I’m sorry (but I’m not sorry) that I’ve been MIA this week. Playing catch-up after being on vacay is a never-ending process. When I haven’t been working or sleeping, I’ve been spending every single extra second with Kyle. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, FYI.
I also stopped taking photos of my food for a while because my camera couldn’t keep up with my appetite. I’ve been doing quite a number on the fridge/pantry (it’s as if I arrived home from Europe and immediately felt the need to ravage our kitchen and make up for the 20 days I was gone). Seriously. If you want a visual, just picture the Tasmanian devil whirling through the apartment. I haven’t been uncomfortably out of control, but I do want to get back to intuitive eating. Soon.
There’s also that matter of triathlon training…but I’ll get to that later.
In the meantime, I found a way to make oats taste like Raisin Bran without using the actual cereal at all. Raisin Bran is one of my favorite cereals (a fact that means almost nothing since that category has close to 50 occupants). But let’s pretend that I don’t put cereal before my husband in terms of devotion…and say that being one of my favorites is a highly elite and selective honor.
Raisin & Bran Oatmeal
- 3/4 cup whole rolled oats
- 1/4 cup wheat bran
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 4 drops NuNatural’s liquid stevia (or 1 tbsp sugar)
I cooked the oats in the water first, then added the bran and soymilk at the very end.
True to the OG cereal, I doused the raisins in the sugar separate from the oats. And just like the actual Kellogg mantra of “two scoops,” I added in just enough raisins to make the ratio fairly raisin heavy. 🙂
And while we’re on the subject of themed oatmeal flavors…
This is one I packed for work the other day. It looks like an ordinary tupperware of oats, but just wait.
I swear I have more recipe ideas when I’m running than any other time of the day! It’s like the cardio clears my head and I am flooded with brain activity. My breakthrough moments aren’t always food related, but they often are. I can’t tell you how many times I get back from a run and immediately grab a pad of paper to jot down my notes. Anyone else have this same method of madness?
(Vegan) Strawberry Cheesecake Oatmeal
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (I’m partial to Follow Your Heart’s dairy alternative)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)
- 3-4 drops of NuNatural’s liquid stevia (or whatever sugar you prefer)
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
For transportation purposes, I left things unmixed until I got to work.
Once breakfast time arrived though, I stirred it all up. After heating up in the microwave, the strawberries and cream cheese got soft and combined perfectly to make beautiful pink oats with a thick consistency and cheesecake-like flavor. Mmmm…
Today, I’m switching it up.
Apple pie oatmeal with bananas and peanut butter on top.
What kind of dessert have you made your oatmeal into?
WOW–those combos left me drooling at my desk (not really, but they did look delicious!)! I usually have oatmeal with a diced apple, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, two packets of Stevia, and a good pour of almond milk. It’s creamy, delicious, nutritious, chocolatey, fruity…amazing!
Such a delicious post!! I want to try both the raisin bran oats and the cheesecake oats. YUM. I don’t have any raisins but might try making the oats with goji berries instead!! 🙂
Those strawberry cheesecake oats sound amazing!
I usually cook a banana into my oats and top with cinnamon so it’s kind of like banana bread oats? 🙂
these ALL look amazing!
and I’m the same way when I run–I always come up with ideas, for recipes and other things!!
i made apple pie oatmeal by coring an apple, putting oats, cinnamon, & water in the middle, and nuking until the apple was soft.
so freaking delicious … and cute!
I have a whole post on Oats and Oat based recipes!
From overnight oats, chocolate brownie protein oats to oatmeal raisin cookies to raw vegan carrot cake & oatmeal raisin dessert bites…I love me some oats! The post is filed under my Specialty/Themed Recipes and it has pics included with everything.
THAT’s how passionate i am about oats 🙂
Strawberries & cream oatmeal! Genius!
My favorite is carrot cake oats – had them 3 times this week! =)
Omg drool! I love turning my oats into dessert. I’ve never added cream cheese though. I must give this a try. 🙂
I feel the same way about running! My ipod was stolen a few months ago, and since I’ve started running without music, I get the BEST story ideas during my runs! When I’m doing longer distances especially, it gives me a lot of time to think over plot points, imagine characters… not exactly recipes, but I think it’s the same idea.
That Strawberry Cheesecake Oatmeal looks DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to get some fresh berries at the market and try it out 🙂
My favorite dessert oatmeal is my Almond Joy Oat Bran with cocoa and coconut butter!
Definitely feel the same way about running – but for some reason not when I do any other cardio! Running is the ultimate “thinking” exercise!
i love the idea of adding cream cheese to oats! i have the tofutti kind in the house now
Is that ice cream on your oatmeal? 😛 My breakfast tastes like dessert to me- oats, cold almond milk, frozen blueberries and chia. And in last post, that is so cute that you were a food blogger w/o a blog!
Just the other day I made my oats into key lime pie!
PERFECT for summertime 🙂
1/2 C. oats
1/2 C. unsweet vanilla almond breeze
4 tbsp. 100% lime juice
2 tbsp. cool whip free
1 splenda packet
2 egg whites
heat oats on the stove with 1 c. water. and egg whites whisked in at the end. once they’re cooked, remove from heat and refrigerate overnight (for thickness factor) – you could add chia seeds too! add almond milk and stir well until combined, along with lime juice, splenda, and cool whip free <3
DEVOUR
xo.
I adore pumpkin pie oats – but I only eat them in the fall. More special that way 🙂
I totally relate to brain surge while running! Well, for me its walking ‘cos I can’t run due to injury. Last Tuesday was a particularly genius day and as soon as I got to my car I pulled out the little notebook I usually keep with me and began to write!
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I once had a lovely interlude with a serving of oats, some skim milk, frozen strawberries, and a spoon of dark chocolate peanut butter, microwaved until soft. That bowl of oatmeal haunts me in my dreams.
haha. i lovely interlude. i like it.
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Drool-worthy combos! I absolutely adore the way you made cheesecake oats, looks so good 🙂