O is for: Overnight Oats

Lately, my work schedule has demanded for some rather early wake-up calls.

Now, admittedly, for most of my career, 7am would’ve been early to me and you all would be rolling your eyes.

But these days, I consider 7am sleeping in. My alarm generally goes off at 4:45 so that I can be to work around 5:30 (sometimes earlier).

Like I said… early. Painfully early.

But I’ve figured out a couple shortcuts so that I can sleep as long as I possible in the morning before rolling out of bed, brushing my teeth, making tea, throwing on some clothes and jetting out the door. I’ve got it down to about 15 minutes flat by making two key changes:

1.) I shower at night.
2.) I make my breakfasts the night before.

And while I love a good frittata or egg muffins to eat throughout the week, sometimes I need to switch things up a bit. That’s where these overnight oats come into play.

These seriously couldn’t be easier. All you do is combine a half cup of oats with a half cup of milk (I like this unsweetened almond milk from Califia Farms) and you’re in business! (A similar, but great alternative to Chia Seed Pudding if you don’t like the texture). That’s the bare-bones, basic recipe. I also add a dash of vanilla, some honey or maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon and a spoonful of almond butter. Stir it all up and stick it in the fridge overnight.

By morning, they have magically been transformed into creamy oatmeal. (The oats soak up the milk and soften in the process, much the same way cooking them does.) I grab mine to go and eat them cold at work, but you could also heat them up if you prefer hot oatmeal. Top with some fruit or nuts or eat as-is. My combo of ingredients sort of reminds me of an oatmeal cookie. Except healthy. And you eat it with a spoon. (Ok, so not as much cookie as just delicious oatmeal). And the best part? They don’t cut into my sleeping time!