Peanut Butter & Jelly Overnight Oats (and My Favorite Things Giveaway)
PIN IT!These creamy peanut butter and jelly overnight oats are the perfect dish to make when you don’t have time but want a healthy breakfast! Plus, who doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly?
When the dog bites, when the bee stings, When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, And then I don’t feel so bad! Name one person who doesn’t instantly feel better when they hear that song. No matter how crummy of a day I’m having, that song brings a little crooked smile to my face and I feel just a bit better. Which is why I’m hosting a fun little giveaway to the tune of my favorite bad day song.
But before we get to those amazing goodies, let’s talk about overnight oats for a second. If you’ve been reading for a while, you may notice that I sort of have an obsession with overnight oats and quinoa. Blueberry, banana, coconut, pear…I probably have an overnight oats recipe in almost every flavor possible. What can I say, I’m absolutely obsessed. Maybe it’s because of my addiction to peanut butter, but these overnight oats are easily my favorite.
I love these so much, I’m making them again tonight. I’m really bad at eating breakfast everyday and having a week’s worth of cereal made ahead of time makes it just a little easier to want to eat. Of course I’ll still dream of cinnamon rolls, but I don’t think anything will stop that.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Overnight Oats
Serves about 4.
Prep time: About 5 minutes
Cook time: About 6 hours
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
- 2 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1-1/2 tablespoons raspberry jelly
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
For the directions on how to make this amazing peanut butter and jelly oatmeal recipe, grab it here on SheKnows!
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 218
Fat: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
NOW, for the giveaway!! I’m so excited about this one, you guys. Since we’re experiencing another polar vortex next week (18 degrees as a HIGH? Ugh please) I thought it would be the perfect time to giveaway a few of my winter essentials! Let’s start with the foodie stuff 🙂
The amazing folks at Crock-Pot are so incredibly generous, they are giving away one of their beautiful new crock-pots with a self-stirring timer. This baby is a GOD-SEND when it comes to making overnight oats. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt my favorite oats because I forgot to stir mid-way. This will make any kind of slow-cooking an absolute breeze for you. To go with your slow cooker, I’m adding four Bob’s Red Mill bread mixes, because what goes better with a delicious slow-cooked stew than a big loaf of fresh bread? Now onto the cozy things 🙂
I’m throwing in two of my favorite winter accessories because I can’t survive winter without them. One of my good friends here in DC is an amazing crafter and she’s giving one lucky reader one of these soft, fluffy and incredibly adorable double-loop infinity scarves. I wear mine all day everyday because it’s the softest and coziest scarf I own. Check out her Etsy shop for more fabulous colors and products! I’m also adding in a pair of trendy boot socks. I just ordered two of these cute pairs from one of my favorite Etsy shops, and I can’t stop wearing them. So one of you lucky peeps will get a pair in any color you’d like!
Okay, so now, the fun part! To enter to win, simply fill out the prompts below! Giveaway ends February 2nd at midnight!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
These classic and amazing muffins are the perfect start to your busy day or a great protein-packed snack for the middle of the day!
Before we get to the weight loss talk, I wanted to briefly chat about these amazing peanut butter and jelly muffins! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, this recipe might look rather familiar. I made them way back in March of 2011 and the photos are pretty awful. I actually used an iPhone 3s to take these. Isn’t that horrible? And these muffins deserve more, they deserve a sexy photo-shoot that makes them look as delicious as they are.
Now the weight talk. Weight loss – 2 trillion points. Me – Negative 60 trillion points. I know losing weight isn’t easy and is supposed to be trying, but ugh, why does it have to be THIS trying and difficult? Losing weight is hard for anyone, but it’s especially hard for me. No, I don’t have a disorder or a condition, but I am a full-time food writer, and not just for this blog. My full-time gig requires me to make foods that aren’t healthy, low-fat or skinny, like four-cheese pull apart bread, velveeta cheeseburger dip and extra gooey cinnamon rolls. Despite cutting the recipes in fourths, there’s still food here and not eating it is the hardest thing in the world, let me tell you.
But, surprisingly, we’re not here to talk about the physical difficulties when it comes to dieting, we’re here to talk about the mental ones. ALL THE FEELS!
When you decide to make a big change in yourself, like weight loss, you put all of your focus on the parts about you that you hate, the parts you desperately want to change, like your “thunder” thighs, muffin top or jiggly arms. And because you want to change these parts so desperately, that is all you focus on. All you can see when you look in the mirror are those thunder thighs or jiggly arms. All you can think of when you’re eating is how much you hate your stomach. This makes sense, if you hate something enough you’re motivated to change it. But in those cases that you fail and gain weight, these words of hate can make you feel so pathetically small.
I’ve failed with weight loss more times than I care to admit,and the worst part isn’t the fact that I haven’t lost any weight, it’s the way I see myself the moment after I weigh in. All I can focus on is how disgusting my body is, and how much of a failure I am that I can’t fix the only things I can control. The words that once incited positive change when I stared at my naked body quickly turned from motivational to self-destructive. And there’s no worse feeling than a destructive one. That’s why I’m doing something a little different this time around and it has absolutely nothing to do with eating right or exercising.
Instead of focusing on the things I hate about myself every morning, I’m repeating 10 things I love about my body instead. I may hate my stomach, but I love my eyes. My thighs are larger than I’d care for them to be, but they’re also pretty damn powerful. I hate my cellulite but I love my ass. My arms are a bit jiggly, but I do love my boobs. I love my height and have fun hair. Putting all of my focus into the parts about me that I do love is 15,000 times more motivating than focusing on all the things I hate. When I go to the gym, I’m not pushing myself to lose these thunder thighs or sculpt my muffin top, instead I’m pushing myself to strengthen my legs and core.
And when I do slip up and gain instead of lose or stay stagnant with my losses, these positive thoughts will make it so much easier to get back on the wagon than those negative ones did. And it sure feels a helluva lot better to look in the mirror and smile than cry, don’t you think?
Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 12.
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Cook time: About 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup light cream
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup low-sugar blueberry jelly
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Make a well into the center of the flour mixture and stir in the peanut butter, egg, butter, vanilla, milk and light cream. Stir to combine.
- Fill each muffin liner 1/2 the way with batter and top with 1 1/2 teaspoons of strawberry jelly. Add a tablespoon of batter to cover the jelly.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown.
Nutritional information per muffin:
Calories: 189.5
Fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fiber: 1.5 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 5
Crispy Baked Shrimp
Looking for a healthy, easy and delicious one-pot weeknight dinner? Try this healthy and flavorful crispy baked shrimp! You won’t be able to have just one bite.
With how last week ended, I’ve never been more excited to welcome a Monday in my life. I’m sparing you the details, but let’s just say, 2014 isn’t getting any prettier. But, I’m not dwelling on that. The sun is shining, I’m healthy and I’m going to make this the best week I possibly can. I’m not entirely sure where this surge of optimism came, but I’m running with it.
Simply put, nothing ever comes from sulking around in misery. I’ve spent days crying and walking around with a figurative raincloud over my head, and nothing changed. When you give up on the world, it very much gives up on you. That’s why I’m fighting this spree of bad and unfortunate events with a big smile on my face. I know I can’t fix the things that are out of my control, but I can certainly fix the things that are.
And naturally, one of the things I can change is how I feel about myself, starting with my weight. As you all know, I’ve had a big yo-yo with my weight these last few months and sadly I’m at the highest point I’ve been at in years. I’m not happy to admit that and it was hard for me to even type, but I want to be honest with you guys. Unlike many of my other “aha” weight-loss moments, an unflattering photo, an upcoming spring break, interest from a cute boy, this comes from something far less exciting, pants. I got two new pairs of jeans for Christmas, in my normal size 8, and not one of them fit.
Do you know how utterly embarrassing that is to have to bend, squeeze and stuff yourself into pants you used to wear with ease? And even once they are on, my stomach is exploding out from all sides. It’s not a pretty picture. That’s why I’m really taking weight-loss into my hands this time. In addition to a new workout regime (Pure Barre, more on that later), I’m going to give Weight Watchers a serious go.
Truth be told, every other time I’ve tried it, I’ve been lazy. For one, I never counted all of the wine I drank (6 points a glass!) and secondly I’d completely give up on the day if I went over. I would try again the next day only to fail. The only person I was hurting was myself, and I knew that. Maybe I never really wanted the weight loss like I do now. These past crummy weeks have really shown me that only I can control myself, and even if the world is crumbling around me, I can still control my body and how I feel about it.
I’m going to write posts about my weight-loss wins and loses as well as some recipes that have helped me stay strong in my goals. There’s absolutely no better recipe to kick-start a new week and a new me than this crispy baked shrimp. Coated with my favorite Food Should Taste Good chips, this light, crispy and oh-so-cheesy shrimp dish will make eating lighter far more delicious.
Crispy Baked Shrimp
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6 -7.
Prep time: About 5 – 8 minutes
Cook time: 16 – 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound peeled and de-veined shrimp
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 -2/3 cup crushed Food Should Taste Good kettle chips
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large oven-safe skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the garlic, olive oil, kettle chips, broth, crushed red pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Lay the shrimp in the bottom of the baking dish. Press the chip topping over the top of the shrimp with a spatula. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for at least 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the shrimp is pink. Once cooked, top the shrimps with chopped basil.
Nutritional information per serving (about 4 – 5 pieces of shrimp):
Calories: 240
Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 12 grams
Fiber: 6.5 grams
Protein: 16 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 5
Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats (and A New Start)
These blueberry muffin overnight oats taste just the bakery style muffins you get at Panera, only with about half the fat and calories. Plus, they cook while you sleep, what’s better than that?
Truth be told, I’ve been feeling pretty lost lately. New Years can be pretty intimidating for me, because it comes with a lot of pressure. A giant push to be a better me, eat healthier, work out more, write more meaningful pieces and make a difference. When I think of all the things I want to accomplish and the person I want to be, I start to panic. What if I can’t do it all and another year goes by without making my dreams come true?
Every January for the past 4 years, I’ve told myself that this will be the year I finally bite the bullet and apply to culinary school in Paris. This is the year I finally put my savings account to good use and pick up and travel for 5 months around the world. This is the year I FINALLY write that memoir I started in college and tell the story about me only few people know about. And every year on December 31st, I realize I’m no closer to any of those than I was on January 1st. It’s hard not to feel a little let down.
And now, at 28, starting 2014, I feel more lost than ambitious, which sucks. I miss starting the new year bursting at the seams (mentally and physically, we’ll get to that later) with fresh new ideas, exciting adventures to be taken and new goals I can’t wait to accomplish. This year I felt so overwhelmed by everything that I never sat down to write them. And if I’m being honest, it’s because I’m terrified if I set them, another year will go by and none of them will be accomplished. And that’s not because I’m lazy or unmotivated, it’s because I don’t make them a big enough priority. And by June the paper I’ve written them down on has long been tossed in a drawer or thrown away with the trash. I don’t give myself the chance to make them come true.
Maybe what I’m feeling isn’t lost, it’s fear. What if I do move to Paris and realize that I’m not meant for the cut-throat culinary world? What if I take off on my 5 month adventure only to return home 3 weeks later because I’m terrified of being alone? What if I put my heart and soul into that book and no one publishes it? Or worse, reads it? All of these what ifs clutter in my mind and I start to question EVERY SINGLE THING I dream about.
As I write this now, I realize I’m just scared. And my fear is the only reason I start every January 1st with the same goals I had the year before. And you know what? I’m not doing that anymore. I’m not running away from the person I want to be anymore. I’m not going to push her away because her life is different than the one I have now. I know I won’t be able to accomplish every single goal I set out, but I can accomplish one. And DAMN IT, I’m going to. Because unlike the years before, I’ve already began my journey to make it come true.
How’s that for ambiguous?
Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats
Serves about 6. Recipe slightly adapted from Healthy Slow Cooking.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: 4 – 6 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 3 cups skim milk
- 1/3 cup light cream
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 low-fat blueberry muffin, crumbled (I used one of these!)
- Fresh whipped cream
Directions:
- Spray the basin of a crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the oats, milk, cream, blueberries, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir the mixture to combine.
- Set your slow cooker to low and cook about 5 – 7 hours, stirring about halfway through to ensure it’s evenly mixed and doesn’t burn. Mix in the lemon zest and crumbled up blueberry muffin.
- Garnish each bowl with fresh whipped cream.
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/3 cup):
Calories: 275
Fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 44 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
11-Piece Calphalon Pot & Pan Set Giveaway
Um, it’s freezing outside. Actually no, it’s BELOW freezing outside. As much as I love cozying up in big chunky sweaters when it’s frigid outside, I have to admit, this weather is making me feel just a little…cabin fevery? Thankfully we aren’t trapped under feet of snow, but it’s so cold you just don’t want to be outside. Also, our Prius, which is supposed to be a transforming robot, apparently takes 14 years to heat up. And our house, which was built in 1792, doesn’t have real heating. Which is why I’ve been hiding under the blanket on my couch, therefore limiting me to the outside world.
And you know what? I miss the outside world. On the plus side though, I’ve been cooking up a storm. Which is why I have 15 new and delicious recipes to share with you this week, like blueberry muffin oats and crispy baked shrimp. Before I share those though, I have to share something even more exciting than crispy baked shrimp, a GIVEAWAY! (Cue loud music, flashing lights and cage dancers). I’ve partnered with a few of my favorite healthy food bloggers to give one lucky person a brand spankin’ new 11-piece Calphalon pot and pan set!
Wanna know the best thing about this pot and pan set? Besides the fact it’ll be FREE to one of you lucky readers? It’s completely dishwasher safe. If you cook as much as I do, that is probably the most alluring thing ever. I can’t tell you how many minutes of my life have been wasted soaking, scrubbing and drying my pots and pans. I could probably have run a marathon in that time. I mean, I wouldn’t because I hate running, but you get the picture. Imagine the time you would save NOT hand washing your pots and pans.
What would you do with it?
As you mull that over, enter to win the amazing set in the widget below. And be sure to visit my friends Carolyn, Gina and Liz while you’re at it, because they are fabulous and co-hosting this little giveaway with me! *GIVEAWAY ends January 18th at midnight. GOOD LUCK!
