Gracie
Easy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal {with Silk Almond milk}
Sometimes the simplest and easiest recipe is best. I try to eat healthy but struggle on busy mornings to eat well. Most of the time I grab a granola or lara bar on my way out the door. It’s also important to me that Bear and Bug eat healthy too and sometimes a little planning ahead goes a long way.
I have found that making a pot of oatmeal and scooping out a bowl every morning for the following few days is super quick, healthy and a kid approved way to accomplish that goal.
Here is my recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. I used steel cut today because it’s what was in my pantry, but I typically enjoy old fashioned rolled oats. I like to have fun and be creative so feel free to substitute Soy or Coconut milk in place of the Almond.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Silk Almond Milk
-Oatmeal- your choice
-Silk Almond Milk, unsweetened regular flavor
-2-3 Honey Crisp Apples
-Cinnamon
-Either Sweet Cream or Cinnamon Sugar for sweetener
To start, follow the directions on your oatmeal and measure out Silk Almond Milk in place of water. After you add your oatmeal, let it simmer in the pot. I went ahead and added a generous amount of cinnamon at this point so it cooked with the cinnamon in the oats.
As it simmers, cut 2-3 apples up into small, bite sized pieces. I had to peel mine as well because Bug doesn’t like the apple peel very much. I prefer to leave the peel because there are so many nutrients in it! Steel Cut Oats take a while to cook so I also did all of my breakfast dishes while I waited. When the oatmeal was very close to completion, I added the apples so they would be al dente and not turn to mush.
I let it sit for a few minutes before serving it. I like to make this unsweetened partly because it helps me use less sugar than I would if I was making a large batch for everyone. I add as little cinnamon/sugar as I can for my own bowl and am a bit more generous with my kid’s bowls. 
Bug loves this meal! I make this with different toppings almost every time. Shredded coconut, slivered almonds, rasins, crasins, or other dried fruit is good. On days when they need an extra special breakfast treat? A small scoop of vanilla ice cream does the trick!
I was lucky to even get to take the below picture as Bug was at my elbow asking, “my oatmeal mommy? I eat my oatmeal?” Enjoy and let me know if you have any favorite oatmeal or Silk Almond Milk recipes that you like to serve your kids for breakfast!
10 Years {of marriage}
The pressure has been mounting as last month ticked on by and all my co-bloggers shared poignant stories about the relationship aspects in their lives.
Sherry wrote about always being the bridesmaid, Katy wrote on the young married life without kids, Sarea shared her life, post divorce with 3 kids and now I’m here representing the married for a decade with two kids crowd. I think that sharing on this topic will be ongoing for all of us as we navigate through life and new things and experiences happen. Originally I was going to write about the fact Ben and I only have a 15% chance of our marriage surviving, but a recent experience bumped that post for now, although I plan to discuss that later this month.
For today, a humorous glance into our lives:
Our kids have no chance of being normal…
As women, specifically mothers, some of us have that magical knowledge when we know we are pregnant. That little secret, the adrenaline pounding knowledge that gives us the “glow” and even though we may be terrified- that feeling is there too.
Yesterday, my stomach felt weird, and not cramps weird, a different kind of weird. My stomach rumbled strongly and I had a pain on my right side- and suddenly I was transported 3 years ago when I knew that I knew that I was pregnant with Bug.
I sat in the mystery, wide awake but trying to take a nap. Bug choose that day to be the first to nap with me in bed, his usual crazy-needs-to-be-confined-in-a-pack-n-play self gone and an unusual docile toddler sweetly going to sleep in his place. His soft baby curls and long lashes against his pudgy cheeks made my heart swell. He sighed in his sleep and I was undone. I forgot about all the sleepless nights, the difficult days and how nursing nearly made me loose my mind…
I dreamed of a baby girl because the previous day Bear asked me, “pretty please can I have a sister? a baby? with long, pretty hair like yours!” and I smiled. I imagined pink, tutu’s and wondered how I’d get through the first trimester at work. I then got into the logistics of it all, wondering at the timing, finances, if I’d have to have another c-section and where I would hang the chandelier. (Above the crib or over the custom rocking chair? The *important* things.)
Feeling terrified and nervous, I haltingly told Ben I thought I was pregnant when he came to check on me later.
I felt weird and shaky, wondering how he’d react since I’m not the girl-who-cried-pregnant type and now really is terrible timing.
With his usual bluntness, and a tinge of bitterness, Ben retorted, “You’re NOT pregnant. You ate half my malt yesterday.”
…….. (milk + ice cream= severe stomach issues.) I never eat ice cream. His malt had magic or crack in it as my “1 little bite” turned into half his large chocolate malt. Hence his bitterness. It really had been delicious.
and that dears, is love. When your husband of 10 years knows you so well that he knows your *pregnancy* is really just a milkshake gone bad in your lactose intolerant system you know you need to keep him around.
Adieux for now.
Other places I’m at:
