Autumnal Eats: Breakfast Edition

This weekend the temps dropped and fall hit like a Hefty-bag full of leaves. Granted, we're supposed to see some relief from the sub-50 degree weather soon, but until then I'm going to be enjoying this perfect fall breakfast... Carrot Cake Oatmeal with Maharaja Chai Oolong Tea.

Carrot cake lovers rejoice - there really is a nutritious and delicious carrot-cake-inspired breakfast option, all thanks to the amazing Angela of Oh She Glows. Seriously, you need to make this tomorrow. No excuses. It is so yummy and filling and will keep you energized all morning long. The recipe is below, but you should definitely go check it out on Angela's site for the gorgeous photos on Oh She Glows.
While I suppose any chai tea is nice to wash down the delicious oatmeal with, my favorite has to be Teavana's Maharaja Chai Oolong Tea. As I may have said before, the flavors are so intense and complex, and you get the sweetness without having to add anything but water (a much healthier alternative to boxed chai tea mixes which contain major amounts of sugar). This blend is so good it'll instantly warm you from the inside out.

And now on to the recipe...

Carrot Cake Oatmeal from Oh She Glows
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1 cup almond milk (or soy, rice, etc)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 large carrot, finely grated (1 heaping cup)
• 2 tbsp coconut milk cream (use the cream off the top of the full-fat can only)
• 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp crushed walnuts, divided
• 1 tbsp coconut milk cream + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup (to drizzle on top)
• Shredded coconut, for garnish
• Cinnamon, for garnish
• Raisins, for garnish

Directions: Finely grate the large carrot to yield 1 heaping cup of grated carrots. Note that you want to use the fine grate, not the large one so the carrot shreds are very small.

In a medium sized pot over medium heat, add your almond milk, lemon juice, and coconut milk cream. Stir well. Add in your spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) and salt. Stir again until mixed.

Stir in your grated carrots and oats. Adjust heat if necessary or bring heat to low if it starts to boil. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture has thickened up, stir in the vanilla extract, 1 tbsp crushed walnuts, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.

Top with 1 tbsp of crushed walnuts and 1 tsp of shredded coconut. Prepare your coconut milk cream + maple syrup mixture and drizzle it over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish.

Serves 1 large portion or 2 small portions.

Tea Treasures

Never one for coffee, tea is my steamy beverage of choice. My love for the stuff is no secret, and while I tend to down my daily cup (or two, or three) of the herbal variety while at work, nothing beats a leisurely cup of tea enjoyed on a slow-paced weekend morning or afternoon. Here are a few tea treasures for fellow enthusiasts.

This Tea-Boy Penguin Tea Timer is so cute, and would be the perfect gadget to keep at work or to gift an easily side-tracked tea lover with. You set the timer to indicate how long your tea needs to steep for, and the penguin's bill cleverly picks up your tea bag when your tea is ready. It even rings when the tea is ready so you don't forget about your cup before it gets too cold! The perfect solution for those of us who accidentally oversteep.

I recently discovered the yummy flavor and cost-saving benefits of loose leaf tea. For the uninitiated, loose leaf tea doesn't come in pre-measured bags but rather in one big package of full size tea leaves or herbal components (think large pieces of dried peppermint leaves and whole dried chamomile). This fine mesh tea steeping basket fits nicely in any standard size mug to make a single cup of loose leaf tea. Just scoop in a teaspoonful of loose leaf tea, pour in your hot water, remove the basket when you're done steeping, and enjoy.

Two Leaves and a Bud makes a delicious, smooth, and delicately floral jasmine petal green tea -and the loose leaf variety is the perfect way to fill your new tea basket. This green tea is steamed, rather than roasted, which yields its signature taste. The company is fair trade certified and offers an extensive line of organic products too!