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.

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!

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!

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.

Saturday Detox

I've been realizing lately how vital Saturdays are to surviving the week. If I don't rest on Saturdays, I'm toast for the next week. I need self-care every day, but it's crucial on the weekend. Saturdays are my day to detox, to let go, to go slow, to refill. Here are some of my go-to habits for Saturdays:

1) Walking with Mom: To let go of the stale air from indoors and to inhale some fresh air, as well as some quality time and wisdom from a woman I greatly admire.

2) Superfoods: I often overeat on Friday nights, and wake up feeling sluggish the next morning. I wish this wasn't my habit, but for now, I'm accepting it and combating it with better nutrition on Saturday, like cinnamon turmeric chocolate milk, coconut oil, green tea (my favorite is Honey Lemon Ginseng from Celestial Seasonings), and plenty of vegetables.

3) Naps: Tiredness out, rest in. I read that drinking caffeine before napping helps the person wake up more energized, so I've been drinking tea just prior to sleeping.

4) Quickie yoga: A few minutes of calm, most of the time after the nap. This wakes me up a little and helps keep my mind in a calm state. My favorite current source of yoga is Lesley Fightmaster's YouTube channel.

5) An earlier bedtime: I'd really like to stay up late on Saturday nights, but when church comes early, I just perpetuate the cycle of sleeplessness form the week.

These are some of my Saturday self-care habits. What are yours?
Please share in the comments.

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!

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.

30 Days of Oatmeal: Chocolate Cinnamon Turmeric Oatmeal

I mentioned in an earlier post that golden milk overnight oats introduced me to the flavors of turmeric. The other morning at breakfast, I felt a little lethargic and decided to add turmeric to my hot chocolate. The bitter cocoa, spicy cinnamon, and earthy turmeric melded beautifully. And thus the idea for chocolate cinnamon turmeric oatmeal was born.

If you like things sweet, you might want to add a little maple syrup or honey to this. Otherwise, enjoy its detox benefits just as it is.

Ingredients:

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

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 turmeric.
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl and enjoy!

Peppermint Chocolate Oats

This isn't my favorite recipe ever, but before the Christmas season ends, I need to post it. A candy-cane striped mug (pictured below) inspired this oatmeal, as did recipes from The Breakfast Drama Queen and The Athletic Avocado. Without further adieu, here are peppermint chocolate oats.

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick oats
1 c water
1 T dark cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Bring oats and water to a boil.
2. When oats reach desired consistency, stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Serve in a nice Christmas-y mug.

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.