Apple Crumble Oatmeal, German Chocolate Oatmeal, & Strawberry Dumpling Oatmeal.

Up next, Apple Crumble Oatmeal, German Chocolate Oatmeal, and Strawberry Dumpling Oatmeal. All three were delicious, but I'd have to say my favorite so far, of any that we've had, is the Apple Crumble Oatmeal. It was more like eating dessert, with no extra sugar actually added other than the natural sugar in the apple. It was a healthy indulgence that I'm tempted to sub in for some other day later this month if the planned one doesn't sound as good. We'll see...

The german chocolate oatmeal was good, if not outstanding. There was nothing really wrong with the recipe, it just wasn't stellar. You may find it's your favorite. Come to think of it, if you like german chocolate cake, you'll probably love this.

The strawberry dumpling oatmeal was originally supposed to be blueberry dumpling, but I decided to use the preserves I already had in stock rather than buy another jar just for this occasion. This recipe tasted surprisingly similar to, though better than, the strawberries and cream instant oatmeal you can buy. Yum!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Sunflower Seed Butter, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oatmeal.

While this first image does not appear to be the most appetizing thing, let me assure you that it's lack of color has nothing to do with a lack of taste. The Pumpkin Oatmeal with Sunflower Seed Butter was delicious. I replaced the stevia originally called for with sugar, but otherwise stuck pretty close to the recipe. Also, the sunflower seed butter may not look like what you'd normally see in stores, because I made it. Furthermore, I made it without a recipe, simply grinding a handful of sunflower seeds and mixing them with a pinch of both sugar and salt. I then added peanut oil until I reached my desired consistency and voilá! (Ok, I know that adding peanut oil to sunflower seeds completely misses the point of using sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. However, it was either that or canola oil, which, while it did make more sense to use the canola, I avoid using it whenever possible, and so used the peanut. I'm not allergic so it didn't matter! :) Make it as you wish, with whichever oil you deem best.) I found that this tasted best when the sunflower seed butter was stirred into the rest of the oatmeal. Enjoy!

While the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oatmeal didn't turn out nearly as chocolately as I thought it would, it was really the perfect balance for breakfast. Sugar was used, again, and I couldn't find good strawberries at the market, and so used frozen, which I thawed overnight in the fridge first. In addition to this all, I ran out of vanilla while making this, so I was short by half the amount. I have since replenished my supplies and look forward to Apple Crumble Oatmeal on the morrow!

Banana Flax Oatmeal with Pecans.

Mmm. Oatmeal.
Ok, this isn't something I'd usually say. I do like oatmeal, but only on the occasional, 'can't think of anything else to have for breakfast' day. Besides this, I'm not accustomed to having a regular breakfast time, and often breakfast becomes brunch, or is simply missed. As I said previously, one of my resolutions this year is to actually eat breakfast on a daily basis. To cement this as a habit in my life, I've begun the 30 Day Oatmeal Challenge, found on the Live Well 360° Blog.
As my family and I were at dear friend s' home for New Year's, overnight, I am beginning my challenge today. (Though I did have breakfast there! MMM...cinnamon rolls!)
I changed all stevia references in the original recipe to sugar, and added a bit of extra flaxseed meal, on account of my grinding too much.  I also was out of walnuts, and so used pecans, but other than that, it's not really too different from the original. Delicious!

30 Day Oatmeal Challenge.

The New Year swiftly approaches, and with it, the dreaded new year's resolution. This year, my resolution is simple: to eat healthier and get moving. As part of this resolution, I include the clause that I will *try* to eat breakfast each day. To launch into this new resolution, I've discovered this 30 day oatmeal challenge, which I will begin on January 1st. (Or possibly January 2nd? Party plans may inhibit the first day...we'll see.) In any case, I invite you to rediscover the joys of oatmeal and join me in this challenge. See you in the new year!

Thank you to the Live Well 360° blog for the inspiration!