Overnight Oats - Take 2

Can you tell I am obsessed with overnight oats?

 

I am so obsessed, I have these oats at anytime of the day now. What's not to love though? Healthy, filling and cold. I also just found out that oatmeal is considered brain food and is integral to the diet for growing children. Add several more pluses here.

 



 

 

 

This version is one that my son loves. After getting him ready for school, he clamps his mouth shut and refuses to let anything pass his lips. Except oatmeal. He does not eat huge amounts in the mornings but with all the healthy goodness in this version, I know he has enough to keep him full till snack time at school which sets my mind at ease

 

 

 

You will need:

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup milk - flavored milk works just as well.
• 1 crunchy apple like Granny Smith - core removed and cut into chunks
• 14 cup dried raisins
• 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes

Directions:

• Pour milk over the oats and store in a lidded container in the fridge overnight
• The next morning, add the remaining ingredients, sweeten to taste if desired and stir to combine. Serve cold.

 

Enjoy!!!

Cool Down With A Refreshing Watermelon Spritzer

If you are one of those people that thinks all the talk about global warming is a load of bollocks....and you live in Lagos, Nigeria at the moment...then I have no words for you. LOL

 

It is blazing hot. Scorching hot. Its so hot that air conditioners are struggling to churn out cold air. Its muggy. Most people are uncomfortable. Its supposed to be rainy season now but I can count on one hand how many times it has rained this year.

 

Drinking - make that guzzling liters of water and other cold beverages is imperative to keep hydrated and stay in relatively good spirits - I blame a lot of snappish behavior on the heat. (:-))

 

I say make the drinking fun too. This watermelon spritzer is cool. Its refreshing. It has fruit. It is easy to put together. It gives a buzz. What's not to like?



 

 

 

 

 

To make a pitcher spritzer that will serve 2 or 1.... you will need:

 

• 2 cups of white wine
• 75cl of soda water/sparkling water
• 1/2 cup grenadine
• 2 cups diced deseeded watermelon

 

Directions:

• In a pitcher/jug with a lid, add all the ingredients and stir to combine.
• Refrigerate till ready to serve
• Pour into serving glasses and enjoy......

 

 

This spritzer will make the guys and dolls happy. Make this in the morning so you can have a chilled glass of this at the end of the day.



 

 

Enjoy!!!!!

Mango & Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Whipped Cream Topping

I am dreaming of a holiday. Not just any old holiday. I am dreaming of white sandy beaches, clear blue skies, bathing suits and sarongs, ridiculously colored drinks with umbrellas – on a Caribbean island far, far away.

Since I will not be taking a holiday anytime soon (with the number of hats I wear, I can only pray for a break at some point), I figured I could bring a taste of the Caribbean close to home and satisfy my sweet cravings at the same time. There is no flavor more synonymous with the Caribbean than coconut. Papayas and mangos tie for second place in my opinion so I went into mad scientist mode and decided to play around with these flavors in cake. The papaya (pawpaw) experiment was a hot mess. Mushy and nasty. I shudder just thinking about it. Using mangos however, success. The result of this experiment are cupcakes that are not too sweet, full of tropical flavor and topped with light as air whipped cream with bursts of citrus flavor from grated lime zest – the Caribbean in your mouth.

To make 18 cupcakes, you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup liquid full cream milk
• 1 cup peeled, chopped ripe mango

Frosting:

• I cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions:

• Pre heat oven to gas mark 3
• Line muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside
• In a bowl, mix flour, coconut, baking powder and salt
• In another bowl, whisk sugar, butter and eggs until smooth. Add flour and milk and beat until smooth. Add mango and stir to combine. Do not over mix
• Scoop batter into muffin liners – fill liners about 3/4 to the top.
• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
• Let cool completely and make frosting
• Add whipping cream, icing sugar and lime zest into a mixing bowl and whip till stiff. An electric hand mixer or stand mixer will make this frosting in a short period of time
• Top cooled cupcakes with whipped cream frosting and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Kitchen Tip - Ripening Fruit

If you have unripe fruit that you would like to use and would like to speed up nature, try wrapping the fruit in newspaper and store in a warm place for 2-3 days

Enjoy!!!!

Fruit Salad Smoothie

 

In this journey to eat right and lose weight, the biggest challenge for me has been keeping things interesting and healthy. Smoothies and replacement drinks can be counter productive to your health journey especially those full of cream or juices as their bases. They taste mighty good especially when blended with ice (temptation be gone) and if its a tasty treat you want, then they are fine. However, if you want nutritious and healthy options, having one of those 3 times a day isn't the way to go - or am I just speaking about my tendency to have them 3 times a day?

 

Anyway, I am giving my smoothie blender a mega workout these days with all sorts of concoctions and this fruit salad smoothie is one of my favorites. Its very filling, chock full of yumminess that's good for you and very easy to throw together. There isn't an exact science to this. Just use more of the fruits you prefer over others and don't omit the ginger. That's what makes this smoothie special.

 

You will need:

 

• Watermelon cubes - seeds removed of course
• Orange segments - seeds removed as well
• Pineapple chunks
• Pawpaw chunks - you can include a few of the seeds. They have a peppery taste and add a little something extra to the smoothie
•  Cucumber slices - don't peel or remove the core.
• Apple chunks
• Fresh grated ginger
• Ice cubes

 

You can prep the fruits ahead and store in the freezer in air tight containers and put into the blender when you are ready. You can omit the ice in this case.

Throw everything in a blender and whizz till smooth. I like to leave my smoothie a little chunky so I can chew. I don't feel like I have eaten if I don't chew. LOL

 

Pour into a glass and enjoy 

 

 

 

 

 

Minted Strawberries

One evening, after making dinner, I wanted hubby and I to have an interesting dessert that was light, refreshing and light on the calories. I had a 250g pack of strawberries in the fridge and a bag of fresh mint as well. So i decided to throw something together and this has become a staple in our house ever since:

I washed and quartered the strawberries and put in a bowl that had a lid. I sprinkled 1 tablespoon of Splenda over the strawberries and tossed together. Since the first time i made this recipe, I have substituted the Splenda for granulated white sugar and some granulated vanilla sugar with excellent results. I love Splenda though since it is a sweetener that doesnt have a bitter after taste and is better than sugar for me.

The fresh mint packet i got from Shoprite - and they almost always have in stock. I washed about half of the pack well and snipped into the strawberry mixture, tossed together, covered bowl and put in the fridge.

An hour later, the strawberries had released a lot of juice courtesy of the Splenda/Sugar/, the mint was nicely wilted and didnt look too alive (very important if my hubby was going to eat this at all) and all that was left was tasting.

I took a deep breath and took a spoonful. And OH MY WORD. The strawberries were sweet and cold and the juice was sooo fragrant and the bursts of mint made my mouth come alive and it smelt divine. So refreshing and so good.

I served a small portion of this to hubby who was working on his laptop at this point. He absent mindedly put a spoonful in his mouth and his head whipped up. He looked at the bowl, smiled widely, shoveled the rest into his mouth and silently handed me the bowl with a smile, a thumbs up and the words "more please".

Ah - nothing better than a happy hubby.

I have a few ideas for variants on this and will post as soon as I try.

Enjoy!