
Yesterday, I thought the tide was turning with my flu. I had a fairly restful sleep Monday night and my symptoms had died down a bit. I was so excited because I thought that I was getting over this thing!
…and then Tuesday evening hit and the symptoms came back with a vengeance. I was up all night coughing up a storm with a tickly throat. Hopefully this thing is on its way out because I feel like I am missing out on my life!
I also did something I thought I would never do…I bought a Neti Pot!

Have you seen these crazy things before?
I first heard about them on Dr. Oz when he was saying how great they are for congestion, post nasal drip, and sinus allergies. I finally went out and got one at Shopper’s Drug Mart. You mix a warm salt water solution and then pour half of the mixture through each nostril (the water slowly pours out of the other nostril!!), while tipping your head to the side and leaning your body a bit forward.
It sounds scary, right?
But, it wasn’t bad at all. I promise…I’m the world’s biggest chicken too. It was oddly soothing in a gross way. My nose has been fairly clear and I can breathe much better when using it 2-3 times per day. I also plan to use this when my allergies kick in later this Spring and Summer.

One thing that really bites about this flu is that I can’t taste anything. Everything I eat tastes incredibly bland and my normally raging appetite is M.I.A. It is such a weird feeling.
I have been eating a lot of Vegan Overnight Oats (with orange) mixed with Strawberry Banana Soft Serve to soothe my throat.

This is always delicious…even with my lack of taste. :)
Since I was feeling a bit better yesterday, I started to get the baking itch. I was craving baked oatmeal because it just sounded so soothing, comforting, and warming on my throat.

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Fruity Baked Oatmeal with Crunchy Cinnamon Almond Topping
Yield: 4 servings
Baked Oatmeal:
- 1 cup + 1/3 cup regular rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 large banana, chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1.5-2 cups non-dairy milk (I used 2 cups but you might need less depending on the volume of mix ins)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Crunchy Cinnamon Almond Topping:
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 2 tbsp regular rolled oats
- 1 tbsp Sucanat (or other dry sugar)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 4 cup baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chia seeds, chopped banana, peeled and chopped apple, raisins, pinch of salt, and cinnamon. Now stir in the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour into casserole dish and set aside.
3. In a food processor, or by hand, process (or chop) the almonds. Now add in the oats, Sucanat (or sugar), Maple syrup, and milk and process until just combined. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the oatmeal mixture.
4. Bake in the oven for 26-30 minutes at 350F, uncovered. Watch closely during the last few minutes of baking so the topping doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Drizzle with maple syrup. Will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 3 days. To reheat, simply, place in a bowl and add a splash of milk and heat in the microwave for a minute or so.
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When I make baked oatmeal I like to make a large batch so I can enjoy it for a few meals! It is a really quick breakfast that reheats in a flash.

This oatmeal mixture tastes really good and it was hard not to just eat it on the spot!

If you wanted to skip the whole baking thing, you could just leave this overnight in the fridge and have a big batch of VOO on your hands. :)

But baking it is amazing…as is this wonderful crunchy topping…

Sprinkle the cinnamon almond topping on the oatmeal mixture.

Bake for 26-30 minutes and gobble!

This baked oatmeal turned out WONDERFUL!
It is like a hybrid between baked oatmeal and a fruit crisp. The crunchy cinnamon almond topping really made the whole dish. I also highly recommend a drizzle of maple syrup…it tied in all the flavours very well.

In other news, Eric has been helping me with my vegetable garden beds, since I have been out of commission.
We measured our property line to see where we could put the beds.

We placed the beds in a very sunny spot that gets over 6 hours of sunlight a day.


After marking the legs, Eric dug out holes for them.

With a bit of work, we got them to sit flat.

After we got the beds in the ground, we pinned down chicken wire on the bottom layer of the bed (not shown in photo). This will help prevent gophers from digging up into the garden. Or so they say…
The second layer we put down is what you see below. This is a Landscape fabric and it prevents weeds from growing up into the beds. You can find this at most home or garden stores.

Aren’t they pretty?
I’m still on the hunt for a good triple mix soil. Whenever I ask a garden centre if they have organic triple mix they give me a weird look and say ‘of course it’s organic…doesn’t get more organic than this!’ I’m not sure if they are green washing me or if it really is organic. I guess I just have to figure out the right questions to ask.
I have located a garden centre that sells certified organic and non-GMO seeds and plants so that is good news. Their plants arrive around May 7th and they are going to call me when the plants arrive. :)

My veggie wish list:
- Onions
- Spring Onions
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Peas
- Beets
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Herbs
I need to figure out where to plant the veggies in the beds. I need to read up on companion planting, perhaps? The most I have figured out is that the tall plants go on the North side (so they don’t cast shade on small plants), plant Marigolds around the beds to keep out pests/animals, and carrots are great to plant next to Spring onions (companion plants).
Other than that I am lost!
Ok first of all- thank you for the yummy recipe! THIS will be on our weekend breakfast agenda after we do our 4 mile walk on Sunday. YES! Second- holy neti-pot! I looove mine! Hubby refuses to use it… LOL. And third- YYAAAAYYY for garden beds!! We don’t have a raised bed, but my sister does. We’ve started our plants (some of them) indoors- sprouts are a-comin!!
Mmm baked oatmeal sounds so warm and comforting!
I want to make this oatmeal for a brunch! And I wish I had the yard for vegetable beds-I’ll just envy yours until I have my own yard.
Hey Angela! What are those pipe-type structures in the sides of the planter boxes? I’m building boxes this weekend and need all the advice I can get!
The neti pot is addictingly good. I may have the same flu. My taste has left. I miss it. That baked oatmeal is the first thing that has looked good to me other then soup all week. Feel better
So glad you’re liking the neti pot! Get better soon!
Hi there,
I’ve been keeping tabs on your gardening plans/thoughts. Love the raised beds. This will be easy for weeding purposes and you can pack more in a square than a row. My sister owns a CSA farm here in Wisconsin, this is her 3rd year. The land has been pesticide free for 30+ years. The first year she just started planting, so if you can get some dirt that doesn’t have any chemicals in it (your back yard, or a neighbor’s) that’s really all you need. Then in the fall, I would suggest finding a local farm that is pesticide free (pesticide free is easier to find than organic here and is basically the same) and get yourself some manure to lay on top thru-out the winter. So, if you plant it, it will grow (in theory:)) It’s always trial and error in each growing zone. Good luck and I can’t wait to see the fresh veggies this summer!
this is in my oven baking as we speak :) Can’t wait to taste it!
yum! I love fruit oats! Strawberries or blueberries are my favorite!
I’m jealous of your garden beds!
I love the Nettipot!! It’s one of my favorite!
Your beds are SO beautiful! I’m so envious! I can’t wait to see the progress. I’ve been making my own compost with worm bins and a compost spin bin, I wish I could ship it to you because I’m not even using it (I belive I’ve mentioned my brown thumbs!).
I just made this this morning and it is absolutely wonderful. Once again, another OSG staple in my recipe box! Thanks so much! Being a new vegetarian / vegan, your recipes have often helped me out! I hope you get better soon and keep it up with the Neti Pot, it does wonders!
You might try http://www.amazon.com/Soil-Mates-Sara-Alway/dp/1594744459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304027029&sr=8-1 for companion planting info, apparently it is actually a readable book!
Can’t wait to see how you do with your garden!
I tried the planting mix “recipe” from The Square Foot Garden book this year and it seriously ROCKS. It is equal parts blended organic compost (I mixed together good old fashioned cow manure plus mushroom compost), vermiculite, and peat moss. I mixed it up in a bucket for my little herb garden, but you could use a big tarp or a wheelbarrow for the large beds. The end mix is light and has perfect drainage. This was the first time I tried it and my herbs are going CRAZY. I can picture their little roots stretching out and going “aaahhhh”.
Bonus: With the compost mixed in, no need for any fertilizer at all. All I add are sunshine and water.
Yay to gardens! I LOVE gardening!
Looks just like the one my boyfriend and I built last year!
http://www.whatrunslori.com/2010/03/eight-steps-to-building-a-raised-bed-garden/
:)
Check out Renees garden, somewhere in there she has diagrams of how to plant your gardens use to be very helpful to me when I was gardening. (www.reneesgarden.com)
Have I told you how much I LOVE your recipes! :D
aww thanks!
The neti pot is a life saver. My husband used to get sinus infections, respiratory infections and horrible allergies like crazy until he started using it. It cleared his sinuses so that they never get infected and then the infection never dropped to the lungs so he hasn’t had a single one since.
Also, again, you garden is exciting me beyond belief. I can’t WAIT to see how it pans out.
I used dark chocolate almond milk. Like dessert for breakfast!
Ooooh I hate when you can’t taste with the flu…that is the worst!! I have been suggested a nettipot but it does seem…scary. I hope you start feeling better soon! I’m super jealous of your garden beds, my parents did something the exact same in their backyard, I wish i didn’t live in an apartment!
WOW! Those raised beds look GREAT! I really want some when we get a place with a yard! And what a great veggie list!
Also, great that you got a netti pot. I got mine a few years ago and it saves me every spring during allergy season!
Hi Angela! I just made this and it is currently in the oven, but after reading back through the recipe, I can’t see cinnamon listed in the topping ingredients section. I’m sure mine will still be just as yummy :)
Thanks for pointing that out Carly! I added it in- I think it was about 1/4 tsp :)
Hi Angela,
My hubby and I are just getting started on a Vegan lifestyle. Your website is extremely helpful!!!
I’d love to give this recipe a try, but have a quick question…. Have you ever tried making it without the banana? Any ideas on a banana substitute? (The taste of banana makes my hubby sick to his stomach… so weird!)
Thanks
What a lovely bowl of comforting baked oatmeal! I reduced the recipe by half since it was just for me this morning – though I still have ample leftovers and will save it for VOO for the rest of the week! I also added walnuts for a little extra crunch. Thanks Angela! :)
Jess
I just made and added blueberries and ground flax seed – sprinkled coconut on top – heavenly. Another great recipe.
Thank you!!!
Would this work the same with gluten free oats? Thanks!
Hey Stacy, yes GF oats should work just fine!