Oatmeal on the Go

I am not one of those people who can get away without breakfast in the morning. I typically have cereal and toast with juice, but sometimes I'm running really late. Or, I just feel like choosing something healthier to start my day off right. Ok...who am I kidding? It's because I'm running really late.

I found a picture on Pinterest of someone who was making her own make and take oatmeal in jars, so I gave it a try and can say it's pretty great! A 1/2 cup of oatmeal with add ins fits perfectly in pint sized jar and is just the right amount to keep me going till lunch.

This is my set up station where I put out everything I'll need to make 6-8 jars of oatmeal. I use freeze dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal and coconut all from Trader Joes, I am partial to good chocolate, so I also have my large bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips at hand. I realize this takes my oatmeal from healthy to...somewhere less than healthy, but it tastes soo good.

I like the following combinations (pictured left to right): 

1. Raspberries & Chocolate Chips
2. Blueberries & Vanilla Powder
3. Bananas, Walnuts, Coconut Chips & Chocolate Chips *my favorite!!!!
4. Strawberries & Vanilla Powder
5. Apples, Walnuts & Cinnamon

I add these combos to pint sized jars along with a 1/2 cup of instant / rolled oats and about a Tbsp of raw sugar (less if I'm using chocolate chips).

I top them all with reusable lids and store them in my pantry for "one of those" mornings. When ready to eat, I add 1 Cup of very hot water (preferably boiling) and wait 15 min for the oats to plump up. It's something easy I can grab and either add water too and eat in the car, or wait till I get to work. They are great to grab when going on a trip, or kept handy as a snack before hitting the gym, when I know I'm going to be home late. They are really easy to put together with whatever flavors you like, and taste great.

Besides the vanilla powder, which is pretty expensive and somewhat hard to find locally, the rest of the ingredients are very affordable, especially buying all of the freeze dried fruit from Trader Joes. A little vanilla powder goes a long way, so try just a little, maybe a 1/4 to a 1/2 tsp and see how you like it.

What other combinations do you think would be tasty?

Strawberry Mug Cake

Confession: I have a sweet tooth. Since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed an after dinner treat. It just doesn't feel right to close out the day without ending on a sweet note, especially after a bad or difficult day. I can usually get by with a bit of chocolate or a cookie, but lately...I've been indulging in mug cakes.

I'm not sure who first came up with the idea, but they deserve an award. Mug cakes are a perfect portion for one and are super quick to put together. After about 5 minutes of prep and mixing, and 1 minute of microwave baking, out comes a piping hot delicious cake!

I found these adorable little mugs at Jo-Ann. I thought they might be too small for most mug cake recipes, but they are perfect. It helps to have a mug with a narrower bottom so these are just right.

Spring is in the air and soon local strawberries will be filling the market shelves. I had a bit leftover from some strawberry shortcake I'd made, so I modified a mug cake recipe into this yummy strawberry version and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Mug Cake - adapted from 5-Minute Mug Cakes by, Jennifer Lee

4 Tbsp - All-Purpose Flour
1/4 Tsp - Baking Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp - Sugar
3 Tbsp - Almond Milk (you can substitute with regular)
1/4 Tbsp - Canola Oil
1 Tbsp - Finley Chopped Strawberry (about 1 berry)

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the strawberry in a mug with a small whisk until combined. Stir in the strawberries. Bake in microwave for 1 minute. If top is still wet, bake in 15 second intervals until top is mostly dry and cake-like.

Don't panic if the cake starts to grow above the rim of the mug - it will shrink back once it starts to cool.

Enjoy!

Do you eat dessert every day? most days? What is your favorite go-to treat?

My Box Card Addiction

I have been using my Cricut Explore Air for several months and am amazed every time I use it. Cricut recently released a Box Card cartridge: All Occasion Box Cards by designer Lori Whitlock that I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. Box cards are like magic. You fold them flat (so yes, you can MAIL them!) and then push them into a box shape to reveal their amazing layered splendor. I made the birthday box card (sorry, I took really bad photos of that card) and this Valentine's Day card for my Great Aunt.

This was also my first attempt at inking edges so some of it was overdone. I hand-embossed the clouds and hearts, which came out so cute - definitely nice to add dimension! I also added a shiny little gemstone to the end of the propeller.

The Cricut cartridge is great, but they are fairly simple and need added embellishments to really make them stand out. Alternatively, there are many designers setting the bar higher and higher for paper crafting. If you've never visited SVGCuts, you're seriously missing out. Mary is a designing genius and takes 3d paper projects to the next level. I let out a little squeal of delight when I saw she'd made a whole spring box card kit. I set to work right away making the tulip card for my husband's grandmother.

 

I added the little Spring sign with a random Cricut tag and some pretty blue ribbon. I tried inking the edges of the leaves, but it didn't have the look I was going for. I was still very happy with how it came out and his grandmother loved it.

Also in the SVGCuts kit is this amazing pansy card. It looks super complicated, but is straight forward to put together (you'll need brads in yellow and /or purple). I hand-inked and shaped all of the petals and used colored pencils to make the little lines near the center of the flower. This card has a bit more bulk, so it'd be better to mail this with other items in a box or larger padded envelope. My husbands' mom was the recipient in celebration of her 70th birthday, so I was able to hand it to her in person. This card has some SERIOUS wow factor.

Have you made box cards? If so, comment below with a link to your pictures / blog. I'd love to see them and get more creative inspiration!

It's been a while!

I can't believe it's been 6 years since I've posted to my blog. A lot has happened in those 6 years and when I look back over the earlier posts, I really don't even feel like the same person I was back then. Grief and tragedy have a way of sucking the life right out of ya. (can I get an amen?) I'm hoping that by trying to blog again, I will feel that I'm holding myself accountable - even if just to a handful of visitors.

So here's to new beginnings and new adventures. Because life is worth living.