Seasonal Breakfast Treat

I confess that oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I've eaten it almost every morning for over a year since I discovered all the possibilities that oatmeal provides; it's essentially a blank canvass for any combination of flavors, both sweet and savory. The best part is, it sticks to your bones and keeps you feel for hours so you don't have to worry about fighting mid-morning hunger until your lunch break!
With the change of the seasons I start looking at what is most readily available and in season to incorporate into my meals, and that most certainly includes breakfast. So I turned to my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin and cinnamon - to create the perfect fall breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry rolled oats (bought in bulk at Whole Foods, $.89 for one pound, $.11 used here)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Trader Joe's or Ralph's - $1.99 for a box, ~$.50 used here)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh (Ralph's - Libby's, $2.95 for a 15oz can, $.42 used here)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, small sprinkle of ground nutmeg
1 tsp sweetner of your choice, I prefer honey, agave nectar, or brown sugar

Directions:

• Bring almond milk to a boil over a medium high heat in a medium saucepan.
• Add oats and reduce heat to medium low - low and keep at a simmer. Cook through until most of the almond milk has been absorbed but the oatmeal is still slightly runny.
• Remove from heat and move to a bowl. Stir in pumpkin, sweetner, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Total Cost:  $1 per serving
Nutrition Facts: 233 calories, 5.7g fat (.6g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg cholesterol, 153mg sodium, 41g carbohydrates, 7.3g fiber, 10g sugar, 6.7g protein, [Vit A 200%, Vit C 3%, Calcium 35%, Iron 19%]

If you would like, add some chopped pecans or crumbled graham cracker/vanilla wafers to add more festive flavor [*will change calorie content]. Until next time, may your stomachs be full and your grocery bill be small!

Fall's Favorite Flavors

During fall and winter, especially leading up to the holiday season, my favorite ingredients are without a doubt pumpkin and cinnamon. I'm not just talking about desserts here. These two can find their way into just about any dish, sweet AND savory! In the upcoming months I will be adding countless recipes for the holidays, but for now I would like to share some tips on making delicious dishes with these ingredients.

Cinnamon:
Ground cinnamon goes well in just about anything: Oatmeal, dessert, your favorite latte, cottage cheese, yogurt.... Like I said, anything! For those of you who have never experimented with cinnamon outside of the occasional holiday dessert, you've been missing out. Cinnamon goes so well in so many savory dishes, like lentils and rice or roasted butternut squash that I honestly go through a jumbo container every few months. Don't be afraid to try it out!

Pumpkin:
I am currently living in Italy for the next few months so I can't speak for American prices, but things here that are so convenient back home are certainly NOT cheap. For example, I spent two weeks searching for canned pumpkin, finally found some Libby's in a special import market, and spent €4,35 each on two cans. For those of you not in Europe, that's $6.05 a can! Especially here where I'm traveling a lot and not working, funds are too short to be spending that kind of money on a luxury item. But when I accidentally purchased half a pumpkin instead of a butternut squash (the variety of pumpkin here is very similar in appearance!) I found myself with the opportunity to make my own pumpkin puree with the €3,50 I spent on the fresh pumpkin. It turned out so well that I doubt I will be going back to using canned pumpkin, at least while I'm here! While it's not necessarily convenient, the reward is a flavor so fresh and flexible that I recommend everyone give it a try.

To make pumpkin puree:
Cut the pumpkin in half or fourths, leaving the skin on. scoop out all the seeds and extra fibers and discard. Place each piece flesh side down on a baking sheet in about 1/4-1/2" of water (this will prevent burning and drying out), then put into an oven at 400 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes or until the skin is easily pierced with a fork. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and drain the water. Scoop out the flesh and put into a large mixing bowl (if using an immersion blender), blender, or food processor and allow to cool for 15 minutes to prevent it from exploding during the blending process. Blend until smooth and creamy and enjoy in your favorite recipe!

I will soon be posting recipes to use both cinnamon and pumpkin, together and separately! Until next time, may your stomachs be full and your grocery bill be small!