Peach Almond Oatmeal with Pomegranates

Mmkay. Time to be vulnerable.

I've been somber lately. Maybe even a little hopeless.

My apartment does not offer great lighting. My window faces almost directly south, meaning the sun never fully shines inside, despite our big windows. I cannot take pictures outside without walking straight onto the bustling sidewalks of New York and lookin' like a fool. I try taking pictures near my bedroom window during the brightest time of the day, but they still turn out grainy and discolored.

I have a pretty great camera (the top-rated point-and-shoot on the market), but it functions best in natural lighting. It's not ready for indoor, dimly-lit food photography. Having just signed a lease on my first how-the-heck-does-it-possibly-cost-this-much NYC apartment, I can't even fathom buying a fancy camera at this point.

Peach Banana Muesli

Week 6 of not having a stove.

It's becoming painful, yo. When so much of your happiness relies on your ability to cook and prepare food, not having a functioning stove is a terrible blow. We've been dealing with our electronic company for weeks trying to convince them to turn on our gas. Every time, it's "You need to do X." So then we do X. We wait. We call back. They say, "You did X, but you still need to do Y." We say, "You never told us that, but okay." We do Y. We wait. We call back. Etc.

FOR SIX WEEKS.

Peach Tea Oatmeal

I can't believe I have less than a month of school left! That means summer is right around the corner. I know it has already started for many of you, but here in grand ol' New York City, the school year stretches on and on and on until the end of June (madness!!).

This recipe oozes with summer vibes. It reminds me of sitting on some back porch, sipping iced tea. I've been wanting to make this for a while, and as soon as the peaches showed up at my produce market (far too early to truly be in season, but whatever), I hopped to it.

Spiced Apple and Peach Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Peach season has technically closed. Let's be honest—it closed a while ago. However, I'm miserable at goodbyes, so I'm still throwing them in my porridge mid-September. Bite me.

If, like me, you're still stuck in summer, this porridge will help you transition to autumn. It combines summer's peach with autumn's apple, and I spiced it with an earthy blend of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.

Peach and Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal

First there was Peach & Blueberry Oatmeal. Then Peach & Blueberry Oatcakes. Now, I present Peach & Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal. Three cheers for the best fruit combo known to mankind! (Or can you nominate a better one?)

I made my version diced, but I bet it would be marvelous with pureed peaches (if you're okay with dirtying your blender).

Peach and Blueberry Oatcakes for One

What is it about oatmeal that makes my digestive system run so well? I understand the nutrition aspect and all (hurray soluble fiber!), but this marvelous ingredient still astounds me. Pancakes make me sick for the rest of the day. Cereal (even the "healthy" ones) makes me puffy and weird. Even whole wheat muffins or waffles or pancakes leave me ill.

But swap the flour with oats? Problem solved.

These oatcake recipes actually let me enjoy pancakes again. Plus, they're way more flavorful than anything Bisquick could make.

Peach Cherry Almond Oatmeal

Sometimes, I write these posts shortly after I've finished eating the oatmeal. Sometimes, I write it weeks after the last time I ate it. And sometimes, like right now, I write it while I'm eating it.

That's how you know it's good.

Grilled Peach Steel-Cut Oatmeal

You know you have a fantastic oatmeal planned when you wake up at 6 am and spend twenty minutes wondering if it's too early to get up and start making breakfast. That's actually one of the billion reasons I love oatmeal. Did you know I used to hate mornings? Now I wake up at absurd hours because I'm so gosh darn excited to slurp down some oats.

Yeah, so... Remember on Monday, when I was all "sophisticated" with that Strawberry Basil Oatmeal? Here we go again. Grilled peaches, anyone?

Just Peachy Oatmeal

Have you tried pureeing your fruits before adding them to your oatmeal yet? My recent interest in this started with the Strawberry Limeade Overnight Oatmeal and progressed from there (I think I had done it a few times before that, but just here and there).

As you may remember, I bought a bunch of peaches a while ago and frantically raced to use them all up. I was continuously frustrated with how poorly the peach flavor distributed throughout the porridge. I mean, come on, peaches are incredibly juicy and have tons of flavor!

Well, I thought I would try the puree method and see how it went. That way, the wonderful peach flavor would dominate every spoonful.

Fruit-on-the-Bottom Oatmeal

I'll be honest right from the start: I have never had (nor do I have the desire to try) fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. First of all, it's not available in nondairy varieties, so that's an obvious deterrent. Moreso, the "fruit" on the bottom has been heavily processed and coated with sickeningly sweet high fructose corn syrup. Um, no.

Like most of my recipes, I've been eager to try this one for a while. It required me to have yogurt on hand, which I usually lack. Whenever I have it, I end up demolishing it before I can even attempt this or the other yogurt-demanding recipes.

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.

Peach and Almond Butter Oatmeal

Guys, I might have a new favorite oatmeal recipe. I mean, I love the Baked Peanut Butter Cookie, and the Nutty 'Nana Berry, and the Neapolitan, but this one has peaches! PEACHES!! And almond butter!! Two things that are amazing on their own are now brought together in this beautiful bowl of happiness.

First, let's talk about peaches. Juicy. Sweet. Tastes like summer. And then there's almond butter: rich, but sweeter and milder than its peanut cousin. Because of its milder flavor, it lets the peaches be the star, while still lending that rich, buttery taste.

Peach Blueberry Oatmeal

Strawberry and bananas, cherry and lime, rhubarb and strawberry... None of those classic fruit combinations appeal to me as much as peach and blueberry. As much as I love a traditional peach cobbler, I'm all for adding blueberries to the equation sometimes.

As I'm writing this post, it just occurred to me that I used to not like blueberries. I liked blueberry-flavored things, like the fake blueberries in Betty Crocker muffin mixes, but the real thing grossed me out entirely. To be honest, I can't remember really enjoying a blueberry until I made my Baked Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal...and that was not that long ago! Now, a quick click on the "blueberries" label at the bottom of this post shows just how enamored I am with them!

Pumpkin and Peach Oatmeal

As I prepare for my big move to the east coast, I worry about the state of this blog. Our work day starts bright and early in the mornings. Will I have time to snap a picture of my breakfast? Will I feel silly photographing my food in front of my roommates?

I don't want my blog to die. I love this blog. It's one of the first blogs (I've had several in the past) in which I'm eager and enthusiastic to post more. Sure, sometimes it feels like work, and I just want to eat my stinkin' oatmeal and not deal with my mediocre photography skills. However, it's worth it, and I still have dozens and dozens and dozens of ideas that I'm eager to share.

Peach Pie Oatmeal

Okay, take a second to drool over this:

Delicious? Yep, I thought so, too (and I actually ATE it, so I can guarantee it's delicious). But before I tell you how to make it, I have to share some news with you...

I generally don't share too much of my personal life on here, except for occasional "gosh, I'm so exhausted from teaching this week" or "student teaching is fun" or "I didn't have time to post any new recipes the past few days because I've been so busy grading." But this news is pretty big. Like, move-across-the-country big.

Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal

What's your all-time favorite dessert?

I think this is one of the hardest questions to answer. I've never had a bad dessert before. Pretty much every dessert I eat brings a smile to my face and makes me feel like there's nothing else I'd rather be eating. However, if I had to choose, I think it would be peach cobbler. Peaches are my favorite fruit, and I think this dessert is one that truly lets the fruit shine.