falling in love.

I am generally resentful of months that end with "ber".  

ber = brrrr.  

brrrr = cold.  

yuck!

and then I remember that this time of year does have its redeeming qualities:

- scarves and sunglasses.

- pretty leaves.

- PUMPKIN (oats)!

so here I am, [fall]ing back in love with fall.  

pumpkin oatmeal.

preparing your oats the night before:

a.) cuts down on prep time in the morning

b.) magically transforms 1/4 c. of oats into 1 very full bowl of oats

the trick to voluminous oats (from katie at cck) is to increase the water:oat ratio, let boil, and then let sit overnight. 

 the remaining water will be absorbed, the oats will gelatinize and voila! you have an enormous meal waiting for you in the morning.  

the goodies:
- 1/4 c. rolled oats
- 1.5 c. water
- 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. your choice of sweetener (white or brown sugar, agave, stevia) *optional depending on your sweet tooth in the mornings
- 1/3 c. egg whites


toppings:
2 tbsp. greek yogurt
1 tbsp. ground flax seeds
1 tsp. nut butter
1 tsp. shredded coconut


the fun part:
#1.) bring your oats and water to a boil in a sauce pan.  keep on high heat, and let boil for 5 minutes.  transfer to bowl, cover, and store in fridge over night.
#2.) take your voluminous oats oat of the fridge, transfer back to sauce pan and reheat on medium temperature. stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar, letting it reheat until it bubbles.
#3.) lower the heat and slowly add the egg whites, mixing continuously.  stir until the mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes.
#4.) transfer to bowl and top with your favorite goodies!


*if you like your oats cold in the morning, you can do up to step 3 and let sit in the fridge over night.  pumpkin pudding for breakfast?  why not!

what your body will like:
this HUGE bowl of oats (and toppings!) is only 270 calories and boasts this impressive macronutrient profile:
carbohydrates: 26 g
fats: 8 g
protein: 19 g

protein + complex carbs 

= keeping you full until lunch!