Ambrosia Overnight Oatmeal

Ambrosia reminds me of my high school days working in the deli of my hometown grocery store. Yes, your dear Lauren used to stand behind a counter and weigh super thin slices of smoked turkey, bread and fry chicken, and gobble down leftover chicken thighs at the end of her shift. I was basically a walking tub of grease for two years. To this day, I can't stand the smell of a deep-fryer...and most fried foods, actually.

However, our deli counter also offered a variety of salads. The standards were, of course, potato salad and macaroni salad, but there was also always a couple "sweet salads." The Midwest is infamous for its...erm...salads (Exhibit A and B). I think Ambrosia is actually "a thing" outside of the Midwest, but it was definitely one of the occasional offerings at my humble little deli.

Any excuse to take out my martini glass, yes?

The key ingredients for Ambrosia are mandarin oranges (blegh), pineapple, marshmallows (obviously), cherries (the faker, the better), and coconut, all mixed together in a creamy base. I have a strong disdain for mandarin oranges, so I used good ol' navel. I skipped the cherries because I'm too cheap to buy them. I omitted the marshmallows because...you know...breakfast. And finally, I subbed So Delicious yogurt <3 for the cream.

Tropical Oatmeal

This recipe is so obvious that it's almost embarrassing that I haven't posted it yet. I have so many tropical-themed recipes, but why not combine them all into one fabulous breakfast?

Mango, pineapple, and coconut were obvious choices, but my decision to include banana was a last-minute addition. I don't know about you, but I always forget bananas are a tropical fruit.

Pineapple Sunbutter Oatmeal

Have you tried sunbutter*? I've always thought that sunbutter was only reserved for the people who can't have peanut butter because of allergies. Nobody chooses to eat sunbutter, right??

*It's a "nut" butter made from sunflower seeds.

My perspective changed last year when I voluntarily purchased a jar of sunbutter from Trader Joe's. Why? It was one of my 10,003 attempts to manage my peanut butter addiction. If I had a crappy version of peanut butter, maybe I wouldn't binge on it...? Wrong. I binged on that sunbutter just as hard as the real deal. Sure, the first spoonful was a little strange, but by the third, I found it just as addicting.

Banana, Pineapple, and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

Whenever I considered trying out this recipe, I would look at the name and wonder, "Why in the world would I combine those three ingredients?" Then, I would remember that it's much like a banana split (sans strawberries, which you could obviously include!).

Banana and pineapple are great together. Banana and chocolate are delicious. Pineapple and chocolate are surprisingly tasty. Obviously the three of them together have to work, right?

Carrot Pineapple Oatmeal

In case you haven't noticed, I love using earthy ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots in porridge. These ingredients create such heartwarming bowls of oatmeal that it can make even the coldest of mornings tolerable.

The downfall of those veggies (although pumpkin is a fruit, apparently) is that they typically require an added sweetener. As you can tell from many of my recipes, I do not fear a small dose of maple syrup or honey. However, when I can sweeten something naturally, I much prefer that.

Enter: pineapple!

When I first saw this flavor combination, I was delighted. I've learned recently that pineapple pairs well with just about everything. I love pineapple on pizza, in salsa, and virtually every southwestern-type dish (I recently made a spicy quinoa casserole with corn, tomatoes, black beans, and...yep...pineapple!). There are few dishes I won't try with pineapple. :)

Strawberry Pineapple Oatmeal

If you haven't already done so....please check out my new recipe index at your earliest convenience! Over the month of August, I spent hours (at least 30) plugging in all my recipes (all 200+ of them!) to a professional formatter. You've probably noticed that my blog displays recipes differently than they used to (and you can Pin and Tweet directly from the recipe), but the other intention was to have a more attractive recipe index. So click on "Recipe Index" above and "oooh" and "ahhhh" at all the prettiness!

Once you do that, come back and try this new recipe. It's less than five ingredients, which I think is always a plus. I really appreciate a recipe that stars fruit and only fruit...no expensive extracts or nuts necessary!

Pineapple Jalapeno Oatmeal

I have discovered an imperfection in Trader Joe's. It has taken me a year, but I finally found it. Trader Joe's does not sell individual jalapeno peppers. If you wish to purchase one, you must buy a container of them that holds SEVEN PEPPERS.

Because who doesn't need seven jalapeno peppers at one time?!

Feeling clever, I purchased one of their "guacamole kits" instead. It contains ONE jalapeno, two avocados, some garlic, a lime, and two tomatoes. I can use the avocados without a sweat, and I can easily find an excuse to use a lime. The garlic will remain usable for weeks and will definitely serve its purpose eventually. The tomatoes, however, will be a struggle. I might try and make tomato sauce or something (I have garlic, after all!).

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.

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.

Banana Split Oatmeal

Yep. I'm insane. Or genius. Not sure which.

This porridge contains ALL the flavors of the classic banana split. However, unlike the typical massive dessert found in diners, THIS banana split is healthy AND vegan! Don't act like you're not impressed. ;)

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!

Loaded Banana Oatmeal

Do you ever have trouble deciding which kind of oatmeal to make in the morning because you kind of just want everything??

If so, this one's for YOU. It's like an Everything Bagel, without the garlic.

Normally, when we hear the word "loaded," we think of heart attacks like loaded chili or loaded baked potatoes, which usually feature bacon, sour cream, and junk food like "Funyuns." No, thanks.

THIS loaded concoction can be as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like. For a healthier route, look for toppings like fresh fruit, dried fruit, peanut butter, puffed rice, any type of yogurt, nuts, raw chia or hemp seed, banana butter, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, granola, or more sliced banana. You could also add maple syrup or honey on top.