Lauren on Living

A Lifestyle Blog about Simplifying Healthy Living

  • Home
  • Health
  • My life
  • Recipes
  • Hire Me

Erika’s Big Ol’ Bowl of Oats

July 21, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

IMG_8893 IMG_8894Our friend Erika is something of a health foodie. She’s awesome and for as long as we have known her she has made a big ‘ol bowl of oats for breakfast that leaves the whole kitchen smelling divine. Her base of oats, peanut butter and banana pretty much always stays the same, but then she adds all kinds of delightful ingredients that really takes oatmeal to the next level. It’s hearty, delicious, super nutritious and sure to pack an energy punch that will keep you going for hours. Not to mention, these oats are also a great galactagogue food for all the breastfeeding mamas out there! I begged one of her main go-to recipes off her and was surprised to discover that it’s actually incredibly quick and easy to make. Tasty? Check. Healthy? Check. Easy? Check. Toddler approved? Double check. What’s not to love about that?

Serving size: 1

Ingredients:

– 1 cup of unsweetened plain almond milk

– 2 tbsp water

– 1/2 – 1 whole apple, peeled and diced

– 1/8 cup raisins

– Cinnamon, to taste

– 1/2 cup oats

– 1 tbsp chia seeds

– 1 banana, chopped

– 1 tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

Put the almond milk, water, apple, raisins and cinnamon into a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Then add the oats and turn the heat to low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the chia seeds, banana and peanut butter, mix well and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add a bit more almond milk to give it a really creamy texture.

Optional Toppings:

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Variations:

Sub out the apples and raisins for any other fruit combo you want. Peaches and shredded coconut perhaps? Pureed pumpkin, with almond butter (instead of peanut butter) and pumpkin pie spice for a delicious fall breakfast. Berries, coca powder, dried cranberries, topped with chocolate chips anyone? Just get creative people!

IMG_8896 IMG_8901

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: breakfast, easy, galactagogue, healthy, lactation, nutritious, oatmeal, oats, plant based, quick, recipe, vegan

Recipe: Calico Baked Beans

July 8, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

IMG_8626This recipe is straight out of my childhood.  It’s a crowd-pleaser and a potluck go to.  This is the perfect summer time cook out dish.  My mom made this quite a lot when we were kids and a while back I pleaded the recipe off her and now I share it with you.  It’s so good.  Eating it instantly brings me back to hot summer days at the beach while being buffeted by salty ocean breezes.  This is a definite staple in our house because it is just so delicious!

Ingredients: 

1 large chopped onion

1 16 oz can vegetarian baked beans – DO NOT DRAIN

1 16 oz can kidney beans -DO NOT DRAIN

1 16 oz can butter beans or cannellini beans or baby lima beans or any light colored canned bean really -DO NOT DRAIN

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp spicy brown mustard

olive oil (optional)

Variations:

A great thing about this recipe is that you can really play with it and make it your own.

I usually add an extra 16 oz can of vegetarian baked beans as well as a 16 oz can of black beans just to give it more bulk and to add another color. You can also adjust the ketchup and mustard amounts depending on whether you prefer it on the sweet or savory side. I have even been known to substitute the brown sugar for molasses or just to omit it all together.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brown the onions with a bit of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Once the onions are ready, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.  Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

IMG_8634 IMG_8635 IMG_8637

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: baked beans, beans, cook out, easy, plant based recipe, potluck, recipe, simple recipe, vegan

Recipe: Pecan Pie

May 20, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

UPDATE: We adopted a plant based diet in September 2013 so, while this was definitely yummy, it no longer reflects the food we eat. IMG_5921

IMG_5923

This recipe is super easy to make and only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to prepare once you get the hang of it.  This pie is not as sweet as most pecan pies that I’ve come across, but that’s what my husband loves most about it.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp milk

Filling:

3 eggs (lightly beaten with a fork)

1/2 cup karo light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt to taste

1 1/2 cups pecans

2 tbsp butter (cut up into smallish pieces)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Crust:

Mix the flour, oil and milk together until all liquid is absorbed.  You want the consistency to be like play dough, so add a bit more milk and oil to get it there if need be (I forgot this step and my crust was rather dry and crumbly, just saying).  You should mix as little as possible so as soon as there is an even consistency, stop mixing.

Using your fingers, press the dough into a pie pan, making sure to go up the sides, until it is evenly distributed,

Filling:

Mix the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, salt, pecans and butter together in a large bowl, then pour into the pie crust and bake for 50 minutes.

Let cool, then serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy.

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: baking, cooking, dessert, easy, pecan, pecan pie, pie, quick, recipe

about

follow/contact

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

categories

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress