Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oatmeal

I hope the surge of overnight oat recipes is appreciated. I've been shaking them up quite frequently this month! I believe they are perfect for this time of year; many mornings in New Jersey are hot and muggy, and steaming oatmeal doesn't always appeal to me then. In those times, I really crave a refreshing, cool, creamy oatmeal.

You can really tinker with this recipe. Add chocolate chips, use dried strawberries, slice in a banana, etc. It's an incredibly basic recipe that you could adapt to your liking. You could even swap in real cream, if your lifestyle allows it. I'll stick to my almond milk. :)

Restaurant Review: OatMeals

Greenwich Village is my favorite neighborhood in Manhattan. I love walking along Bleecker and Sullivan and MacDougal and fawning over the rows upon rows of sidewalk cafes, jazz clubs, coffee shops, and artisan food shops. It’s everything I adore about New York, squeezed into one beautiful neighborhood underneath Washington Square Park. Le sigh.

One day (on one of my many walks to Peanut Butter and Co. on Sullivan Street), I passed by a tiny eatery called “OatMeals.” Honestly, I did not get nearly as excited as you might expect. It sounded too good to be true, you know? How could they have an entire restaurant dedicated to oatmeal? Clearly, it was all a trick.

Wrong. OatMeals is indeed a restaurant dedicated entirely to the humble and beloved oat; it calls itself "the world's first oatmeal bar." When I walked in one Sunday morning (around 10 a.m.), the most warm and wonderful scent of cinnamon and sugar enchanted me. I was smitten.

Almond Berry Overnight Oatmeal

What's the general consensus on almond extract? Sometimes, I truly love it. It's dynamite in my Pear and Almond Baked Oatmeal and killer in Almond Joy Oatmeal. Other times, I can't help but be a little peeved by it. I mean, it doesn't actually taste like almonds, in my opinion.

Anyway, the perk of almond extract is that it steals the show, meaning it's perfect for a "hidden banana" recipe. I make this overnight recipe whenever I'm in the mood for a creamy and fruity porridge, but I'm not in the mood for the taste of bananas. (Lately, I've filled this need with my Lemon Drop Oatmeal, but hey, it's good to have options!)

How do you feel about almond extract? Yay or nay?

Key Lime Pie Overnight Oatmeal

Question: how necessary are key limes for a key lime pie? Would anyone be offended if I used, say, your average lime? Because that's what I did, and I'm not apologizing for it.

Since my Strawberry Limeade Oatmeal turned out so well, I thought I'd stick with the lime theme and test this Key Lime Pie Oatmeal. It's citrusy, vibrant, and ever so creamy, thanks to the addition of coconut yogurt.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Baked Oatmeal

Okay, let me be upfront: Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies do not rank high on my cookie list. I'd much rather have a Snickerdoodle. Or a Peanut Butter. Or a Chocolate Chip. But not an Oatmeal-Raisin.

But I still felt like it was wrong to have an oatmeal blog without an Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie recipe, so here it is. Humble, but with the earthy comfort of cinnamon.

Strawberry Limeade Overnight Oatmeal

This week, I did something I've never done before: I purchased a fresh lime.

Gasp! I know, I know. That's pathetic. Using fresh limes and lemons was never something my family opted to do. We used those sketchy bottled juices and called it good. Recently, living with my roommate Allison has taught me the value in using fresh citrus. First of all, the taste is unmatched and incredibly bright and refreshing. Furthermore, it's cheap!! Sure, I will continue to have the bottles on hand for unexpected citrus needs, but I will be turning to fresh limes and lemons more often.

The lime was purchased for this recipe. I'll be honest - I was exceptionally nervous about its result. I tried a similar recipe once upon a time, but I did not blend the strawberries and citrus together, and the strawberry became unpleasantly sour, to the point that it tasted nearly rotten! As it turns out, blending the fruit together before letting it sit overnight cures this fluke. Don't ask me why; I'm an artist, not a scientist. :)

Honeydew Overnight Oatmeal

For the most part, I have transitioned beautifully to urban life. I love public transportation, bustling sidewalks, diverse eateries, and city parks surrounded by cement and skyscrapers. The one thing that continues to challenge me is grocery shopping.

I do not own a car in New Jersey, so I either walk or take public transit. I have several different grocery options, but all of which are at least a mile away. This is not a terrible walk, but it can get uncomfortable when I'm lugging heavy grocery bags. Thus, items like melons, squash, and big cartons of almond milk can be a pain.

Become a fan on Facebook!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Starting today, you can "like" The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook! I will share links to new posts, ask "poll" questions to survey my audience, and share other pictures, news, and info. I hope you will consider liking the page so you can keep up with all my latest shenanigans!

Other ways to stay up-to-date:
- Follow me on Twitter @lauren_015
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- Follow me on BlogLovin (The Oatmeal Artist)

Lemon and Kiwi Oatmeal

I hope nobody is bored of my lemon recipes! This will be the last one for a while, I promise. And trust me, this one is a fabulous one to finish with. It's bright, fruity, and energizing! I made this for dinner on a beautifully sunny day (didn't need a jacket!), and I savored every golden spoonful while lounging on my wood floor next to an open window. Oh, spring! I love thee.

I resent the idea that oatmeal is only a "winter food." Boo on that! If you haven't noticed, I enjoy oatmeal year-round.  The heat doesn't bother me because I'm usually cold in the mornings, regardless of the season. Of course, I could always prepare refrigerator oats instead...but I rarely eat cold oatmeal anyway. As I've mentioned before, I always heat up my overnight oats before eating them. There is just something so comforting about warm porridge!