1. This marks my first hot OIAJ since last winter. For those of you scratching your head right now, OIAJ is a food blogger acronym for “Oats In A Jar”, and refers to eating oatmeal (hot from the stovetop or cold overnight) straight from an almost-empty nut butter jar. If you haven’t already tried this trend, I implore you to do so!
[Iced tea spoon to reach the nut butter at the very bottom of the jar optional but highly recommended].
Reaching the bottom of a peanut (or almond, cashew, etc.) butter jar is an exciting event!
It’s the little things.
*On my last trip to Trader Joe’s, I was informed that my beloved organic peanut butter has been discontinued 🙁. Something about the growing practices and how it wasn’t lucrative enough for the farmers. THIS is why I wish more people would consider buying organic – we need to support the growing practices of organic farmers if we value their methods; and as far as prices go, this organic peanut butter was less expensive than many peanut butter varieties available on stores’ shelves.
In the jar: stovetop zucchini bread oatmeal (yes, I put the green summer squash into granola, pancakes, and oatmeal) with vanilla almond milk, banana slices (for me, oatmeal without banana is like s’mores without chocolate… I don’t sweeten my oatmeal with maple syrup or sugar, so those bananas are a must!), cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, finely grated zucchini, walnuts, and grain-sweetened chocolate chips.
If you haven’t already come to this conclusion, I’m all about zucchini bread-inspired breakfasts for the sole reason that it gives me an excuse to eat chocolate chips first thing in the morning ;).
2. Just a few days after digging into hot oatmeal on a rainy 55° morning, I was craving a ripe juicy plum on a sunny 80° afternoon.
Heeeelp! I’m stuck between seasons!
3. I attempted to find a happy medium between summer & fall with a parfait of cold pumpkin overnight oats, banana soft serve, & crushed whole wheat graham crackers…
[The night before, combine in a bowl: 1/3 cup each rolled oats, milk, and Greek yogurt, ~ 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree (I didn’t really measure), and cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to taste; refrigerate overnight. Also the night before: cut a peeled banana into slices, place in a ziploc bag, and freeze. The next morning, toss the frozen banana slices into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Place a few graham crackers sheets in a ziploc bag, and smash into crumbs using a pan or heavy mug. Layer the pumpkin oats with the banana soft serve and graham crackers crumbs.]
4. … which I promptly chased with a homemade Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.
This went down way too quickly.
Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
Printer-Friendly Recipe
yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk from Trader Joe’s)
- 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch ground ginger
- tiny pinch ground nutmeg
- tiny pinch cloves
- ice cubes
- 1/2 cup strong cold-brewed coffee (I used coarsely ground TJ’s Fair Trade Organic French Roast Decaf); or brewed coffee that has chilled thoroughly in the fridge
Directions:
- Combine milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices in a blender or mini food processor; blend until well-combined and frothy.
- Pour mixture into a large glass filled halfway with ice cubes. Slowly pour in the chilled coffee. Serve with a dusting of cinnamon, if desired.
Nutritional Information (using unsweetened vanilla almond milk; this will vary depending on the type of milk you use):
63.4 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 2.6 grams fiber, 5.4 grams sugar, 1.6 grams protein
It’s going to be a fabulous fall ;).
