Vegetable Oats

Good morning! Guess what I had for breakfast? Vegetable Oats! haha, pumpkin oats, but the health nerd in me finds appeal in the term “vegetable oats”. I wanted to give a short tutorial on my pumpkin oats this morning because I’ve gotten a couple questions on how exactly to combine the ingredients. This morning’s bowl is probably the most simplified bowl of pumpkin oats yet.

1. In a small saucepan combine 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup almond milk (or any other milk/ milk substitute) and 1/3 cup water over medium-high heat.*
2. Add a generous amount of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to the mixture. Stir occasionally as the oats come to a boil and start to thicken.
3. Once oats are thick, stir in 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!) and 1/2 Tablespoon pumpkin butter. **
4. Optional: top with pepitas (raw, hulled pumpkin seeds), more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, or anything else you choose.

*If you want a lager portion of oats, use 1/2 cup each of oats, water, milk substitute. Those three should always be in the same ratio.

**If you have any other add ins (I’ve added both almond butter and ground flax with great results before) now is the time to add it too. If you don’t have or want pumpkin butter, feel free to add a small amount of maple syrup or brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness (not too sweet though, this is breakfast!).

Hope this mini tutorial helps any questioning minds out there. I know there are other ways to make oats, but this is how I’ve gotten the best results (and stove top oats really do not take that much longer than in a microwave).

Thank you all for your comments and emails on my “Open” post last night. I unplugged a little earlier last night, so it was great to wake up to an inbox of supportive comments. I was incredibly nervous putting that post out there, because it’s obviously immensely personal and personal is one thing the internet is usually not. I’m not going to make a big to do out of it now, things will generally be the same. You just know that I am human with human struggles.

Don’t forget to keep voting for the Good Mood Gig! It seems a bit of a long shot, but I know if we spread the word and get votes like we did before, it’s totally possible! Don’t forget to vote for the other girls too.  All for one and one for all.

• Me (www.soundeats.com)
• Meghann (www.graduatemeghann.com)
• Sarah (www.muchfruit.wordpress.com)
• Ashley (www.dailygoods.wordpress.com)
• Monica (www.runeatrepeat.com)