Allison's June has lots of moving parts. She describes it as a puzzle with a side of flow charts. Like so many of us, trying to get off to a good start each morning is something that can often make the day...or at least the first hour of it. She came across an overnight oats recipe and thought she would give it a go. She was hopeful that the idea of taking 5 minutes (at the most) the night before and 2 minutes to add toppings the next morning and serve sounded like the perfect solution to her slightly anxious for the morning shuffle mind. Her instinct was right! This was the perfect breakfast to start off an early and busy day. Sweeten it up for the kiddos if they are hesitant!
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (don't use instant and we prefer Trader Joe's Rolled Oats)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (we prefer to use Trader Joe's boxed Almond beverage, unsweetened vanilla)
• 1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt is our preference because it gives a smooth consistency (you can use 1 - 2 scoops vanilla protein powder instead)
• 1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds (Trader Joe's has an organic Chia Seed bag we love)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
*toppings: berries, bananas, sliced almonds or any nut, shredded coconut, peanut or almond butter, chocolate chips and granola are just a few ideas
**the sweet factor is adult approved but you might want to add a drizzle of honey or agave for the kids
Directions
1. Prep the oats by combining all ingredients above (except the toppings) in a small container.
2. Cover the container with a lid and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 1-2 hours).
3. Wake up and serve! If you used yogurt, the consistency should be great. If you used protein powder, you might need to add a little almond milk and give a quick stir. The protein powder, oats and chia seed version tends to soak up more liquid.
4. Add toppings of your choice.
Enjoy!
*Recipe adapted from Eating Bird Food