1. Scottish Oats, Take 2

I tried Scottish Oats again, but this time I looked to the expert for how to do it. (see here for Tuesday’s attempt.) Instead of the microwave, I used the stove. I still want to experiment with the microwave because it’s faster, but I understand why the stovetop makes it easy too. Both would need two bowls–one for cooking, and one for eating. The stovetop for me is a fine when I have time to cook breakfast, but not for on the go.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C Scottish oats, I use Bob’s Red Mill brand
• 1 1/4 C water (way more than Bob’s Red Mill package says and what I did before)
• 1/4 C milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 banana, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (can use cinnamon)
• 1/2 T chia seeds

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil. Whisk in oats, reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Add other ingredients and cook together for 5 minutes. That’s it!

Here were my thoughts on this: The volume was night and day, and the consistency was more what I am used to. I really liked cooking the banana with the oats, I think it helped make it creamy, and the banana was very soft. You could also mash it and whisk it in. The extra flavors were also great in the mix.

I kept it simple so I could really taste the oats. Now that I understand the basics, I can experiment!

Here’s the microwave version:

2. The weather + running

I frequently complain about the heat and how hard it is for me to have happy jogs when it’s so hot. This week Houston finally cooled down, and the humidity went away. We are sure it won’t last long before it heats up again, but I’m enjoying it while it’s here! I went outside with no goal in mind, but hoping to jog around 3-4 miles. I successfully ran 4 miles very slowly and enjoyed it. It was one of those “this is why I run” runs that I really enjoyed the scenery and felt ok while running. It was hot enough to still wear shorts and a tank top and sweat, but cool enough to enjoy.

I also understand why the Houston Marathon is at the end of January. It takes until October for the weather to get nice. The Dallas Half Marathon is in 9 weeks, and I’m hoping that training will progress smoothly with good temperatures so I can really get prepared for this thing!

3. Grocery Finds:

I am always on the lookout for new things to try. Here are a few I’ve tried lately:

1. Amy’s Spinach Feta Pocket: I had this little burrito looking thing as part of a dinner one night with a side of vegetables. I keep some frozen things on hand when I don’t have anything or don’t want to make something. It’s not very filling on its own, so I still had to find something to go with it. One pocket, sold as singles, has 260 calories, 9 g fat, and 11 g protein. The ingredients are very basic–whole wheat flour, spinach, feta milk, etc. Amy’s is a natural frozen food distributor, so it’s a brand I feel happy about going to if needed. Grade: B

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2. Kashi Cinnamon Harvest: These little bites are great! I love the Kashi brand, and have been looking for a new cereal to try that is low in calories and sugar. Cinnamon Harvest has 3 ingredients–wheat, cane juice, cinnamon. How great is that? And it has 180 calories, 1 g fat, and 6 g protein for 28 biscuits. Watch the carbs though, it’s straight wheat. Anyway, the taste is great–even Jeffrey ate it repeatedly! And it’s a great snack on its own, no milk or yogurt needed. I love these. Win. Grade: A+

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3. Erin Baker Organic Brownie Bites: I am always searching for a great, low calorie/not terribly bad for you cookie. I found these at Whole Foods, and they are individually wrapped 100 calorie brownies. The Double Chocolate Chip ones that I tried have 90 calories, and all organic ingredients. 8 brownies come in a box. They taste like a regular chocolate brownie in a cookie shape. I also find that being individually wrapped makes me less likely to nibble on them in the pantry, which is usually how cookies disappear. I was also not familiar with this company. Erin Baker is a true health foodie in Washington State who wanted to bake using quality ingredients. All of her packaged goods have none of the bad stuff-HFCS, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, etc. I need to try more flavors! Grade: A-