Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Happy October 1 everyone! Though weeks and months seem to be blowing past faster and faster, I'm happy to say a big hi! to October. October through December marks my favorite time of the year and this morning welcomed me with a cool breeze coming through the window, the sun shining and the opportunity to wear my leather jacket. 

Oh, and to eat some pumpkin pie oatmeal for breakfast. 

We can't forget about the food at times like these.

I have been waiting for the perfect time to break out the pumpkin-oatmeal combo for the season, and what better day than October 1?

This warm and hearty breakfast came together in a snap this morning. It was filled creamy, oaty, cinnamony goodness and I just adore the happy orange color. I topped it with a handful of sliced almonds for a bit of crunch.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

(serves 1)

1 C milk of your choice

1/2 C old fashioned oats

pinch of salt

1/4 C pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

sweetener of your choice (I used a little brown sugar)

Heat the milk and salt over medium-high heat. Once starting to boil, add the oats and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. While cooking, stir in the pumpkin puree. Stir frequently so the oats don't burn. Toward the end of cooking, stir in the pumpkin pie spice and sweetener. Top with sliced almonds. Enjoy immediately.

 

And I did :D

How are you kicking off October?

Cherry Almond Oatmeal To Go {Or To Stay}

Though it's about, oh, 100 degrees in New York today (I'm rocking the glistening face, freshly washed hair slicked back into a bun with limited make-up look), I'm sharing one of my favorite warm breakfasts.

Most days I simply don't have enough time to eat breakfast before running out of the house (and by don't have enough time, I mean I don't leave myself enough time, which could simply be rectified by waking up earlier). 

Instead, I usually pack something up and eat when I arrive in the office. Though my ideal breakfast to reheat in the office is scrambled eggs with a side of fresh fruit, sometimes most of the time, I am running around and don't have time to cook up the eggs and take them to go.

On those days, I choose a close second - oatmeal to go!

I really love this oatmeal. I can throw it together in about 2 minutes, pack it up, heat in the office microwave and voila! A simple, filling and hearty breakfast. Ok so I'm not exactly making this on a 100 degree day like today, but on most other days this suits me just fine!

Cherry Almond Oatmeal To Go
1/2 C old fashioned oats
1 C almond milk or fat free milk (or milk of your choice!)
1/4 C dried cherries
2-3 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
sweetener, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave-safe plastic container.

To Go: I cover tightly and load it up into my lunchbox. When I arrive at the office, I remove the lid and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 1 minute more. 

To Stay: Pop right into the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 1 minute more.

Enjoy!

So simple!

I adore the tart cherries mixed with a bit of cinnamon and love that the almonds add a bit of protein to keep me full for the morning hours.

So there you have it. A super simple, easy breakfast on the go. And as a bonus? The A-mazing aroma of cinnamon wafting through the office!

Questions of the Day:

What are your favorite breakfasts?

Do you eat first thing in the morning? Mid-morning? When you arrive at work?

Berry-on-the-Bottom Baked Oatmeal

I don't know about you, but I have been having a really, really, really hard time getting my butt out of bed just about every morning this week. It's been such a struggle and I end up snoozing my alarm for more time than I'd like to admit. Why can't I just feel refreshed in the morning?! Looks like earlier to bed tonight...maybe. What time to you go to bed at night? Sometimes, I feel like the weeknights are so short that I always want to stay up late to get the most out of the evening!

Since I've started Weight Watchers, breakfasts have been filled with lots and lots of egg whites. I have found a way to make them still taste delicious (recipe coming soon!) but this past weekend I just couldn't eat egg whites anymore. After about 15 days straight of egg whites, I just had to change it up.

I have a confession to make. I don't totally love oatmeal. It's ok. And sometimes, I like it more than others. Especially when I add some cut up apples and spices, or a few scoops of pumpkin or some banana and chocolate. But for just any old morning, I could take it or leave it.

Enter baked oatmeal.

I had made a delicious and decadent version for my mom's birthday brunch last year. But since I am trying to lighten things up around here, I tested out a new, lighter version on a whim. It's chock full of mixed berries - just whatever I had leftover in the fridge - and topped with yummy oats mixed with egg whites and brown sugar.

It was delicious. And just 5 Points+ per serving. And the serving is a big one. If you have a smaller serving (divided into 6 servings), it's only 4 Points+. I usually try to keep breakfast to around 5 or 6 Points+, so this breakfast, even the big portion, is right on track. Not to mention that it's incredibly filling! It's worth every bite.

Berry-on-the-Bottom Baked Oatmeal

*Adapted from my Strawberry Baked Oatmeal

5 WW Points+ (for 4 large servings); 4 WW Points+ (for 6 smaller servings)

1 1/2 C mixed berries (I used a combo of strawberries, blueberries and black berries; frozen would probably work nicely too)

3/4 C fat free or almond milk + more for topping

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 C old-fashioned oats

1 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend (or regular brown sugar; might affect Points+)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" or 9" round or square baking dish with cooking spray. Whatever pan you have on hand works! You could even do it in an oven-proof skillet with tall sides.

Spread the berries over the bottom of the pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg whites, maple syrup and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and pour over top of the berries in the pan.

Bake about 30-40 minutes or until browned on top. Serve in a bowl and top with some additional milk.

 

Sit back, relax. It's Saturday!

 

Oh, but if you want to make this on the weekend, it also reheats nicely on a rushed Monday morning when you are focused on simply getting out of the house without looking like a zombie and so you pack up a Tupperware-full of this goodness, tote it to work, and heat it up in the office microwave. It's pretty delicious then, too.

I hope you enjoy! I bet you could also make this with any fruit you want...apples, peaches, plums...

Questions of the Day:

How do you keep your breakfasts fresh?

What time to you usually go to sleep on a 'school' night? I try to be in bed by 10:30, but lately it's been more like 11:30-12:00ish!

psst...it's link day on The Peach & The Pit...head over to see some cool stuff.