Overnight Oats with Almond Butter

January 8, 2018 Red Rose & Honey2 Comments

Until about a year and a half ago, I was a major morning person. I had no trouble waking up early for work or extra early to exercise. Last year when we bought our house my normal routine got pushed to the side and I found my mornings slipping away {along with my yoga practice}. I am really trying to make an effort to get back into a good morning routine. My mornings always run more smoothly when I prep the night before. On an ideal night, I will have my outfit ready and lunch packed which leaves plenty of time for yoga {or extra coffee} in the morning. Another great way to save time in the morning is to prep breakfast ahead of time. Overnight oats are such a time saver! Today I am sharing my favorite overnight oat combo.

Oatmeal is hands down my favorite breakfast food and quite possibly one of my favorite foods of all time. It is very filling because it’s loaded fiber. I usually avoid instant oatmeal packets {except when traveling} because they’re loaded with sugar. Old fashion oats don’t take too long to make and can be jazzed up with tasty, healthy toppings. For a long time I made my oatmeal totally on the stove. I combine 1/4 cup dry oats with 1/2 cup of almond milk and my favorite toppings {sometimes I will make a larger portion and will increase the amount of liquid proportionally}. Then cook over low heat, for about 10-12 minutes, until the oats were soft and all the ingredients were well combined. The key to great oatmeal is measuring the dry oats and milk, the oatmeal isn’t too thick or liquidy.

My breakfast life changed about two years ago when I started making overnight oatmeal. After following the Acid Reflux Diet from The 30 Day Heartburn Solution I learned that soaked oats are easier for the body to digest. Letting oats soak overnight allows them to soak up all of the flavors from the other ingredients too. This method also allows for quick cook time when you’re ready to eat {or you can eat them cold}. My oatmeal always consists of 3 main ingredients – oats, almond milk, cinnamon. I switch up my toppings and occasionally add1 TBSP Flax Seed Meal or Ground Flax Seed. You can make 1 jar at a time or a few so you are ready for the week. My favorite combo is almond butter and banana! Here is what you will need to make my favorite gluten-free overnight oatmeal.

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Ingredients

-1/4 cup Gluten-Free* Dry Oatmeal

-1/2 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

-1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon (or just a sprinkle)

-1 TBSP Almond Butter

-1/2 Medium Banana, sliced

Directions

In a mason jar combine oats, almond milk, cinnamon sliced banana and flax (optional). Cover with lid and shake the jar. That’s it! Now refrigerate you jar over night for at least 12 hours. (Disclaimer: For a last minute lunch idea, I have made these oats in the morning and let them sit about 4 or 5 hours until lunch. They still taste great, just not quite as good).

When you’re ready to eat your overnight oats top them with almond butter. You can eat them cold, put the jar in the microwave for 1.5 minutes (if you used a microwave safe jar) or pour your oats into a pot and heat on the stove until warm. If I heat them up on the stove, I pour them right back into the mason jar.

MaraNatha is my favorite almond butter of all time!

*Not all oatmeal is gluten-free. Oats that are grown and processed with wheat, barley and rye grains are contaminated with gluten. Be sure to buy oats that are marked gluten-free.

xo Miss Alyss

Quick Sauce Tomatoes Sauce with Pasta

August 10, 2017 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Quick Red Sauce with Spinach and Fresh Basil

I work full time and don’t usually get home until 6pm or later, but I really love making dinner for me and the hubs-to-be. I have really been enjoying trying new recipes and improving my cooking skills. Something I try to focus on is not wasting food and utilizing whatever ingredients I have in my kitchen.

Recently I threw together a quick sauce with gluten-free pasta {right now I’m using Barilla}. It was really easy and I liked switching up my sauce by using diced tomatoes instead of a smooth puree. I generally by Tuttorosso tomatoes because that is what my mom and Grandma use. I am trying to get better with measuring my ingredients, so I can more easily share my recipes, but I’m not there yet. These measurements are approximate. I always add carrots to my red sauce because they help to reduce the acidity. Usually, I will very finely chop my carrots in a food processor and cook them in the sauce. This time I used whole carrots and removed them before serving. I found this sauce to be more acidic than usual, but it only let it simmer for about 30 minutes or less. I think I will try to whole carrot method again, but when I have time to cook my sauce longer. This meal was so easy to put together – a great option for weeknights or when you’re short on time.

Ingredients
3/4 lb gluten-free (or regular) pasta of your choice
1 Large can of diced tomatoes
3 oz. tomato paste
1/4 medium yellow onion
3 baby carrots
1 large clove of garlic
4 cups of fresh spinach (the more the better)
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Fresh basil
Salt & Pepper

Directions
Finely chop then satuee onions and garlic over medium/low heat until onions are soft and translucent. Next, add salt and pepper cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Once your kitchen smells delicious add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, dried herbs and let simmer for 30-60 minutes. While sauce is simmering bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on the box.

When pasta is cooked and you are ready to eat remove the carrots from the sauce and turn off heat. Give the spinach a rough chop and add it it to the sauce. I think it’s important to add the spinach at the end and with the heat off because it wilts down so quickly. Next, toss in the cooked pasta and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Cozy Beef Stew | One Pot Meal

August 8, 2017August 19, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

It may still be summer, but for the past week or so I’ve been craving beef stew. Yesterday’s cool, rainy weather was the perfect excuse to make this winter meal. I have been so excited to use my new dutch oven that I received at my bridal shower {especially because I am on vacation this week too}. I’ve made this stew in the slow cooker, but since I was going to be home and could keep my eye on the stove, I went for the dutch oven. I am still learning about different cuts of beef use. For this recipe I went with cubed stew beef. I have used this recipe from NYT Cooking as my starting point, but make it my own with the changes below.

Exclusions:

Bay Leaf

Large carrots

Large baking potatoes

All purpose flour

Additions:

Gluten-free flour

String beans

Baby golden potatoes, quartered

Baby carrots, cut in thirds

Tomato Paste

Worcestershire Sauce

Garlic powder

Herbs de Provence

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Changes to instructions/preparations.

Step 1: Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs de provence (1/4 teaspoon each) to flour to coat beef. After browning meat allow excess oil to drain off on paper towel.

Step : Using the same pan or dutch oven sautee onion then add wine, vinegar, a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste and a few dashes of Worcestershire.

Step 3: Add carrots, potatoes, string beans and meat to dutch oven. Season with dried basil and oregano to taste (I used approximately 2 teaspoons of each)