a positive thing. I find myself wanting to continue this fast, to continue to tell myself, "No." To prove my self control. To be ascetic. And that's not godly.

So what now? It's Easter, and He has risen! It's time to reintroduce these foods to my diet, to appreciate them as God-given gifts, to let my taste buds have a resurrection of the pleasure these foods bring. I'll be honest and say that I'll probably struggle with self-control, but I'll work at it. I'll practice self-forgiveness. I'll ask God for forgiveness. After all, that's what Easter is all about.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Chocolate Pumpkin Trifle

You may have noticed that I like pumpkin. You may have also noticed that I post very few overnight oats recipes. I'm cold natured, so I prefer hot oats. But in the interest of variety, here's an overnight recipe for you.

I was inspired in this recipe by pumpkin pie protein oats from Amy's Healthy Baking and the chocolate pumpkin cornbread layer cake by Marla Meridith. And let me tell you, this recipe has it all: fudgy chocolate, custardy pumpkin, and sweet apple. These oats make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack!

Ingredients:

6 T quick cooking oats, divided
1/2 c pumpkin, divided
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 t vanilla
1 t cocoa powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 T oats, 1/4 c pumpkin, 1/4 t cinnamon, and 1 t cocoa powder. Layer in bottom of a mason jar.
2. Wash out the bowl and combine 2 T oats, 1/4 c pumpkin, and 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice. Add to jar.
3. Wash out bowl and combine 2 T oats, 1/4 c applesauce, and 1/4 t vanilla. Add to jar.
4. Refrigerate oats overnight and enjoy in the morning.

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: Chocolate Bowl Cake with Pumpkin Oatmeal Custard Topping

Hungry for a healthy dessert? Or a decadent breakfast? Don’t want to turn on the oven, but want something cakey? Try this chocolate bowl cake with pumpkin oat custard topping!

I discovered mug cakes via Chocolate Covered Katie and Happy Herbivore. Then I stumbled upon the collection of mug cakes at Kirbie's Cravings. I tried her skinny pumpkin mug cake and was absolutely hooked.

I’ve found, however, that mug cakes work just as well in bowls as they do in mugs. And I find bowls more convenient.

For this recipe, I combined the wonders of the chocolate mug cake with pumpkin custard.

I prefer to soak the whole cake with milk to make it extra sweet and squishy (and to cool down the cake so that I can eat it more quickly), but if you like dense cakes and have patience to wait for the cake to cool, feel free to skip this step.

Ingredients:

For the cake-

¼ c whole wheat flour

¼ t baking powder

Dash of salt

1 t cinnamon

1 T cocoa powder

2 T pumpkin puree

¼ c milk

1 t liquid sweetener (agave, honey, maple syrup, or molasses)

For the pumpkin oat custard topping-

2 T quick cooking oats

¼ t pumpkin pie spice

1 t brown sugar

2 T pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.

2. Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk, and sweetener until thoroughly mixed. (Add extra liquid if necessary.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the oats, pie spice, and brown sugar.

4. Add the pumpkin puree to the oat mixture and stir until combined.

5. Top chocolate cake mixture with oat custard and microwave for three minutes on high.

6. Pour milk over cake to soak it, and enjoy!

30 Days of Oatmeal: Chocolate Vanilla Peach

Let's just admit it: I like chocolate oatmeal, in almost all forms. This recipe adds a little something different: peaches.

And the peaches just happened to fall into the shape of a heart when I added them. The heat of the oats warmed the peaches, and I found the medley a scrumptious combination.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1 T cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1/2 c canned peaches

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring oats and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.
2. When oats reach desired consistency, stir in cocoa powder and vanilla.
3. Transfer porridge to a bowl and top with peaches.

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.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Microwave Chocolate Oatmeal Bake

Ever want something fudgy and sweet, but need something healthy that won't spike your blood sugar? Don't want to turn on the oven, but have a microwave? This is the mug cake, or special breakfast for you!

To make this recipe extra decadent, top with a square of chocolate or some semisweet chocolate chips. I chose a square of Ghirardelli's Mango Sunset.

Ready for the recipe?

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Kim's Cravings)

1/3 c instant oatmeal

1 T dark cocoa powder

1 T ground flax seed

1/3 c applesauce

1/4 c water

Optional toppings:

Chocolate square or chocolate chips

Milk

Directions:

1. Grease the inside of a small cup. (I used coconut oil. You can omit this step, but it will make the oatmeal bake hard to remove.)

2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in the cup.

3. Microwave 3-5 minutes on high.*

4. Top with optional chocolate and a splash of milk.

*Note, this bake will remain fudgy due to the vegan ingredients.



30 Days of Oatmeal: Chocolate Carrot (Or How to Hide Vegetables in Oats)

Parenting blogs frequently feature ways to hide fruits and vegetables into kids' food. The Oatmeal Artist adds squash or zucchini to amp up her oats. I like to add applesauce. Here, I decided to add a shredded carrot.

I have to admit that this isn't the best bowl of oats I've yet made. I enjoyed the rich chocolate paired with the texture of the carrots, but the oats somehow lacked a little flavor. Maybe add a little maple syrup if you try this recipe at home. Or, if you're like me and just want to eat extra vegetables, enjoy this as a new recipe for doing so.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1 T cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1 carrot, shredded

Directions:

1. Grate one medium carrot.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine the carrots, oats, and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low.
3. Once oats reach desired consistency, stir in cocoa powder, cinnamon, and vanilla.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Add toppings. Eat your vegetables!

30 Days of Oatmeal: Pumpkin Pie Spiced Oats with Orange Vanilla Almond Butter

I went with a simple base for oatmeal again, since I wanted to experiment with more nut butter mixes. This orange almond butter smelled fresh and exhilarating, but when I went to eat it, the orange was a big too much. Lucky for you, I reduced the amount of extract by half for the posted recipe.

Again, nothing special about the oat base, but the nut butter topping is a nice, lighter twist on a regular bowl of oats.

Ingredients for the porridge:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
4 t dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon

Ingredients for the orange vanilla almond butter:

2 T almond butter
1 t vanilla
1/2 t orange extract
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 cocoa powder and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the orange vanilla almond butter ingredients until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the porridge into a bowl and top with the nut butter mixture.