Tropical Dream Oatmeal

Now that I have taken a few days to rest and recover (and get an iphone! :D), I am READY to enjoy spring break. Jason and I both have a strong lead on jobs for the summer, so it looks like our worrying about that might soon be over. And I am PUMPED about some of the things I’m cooking this week, the kinds of things I wouldn’t have time to do while school was going on.

In other news, my blender BROKE. Too many Green Monsters apparently. So until we get a new one I have to find creative ways to eat breakfast (and by that I mean, before I started the green monsters I wasn’t regularly eating a healthy breakfast or any breakfast at all, really just on the weekends). This is my first attempt at a unique oatmeal recipe.

Tropical Dream Oatmeal

• 3/4 c. almond milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 c. mango nectar
• 3/4 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 mango, diced
• 1 banana, diced
• 3 T. sweetened shredded coconut

-First bring the mango nectar and milk to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan.

-While you are waiting for the liquid to boil, preheat your oven to 350 degrees to prepare to toast the coconut. While the oven preheats, scrunch together a sheet of aluminum foil to hold the shredded coconut.

-Mash together half of the banana and half of the mango.

-Once the milk and nectar are boiling, add the oats and whisk together. Let cook for one minute.

-Whisk in the mashed fruit. Put coconut into preheated oven.

-Cook the oatmeal for another 4-5 minutes, whisking frequently and keeping an eye on the coconut in the oven and removing it when it’s golden brown around the edges (it will only take a few minutes to toast).

-Pour the cooked oatmeal into a bowl, top with the remaining diced fruit and the toasted coconut.

This was DELICIOUS and really filling. Plus it starts out the day with a serving of whole grain and two servings of fruit. Not half bad. It doesn’t even need additional sugar because of all the fruit and the coconut.

I always add cold milk to my oatmeal right before I eat it, but I guess not everyone does that? I think that might just be me… Hey, that’s how my Granny showed me to eat oatmeal!

Thanks for reading! Stick around for more fun stuff this week!