Friday, February 8, 2013

Steel cut oats and smoothies

This week I have fixed two most delicious dishes, crockpot steel cut oats and a smoothie.  When I was pregnant with Lila I drank A LOT of smoothies.  I'm kinda getting to that point again where that's all I want.  There's not much room in my belly so a smoothie is the perfect "meal" that gives me enough calories and wait for it...GOOD calories!  I got my smoothie inspiration back from a friend and fellow blogger, Kristen.  See her blog here and her Facebook page here.

Here's what I put in mine the other day, although they differ from time to time.

  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Mango
  • Spinach
  • Flax Seed
  • Milk - I used regular ole 2% milk because that's what we had in the house.  I don't drink milk, but Neil and Lila do.  I'm trying hard to make the switch over to coconut milk, but I'm getting some grief from a certain member of the household.  LOL
How I made my oats:
**Be sure to spray your crockpot with some kind of cooking spray to eliminate sticking to the sides.**

  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 3 cups milk - Again, I used 2% here.  Next time I will be trying to use coconut milk.
  • Flax Seed - Just ballpark it.  I did not measure.
  • 1 apple diced.  I did not peel it, although some prefer to do so.
  • Cinnamon - Again, use your own judgment here.  I like a lot of cinnamon and put at least 2 tbsp in.
  • Honey - Your preference on sweetness.

I let it cook on low for about 8-9 hours.  When I woke up at 4:30 to use the bathroom, I noticed the sides burning again.  This happened to me last time and I figured out this time that they were still too dry.  So I added a glass full of water.  2 hours later when I woke up, they were perfect.  This made 2 square tupperwares full of oatmeal and probably 6 days worth of breakfast.  Neil didn't eat any and either did Lila, but I guess that's just more for me.  :)