My favorite meal is Breakfast!

I love waking up in the morning and heading straight to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast! My stomach is already grumbling by the time I jump out of bed. I've learned to enjoy breakfast because almost 4 years ago my personal trainer told me I need to start eating breakfast. I use to NEVER eat breakfast. My excuses were it made me nausea and I wasn't hungry. I started slow with doing toast and eggs or toast and peanut butter. Then I gradually started to make my breakfast more fun, and now has become my favorite meal. Some mornings I get fancy and some mornings I make sure it's a nutritious breakfast and quick to put together.

As the weather is starting to warm in Las Vegas I need to find new ways to eat oatmeal. A warm bowl of oats is great during the colder months, but when it's already 80 degrees in the morning at 7am, warm oatmeal is too HOT! You may have seen this technique for oats on other blogs called overnight oats. It is very similar to muesli cereal that is soaked overnight in yogurt and is enjoyed with dried fruits and nuts the next day. I took that technique and kicked it up a notch. It is satisfying, nutritious, and has absolutely zero prep time in the kitchen. Toppings take a few seconds to put together, and in minutes you are enjoying a wonderful jar of oatmeal ready to fuel your day. These past few months with blogging has not only inspired me to be better in the kitchen, but has also helped me make new friends.

When I first started blogging I contacted Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. I asked for advice and what is ethical when it comes to blogging. Little did I know but we ended up getting closer through commenting on each other blogs and exchanging emails! What I love about her blog is she strives to stay healthy, but also to make sure who she cooks for is happy and healthy as well. I think we all know who that person may be ;). She makes a ton of meals using Cooking Light recipes and shows they are actually really good tasting and are good for you in a lighter way! I should know because I tried a few and loved every single one. She has recently started up an E-Recipe Club and has already completed her first baking contest involving chocolate. She is already planning on doing her next cooking contest, and I'm actually going to be helping her out with it! I'm truly excited that she thought about me and asked if I would be interested! I didn't think twice about it, and look forward to being part of this contest. You should check it out and join her E-Recipe Club! The next contest is going to be a lot of fun, and the more recipes we have submitted the better the competition will be! The contest is a surprise so stay tuned! Make sure to subscribe by Sunday the 21st to receive the newsletter with the contest information. To join Shelby's E-Recipe Club simply head on over to The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and join to the right of her blog.  

Fallon's Overnight Oats  
Ingredients
2 oz plain Greek yogurt (any flavor yogurt will work)
3-4 oz of liquid (I use unsweetened almond milk and a little water)
1 teaspoon chia seeds (click here for their amazing benefits and nutrition)
1/2 banana, sliced (save the other half to top oats in the morning)
1/3 cup or 40g old fashion oats
 Optional: dash of stevia (any sweetener of choice works)  
Toppings: almond butter, other 1/2 of banana.  
Other toppings I've used: dried cherries or cranberries, fresh berries, cinnamon apples, pumpkin butter, ground flax, or raw nuts. Are there oatmeal toppings I didn't list that you use? Leave me a comment telling me what they are! 
 The night before you will want to make this. I find they turn out the best this way because they are moist, creamy and the flavor of everything has married together. In a jar (I like to reuse jars for my overnight oats, makes for easy traveling.) measure out the first 3 ingredients and mix well to combine. Add in slices of banana and mix well. This is used as a natural sweetener and the bananas help make it extra creamy. (That is why the sweetener is optional. If you are using plain yogurt, a little stevia won't hurt. When I use a flavored yogurt, you really don't need sweetener.) Once all the wet is combined, add in the dry oats and mix well. Cover with lid and set in the fridge overnight.

Once the lid was twisted off, you could smell the aroma of the banana.
The chia seeds help with the creaminess and thickness.

In the morning slice the other half of the banana and add a blob of almond butter. Enjoy!

Perfect

Messy

Have a great morning! Fallon