Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Overnight Oatmeal

Breakfast is a hard meal for me to plan. I want something quick and easy, especially with school getting ready to start again, but I also want something clean, healthy, and filling.

The other night I was browsing on Pinterest (where all of the best ideas come from, of course) and I came across a link to this post over at The Yummy Life about no-cook overnight refrigerator oatmeal. I loved that the oatmeal is prepped overnight, which will be a major time saver for me in the mornings. With ingredients like oatmeal, chia seeds, and fat free greek yogurt I knew it would also be healthy and clean, not to mention filling!

The flavor suggestions in the post all sounded delicious, but I decided to use what I had on hand to create my own overnight oatmeal flavor. I'm finishing up a bowl right now, and I must say it's pretty delicious! 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Overnight Oatmeal

Adapted from The Yummy Life 

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup milk (I used low-fat milk--I think almond or coconut should work and would be yummy)

1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt 

1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds

1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (100% pure, not pancake syrup. You could also sub honey or another sweeter of your choice.)

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons raisins

Splash of vanilla extract

In a half-pint mason jar (or Tupperware container), add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup. Close the lid and shake well to combine all ingredients. Open your container and add in the cinnamon, raisins, and vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate. Refrigerate overnight and in the morning enjoy a ready-to-go, yummy, healthy breakfast! 

FYI--this is supposed to be eaten cold. It's a little strange at first, but if you get the idea of hot oatmeal out of your head it works. I think of this recipe as more of a play on chia seed pudding.

Make sure to stop by The Yummy Life and check out all of her overnight oatmeal recipes. She has lots of delicious ones from which to choose! 

Cooking for a Cause & Four Recipes!

Today I have some fantastic recipes to share with you. In addition to tasting delicious, they are part of a very special cookbook. Each recipe featured today is from the special edition Southern Living Christmas Cookbook, which is available at Dillard's at Stony Point and Short Pump malls in Richmond, VA for only $10. All of the proceeds from this cookbook go to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, Virginia.

From their mission statement, "Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, VA provides a home away from home for children receiving medical treatment and their families, and helps to fund programs in the local area that directly improve the well-being of children."  

When Ronald McDonald House contacted me to see if I would be interested in sharing their cookbook on my blog I jumped at the chance. Not only do I love Southern Living, and cooking and baking, but I am honored to be a part of something that can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families. 

Here is our local Ronald McDonald House:

Isn't it lovely? I was able to take a tour of the house with Director of Development, Allison Smith, and learn more about their programs and how they help families. On the tour I heard about the bond that develops among the families that stay in the house, and how meaningful it is for them to have a safe place during their child's treatment. Although each family and their child has a unique situation, they all know the feeling of being different, of having to fight a battle that not many other people understand. Wow, did that hit home. I wanted to say, you are speaking my language sister. I of course immediately thought of my sweet Emma, and how she never even had the chance to fight life's battles. As hard as this made the rest of the tour for me, it only furthered my desire to participate in this project. I want these families to have the opportunity to embrace and support each other in this beautiful place, as they fight alongside their child for health and life. 

Here are some of the sweet faces of Ronald McDonald House Richmond:

To help you get an idea of the types of delicious treats you can make after you purchase your cookbook, I will share with you a few recipes that I tested. 

The first was the Stove-top Chicken Pot Pie. This recipe was super easy, quick, and delicious. It was the perfect comfort food. 

Stove-top Chicken Pot Pie

8 frozen buttermilk biscuits

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups chopped cooked chicken (they recommended a rotisserie chicken, which I used.)

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cubed

1/2 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix (about 2 tsp.)

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until golden. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in peas, and cook 2 minutes. Spoon chicken over hot split biscuits. 

Yum, now wasn't that easy?! They have a Southern-Style Chicken Pot Pie recipe that I am trying next. It has leeks in it, which are my ultimate fave! Please don't judge my large portion. I was really hungry, and it was just that good. {Also, sorry for the bad picture quality…the lighting at night in my house is terrible for photography!}

The next dinner that we enjoyed from the cookbook was Rosemary Grilled Chicken. The recipe pairs the chicken with Garlic Spinach and Cheese Grits, which don't get me wrong sounds amazing, but we were curious about the Asparagus-New Potato Hash, so that's what we made on the side instead.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighs 

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary*

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 lb. skinned and boned chicken, thighs**

1/2 lemon

1. Combine garlic and next 6 ingredients in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag, squeezing bag to combine ingredients. Add chicken, turning to coat, and seal bag. Chill 1 to 24 hours.

2. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a large piece of aluminum foil. Squeeze juice from lemon over chicken; fold foil around chicken, covering chicken completely. Let stand 10 minutes.

*Fresh thyme, cilantro, or oregano may be substituted

**1 1/2 lb. skinned and boned chicken breasts may be substituted. (This is what we used.)

Asparagus-New Potato Hash

1 lb. small red potatoes

1 lb. fresh asparagus

2 shallots, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup crumbled farmer's cheese or queso fresco

Garnish: lemon slices

1. Bring potatoes and salted water to cover to a boil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 15 minutes or until just tender; drain well. Cool 15 minutes; cut into quarters.

2. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces. 

3. Saute shallots in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet 1 minute. Add asparagus, thyme, and next 3 ingredients; sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add potatoes, and sauté 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cheese. 

Both of these recipes were delicious and I will make them again. The chicken was especially good, as I can be funny about eating chicken. It was super tender and flavorful, and grilling it made it extra yummy. 

After trying out a few dinner recipes I was in the mood for something sweet. The last recipe I have to share with you this evening is:

Sticky Bun-Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups pecan halves and pieces

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. table salt

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Stir together melted butter and next 2 ingredients. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup of 2 lightly greased (12-cup) muffin pans, and top each with 1 rounded tablespoonful pecans.

3. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together pumpkin, next 2 ingredients, and 2/3 cup water; add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three-fourths full. Place an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan on lower oven rack to catch any overflow.

5. Bake at 350 degrees on middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert pan immediately to remove muffins, and arrange muffins on a wire rack. Spoon any topping remaining in muffin cups over muffins. Cool 5 minutes. 

These were absolutely amazing! The cake part didn't taste overly sweet, so it was well balanced with the sticky, gooey, sweet topping. I will definitely make these again. I took one for each of the girls on my team at school and they all loved them as well. 

The recipes from the cookbook that are on my "to make soon" list include: Bacon-and-Cheddar Corn Muffins, Hominy Grill's Shrimp and Grits, Spiced Pomegranate Sipper, Bacon-Onion Dip, Cornbread Tartlets with Tomato-Lima Bean Relish, Ragout of Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta, Holiday Meatloaf, Home-Style Butter Beans, Southern-Style Collard Greens, Shrimp and Grits Dressing, Waldorf Spinach Salad, Pimento Cheese Rolls, Sour Cream Cornbread, Lemon-Poppy Seed Cakes, Individual Frozen Peppermint Cheesecakes, Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings, and Coconut Joys. Oh dear, that's a lot of recipes. And that is seriously only a fraction of the cookbook. Oh, yummy!!

I hope that you will enjoy these recipes, and even more, I hope that if you are located in the Richmond, Virginia area that you will purchase one of these cookbooks. It is a beautiful cookbook and is bursting with fantastic recipes. More importantly, it helps a wonderful organization continue their mission. 

Happy eating ya'll!

I was provided the cookbook for the purpose of this post, but all opinions are my own. 

Homemade Pecan Pancakes

I currently have a big bag of pecans in the pantry in preparation for a homemade pecan pie for Thanksgiving {yum, my favorite!}. This week I decided to use some of the pecans and give pecan pancakes a try. We had a breakfast for dinner night and enjoyed the pancakes with some extra crispy bacon, one of my all time favorite foods.

To keep the recipe a little more "clean" and natural, I chose to make the pancakes from scratch, rather than using a mix. Plus, we already had all of the ingredients in the pantry, so why not?

Pecan Pancakes

Adapted from Food Network

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 cup buttermilk*

Dash of vanilla extract

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the buttermilk and egg and whisk until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and pecans and stir to combine. 

Heat a griddle to medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Using a ladle pour the batter onto the griddle and cook the pancakes to golden brown on each side. Add more butter to the griddle as needed during cooking to keep the pancakes from sticking.

Serve with butter and maple syrup (we use the real stuff for both, it tastes better and it is all natural). 

*Buttermilk: Pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Add in 1 cup of milk (any kind is fine, I used 1%). Let sit for 5 minutes and you have buttermilk! 

Oh, and for full disclosure, after taking this picture my phone was covered in butter and syrup because the pat of butter kept sliding off the hot pancakes. I had to keep sliding it back on with my finger while trying to take a decent picture. Good thing my phone has a screen protector so the mess was easy to wipe off. ;)

A New Fave & 2 Recipes

Breakfast is usually a hard meal for me to figure out. I need something filling with protein to get me through the morning, but I am perpetually running late, and I never have the time or energy to bother with an elaborate breakfast.

Recently I have been enjoying a yogurt parfait for breakfast. I make it with my new fave yogurt, Kroger brand {fat free} vanilla greek yogurt sweetened with Stevia. I love that it is quick to make, and if I am really running late I can throw it in a container and take it to work with me.

Reasons I am obsessed with this yogurt: it has the perfect amount of sweetness and vanilla flavor, it is loaded with protein, it is fat free, it is all natural, and it is sweetened with Stevia! Stevia is a plant based calorie free sweetener that is considered a safer alternative to artificial calorie free sweeteners. Although I have recently read several articles that claim Stevia is not as safe as people believe...who knows...at this rate anything and everything we are exposed to is toxic, unless you live a 100% clean eating lifestyle, which as much as I would love to, is insanely hard to do.

Once I get some of my yummy yogurt into the bowl I top it with Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal (also high in protein) and fresh fruit. Last week's choice was cantaloupe. The cantaloupes I have had so far this year are already so sweet and juicy, yum! I have also used blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple to make my parfaits. Here is a past post about a blueberry yogurt parfait I made.

Because I was so excited about my yogurt I decided to try it another way by making a delish dip I found via Pinterest.

This dip combines vanilla greek yogurt, honey, cinnamon, and peanut butter. I used mine as a dip for apples, but honestly it was so delish I could just eat it with a spoon for dessert. As is typical I didn't measure. I just spooned a little of each into a dish and mixed it up, but here is the source where I got the recipe and she shares her measurements.

Do you have any other yummy ways you use vanilla greek yogurt? Now that I am obsessed with it I am anxious to try it in some other recipes. What about Stevia? Do you use it or do you prefer another natural sweetener?

FYI--This post was not sponsored. All opinions are unsolicited and 100% my own.

Baked Apple Oatmeal "Muffins"

One kind of unfortunate symptom I am having from pregnancy is not sleeping well. I am pretty restless during most nights, and every morning on this amazing long weekend I have woken up early. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining. Overall I feel amazing and am having such a positive experience. If a little tossing and turning is included, oh well. But anyway, the point is I took advantage of being up at 7am (gasp) this morning to make some delicious baked apple oatmeal muffins. 

They were very dense yet super moist, which made them more like the consistency of baked oatmeal than a regular muffin. Many of the traditional ingredients were substituted for healthier alternatives, creating a reduced fat and calorie muffin. Now I wouldn't say that this muffin is necessarily health food, but it is definitely a healthier option. 

Baked Apple Oatmeal Muffins

makes approximately 12-15 muffins, recipe adapted from Fearless Homemaker

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

OOPS here is where I see I was supposed to add 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. That didn't happen. I guess another symptom I am having is pregnancy brain, seriously I am a scattered hot mess most of the time these days...Hmm well omit the baking soda if you want baked oatmeal cups like I made, add the baking soda and I bet you will get a fluffy yummy muffin. Oh my...

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 egg white

1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup (not the pancake syrup you have in your pantry)

1 apple (variety of your choice--I used Fuji) diced

Topping:

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your muffin tin by filling with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl combine the first 7 (dry) ingredients and use a fork to combine. In a second smaller bowl combine the next 4 (wet) ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add diced apple and mix in. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full (or all the way if you want to try my crazy method of no baking powder because they won't rise).

In a separate bowl combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Here is what I ended up with:

I was so sad to realize when I was in the middle of this post that I left out one of the most important ingredients. Although, I have to say they still turned out pretty well. More like oatmeal less like muffin. Next time I will add the baking soda though because I bet they will be even more delish as a fluffy muffin. 

If you give this recipe a try let me know how it turns out! 

Power Breakfast

I generally eat pretty healthy (although I did just finish some chick fil-a---nuggets and salad, so not too bad!) but now that I am preggo I am trying to be even more conscious. It makes me feel good to know that I am giving my baby the best vitamins and nutrients that I can.

Breakfast is always a hard meal of the day for me to plan. I need something quick and easy because I am always running late (no matter how early I get up--I can always seem to waste my time in the morning) and I don't want anything that is going to be too heavy. That being said I try and have some kind of protein to help me stay full.

This week I decided to try something new, which I have named my power breakfast, for the good clean protein and energy it provides.

My power breakfast consists of wilted spinach with scrambled egg whites and one slice of Ezekiel bread (this is an awesome company--I love their products and mission. Check.them.out) with olive oil butter spread. It's actually really delicious...I promise! 

Here is how I make it:

In my pan I warm some butter flavored grapeseed oil (I order this from WildTree) and I add a handful of spinach. Once the spinach is mostly wilted I pour in some of the liquid egg whites. Make sure you look for a brand that is 100% all natural egg whites. Some brands have other fillers and yucky stuff in them. Add salt and pepper to taste and scramble the egg whites mixing them into the wilted spinach. While this is cooking I toast a slice of Ezekiel bread which I top with Olivio. I have this with a glass of calcium added orange juice. I don't drink milk (except this insane new craving of a childhood favorite--steamed vanilla milk--this is what I have been spending my Christmas Starbucks gift cards on...strange.) so I have been trying to get lots of calcium in other ways.

Side note: I started buying Olivio because I felt like it was a good alternative to other low fat butter spreads since it is made with olive oil. However, when you look at the packaging you see that it is actually still 60% vegetable oils. I am thinking I am going to switch to regular butter. I would rather have the full fat and calories in moderation than hydrogenated artificial ingredients, plus regular butter is  so delish!

So what do you think? Would you be willing to give power breakfast a try? It is super quick and probably takes a total of 5 minutes to make. What do you enjoy for breakfast?

Summer Blueberries

I l-o-v-e fresh fruit, and summer is a fruit lovers dream! This week I picked up a huge container of blueberries at Costco. They are super sweet and delicious, but I was worried about them going bad before I could eat them all (I am still convincing the hubby about the wonderfulness of fruit). Thankfully I had Pinterest to save the day and I found this blog post about preserving fresh berries. Score! I used my 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out one part white vinegar and ten parts water into my bowl (side note: I seriously love all of the uses around the house for vinegar, but that is for another day). I dropped the berries in and swirled them around. After pouring them into a colander I chose to rinse them with fresh water because I am neurotic like that and I didn't want my blueberries to taste like vinegar. 5 days and counting and the berries are still fresh and delish!

I have been using my blueberries to make a quick and easy breakfast this week. I love using Greek yogurt because of the added protein. I started buying the plain yogurt in a large size container because it is cheaper than buying the individual containers, and you can add lots of goodies to make your own flavor at home. Added bonus: this saves you the extra sugar and calories you get when you buy the kind with fruit already mixed in. I add a little sweetener to the yogurt to tone down the tartness. I have been using Stevia because I like that it comes from a natural source and does not contain aspartame. Honey is another yummy natural sweetener. Once my yogurt is sweetened up I toss in my fresh berries, and breakfast is done. My yogurt recipe changes based on what I have in my pantry (from basic to froofy),  but this week I am keeping it fast, yummy, and easy!

Do you make your own yogurt recipes at home? What are your favorite mix ins?