Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie

Currently I am loving: pumpkin, oatmeal, and smoothies and when I found this recipe from skinnytaste mentioned online I was really excited to try what looked like a delicious combination of all three things!

 Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie:


1/4 cup quick oats
1 cups water
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup pure pumpkin
2 tbsp brown sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice to taste

Cook oats and water in a small pot for about a minute or two, stirring often until it becomes thick and bubbly (I cooked in the microwave and drained off any excess water). Remove from heat and let it cool a few minutes.

In a blender add milk, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice. Add oats and ice. Blend on high until very smooth.  My Ninja worked really great for this recipe.  The oatmeal grinds up and adds a really nice thickness to the smoothie.

(I halved the recipe I found online and made this as one serving)

Banana Oatmeal

I tried this concoction one evening when I didn't really feel like cooking and wanted to make something filling but easy.  I had a banana that was on the verge of being too ripe and I wanted to use it up before it went bad.

I cooked 1-serving of old fashioned oats with water in the microwave as directed on the package.  Once they were cooked I drained out what little water remained and mixed in the mashed up banana, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, a little cinnamon, a little vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp fat free half and half to make it extra creamy.  It was delicious and really easy since I cooked the oats in the microwave.  I will definitely be having this again!

Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

I found this recipe on Slender Kitchen the other day when I was browsing through some healthy living blogs.  I love oatmeal, but don’t always have the time to make it in the mornings.  I have been on a pumpkin kick and I thought this would be a great way to put the two together.  I also wanted to find something for the winter that may be used in place of my smoothie obsession some days.  I worked from home last Friday and made this that morning and it was delicious right out of the oven.  It takes about 20 minutes to cook so I was thinking of a way to enjoy it without having to worry about it in the mornings when I work.  I decided to double the recipe and cook it up Tuesday evening then I would have breakfast Wednesday and Thursday morning ready to go.  I love this oatmeal because it is dense, kind of like bread, and it reheated really well.  If I had been in a rush I probably could have wrapped it in a paper towel, but I reheated it in a bowl and ate it with a fork. 

Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal:

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mini chocolate chips
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Spray a small ramekin or other oven safe dish with cooking spray. Pour in the oatmeal mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes. At the end of baking, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the top.

Enjoy!

 (this was the single serving I made last Friday morning--I made it in a small ramekin)

Favorite Things--September Edition

#1 Aria Protein Powder

I went to Kroger searching for a new protein powder that was good and also versatile enough to use in my morning smoothies.  I found these qualities in Aria protein powder, which I have bought in both Vanilla and Chocolate.  It is a 50% mix of Whey and Soy protein, which I didn’t realize when I first bought it.  You hear all kinds of things about soy (both positive and negative), but I decided that the 50-50 mix would be ok to use.  I use it basically every morning in my smoothies and I find that it really does keep me full throughout the morning. 

#2 Ninja Professional Blender

I am completely obsessed with my Ninja Professional blender and I think I have used it every day since I bought it.  It incorporates ice really well into my smoothies and I even used it to make some peach daiquiris for girl’s night. I should mention I got it on sale at Target and with a coupon so it was more reasonably priced, but even without the discounts I think it would be worth the splurge.

#3 Mellowcream Pumpkins

I LOVE Halloween candy (not as much as Easter candy, but pretty close) and my absolute favorite are Mellowcream pumpkins!!  I was at Kroger yesterday with a very specific list, but I heard these little gems calling my name and I couldn’t leave until I had bought a small bag :) 

#4 Fage 0% Blueberry-Acai Greek Yogurt

I have been on the Greek Yogurt bandwagon for awhile now and I have seen many discussions about what people think is the best type.  I love Chobani and their many flavors, but the other day when I was in Kroger I saw that the Fage was on sale.  I have heard good reviews about the blueberry-acai flavor so I decided to try it.  OMG it is so good.  It is a perfectly sweet touch to the tangy Greek yogurt.  The fruit is in a side container attached to the yogurt so you can add as little or as much as you would like. 

#5 Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate

Lastly I would like to wrap September up with Ghirardelli intense dark chocolate bars.  I purchased 3 different flavors at Target, but I have only tried 2 of them so far.  I bought the Sea Salt Soiree, Hazelnut Heaven, and Toffee Interlude but have yet to try  Toffee Interlude.  The bars are on the larger size and I find that one square (which is also rather large) is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.