Overnight Oats a.k.a. Just Follow the Directions

Hey guys, guess what?? I finally convinced myself to try overnight oats this morning! I know everyone has been sporting these for a while, but they are definitely new to me!

I'd kind of forgotten my love for oatmeal. Let me explain. I work for an orthodontist, and I got BRACES as an adult (how awkward!) two summers ago. I could not eat ANYTHING for the longest time. I had been used to having things like toast and toaster waffles for breakfast, and those became absolutely off limits--just too much crunching and chewing for my poor teethies. I never liked oatmeal as a kid because my mom always made is sooooo runny, but in an act of desperation, I decided to give it another shot. Well, much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it immensely. Especially with the addition of a little Fiber One and ridiculous amount of cinnamon--fabulous. So this became my a.m. staple for almost TWO years.

Unfortunately, at that same time, Ed started to sneak back into the picture, and mandated that oatmeal was the only "safe" thing allowable for breakfast, along with a bowl of fruit. As I entered recovery, and began to work with a nutritionist, one of the first things we did was tackle my standard morning meal in order to add more variety and staying power. Oats were out.

But alas, breakfast has become boring again with the typically structured routine of my meal plan--grain, dairy, fruit, possible fat; with each component normally eaten separately, as Ed insists. Since that has gotten old, I've started experimenting with what I can "normal person" breakfasts. For example, a normal person would perhaps make overnight oats with yogurt and berries instead of eating a miscellaneous grain product, a bowl of yogurt and a bowl of berries on the side. So word yo, that's what I did.

In my mix:

• 1/3 c. oats
• 1/4 c. Fiber One
• 1/2 cuppish (end of the container) Fage 0%
• 1 whole shaker of cinnamon--ok just kidding. Kind of.
• 2 tbs. slivered almonds (for staying power)
• last of my raspberries (sad face--I will HATE it when Summer's over)
• little leftover banana nub, sliced

I mixed the yogurt, oats and cereal last night with a splash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze and added the rest this morning. Ok, Emily, here is a prime example of when you should just follow directions instead of being all experimental. In most versions I've seen, an equal amount of liquid is also added in ratio to the oats and yogurt. But since I have a strong aversion to runny oats, and generally like mine a lot thicker than most (TWSS??), I nixed the Almond Breeze for the most part in the beginning. When I checked them this morning, they were beyond dense. More like concrete! So, more Almond Breeze was added to thin things out until I could at least stir it up for Pete's sake.

YUMMMMMMMYYYYYYY! This didn't really taste like oatmeal, so I was super surprised by the oat-come (that was actually a typo, but then it made sense, so I decided to leave it--get it? ha ha!).

OMG, it was delicious, and I really enjoyed being a normal person at breakfast for a change. I guess, that is, if you can call us food bloggers normal people :) If any of you out there are stuck in the breakfast rut, or in the compartmentalization of your meals due to some ridiculous rules, I super encourage you to try this. Ollie, if you're reading, you would love this. It works! And it is dreamy. I am adding it to the rotation, and am super psyched to try it with a little pb&j, or diced up peach and almond butter. The possibilities are endless! And evidently, so is this post! Who knew I could ramble on for so long about my silly little breakfast?

I'm a little behind on the breakfast challenge, but this is my little contribution for the week. Thanks especially to April, whose bowl this day served as my inspiration. Check out Kailey's bog here for another beautiful version and for a great giveaway--only one more day to enter! Now I just have to figure out when I can try those spicy oats I've seen so often. The version seen here looks to die. Oats for breks is back!

P.S. Holy cow these oats have some serious go-time in 'em too! I ate around 5:45 a.m.--it's now 9:00 and I'm STILL full! Like a rock, baby, like a rock!