Overnight Oats & Other Things!

Even had time for family photos this fall!

It's been a long time people.  How has everyone been doing?  I had been taking a little break from blogging but I'm back!  I am reevaluating my blog to expand it beyond just cooking to include all my crafts, fashion and family.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend and is hitting the ground running on this (cold) Missouri Monday morning.  My husband and I finally found time for a date night Saturday to the movies before his basketball season gets into full swing.  If you have not seen the new James Bond film Spectre, GO!  It is so worth seeing in the theater.  Trust me.

So, without further adieu, here is the first post I've made since March!

I may be the last person to jump on the overnight oat bandwagon, but they are quite possibly the tastiness thing I have every fixed for my breakfast at work.....and they take all of 5 minutes to fix the night before.  I was getting tired of buying the expensive breakfast bars that my husband and I started to grow so fond of and instead looked for a healthy and nutritious alternative.  Since my school starts too early in the morning, traditional breakfast is not an option since I prefer my beauty sleep.

The oats are nutritious and almost like a breakfast pudding in texture.  I started off experimenting with my favorite fall flavor, pumpkin pie, and continued to adjust until it was just right.  It was not without a few failings; the first batch tasted like I was chewing on a raw pumpkin.  I love using Pure Pumpkin by Libby for all of my pumpkin flavored items but I needed to make sure it didn't overpower the other ingredients.  A pinch of maple syrup gave it just the right amount of sweetness.  Pumpkin is such a super food so eat it and enjoy.  I've even included a coupon for you here!  The recipe does not use the full can so I just pop it into a container in my fridge and use what I need throughout the week.

I love using Maple Syrup as a sweetener and there are so many more benefits to it than sugar.  Click here to check out all the nutritional benefits to maple syrup versus traditional sweeteners.

Courtesy of: Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers

A couple of personal preferences, you can warm these in the microwave but I prefer my cold.  You can also used rolled oats but I prefer steel cut because they are chewier and I feel like I'm burning more calories through extra chewing.

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats (dry)
• 1/8 cup Libby 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1/2 cup 1%, skim, or almond milk
• 1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 pint Mason Jar

First off, I love using my mason jars and I just save lids from recipes I've canned in the past that can no longer be used to can and seal processed foods but will work perfect to seal up breakfast overnight.

In the Mason Jar, add all the ingredients and stir to combine.  I usually fix mine after dinner.  Put in the refrigerator overnight and pull it out in the morning to take to eat.

I hope you enjoy and I will update with new variations as I work them out.

Greek Chicken Wraps

Don't take my wrap!

My husband and I are trying to eat healthier as spring quickly approaches. This was a delicious recipe I found online and decided to give it a try. It turned out so quick and absolutely delicious. The best part is each wrap turned out to be around 350 calories.   I could've used some leftover chicken if I had any but a bag of frozen chicken breast strips works just as well.  The whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes.

All fresh ingredients on deck.

What You Will Need:

• 1 bag frozen chicken breast strips
• Wraps - I prefer the Garden Wraps by Mission
• Cucumbers
• Grape Tomatoes
• Kalamata Olives
• Hummus
• Feta Cheese
• Sauce - I used Otria Greek Yogurt Dip in Dill
• Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper & Oregano

Chop up all the cucumbers, tomatoes & olives and toss into a bowl with the feta.  Make a light dressing with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper and oregano.  Toss it all together and taste.  Adjust the seasoning if you prefer more.  Let this sit aside and marinate while you prepare the chicken.

Freshness in a bowl

Saute the chicken with a little olive oil until browned and no longer pink.

This is the whole bag so use 2 if your are feeding more than 2 people.

The best part is that everyone gets to build their own wrap.  Remember, less is more.  Overfilling will cause your wrap to break.  You can always make two!

Smear a little hummus on the wrap.

Add on the browned chicken strips.

Top with the marinated veggies (my favorite)!.

Add a little of the yogurt sauce to finish.

Hope you enjoy one of these for yourself.  I'll leave you with a quick wrap folding lesson.  Start by fold the bottom up over the ingredients like an envelope then wrap the two sides around.  I leave the top open.