Hey guys, sorry for disappearing last night…I was having major issues with my laptop and Eric spent the day reformatting it for me. True love, folks, true love. :mrgreen:
Last night, Eric and I had our nephew Patrick over for his first official overnighter at Auntie Angie’s and Uncle Eric’s house!!! I was very excited and had the baby monitor glued to my ear all night. Patrick was such a good sleeper too…he only awoke once in the middle of the night.
Not surprisingly, I decided against signing up for the 10km race today because I wanted to be here with my nephew. I also found out that the drive to the race site was 1 hour and 50 minutes!! I wouldn’t mind driving that distance with friends, but since I would be going totally solo, it just doesn’t make sense for me to drive 300 km just to run a 10 km. I’m just going to go for a run around my neighbourhood later today. :)
After taking care of Patrick, I was starving for a delicious bowl of vegan overnight oats.
Coconut Carob Brownie Bomb Overnight Oats
Never used carob powder before? Well, here is your chance to experiment! Carob powder can be found at Bulk Barn and health food stores. Carob is naturally sweet so you need to use less sugar in recipes. It also contains three times as much calcium as cocoa powder and is caffeine-free.
Ingredients:
Step 1: Mix together in a bowl:
- 1/4 cup pumpkin
- 1.5 tablespoons carob powder
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1.5 teaspoons Amazing Grass chocolate protein powder (optional)
- 1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Oats
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Step 2: In a small cup, mix together:
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon carob powder
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Before going in the fridge (note the coconut oil mixture was liquid form)
Step 3: Pour melted coconut oil + carob mixture over the oat mixture. Place in fridge overnight and serve cold in the morning. Add more maple syrup or sweetener if necessary.
In the fridge the coconut oil hardened:
I also ate my first breakfast outside this morning! It is just gorgeous out. :)
Signs of SPRING!
The portion seemed so small even though there were technically enough calories in it (approx 400?). So even though it should have kept me full, I was still feeling a bit empty after eating it so I made a huge green juice. It hit the spot! (Recipe will be coming up on a future Foodthinkers article).
I also had some White Loose Leaf Tea by Four O’clock (I could NOT find their website for the life of me!):
White Tea is VERY mild, especially compared to the Japanese Sencha that I drink. I mix half and half and it is wonderful! For those of you who find green tea too strong, you could try white tea as it has a ton of antioxidants in it and is super healthy.
Updates:
- Green Monster Recipes are up and they are fabulous
- Vegan overnight oats spotting
Today’s questions- 1) What fruit do you eat the most right now? 2) Imagine that you can buy any fruit for dirt cheap- what fruit would you eat the most of?
1) I eat the most of apples, however bananas are a very close second, especially now that I eat oatmeal and banana soft serve on a regular basis! 2) In a world where fruit is dirt cheap, I would definitely eat blueberries, dragon fruit, and cherries on a daily basis. I LOVE DRAGON FRUIT.
Coming up I will tell you what Eric has decided to cut COLD TURKEY from his diet and why he needs your help!
Ciao!
I have a question about coconut oil. I’m not too familiar with it and I’ve never used it before, but what are it’s health benefits/drawbacks. Since it hardens at room temperature (like butter) I would assume it’s high in saturated fat.
On another note, I love making overnight oats. I call it meuseli or swiss oatmeal. It really hits the spot!
I’ve had the vegan overnight oats the past two mornings and I’m in love!! Sooo good, and so filling!
I eat a lot of bananas. If I could have any fruit dirt cheap, it would have to be mango. Over the winter, I used to be able to find them for 50 cents, but now they’re up to $2 EACH, and that’s not even an organic one! Organic ones are like $3 each. I just can’t justify paying $2 for a mango very often, even thought it’s one of my absolute favorite fruits. I also wish dates were cheaper. Those are definitely another one of my favorites.
I love the 4 O’Clock teas- their Peaceful Dreams blend is perfect for the evenings where you need to unwind. The fruit I eat the most of now would be bananas and last week was grapes. If fruit were dirt cheap- definitely strawberries, blueberries, and mangoes.
Good luck to Eric on his diet change- the best advice I could offer is prepare an even better substitute for when he would normally eat it- e.g. if he eats it for lunch, make something he likes just as much to eat at that time so he doesn’t feel like he’s “missing something”.
I love the 4 O’Clock teas- their Peaceful Dreams blend is perfect for the evenings where you need to unwind. The fruit I eat the most of now would be bananas and last week was grapes. If fruit were dirt cheap- definitely strawberries, blueberries, and mangoes.
I’ve always eaten bananas quite a bit. I would eat STARFRUIT all the time! I just love the shape :)
I eat a lot of bananas. I made a really yummy fruit salad yesterday morning for breakfast! (It’s pictured on my blog.) If I could eat any fruit all the time it would definitely be blueberries! They taste so good and they are SOOO good for you!
I bet you’re going to make an excellent Mommy some day :)
I eat a lot of bananas and strawberries.
If I could eat any fruit all the time it would be raspberries, blueberries and mangoes. It’s so hard to pick just one!
I probably eat the most bananas, but my favorites are blackberries and cherries!
I eat a lot of bananas. I just got some Anjou pears and I always forget how much I love them. Really looking forward to strawberry season. :)
love that you guys got to be “parents” for a night! babies are so fun.
i’m definitely a banana eater. bananas first, apples probably second.
if fruit were dirt cheap, i would be all over some raspberries and blueberries!
That bowl of overnight oats looks amazing!
1) What fruit do you eat the most right now? Apples for sure!
2) Imagine that you can buy any fruit for dirt cheap- what fruit would you eat the most of? I would have to agree with you on blueberries…along with raspberries and fresh figs!
Oranges!! One for dessert every night lately. Strawberries, cherries, green grapes, and pineapples are fruits I wish were cheap and in season all the time!
I probably eat the most of bananas and oranges equally. If fruit was dirt cheap, I would eat the most strawberries and cherries.
I definitely eat apples the most. I think I have an addiction! If I don’t have my daily apple I’m not a happy bunny. I’d eat more strawberries if they were cheaper, I love them.
The fruit I eat the most is frozen berries and pears. If I could eat anything it would be fresh summer fruit. Like watermelon, peaches, and fresh berries.
Those overnight oats sound delicious!!! I’ve never had carob powder before or seen it in stores but I’m going to have to look for it!
I definitely eat more apples and bananas than anything but if fruit was cheaper, i’d my weight in raspberries and blueberries!
Bananas, bananas and more bananas! There’s also lots of apples and grapes in our house! If fruit was dirt cheap, blueberries and cherries! Yum!
I don’t eat too much fruit anymore because I realize it kind of makes my stomach hurt. But I really love grapes so I make an exception once in a while!
Bananas and strawberries! I also eat a lot of grapefruit and apples, though, too!
I eat a lot of apples, strawberries and cherries. Frozen cherries are where it’s AT! Only £2 for a big bag… I love them, especially in those Chocolate Cherry Bombe Green Monsters. AMAZING!
I would probably eat way more fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries… lots of berries! Also, I would buy everything organic.
I wonder if the carob/coconut oil mixture would be better fresh the next morning, instead of after hardening in the fridge? I just think a cold bowl of oats with a hot syrup would be delicious.