Lemon Drop Overnight Oatmeal

My goodness. Ever since I made that Lemon Coconut Oatmeal over spring break, I just CAN'T. STOP. I came back to the Jerz, went to Whole Foods, and somewhat begrudgingly (I'm cheap) passed over the ~$5 for a bottle of lemon extract. But now I can have wonderfully lemony oatmeal ALL THE TIME!

You could obviously top this with coconut and make it Overnight Lemon Coconut Oatmeal, but as is, this recipe is just a straight-up celebration of lemon. Don't skip the banana; I promise it's necessary! The yogurt will make it creamy but is not essential to the recipe.

Nectarine-Lime Oatmeal

Last week, I found myself in possession of a ginormous, juicy nectarine. I always thought I didn't like them (because they were like an inferior version of peaches), but this one proved me wrong. I mean, they essentially taste the same, but peaches don the fuzzy skin. Other than that, they're nearly twins!

So what would I do with the nectarine? Obviously, my first thought was to use it in oatmeal. I did some hardcore research and studied all sorts of flavor combinations. I saw a few sources listing nectarine/peaches and lime as a good combination, so I thought I'd try it out.

Eggnog Oatmeal

Sadly, my family was never an eggnog family. It wasn't until I was in high school that I asked my mom what it was, so she bought me a carton of the store-bought variety so I could try it. I'll admit now that most of it ended up being poured down the sink two weeks later (i.e. I was unimpressed). I've never had homemade eggnog, but it's never been high on my priority list for foods to try, either.

Now that I avoid dairy, I have even less desire to try the real stuff. However, I was exceptionally curious to try the dairy-free varieties after reading some reviews. I saw the rice 'nog appear in Whole Foods even before Thanksgiving, but it wasn't until a week ago that I finally captured the coconut 'nog! As soon as I spotted it on an obscure refrigerated shelf in the corner of the store, I snatched a jug up in less time than it takes for my roommate to complain whenever we play Christmas music. ;)

Grapefruit Mint Oatmeal

Happy fifth day of Christmas! :) Oddly enough, this recipe feels a little more summery than a typical December post, but the weather here has been unseasonably warm, so it seems fitting. I even wore a skirt yesterday! What's the weather like in your area?

This oatmeal reminded me of a grapefruit mojito I had back in August. In all honesty, anything with fresh mint is delightful, and anything with grapefruit is magical, so the combination is perfect. This is actually a really simple recipe that you can throw together with less than five ingredients; however, I'd also recommend adding nondairy yogurt. That gives it the wonderfully creamy texture that most porridges offer.

Pina Colada Oatmeal

WHY did it take me so long to try this combination? The pineapple-coconut duo is one of my favorite flavor combos. It's even better than strawberry-banana! Or--dare I say it--chocolate and peanut butter?

Nah, scratch that last one. Nothing's better than chocolate and peanut butter.

I really, really loved this oatmeal; it's so flavorful and refreshing. Pineapple, as I'm learning, works beautifully in oatmeal. Some fruits lose their flavor after undergoing the slightest bit of cooking on the stove, or the flavor mysteriously disappears when combined with the oatmeal. (If anyone can explain this phenomenon to me, that's be greatly appreciated.) On the other hand, pineapple not only retains its flavor, but seemingly gains more of it! You won't need added sugar, and you won't need special spices or extracts. A little coconut milk (or if nothing else, shredded coconut) is all it takes to elevate the pineapple.

You can use either fresh or frozen pineapple. If you have fresh pineapple, feel free to add more as a topping at the very end!

Fuzzy Navel Oatmeal

Ahem. I better be careful posting all these cocktail oatmeal recipes, or people will get the wrong idea about me!

But to be honest, the orange-peach combo is truly divine. Truly. And the oatmeal version is even better--no hangover included!

Strawberry Mojito Oatmeal

Who thought of combining lime with mint?

They deserve an award.

Also, who discovered oatmeal? They deserve a BILLION awards.