Copy Cat

I mentioned a while back that I was stuck in a bit of a food rut, and asked you for some of your greatest food winners to help me out of it. You all had some great thoughts, and I can't wait to try some suggestions!

In the meantime, I turned to some of my favorite bloggies for inspiration. These ladies are some cool cats , and have some unique staples that are worth breaching the routine for. So I decided to incorporate some feline design and do some copy-catting down the line.

Copy Allison

Traditional spicy oats. You may recall my spicy fail here, but by actually following the directions (for the most part), they are a savory success. I usually prefer to get my day started on a sweeter note, but spicy oats are truly a crave-worthy concoction for breakfast, lunch or anytime.


Copy Holly and Tay

Thanks to Holly, who introduced the homemade yogurt idea , and Tay who keeps making it look so darn easy and delicious on her blog.

I was weary to make my own yogurt--see question and answer here--but there is nothing like taking on a kitchen experiment to perk up your Sunday afternoon and then bounce your Monday morning.

My batch didn't turn out as thick as tangy as "real" Greek yogurt, but it definitely lost a lot of liquid and took on a more custardy texture throughout the process. I'm thinking about mixing some of this style with a container of Fage to get a greater return on investment...we'll see. I am interested in trying a couple of other brands of plain yogurt to see if the texture or flavor turns out any different. All in all, it's a great addition to any mess or beautiful breakfast creation.

Copy K and Susan
Reese's Oats. To. Die. For. I don't know why I don't make these more often. Look at that decedent swirl!

A little candy added to make them extra sweet a la Susan

I think I actually smiled ALL morning when I made this for brekkie. Got my day off on the right foot for sure! If you have not tried A) PB and chocolate (or carob) in your oatmeal or B) decorating it with candy goodness, what in H-E-double hockey sticks are you waiting for??

Copy April
Roasted Kabocha Squash and nut butter. Given the wonderfully gooey and marshmallow-y texture of a roasted kabocha, the addition of peanut butter makes it almost reminiscent of a fluffernutter. I said almost. Best snack ever.

Copy Mama Pea
Pumpkin spice chickpeas. I cannot tell you guys how amazing my kitchen smelled while baking these. Luckily, they tasted just as amazing--but it is my suggestion to WAIT until they cool down after removing them from the oven before you eat them. Otherwise you will probably suffer the eruption of a wonderfully spiced chickpea volcano on your tongue. And that is not wonderful.

Copy Janetha B.
Garbanzos and CC. While I didn't have any ranch seasoning, I totally thought of the protein queen when I whipped this up. You know I'd never turn down a new CCC. Fab.

Come to think of it, so much of what I eat has been influenced by the blog world and your wonderful creations! Where would I be without a good Lauren-lovin' BFD every once in a while?Or some of my favorite recipes including Danica's delicious enchiladas, Lainie's super versatile turkey joes and a twist on my favorite English Eater's veggie Biryani?

I am constantly checking out Sophia's Asian persuasion for burpalicious creations and blissing out on peanut butter for some lovely lists. I've seen so many things I want to try (hello kelp noodles and kefir cheese!) on Emily's blog and great baking ideas from my little dancer.

Even beyond food, I always look to Abby to say what's on my mind, or Erin to keep me ethical, and even on my worst days, I can usually find a little bit of love here.

My apologies if I've missed ya, but please don't think think I've dissed ya (you love my rhyming skillzz). Just know that everywhere I look, click or comment, I am finding inspiration in you!
You are amazing!

What's inspired you lately? xoxo

Buttery Breakfast

Fall means lots of things: changing leaves, cooler temps, cinnamon spice candles and warm woolly sweaters. But for a lot of us, fall also means the arrival of our most favorite produce.
I have seen a lot of pumpkin oats, and also some pleasantly festive sweet potato oats around the foodie blogs recently, and a while ago, I real Miss KERF concocting a very experimentarian-esque bowl of veggie oats herself. How autumnal.

Well, due to a rather unfortunate experimentation of my own during my first attempt at butternut squash fries, I was left with some slightly mushy, somehow steamed, but very thoroughly cooked butternut bits the other evening. I'd been brainstorming ideas to use them up since they didn't really taste bad, just not crispy and meaty like a good oven-baked fry should be.

After seeing Kailey's Christmas in a bowl version of sweet potato oats, I knew what I had to do!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cupp-ish butternut squash cube-lets
• 1/3 c. oats
• 1/2 c whipped cottage cheese
• Cinnamon
• banana slices
• PEANUT BUTTER
  

Extremely complicated directions....Must not be deviated from in ANY way.

Prepare oats as usual. For me, this means add much less boiling water than called for ( I like them kind of chewy--but this is changing for better mixability) and let them sit while I make tea and stumble around the kitchen trying to wake the hell up.

While bobbing around trying not to injure oneself or break anything at such an ungodly hour, pop leftover squash in the micro for about 30 seconds. Be alarmed when it beeps (WHAT?? Is that my alarm clock??? @#$%! I thought I was already awake!!!)

Mash squash cubies with the back of your oatmeal stirring spoon and mix into cooked oats. I added my whipped cottage cheese dream here, but if you're not obsessed, you could probably leave it out.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with banana and peanut butter (which is the only reason you got up in the first place).

I didn't really know what to expect, but honestly, this was the BEST bowl of oats I've had in a while! It was very smooth and creamy, and I didn't think it was vegetable-y tasting at all. Just sweet and gooey and comforting. I was almost like the squash absorbed all the peanut butter taste, so the bowl just tasted very buttery indeed. Yum. I bet this would be great with a drizzle of maple syryp, too! Plus I always get a kick out of starting the day with a serving of veggies.


Hope your day got kicked off on the right foot, too. Hopefully with an extra yummy and warm breakfast. Tell me--what did YOU eat this morning? Have a great Wednesday! xoxo