superfitbabe

My cravings are weird. In the oh-so-cold autumn breezes I’d gladly enjoy a massive bowl of nana ice cream whereas last summer I drank vegan hot chocolate every other day. It’s ridiculous, I know. My slight cold might’ve permanently altered my taste buds! I might as well move to Australia because now they’re getting ready for summer! Fortunately oatmeal can be enjoyed all year-round. In the fall and winter months there are tons of recipes with pumpkin pie flavors, pear and apple pie, peppermint mocha, and time travel to the warmer weather where we make overnight oats with coconut yogurt, pineapples, chia seeds and tropical berries–did you know I mixed oats in a kale smoothie and ate it? Yep, best breakfast to start the summer morning!! Speaking of “summer” as you guys know I went to Hawaii this winter break, so sadly I was deprived of oatmeal for a week! Right after we came back home I devoured this every morning to make up for a lack of a traditional Christmas feel. They remind me of those delicious cranberry cookies that were soft yet crunchy at the same time because of those chunky walnuts and pecans. My Christmas cookie oatmeal is not super sweet like your standard homemade cookies but there’s a lot of strong spices that add festive flavor, not to mention a little metabolism kick! I snuggled in a couch watching Edward Scissorhands and eating this scrumptious baby all morning long. Best part? It can be enjoyed hot or cold! RECIPE

• 1/2 gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup milk (I used Trader Joe’s vanilla unsweetened coconut milk)
• a little more than 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 TBSP crushed pecans (mine were candied pecans from Trader Joe’s but you can use plain)
• 1 1/2 TBSP whole walnuts
• 1 1/2 TBSP dried cranberries
• 1 TBSP pistachios
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ginger (crushed or ground)
• Opt: maple syrup, brown sugar, Stevia, nutmeg, coconut flakes, even chocolate chips!

PROCEDURE

1. Add in the oats, water and milk into a pot and turn the stove onto low-medium heat.
2. Stir until the water and milk is mixed completely.
3. Stir in pecans, walnuts, cranberries and pistachios.
4. Add in coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and spices.
5. Let simmer until the oats begin to bubble. Once they begin to do so, turn the stove onto low or extra low heat. Keep stirring.
6. Once the oats are very soft and most of the water has evaporated, turn off the stove and scoop the oats into a bowl.
7. Eat right away or chill in the fridge for at least a few hours. Another awesome thing you could do is bake it after cooking the oatmeal so that it tastes like a hot cake!

This is absolutely perfect for lazy winter days when you roll out of bed in your pajamas and just want to spend the entire morning opening presents and watching old Charlie Brown cartoons. Honestly, this cookie bowl seems better to put under the Christmas tree rather than a plate of milk and cookies. Why have one small thing when you can enjoy a giant bowl of it replicated? Merry Christmas! Cassie