Winter Blueberry Baked Oatmeal... for one!

Being that I don't love breakfast food, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and the like usually only get served in our house when Art decides to make them. Being that he is probably out of his mind with hunger right now in the middle of the woods, two feet deep in snow, I've decided to enjoy every meal and be grateful for every bite in solidarity.

What's that, you say? I don't know the meaning of solidarity? That I should be going without food just like Art, if I'm going for true solidarity?

While you ponder that, let me share with you this recipe from Lauren at Healthy Food for Living. I knew I didn't want to go to the store, so I started googling for some recipes. I thought to myself, "Self, there is not going to be a recipe out there for oatmeal, without bananas, without eggs, using only frozen fruit. And even if there is, it's going to be for a family of four and not for some pathetic loner eating breakfast with a Chiweenie."

I was wrong. This recipe is exactly that! Please visit Lauren's site to read all about how good for you this recipe is. I was just happy I didn't have to go to the store! I didn't have almond milk or almond extract, so I subbed vanilla soy milk and vanilla extract. I do think the almond would be delightful.

Here's how I made it:

Rolled oats (normal old fashioned), vanilla soy milk (the recipe calls for almond milk), sugar, frozen unthawed blueberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, almonds, an egg white, and vanilla or almond extract.

 

Next you want to butter an oven safe dish. I wasn't sure, should I use the ramekin or soup mug?? Stay tuned.

 Toast up some almonds by... putting almonds in a skilled. No butter, no oil, no nothing. Just nuts. Don't burn 'em.

 And if you could seal your bag of almonds with a paper clip, I would feel much better about myself.

Can we talk for a second about my measuring spoons? My best friend Clara's mom bought them for me shortly after Art and I got married. They are so, so me. 

 

Back to the recipe. Mix up your dry ingredients: rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Maybe my baking powder has cinnamon in it because I used the same measuring spoon. Don't judge.

 Shaking was the best way to mix up the dry ingredients. I felt like a chef!

Then, in a separate bowl, mix up the wet ingredients. Shaking is not the best way to mix up the wet ingredients. You'll feel more like a slob than a chef.

Pour dry ingredients into wet...

And add in blueberries (frozen, I added more than the recipe called for) and the toasted almonds from earlier. Best part!

This is what the oatmeal looked like before it went in the oven for 20 minutes. 

I would show you what it looked like when it came out, but... I ate it. Right away. With an oven mitt because I couldn't wait for the dish to cool down. I was also standing up leaning over the oven.

In short, make this recipe. Make it right now. Make it because it's good for your heart and stuff. Or make it so that you also experience eating like a neanderthal in an oven mitt.