Category: Current Breakfast Obsession

Current Breakfast Obsession: The Simplest Overnight Oats

Lauren3 Comments

I’m well aware that posting a cold breakfast recipe in October, when it’s 45° and raining and you’re really craving warm comfort foods, is totally nonsensical but just hear me out.  I fell in love with this breakfast this summer when we started half marathon training because, when you have to squeeze in 5 mile runs between sunrise and leaving on time for work, there’s actually NO TIME for any breakfasts that take longer than two minutes to prepare.  The time it took for me to pull overnight oats from the fridge and throw some granola and peanut butter on top took less than two minutes, so it fit the bill.  Post-half marathon training, I find myself still craving this breakfast because it’s so dang simple, delicious and customizable that the fact that it’s cold is a total non-issue.

If I had to guess how many times I have eaten this for breakfast between the start of summer and now, I’d say it’s around the one million mark.

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A moment of silence for flip flop weather and the summertime vibes present in this picture.

I’ve been eating overnight oats in some form since 2010 (is this what we call a long term relationship??) and while I’ve done the whole vegan with chia seeds thing and the non-vegan with Greek yogurt thing, it wasn’t until I saw one of my Bon Appétit Magazine Instagram follows post a version that was just straight up oats and milk that I realized that was even an option.  Turns out this version is my favorite of all!  No slimy chia seed texture and no tangy yogurt taste.  Total win.

My standard is 1/3 cup rolled oats + 1/3 cup unsweetened cashew milk + 1/2 a sliced banana, stirred and refrigerated overnight.  In the morning I add a little extra milk or water and mix it all up before topping it with granola and peanut butter.

For a fun fall rendition add 1/3 cup pumpkin and a generous drizzle of maple syrup!

Current Breakfast Obsession: Kinda Fancy Almond Butter Toast

Lauren2 Comments

Yeah, wasn’t kidding about writing a post on how to make TOAST.  Because you totally need directions for the simplest of food procedures, right?

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Here’s the thing.  The arrival of this current breakfast obsession has a two part catalyst.  Part 1: The eating of bread in France.  Like real bread, cut from a baguette that was recently baked and sliced and doesn’t contain things like “dough conditioner” and whatever else is in the usual list of sandwich bread ingredients here in the U.S. of A.  Part 2: My love of “artisanal toast” (did I really just say that?) at my favoritest coffee shop.

And the result of these catalysts is also two-part.  Part 1: Me buying all of our bread from the actual Whole Foods bakery, where, GET THIS, they have loaves of freshly baked bread that have something like FOUR ingredients (that I’ve actually heard of) and are SO CHEAP.  Okay, sorry for all the capital letters, but I am endlessly excited about buying bread I can feel good about for TWO DOLLARS.  I know, you probably didn’t even know you could buy something so cheap at Whole Foods.  Part 2: Me realizing I could make my own damn “artisanal bread” at home with just a good slice of bread (I’m partial to Ciabatta), fresh ground almond butter, some Colorado honey and a pinch of flaked sea salt.  Bam!

I know, it sounds so simple, but it’s so good!  I mean, I’m still a slave to coffee shop toast because they take it up a notch and use lavender honey, that I cannot for the life of me find online or in any store, but this at-home version is the next best thing.  So please, pick yourself up some good bread (the bigger the slice, the better!), toast it to golden-brown perfection, slather it with your favorite almond butter, drizzle it with some honey and go ahead, flake some sea salt on top.  Just remember that sea salt flakes are not sprinkles, so don’t go crazy.  Trust me, salty toast is not good.