Frosted Brownie Baked Oatmeal

You know what's fun? Eating dessert for breakfast.

I mean, I could never literally eat dessert for breakfast--at least not what most people consider dessert. Thanks to my IBS, I have the world's most sensitive stomach. Living in New York City, I enjoy a variety of vegan desserts frequently (shout-out to Wild Ginger and the PERFECTION that is their Peanut Butter Bomb Cake), but it never takes long for the pain to settle in! Thus, when I order desserts while eating out, it's often a conscious choice with a careful consideration of the consequences.

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.

Fruit Salad Oatmeal

I must admit that I enjoy being a vegetarian. In the beginning, I struggled with feeling misplaced or left out, but once it fused into part of my identity, I embraced all of its challenges. Limited options on menus means I'll be less overwhelmed (I'm very indecisive) and more likely to try something new (like eggplant!). Potlucks become a scavenger hunt and careful investigation to discover the meatless dishes on a long table of bacon and ground beef. Thanksgiving and Easter turn into challenging games I like to call "How to Make a Meal Out of Side Dishes."

Potlucks, especially in Small Town, South Dakota, generally offer less than three vegetarian options (one of which is a basket of dinner rolls). The scalloped potatoes will always include diced ham. The quiche will always have bacon.

But there will always be fruit. Sometimes these fruits are in their raw form: a giant bowl of cubed watermelon or clusters of purple grapes. Other times, they're mixed together in one bowl: berries and melons and grapes! Sometimes, they're mixed together in a tasting "dressing," like honey mint or lemon poppy seed or coconut lime.

3 New Overnight Oat Recipes!

Overnight oatmeal has been my "thing" for a few months now, which inevitably resulted in me creating recipes that were never shared with you. Most of them align with my stove-top recipes, so I didn't feel too guilty about it. However, lately, I've been enjoying these so much that I just had to put them on your radar!

Thin Mints Oat Muffins

Happy Sunday, everyone!

What's the weather like in your neck of the woods? It's crazy hot here. I was in Philadelphia all week chaperoning a school field trip, and the students and I just trudged around, sweating and fanning ourselves the whole time. Gross!

My roommate and I had planned to spend Saturday afternoon at Central Park, but it was just too darn hot. Sweltering. Blistering. Stroke-inducing. So instead, I stayed inside in the air conditioning and made some muffins for YOU!

Yep. They are, in fact, as delicious as they look. :)

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.

Mocha Oatmeal (with Variations)

Wednesday morning, I had great plans for a Peppermint Mocha Oatmeal. I planned it while falling asleep the night before, and I woke up eager to try it out.

My dreams came crashing down when I opened my mother's bottle of mint extract, only to get an awful whiff of spearmint. SPEARMINT!! Ugh. It was a combination of spearmint and peppermint. Unacceptable!

I was not about to have spearmint mocha--gross. Instead, I just went with a simple mocha oatmeal, along with a little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the chocolate flavor.

Like my Thin Mints or Lemon Poppy Seed Oatmeal, I used banana to sweeten it. I swear you won't taste it. I knew I wouldn't be able to taste it with peppermint or almond extract, but I was very surprised that I didn't even taste it with just vanilla extract! The coffee and chocolate flavors are very strong and mask the banana taste well.

The fun thing about this recipe is that the variations are endless! Instead of vanilla extract, you could use PEPPERMINT extract (not spearmint...) for a peppermint mocha, ALMOND extract for an almond mocha, etc. Imagine the possibilities: hazelnut, caramel, coconut, butterscotch, Irish cream, French vanilla....

Mocha Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2/3 cup strong brewed coffee (I used cold press!)
• 1/3 cup milk of choice, or water
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Country Choice Organic)
• 1/2 a ripe banana
• 1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Bring coffee and milk to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium.
2. Mash up banana and add to the oatmeal. Stir.
3. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add cocoa powder, vanilla extract (or whatever flavor you want to use), and salt.
4. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, nuts), do so now.
5. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Serve with another splash of your milk of choice (and/or more coffee) and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.).

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Easy variations:

White Chocolate Mocha Oatmeal

Add a handful of white chocolate chips toward the end (either let them melt and stir them in, or simply sprinkle them on top when serving).

Almond Mocha Oatmeal

Use 1/4 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla extract.

Peppermint Mocha Oatmeal

Use 1/4 tsp peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract. Top with a sprig of fresh peppermint when serving, if you have it! :)

Butterscotch Mocha Oatmeal

Add a handful of butterscotch chips toward the end (either let them melt and stir them in, or simply sprinkle them on top when serving).

Coconut Mocha Oatmeal

Use coconut milk with the coffee for your cooking liquid, and top with shredded coconut at the end. The vanilla extract is optional.

Almond Joy Mocha Oatmeal

Use 1/4 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla extract, and top with shredded coconut at the end.

Of course, you could also use flavored syrups as well. :)

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Strawberry Mojito Oatmeal

Who thought of combining lime with mint?

They deserve an award.

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

Thin Mints Oatmeal

My friends, let me tell you the story of how Thin Mints Oatmeal came to be...

I have a love-hate relationship with bananas. In general, I kind of hate them. I rarely eat them plain; their taste and texture make me gag a little if I'm not in the right mood. On the other hand, they are just wonderful. They are a natural sweetener, super cheap, and versatile. I can put them in sandwiches, smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods, which is why--despite my on-and-off hatred of them--I almost always have some on the counter.