Elvis Oatmeal Smoothie + Getting Fit #8

Yesterday on Facebook, I shared the post for Peach Pie Oatmeal Smoothie. As of today, that recipe is exactly one year old. I have not posted a single oatmeal smoothie recipe since! I'm not a huge smoothie person--although I'm not sure why. I've just never been one to crave a smoothie.

However, someone commented on the Peach Pie recipe, "Ever thought of coming up with more oatmeal smoothie recipes? This one was delicious :)"

Reading that comment gave me the motivation to finally make this recipe!

This is the eighth segment of my Getting Fit series. This series features my friend Crystal, a rockstar figure skater and fellow oatmeal lover. You can her blog, Confessions of Crystal, and check out her Instagram,@crystalchilcott.

TOA: Hello! I hope you are fine and dandy and your training for the collegiate championships is going well!

Oatmeal Recipes for St. Patrick's Day!

As I said earlier this week, I'm slightly offended by the American celebration of St. Patrick's Day. It's like a giant caricature of Irish culture.

That being said, there is a legitimate history behind the color green for St. Patrick's Day. I turned to Wikipedia, holder of all truth and authenticity, to explain:

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew.[13] Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.[14] Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day.[15][16] In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.[13] The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

(Isn't Wikipedia great?)

In honor of my favorite country everrrrrr, here are five oatmeal recipes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Some are green; some are not. ;)

Shamrock Oatmeal

St. Patrick's Day is coming up! I have mixed feelings for St. Patrick's Day. In a way, I adore it. It reminds me of my beloved Ireland, where I studied abroad during college. On the other hand, the way Americans celebrate it is almost offensive to me. Yes, even in Ireland, binge-eating and drinking is the tradition, but in America, all of it is surrounded by an absurd mockery of the culture. TV and radio ads are taken over by obnoxious fake Irish accents, ridiculous looking leprechauns are plastered everywhere, and everything is dyed fluorescent green. Nooooo...

Last year, I rejected that by making Irish Soda Bread Baked Oatmeal, which turned out surprisingly well (to this day I'm shocked it actually turned out). This year, I decided to embrace the American absurdity and make a Shamrock Oatmeal. Why not, right? Unlike McDonald's, my porridge contains no dairy and no food coloring. Instead, it's extraordinarily rich in nutrients (but still packed with flavor).

What's the secret? Spinach.

Peach Pie Oatmeal Smoothie

I used to slurp down tons of smoothies. At the beginning of my junior year of college, I used to whip up some relatively extravagant breakfasts (by college student standards, anyway).*  Sometimes that included oatmeal, but not always. (It wasn't until January or February of that year that oatmeal became a daily ritual.) Often, I would make smoothies. These were usually banana-based (because that's what I could afford), but I occasionally splurged on mangoes, peaches, or pineapple.

*If you're interested, here's a post from my old blog where I documented all my breakfasts for the week.

I never really added oatmeal to my smoothies, though. I thought of that concept a little over a year ago when I made my Green Monster Oatmeal Smoothie, which was actually just a cheap trick to add variety to my blog (at least I'm honest). I was like, "Hey, I'll put oats in a smoothie, so I can have something other than porridge recipes on my blog! Har-har!"

But here I am, adding another smoothie recipe to my blog. This time, however, it's not just a cheap trick. The idea for this recipe came about the other day when I was attempting a new pancake recipe. As I licked the batter, the flavors and creaminess delighted me. It tasted exactly like a peach pie! I realized then that oats in a smoothie add more than just fiber and bulk; they add flavor, too! A smoothie without oats just tastes like peaches. A smoothie with oats tastes earthy and sweet, like someone took a slice of peach pie (crust and all) and blended it up.

Savory Pizza Porridge

Remember when I said I didn't enjoy savory oatmeal? I have changed my mind. This recipe was a game changer. And I want it tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.

I didn't even need cheese to make this porridge happen, but I'm sure that would only make it more "realistic" if you wish. For me, a dusting of nutritional yeast was perfectly adequate! There were so many other flavors in this oatmeal that the omission of cheese was no problem at all.

Savory Greek Oatmeal

I've said it once (or twice) and I'll say it again: I'll take my oats sweet, thank you. Still, I'm eager to keep experimenting with savory oatmeal, and I'm especially eager to bring you new, exciting recipes!

As much as I would love to say Greek food is my favorite, I have to admit that my definition of Greek food is embarassingly shallow. I love Greek salad, and basically any menu item that claims to be "Greek" due to the inclusion of black olives and feta. I even used to think falafel was Greek, but I've since learned better (ahem, it's Middle Eastern. whatever...).

I had plans to make a different (sweet) oatmeal yesterday, but I had some hummus I needed to use up, as well as a jar of black olives that I was eager to open. I was missing some of the "classic Greek ingredients," but I felt like I had enough to make it work. I listed optional ingredients so that you can choose which to include!

Savory Butternut Squash Oatmeal

It's been a while. I haven't posted a savory oats recipe for months. I've been meaning to do it for a long time, too. Every time I update my recipe index and see that one wimpy savory oats recipe, I feel a surge of motivation to give it a companion, but alas, it would never surmount to anything.

Until now!

Have you ever had butternut squash risotto? That's what this reminded me of. It was pleasantly creamy, yet savory. The oatmeal was an excellent vehicle for the butternut squash, which is truly the star of the recipe.

French Toast (Green Monster) Baked Oatmeal

I've never, ever, ever been a pancake-and-waffle kind of person (unless we're talking about my banana-oat waffles...). When it came to my brunch option of choice, I would always pick french toast. My mom would make it using English muffin bread, which gave it such an interesting taste. It's hard for me to fathom using French bread or other fancy breads to make French toast because I'm so fond of the English muffin version (try it sometime!)

French Toast Oatmeal is actually one of the first recipes I made on my own after I gave up the Quaker instant packets. I made it on the stove, and it matched the flavor so perfectly that it made me fall in love with making my own oatmeal. If I'm not mistaken, it was the first "homemade oatmeal" I ever made that I didn't hate. :)

Green Monster Oatmeal

I've made a green monster smoothie with oats before. That's not what this is.

THIS recipe is for green monster oatmeal. As in...a warm, cozy bowl of porridge, laced with nutritious leafy greens. :)

Oatmeal "Green Monster" Smoothie

Have you ever woken up sweating, and the thermometer already reads 77 degrees, even though it's still early in the morning?

Those are the mornings when oatmeal is not so appetizing. I eat porridge year-round, but some days, the thought of a bowl of hot cereal steaming up into my already-hot face is a little...nauseating. On those days, it's good to have a back up--like a "Green Monster" smoothie.

But I didn't want my oats to feel left out, so I threw them in as well. :)

Cajun-Spiced Oatmeal with Red Pepper, Black Beans, and Spinach

My mouth is on fire from this one!

To tell the truth, I don't know much about Cajun cuisine. It's not exactly a cuisine that Midwesterners ever experience, sadly (we fear cayenne pepper), and it's not the most vegetarian-friendly cuisine, either. However, I recently discovered Cajun seasoning, and I love it. I made these awesome crunchy Cajun tofu sticks once, and they were so great...