So, I read many different blogs over the course of the week. Some are strictly gluten-free, others are based on healthy living (eating & exercising). I have run across many bloggers making “Overnight Oats” a lot recently and it really piqued my curiousity. I have been in a breakfast rut for quite a while. Eating what is familiar and what I know can get me through the better part of the morning without having to snack. I have been eating 2 brown rice cakes, 2 TBSP peanut butter or Barney Butter, 2 egg whites mixed in with 1 Roma tomato & fresh basil. I also have a couple cups of coffee and sometimes some tomato juice. I eat around 7:00 AM and am hungry by 9:30 AM. I am sure some of this is due to the fact that I go to the gym 5 mornings a week, before breakfast. So, I need something with more staying power. Whole grains are tough to get when you are gluten-free, as so many contain gluten. So, this is one reason the Overnight Oats appealed to me. I have had Lara’s GF Oats (Cream Hill Estates) before, but just a small simple bowl topped with berries. I believe I talked about it here. Tina at Carrots N Cake posted not too long ago about Overnight Oats. I decided that today was the day to try them. Last night I readied up my bowl and put it in the fridge. Here is the play by play:
Overnight Oats
1/2 cup oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Certified GF Oats)
1/2 cup milk (could use soy, almond, rice milk or water)
pinch of salt
Cover & stick in fridge overnight. Mine were in for about 12 hours, maybe a little less.
This AM….
Added 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
cinnamon ~ dash
vanilla ~ dash
Cooked for 1 minute, then stirred & covered again. Cooked for another minute, then stirred & covered again. Cooked for 30 seconds more.
Then I topped with 1 TBSP White Chocolate PB and 1 TBSP PB and 1 TBSP Boysenberry preserves.
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. So creamy and all the flavors….WOW! I am going to play with the toppings the next few times. Maybe some walnuts, cocoa or carob powder, chocolate chips, coconut. I also am going to add in some ground flax seed meal next time for the extra fiber boost. Wish I could do fruit….banana would ROCK in this!
BTW, if you find the the mixture to thick after sitting overnight, you can add more milk before micro-waving.
I was full a little over half way through the bowl, but finished it because it was so darn good. I stayed “satisfied” for over 4.5 hours!!! I wasn’t really “hungry” for lunch until about 12:30. WOW! Now, today was my day “off” from the gym and I only did yoga this AM, so the real test will be having this to eat after a good workout and how long it holds me over. I don’t have anything against eating snacks, and enjoy eating them, but I don’t always have time and if I know I have a super busy day, I can eat this instead and not be starving by the time I can get to eat. I am one cranky person when I am hungry.
Sorry I didn’t get a picture. It was a big bowl of goop that tasted amazing. One of those “ugly” foods they talk about on Tina’s site in the comments.
