Perfect Fall Crockpot Oats

I really don't do a lot of food posts - food is so subjective to taste - but I love reading other people's food blogs and getting new ideas even if I don't follow the recipe exactly.

This morning I tweeted to the #mamavation #breakfastclub that I was eating Crockpot oats after my run for breakfast. A couple people asked me what my secret was.

Come a little closer, I'll whisper it to you....

Sweet potato. Seriously, mashed sweet potato. I know, I was amazed too. I mean, who would think a little potato would make such a huge difference?

My other secret is milk. Anytime I try to make the oats with water they turn out bland and tasteless.

So here is the recipe for Pumpkin ./ Sweet potato Crockpot oats

Ingredients

• 1C steel cut oats - not rolled, not quick, MUST be steel cut
• 4C Milk - I use 1%
• 1/2C pumpkin puree
• 1/2C mashed sweet potato - I baked about 10 sweet potatoes in the Crockpot, they slid right out of their skins and I have been adding them to all kinds of baked goods. Gave me about a quart of mashed sweet potato
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, ginger, cloves, to taste - I add about 2tsp cinnamon and a few good dashes of everything else
• 1tsp vanilla - best quality you can get

Pour everything in the pot, stir, cover, if your pot has a timer that will turn to warm set it on for 4-5 hours and leave it on warm until ready to eat. If you don't have a slow cooker with a timer set it to low, and check it in the middle of the night, switch it to warm after about 4-5 hours.

I make these before bed and breakfast is warm and ready in the morning. Depending on how much you scoop out there are easily 6-8 servings, and it makes a very hearty  breakfast.

You can reheat this in the microwave, on the stove top with a little more milk, or in the over at 500* for 5-10 minutes. I use the oven method because it is easier to clean and I don't have a microwave :)

And next time I make this, I will take pictures of all the steps and stages.

Do you have a go-to recipe you have perfected? 

Are you a breakfast eater? What is your normal breakfast fare?

Little Changes

The hubby (my wonderful hubby) had to pick me up / drop me off at school today to deal with some car issues. Unfortunately, on our way home one of the rear tires on the car completely blew out. Never a good thing, but I took advantage of the situation by fitting in a second workout. The garage we got the car towed to was straight down hill from where the tire blew. I knew that the total distance was a mile or two and thought to myself "I can at least walk down the hill and burn an extra 200 calories for the effort - that means I can eat more for dinner!"

I grabbed my sneakers out of the car, kissed the hubby, and waved as he and the tow truck driver headed down the hill.

I started up my miCoach app, set my playlist for shuffle, chose "free workout" - meaning I had no pace or distance goals for the workout - and headed down the hill.

I started off around a 17min/mile pace for my warm up and thought I would "wog" with my usual walk breaks down the hill. After my first 5 minute jogging stretch I thought "I can go a little longer".

I can go a little longer - it was my mantra down that hill. I can go a little longer. And I did. I jogged for 20 minutes straight with NO WALK BREAKS! I ran for 1.54 miles - I have never run that far without walking. I have not run a mile since high school or junior high - and even then I had to take walk breaks.

And I know that the downhill run is slightly cheating, but I am not letting it diminish my pride. I felt good when I hit the bottom of the hill. I was still thinking "I can go a little longer".

I can go a little longer. I can run a little faster. I can make a few more small changes. I got this. I can make it to my finish line this time. I can go a little longer.

Clutter house = cluttered body

I was listen to Jillian Michaels'  latest podcast today. In it she talked about making your home a sanctuary and how various parts of your home reflect you - or should. The part that really struck home with me today was how if you kitchen is a mess, if it is cluttered and disorganized it is reflective of how you feel-think-act towards your health. Wow. Anyone who knows me in "real life" knows that I am a slob. I don't mean to be, I don't want to be, I am getting help to be different, but this is my reality at least for now. And my kitchen is very often a DISASTER. Right now it is certainly not awesome-ness but in general it is far better than it has been in the past and certainly above and beyond when it has been the worst. In  the last month it has been not too bad. And in the last month I have been focusing more and more on my health, my fitness, my weight loss, my need for a clean and organized mind/body/life. 

When I focus on me I notice the chaos around me. I care. I want to be different. When I focus on everyone/thing else, I see the chaos, but I don't care. I mean I care if it is approaching health hazard state, but I am so worn down and tired and overwhelmed by everything that I just can't seem to find the... I don't the whatever to deal with the chaos.

You hear over and over again how its important - especially for women - to make yourself a priority when you are trying to be fit and healthy. Mom needs to put herself first sometimes because she will be happier and that will make her a better, stronger, happier mother. And if you are a mother (or woman or caregiver of any kind) that advice tends to go in one ear and out the other. But in this last month or so I have put myself, well not necessarily first, but at least not last. And as I move "me" up the priority list I am happier, I do feel better, I am a better wife and mother. And I am positive that when I get to be #1 on the list I will have the clean and organized kitchen to prove it. I'll even post pictures.

Rested yesterday, 4 more miles today including speed/C25K training.

Why do I ever doubt clean eating?

I keep hoping that something else will make me lose weight fast. Really fast. If I could wake up tomorrow 118lbs lighter than I am right now I would think it a miracle. And then I would go shopping. So I flit from program to program and eating fad to eating fad. I know what works for me:

• Carbs late in the day make me tired and hungry. 
• Denying myself chocolate all the time makes me cranky. 
• Peanut butter makes me want to binge.
• I cannot eat 1oz of cheese unless 1oz is all I have.
• If I don't eat breakfast when I get up it will take me about four hours to eat. And then I eat a lot.
• Steaming broccoli when I am still hungry at the end of a meal
• As tired as I am when I get up at 4:30 and workout I feel better the rest of the day.
• And when I don't eat clean nothing goes right.

So I know what I need to do. I need to eat clean. Whole grains, lean proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables. Planning my meals - for the whole week, not just the next day. Make sure dinner will be quick to cook when I get home or in the Crockpot before I leave (I hate eating dinner after 8PM all the time!). Use the advice, recipes, support and insight I get from my online friends, my blogger friends, my clean eating friends, my magazines, and my smart wonderful hubby - the hubby that just bought me a new George Foreman grill/waffle maker/baking dish/slider maker! Should be here Monday night and I cannot weight!

I am going to go snuggle up with the hubster. I am excited for my plan for tomorrow - for my plan for my life. I feel good.