Pumpkin Meringue Pie Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin pumpkin everywhere. Some hate it. Some love it. I am lucky enough to be in the latter category. I mean really, though, what's not to love? Pumpkin desserts are basically a hug from fall. I may not be in love with fall, but I am not opposed to hugs. Or pumpkin.

And what better way is there than to start off your day than with a dessert-like hug from fall? (The answer is no way, to those of you who were wondering)

Now, to be perfectly honest, I'm already listening to Christmas carols. Yep.

*ooh, I can feel you judging me*

But that doesn't mean that I am not also embracing the beauty of fall at the same time...
...and now you can, too!

Pumpkin Meringue Pie Baked Oatmeal
Serves one

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1.5 cups pumpkin puree
1.5 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp almond milk
Sweetener of choice, to taste
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
__________________________________________
For the meringue: (optional)
1 large egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar, optional
1/8 tsp. Cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease a single-serve ramkin
2. In a small bowl, combine together oats, spice, and baking powder.
3. Softly stir in pumpkin, milk, sweetener, and vanilla.
4. Put in ramkin and bake for 15 minutes if using meringue, or thirty minutes if not using the meringue.
5. If making meringue: while oatmeal is in the oven, beat egg white until it forms stiff peaks. Continue to beat in vanilla, cream of tartar, and sugar, if using.
6. After the oatmeal has been in the oven for fifteen minutes, top with the egg white mixture, and return to oven for an additional fifteen minutes, or until the meringue has cooked through.
7. Enjoy your hug from fall.

<3 Danielle

Mango Sorbet

This is summer in a bowl. I mean really this and summer have so much in common:

They are bright and cheery

They make me happy

They are both things I always look forward to

They make you forget your worries and cares

They go by really fast. 

And I mean fast. One bite of this and I started shoveling it in my face as fast as my spoon could travel. It's so silky and sweet, and its only one ingredient. One. Just one. Yeah.

I am always skeptical of recipes advertised as one ingredient, because a lot of the time it's some kind of processed packaged product.
But not this. This is about as fresh as you can get! And even fresher if you have access to mango trees (if this is the case, I'm so jealous)!

Mango Sorbet
1 mango

1. Peel and cube the mango. Find out how to cut a mango like a pro here.
2. Freeze the cubes until solid.
3. Process until smooth in a food processor. Enjoy immediately.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

<3 Danielle

Layered Berry and Banana Baked Oatmeal

Okay, so I am sorry-not-sorry that I am sharing two oatmeal recipes in a row. These are just sooo amazingly delicious, and I wanted to post them before the fruits go out of season!

My grandma grew up in the Great Depression, and to this day, she does not waste anything. Absolutely nothing. Not an exaggeration.

While this can be an admirable quality that many of us could use more of, it's almost obsessive on my grandma's part. She's walks around her house in the dark to save on the electric bill. Air Conitioning is only for  when company is over. Moldy cheese or bread? Cut off the mold, and eat the rest. But the killer is that after meals, she sweeps the crumbs fallen from the plates onto the table during the meal into her mouth.

Nasty. 

I am not nearly that obsessive, but still,if there is a sane way to avoid waste, I try to take it.

So when I saw the bananas in the fruit bowl were on the verge of blackening completely, and the berries in the fridge were not getting any younger either, I decided to make them into a baked oatmeal.

And let me tell you, not wasting food never tasted so good (definitely a lot better than crumbs from a table)

Layered Berry  Banana Baked Oatmeal

2 Very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tbsp. Milk

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/3- 1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a single-serving ramkin.
2. Stir together oats, baking powder, and cinnamon. 
3. Add milk, bananas, and vanilla to the oat mixture. Gently combine.
4. In the ramkin, layer: strawberries, oatmeal batter, blueberries, strawberries, oatmeal batter, blueberries, oatmeal batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly.

Enjoy!

<3 Danielle

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal

Why, oh why is cherry season so short?

Why, oh why do cherries cost so much?

Oh the problems I have. When I do have cherries, I try make the most of them. However, usually my attempts are in vain, as I end up snarfing them down by the handful... oops!

But this year, I managed to save some for this oatmeal! And guess what? It was definitely worth it!

The juice from the cherries spread throughout the oats while cooking, letting off a subtle flavor that pairs well with the chocolate.

So if you have self control enough to save your cherries, try this out. It'll be worth it!

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats
1.5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 banana, mashed
12 cherries, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

1. In a small saucepan, heat all ingredients except for the almond milk until thickened.
2. Add almond milk, then bring back to a boil and let thicken again.
3. let cool slightly before enjoying!

Serves one

~Danielle

One Pan Stir Fry

Note: sorry this post came a little later in the day than usual, I am out of town staying in a house of no WiFi, so bear with me for the next week or so... I'll do my best to post regularly!

Some nights, I just don't feel like cooking.

Some nights, I have too empty of a pantry to make anything fancy.

Some nights, I just want to eat something delicious, but don't have much time.

Some nights (read: every night), I crave Asian food. 

That's when I make this stir fry.

This is super adaptable:

Don't have the right veggies? Mushrooms, green beans, sugar snap peas, etc. work well

Don't have chicken? Omit  or  substitute cooked pork, tofu, or beans.

No rice? Use quinoa, spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or your favourite grain.

So, there is no excuses not to make this!

One Pan Stir Fry

2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped

2 cups uncooked rice

3 large carrots

1 head broccoli

2 large stalks celery

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (I love Little Soya brand)

pepper, to taste

1 tbsp. sriracha sauce

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1. In a large skillet, simmer rice in water for twenty minutes, or until soft.
2. While rice cooks, chop vegetables to a uniform size, or as shown in the picture above.
3. Strain the rice. in the same skillet, steam vegetables until tender, about ten-  fifteen minutes.
4. Once they are soft, remove steaming liquid from pan, and add rice, chicken, soy sauce, pepper, sriracha, ginger, and vinegar to the vegetables. Heat everything through, and keep heated until serving.

Serves about 6-8

Hope you all like it as much as I do!

~Danielle



Berries 'n' Cream Oatmeal Parfait

Why oh why can't it be summer all year long? Probably because without winter and fall, we wouldn't appreciate summer quite so much. One of my favourite summer features is the fruit. Especially:

Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Watermelon
Raspberries
Cherries

Nectarines

Etcetera

I mean, sure, fall has apples and pears, winter is prime for citrus, and spring is the time for rhubarb (at least in my garden), but really? Summer trumps them all.

So here's a recipe calling for berries. Enjoy it now as we cling to the last wisps of summer, or forever hold your peace (because really, winter lasts FOREVER).

Berries 'n' Cream Oatmeal Parfait

Serves one

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

4 strawberries, stems removed

6 blackberries

15 blueberries

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Sweetener of choice to taste, optional

3/4 cup yoghurt of choice

Optional: granola, chocolate chips, more berries, coconut, etc.

1) In a blender or food processor, puree milk, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, sweetener, and vanilla.

2) in a small saucepan, cook oats and milk/berry puree until oats are soft and most of the liquid has absorbed. Cool overnight, or until it's cold. This is sped up if it's placed in a shallow bowl.

3) Layer the oatmeal and yoghurt and optional ingredients in a container. Enjoy immediately.

~Danielle

Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal

Well do I have a treat for you! I went into making this without high expectations, but as soon as the first forkful passed my lips, I was in foodie heaven.

Normally, no matter what anybody claims, "hidden" bananas in recipes can be detected from miles away, even if your name is not Sherlock Holmes. And unfortunately, it seems, the less one likes bananas, the better they are at tasting them. Me? I adore them in recipes, as you may have noticed, but I only tolerate them plain, as the flavor os just mediocre, in my opinion. Does anyone else find the aftertaste disgusting?

Anyway, the banana is barely detectable. I say barely because although I could faintly taste it, the flavor blended in so well with the lemon and blueberries that it definitely would have taken home a medal for hide and seek. Does anyone else think hide and seek should be an Olympic Sport? Gosh, that would be fun to watch!

Back on track, Danielle..... okay, so all that to say, seriously, make this. You will not be dissappointed. IT'S LITERALLY THE BEST!

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Baked Oatmeal
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Poppy seeds
Zest of one lemon
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/3 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 large ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/4 heaping cup blueberries

1) Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
2) In a small bowl, stor together first five ingredients.
3) Gently mix in almond milk, banana, lemon juice, and extract, in that order
4) Fold in blue berries.
5) Bake in a greased single serving ramkin until the center is no longer wet, anywhere from 20-30 minutes.

~Danielle

Peaches 'n' Cream Smoothie

Hey there! How have you been? I've been awsome since I recently got two GIANT crates of peaches. Seriously, there are probably about 100 peaches in my house, awaiting their fate. Mwahaha. 

The thing about peaches, though is that they ripen rather speedily, so I had to figure put how to use them up within a week. It wasn't too hard considering how scrumptious they are, whether they're plain or in something.

Whether you are a peach purist, or of you like to put them in pies and cobblers and such, you'll looove this smoothie! The peach and the banana compliment each other well, although the banana's flavor is not really the star of the show. It's more of the supporting role.

Peaches 'n' Cream Smoothie

1 peach, cut into chunks and frozen

1 Banana, cut into rounds and frozen
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 scant tsp cinnamon

Blend in a blender untill smooth. Enjoy immediately.

Comment below your favorite way to use peaches!
~Danielle

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal

Originally, this oatmeal title was not going to include the "cobbler" part, but the second I took my first bite, I knew I had to forewarn you all: this tastes shockingly unhealthy, or at least a lot like dessert. Not all deserts have to be unhealthy. This recipe just so happens to be healthy enough for breakfast, and tasty enough for dessert. The best of both worlds!

The blueberries bloat in the oven untill they become little packets of flavor that burst in your mouth with every bite. The peach sweetens it and give it that wonderous cobbler-like texture and flavor. Yes my friends, this is the breakfast of champions!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal
1 peach
1/3 - 1/2 cup blueberries (depending on your preference)
1/3 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Sweetener to taste, optional
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Baking powder

1) Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
2) Combine last three ingredients and set aside
3) In a blender, puree 1/2 of the peach, milk, vanilla, and sweetener if using. Pour the liquid over the dry mixture and stir gently until combined.
4) Dice the remainder of the peach, and fold it and the blueberries into the oat mixture until the are evenly distributed.
5) Bake in a greased ramkin for 25-30 minutes, or until center is no longer very wet.
Allow to cool a little before consumption.

~Danielle

Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Soft Serve

Wow that title sure is a mouthful! Think of it as a warning about how you'll want to get as many mouthfuls of this bliss as possible.

The flavors and textures of this are mind-blowing. It's like a giant mouth party. And good news: eat your heart out; this concoction is guilt-free! On the contrary to "normal ice cream", this is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and protein.

The caramel extract is not really health food, so omit if you'd prefer, bit there's such a small amount in this and it add such fantastic flavor without all the sugars that I figure it is worth it.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Soft Serve
Makes 1 giant serving, 2 standard servings

2 Bananas, cut into chunks and frozen solid
2-3 Tbsp almond milk
1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp caramel extract
1 handful pretzels, lightly crushed

1) Remove bananas from freezer and place in bed of frood processor. Process until very small crumbs.
2) Add almond milk, cocoa powder, peanut bitter, and caramel extract. Process again until a smooth soft serve has formed.
3) Add pretzel bits and whirl them into the mixture until evenly distributed
4) optional: return soft serve to freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to solidify a bit more, for more of an ice cream experience, and less of a soft serve one.

~~{~@  Danielle

The Best Creamy Peanut Butter

Okay, I know, I know, I know. Everyone and their uncle has seen a tutorial for one ingredient peanut butter. I don't know about you, but every time I tried the one ingredient variation, it turned out rather grainy.

As a girl who's grown up on Jiff- style peanut butter *hides behind hands* I've become accustomed to the silky smoothness and slight sweetness of highly processed peanut butter. So, I took on the challenge. Shown above is a picture of the peanut butter about 3/4 of the way through processing, as you can see, it still is quite grainy. If any [wackos] out there prefer crunchy or grainy peanut butter, feel free  process for a shorter amount of time, or stir in extra peanuts after processing is complete

The Best Peanut Butter
2 c. Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Process all ingrrdients an a strong food processor until desired consistancy is reached.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
 

~Danielle

Triple Thick Mocha Milkshake

Remember my healthy chocolate softserve? Well this magical mixture is an extension of that goodness. Milkshakes should aways be two things: extra large and extra thick. Yep, this one sure sets the bar high, as it also is chocolatey and healthy, two sets of mega bonus  points to the the Triple Thick Mocha Milkshake!

The ingredients are quite tweakable, although I cannot vouch for the results of variations using substitutions. You can't get much better than only 4 ingredients, now can you?

Frozen bananas

almond milk (more bonus points for homemade!)

Cocoa powder

Coffee extract, or substitute 1 tsp. Instant coffee granules

As the queen of crazy extracts, it would be rude to expect all my readers to keep up with my collection, so I will try to offer substitures as much as possible! Any way, whether you're using extract or granules, you are in for a treat!

Triple Thick Mocha Milkshake      makes: 2 small; 1 large

2 bananas cut into chunks and frozen until hard

3/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond)

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. coffee extract (or sub. 1 tsp. Instant coffee granules)

Place frozen bananas and milk and extract.into a blender. Pulse until almost completely smooth. Add cocoa powder, and blend until the bananas have no remaining chunks and the cocoa powder is completey mixed in. Enjoy immediately or stick in freezer for up to a half hour.

~~{~@ Danielle

Lightened Up Iced Coffee

Ever seen the nutrition information for Starbucks drinks? Not fun. I would not be surprised in the least if I heard the ratio of sugar to coffee is 1:1. So, I decided to attempt a lighter version.

I am a huge fan of iced coffee drinks. The hot ones are never the right temperature; either they burn my young or they are lukewarm. There are about thirty seconds of time in which they are perfect.

It must be some sort of psychological thing; if coffee is supped to be cold (such as iced), then its tasty,  but if its supposed to be hot, but it has cooled until it's cold, then it's nasty. Hmm...

I made this with my awesome cold-brew coffee because it is a bit stronger than regular brewed coffee so the ice didn't water it down as much. Use whatever coffee you have.

Either way, this stuff is of the tasty variety, and may I suggest you try it out with my cold brew recipe?

Lightened Up Iced Coffee              Serves: 1
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2-- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your choice of milk)
1 mL stevia extract, or to taste (The strength of the sweetness depends on the brand of the extract)
ice cubes
optional: Extracts such as caramel, peppermint, or hazelnut

Mix all but ice in a glass and serve over ice.



Enjoy!
~~{~@ Danielle

Chocolate Pudding Oatmeal

Chocolate pudding oatmeal. Mmmmm. This deliciousness is so creamy, chocolatey and rich, no one could guess that it's secretly a gathering of super foods. I mean really;

Oats

Almond milk

Cocoa powder

Banana

Who'd think that these simple ingredients could make such a mouth-watering quartet? The oats add texture, almond milk provides creaminess, cocoa powder brings flavor to the table, and the banana not only supplies the richness, but it also adds bulk.

As for nutrition, the oats and bananas both bear good-for-you fiber. The almond milk contains the protein. Studies show that cocoa can help promote a healthy heart. Bananas once again play two roles, as they also provide lots of vitamins and minerals.

Yay! Let's dig in!

Chocolate Pudding Oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 ripe banana

1-2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (depending on how strong one  likes it)

1 cup water

1/2 cup almond milk

1) Cut the banana into circles before mashing it very well with a fork, until no large chunks are left.

2) Place the mashed banana, oats, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and stir well.

3) Add the water and place pan over low-medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil 

4) Add milk and continue to stir until the 'sauce' thickens, although the mixture still looks pretty wet.

5) Cover the saucepan and turn off the heat, leaving the pan on the stove*. Let sit for 10-20 minutes, or until its thickened a bit more.

6) Enjoy!

*Do not leave on burner if using electric stove.

I seriously have this at least 4 times a week. Its so good!

Hope you like it as much as I do!

~~{~@ Danielle

Healthy Chocolate Soft Serve

Hey All,
If you're on Pinterest, follow health blogs, or read health magazines, you've surely heard about coconut cream vegan ice cream, cashew cream ice cream, and banana soft serve. Well personally, I'm not a huge fan of cashew cream. (I can never get ot smooth enough!) Coconut cream isn't something in my pantry. Factory-canned food scares me a bit too much.

But bananas? Fresh, healthy, and loaded with vitamins and fiber, these super foods make the best three ingredient chocolate ice cream ever. Smooth and creamy and chocolatey and addictive, this recipe only takes about 5 minutes (plus freezing time) to make. Now, theres no excuse to buy store bought ice cream because:
1) This is made faster than going to the store.
2) Banana soft serve is a million times healthier than store-bought
3) No, this does NOT taste healthy

Chocolate Banana Soft Serve
Makes 1 huge serving

2 ripe medium bananas, cut up, then frozen
2-3 Tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk

Remove bananas from freezer and break up any chunks frozen together. Blend with the milk and cocoa powder until smooth. Eat immediately, or freeze until harder for a less soft-serve-y experience.~~{~@  Danielle