Blissful Blueberry-Baked Oatmeal

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“Have blueberries whenever you are low – destiny will change and you will be high.” – Adam Voichester

 

Last weekend was pretty yucky. Sure the weather was gorgeous and the sun was shining…but I still (somehow) managed to contract a nasty virus and a case of bronchitis that left me feeling the sickest I’ve felt in years. (Yes, only I would somehow find a way to become bedridden with a fever during the first official weekend of summer weather in Boston!).

 

So, while everyone else was hanging out at the beach sunbathing, day-drinking, and barbequing…I was curled up on the couch with the shades drawn, covered in cough drop wrappers, and drugged up on prescription cold medicine (Note: I typically avoid unnecessary medications at all costs, but at the rate that things were going, I was happy to get my hands on anything that would knock me out and allow me to sleep– even if only for a minute).

 

Between crying to my Mom (okay, I may be 26, but I KNOW I’m not the only one who still wants their Mom when they’re sick!) and forcing myself to sip on coconut water and miso soup… I couldn’t even bear to think about food… or recipes…or blogging. And you know something is seriously wrong when Ashley doesn’t want to blog!

 

Thankfully, I had my appetite back by Monday….

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And an extra dose of creativity to boot!

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My body was craving something hearty and wholesome yet light enough so that it wouldn’t be difficult to digest. After all, I needed something substantial to help me regain some strength and power me through the work day.

Oh, and if this meal could also be ridiculously easy to throw together,well, that’d be just peachy :)

 

The deliciously easy answer?

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BAKED Oatmeal.

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Baked oatmeal is a slightly denser and (in my opinion) a much cozier take on your typical oatmeal or overnight oats. Baking the oatmeal allows you to cut it into squares and serve it on a plate–or perhaps eat it straight from the baking dish itself with nothing but a fork and a smile on your face! (I won’t  judge you because I may or may not have done this myself…)

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And we can’t forget the best part of all…

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It’s healthy too ;)

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I’m talking LOW-FAT, GLUTEN-FREE, HIGH-FIBER, & LOW-SUGAR GOOEY PERFECTION.

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Plus…blueberries are just bursting with beauty-boosting antioxidants :)

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Perfect for rainy days, lazy mornings, or when hosting a healthy weekend brunch– I promise this dish will quickly become a breakfast favorite.

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Blissful Blueberry-Baked Oatmeal

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Dry Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup whole grain oats
  • Slightly over 1/4 cup blended oats (just toss oats in a blender until it turns into flour, or use store-bought oat flour if you’d like).
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice…)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Dash of salt
  • Optional: granola (I used this for topping), shredded coconut (I sprinkled this on my oatmeal before baking), chocolate chips (toss a few in the mixture if you want to make naughty oatmeal ;) ).

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup almond milk (I like using unsweetened vanilla)
  • 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup (or honey if not a strict vegan–molasses might also be an interesting choice! While I don’t use agave, that would also work. And if you are looking to keep it sugar-free, you could also sub in stevia to taste–just increase milk by 2 tablespoons).
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Heaping 1/2 cup of blueberries PLUS a few extra for topping (I used fresh blueberries, but frozen could also work. Don’t love blueberries? No worries! Sub in chopped apple, sliced banana, or your preferred berry of choice).
  • Optional: A tiny dash of almond extract (I just ADORE the sweet and nutty hint of flavor almond extract gives oatmeal, cookies, cakes, smoothies…anything really :) ).

Directions:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350º.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

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  • Mix all the wet ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and stir in blueberries.

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  • Add in any fun extras (chocolate chips, coconut, etc…).
  • Pour oatmeal mixture into a pan or a dish (I used a brownie baking dish) and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (or until edges and top begin to lightly brown). It should look slightly underdone.

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  • Top with a drizzle of maple syrup, a handful of granola, extra blueberries, or whatever you’d like.
  •  Dig in and ENJOY!

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Just be warned…

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You may never want plain old oatmeal ever again!

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Healthfully Yours,

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Ashley Michelle

 

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Healthy Homemade Cinnamon-Raisin Granola Bars

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Don’t be mistaken…these aren’t your typical, store-bought granola bars.

 

They’re BETTER! (And HEALTHY too!)

 

Have you every looked at the long lists of ingredients found on many popular granola bars? Chances are, lots of those bars out there aren’t exactly as healthy as you think they are, nor are they as healthy as they’re advertised to be. What’s really scary is that if you’re not careful about reading labels, you may just end up with a granola bar LOADED with high fructose corn syrup, sugar and a slew of artificial ingredients. Unfortunately, since conventional granola bars are such a cheap, easy and convenient snack to have in the cupboard, many people don’t think twice about what’s actually in them. The shocking truth is that some “healthy” granola bars can clock in with almost as many grams of sugar as a candy bar…and you wouldn’t want to start off your morning or fuel your workout with a Snickers or a Milky Way, now would you?

The other issue (for me at least) is that many snack bars and breakfast bars aren’t vegan (they often contain some variation of a milk ingredient).  The other issue I have with all-natural granola bars is their high cost (unlike those other unnatural bars).  While you can find all-natural, healthy, vegan granola bars in specialty stores and in the organic sections of supermarkets, they aren’t exactly cheap. So, between the high price and questionable ingredients, I rarely buy granola bars of any kind. This is such a drag, because granola bars really do make for such a great on-the-go snack and I often wish I had some in the house!

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Today I decided to do just that.

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I have quite a busy week coming up–which means lots of running around, lots of quick meals, and lots of snacks on-the-go. I knew granola bars would be the perfect thing to have on hand for the hectic days ahead but I didn’t want to shell out the cash for the organic, heathy kind. So, this morning, I decided to do a little experiment and make my OWN version of healthy granola bars.

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And wouldn’t you know…

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IT WORKED!

 

These cinnamon-raisin granola bars are all-naturalhealthy, cheaper to make, and can be easily customized…plus they are GLUTEN-FREE and have NO ADDED SUGAR or FAT (Unless you choose to throw some chocolate chips in there…like me ;) ).

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
  • Heaping 1/2 cup whole, pitted, dates (I like the Dole and Sun-Maid brands because they are super soft)
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (feel free to add more depending upon how cinnamon-y you’d like your bars :) )
  • 3 tablespoons raisins
  • Dash of salt (can omit)
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
  • Optional: 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy chocolate chips
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Directions:

(Makes 3 bars)

  • Preheat the oven to 340º.
  • Mix together the oats and almond milk in a bowl. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes (or until oats have absorbed most of the liquid and start to get soft).
  • Once oats are ready, blend them with the dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a blender/Nutribullet/food processor (etc…).
  • Mix in the raisins and chocolate chips.
  • Transfer to a small baking dish (sprayed with an all-natural non-stick cooking spray), spreading the mixture evenly while pressing it firmly into the dish.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Once cooled, slice into three bars.
  • Drizzle with cinnamon icing if you wish ;) (Omit if you want these to be fat-free and sugar-free).
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Cinnamon Icing:
  • Mix 1/4 cup of organic powdered-sugar, a little under 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of almond milk in a small bowl until smooth.
  • Drizzle over granola bars!
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Healthy, cheap, AND tasty? Now you have NO REASON to feel any granola bar guilt ever again!

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Healthfully Yours,

Ashley Michelle