Apple Peanut butter Oatmeal

Everybody knows what a great snack apples spread with peanut butter is and that inspired me to make my Apple Peanut butter Oatmeal for breakfast last week. It even made a great easy lunch (just heat in the microwave) when I need something healthy to put in my lunch bag this week. It is a HUGE portion that leaves me feeling full and not hungry for at least 4 hours, when I may be ready for a light snack of fruit.

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/2 C dry oatmeal (I like rolled oats or "old fashioned" whole oats)
water according to package
Milk or non-dairy substitute (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 TBSP Apple butter, or 2 TBSP Apple sauce
1-2 TBSP peanut butter (or other nut butter, I use Trader Joe's almond butter w/ roasted flax seeds)

Directions:
Cook oatmeal per the container's directions.

When fully cooked, stir in milk or non-dairy version, to reach desired consistency. If you prefer dryer oatmeal, you can skip this step.  Stir in peanut butter until thoroughly combined.  Spread apple butter across the top and Enjoy!

 For added decadence use a dash of cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice when stirring in milk.

Calorie count my version: 3/4 C cooked oatmeal (150) + 1/2 C almond milk (20) + 1 T apple butter (35) + 1 T almond butter (100) = 305 calories
Check your containers for calorie counts.

Hints: Make 1 1/2 C dry oatmeal per package directions w/ a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice in the water. Cook until close to done (should still be pretty wet, but cooked), allow to cool, and then store in the refrigerator - makes 3 cups of oatmeal enough for four 3/4C breakfasts - just heat one serving in the microwave and add the stir-ins.

(sorry, I don't have a picture for this yet. The next time I make it I will take one!)

Blueberry Pie Pancakes

Or blackberry, or strawberry!

I got the recipe for this off of Chocolate Covered Katie.com. I have put my calorie counts (based on my food labels, yours might be different) in parentheses next to the ingredient.

Blueberry Pie Pancakes
(Serves 1)

• 1/2 cup blueberries (20)
• 1/3 cup flour (ww pastry -147 )
• 2 T rolled oats (38)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 T sugar or 1 packet stevia (omit if you don’t want sweet pancakes) (0-15 depending)
• 1/3 cup nondairy milk (30 - blue diamond almond milk)
• If you don’t like the taste of fat-free pancakes, add 1 T oil or vegan butter, and reduce milk by that amount

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet. Mix, but don’t over mix. Cook on an oiled (or sprayed) pan, on low-medium, flipping each pancake once.

---

Here are my fruit pie pancakes - blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry. Strawberry was my first fave, followed by blackberry, and blueberry oddly my least fave of the bunch.

Here, because I did 3 different "flavors" I didn't fold the fruit into the batter, just placed the berries on top. It didn't work too well. The batter is so thick the fruit doesn't sink like regular pancakes. Next time I will either add more moisture, choose only 1 berry to mix in, or work in batches and mix each fruit pancake separate.

Cooking in the pan.

All cooked and smeared with peanut butter