Spinach in smoothies…sure. Spinach in oats?
Why not?
After yesterday’s sugarama breakfast, I went straight up veggie today. Following one reader’s advice (thank you Tracy!), I added spinach to this morning’s mix. On the stove top, I cooked 1/2 cup of this:
My new non-dairy beverage of choice.
with 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/2 cup wheat bran, 1 handful of frozen spinach, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp agave nectar, and a pinch of salt. After cooling for a few minutes, I blended everything in the Vita-Mix and topped it off with the last of my almond walnut butter. This bowl was high on the full factor scale and totally yummy. I was a bit disappointed as I was hoping for a subtle coconut flavor, but I couldn’t taste any at all. Next time, I’ll use more milk and less water. The oats were not very sweet with only 1 tsp. of agave, but that’s how I prefer them these days. For those who love some sweetness, I’m sure a banana would completely mask any green taste. For me, this recipe was just right. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it’s true what they say about sweets and sugar. Once you get used to not having any, the cravings really do go away…REALLY. Now, the thought of how much sweetener I used to add makes my stomach turn. Wow, who would’ve thought?
Time for more homemade nut butter…
1.25 pounds of roasted cashews and almonds into the food processor.
The final product:
Try not to lick your screen.
1.25 lbs of nuts made enough to fill up this 16 oz jar. with about 4 spoonfuls leftover…which were enough to fill up my belly. Oops. 
Amazing and delicious. I can’t say enough about this combo. For those of you that tried without success to make homemade nut butters, don’t give up just yet. Let your food processor run for about 5 minutes for your nuts to get beyond the dust stage. Just keep scraping the sides and letting it run. This batch probably took about 7-8 minutes before it turned smooth and creamy.
Ice-cream review time…
Carbo loading at its best.
CD, my favorite runner, is planning on a half marathon this Saturday and is therefore upping his carb intake. Thanks to Turtle Mountain, our freezer is stocked with an abundance of carbolicious options. Out of the 4 flavors of ice-cream we received, Chris chose the cookie dough to receive the wrath of his spoon.
We're straight from the carton folks around here.
Chris’s review: Good and creamy with a hint of coconut. His only disappointment was the chunkage factor, or lack thereof…where is the cookie dough love? He’s been spoiled by Ben & Jerry.
Stay tuned for more coconut milk product reviews and don’t forget to enter my Turtle Mountain coconut milk product giveaway by Friday, March 13.
Here’s to a green veggie-filled day!
{ 51 comments }
Fabulous Idea for oats! I will try this out when I get back from Spring Break! YUM!
And I’m totally jealous of that Cashew-Almond butter, it looks phenomenal! I want to lick the screen!
here’s something fun i’m giving away for us smoothie freaks http://runtothefinish.blogspot.com/2009/03/matildas-kitchen-win-chance-to-enhance.html
Heather! Great idea to add spinach to the oats. I guess if it works in smoothies, why not in oats? I love that you add a serving of veggies without even trying or noticing. It also adds a ton of extra vitamins, fiber and bulk to the meal.
I really need to get a Vitamix! My little Magic Bullet does o.k., but for recipes like the spinach oats and nut butters where you want it really smooth I need something more powerful.
The ice cream does look delicious and “decadent” like the carton describes! I think I am more of a frozen yogurt girl though! I love the places like you mentioned the other day where you can pick your flavors and toppings! I tend to go a bit overboard though and end up with an aching belly!
everything looks great as always.
I would like a bowl of that ice cream topped with your homemade almond/cashew butter
CASHEW ALMOND BUTTER?! oh my goodness… i’m seriously drooling. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to start eating veggies in the mornings as well as throughout the day, and I think grains like this is a great idea!
There were actually more chunks of cookie dough than the picture suggests. I picked out all pieces in view before closing it back up.
WOW! That nut butter looks soooooooooo creamy! I totally want to try making my own. YUM! I totally agree with your thoughts on the sweets. Hope you have a good afternoon
Nut butter perfection! Jealous!
The spinach in the oats idea is great. Now that I’m a green smoothie non-virgin, I so don’t fear adding greens to typically “Sweet” stuff. I love it pureed with vanilla almond milk!
LOL I just posted about sauteed spinach oats (in my cookie dough post). But you actually make it look good!
This look so amazing! I love everything coconut!
Man your nut butter looks good! I am wiping off my screen as we speak. haha!
~Justine
If you don’t taste spinach in smoothies, why not oats?
I’m going to have to chat with you about the “sweetener” weaning. Maybe just cold turkey is the way to go? I need HELP.
I agree with Chris, the mo chunks the mo better. I mean, isn’t that the whole point?
This post made me drool. Everything looks SO good! I agree with Brandi– a bowl of the ice cream topped with your nut butter. Oh my yum.
What an awesome idea. I actually tried your other green idea with breakfast this morning – avocado chocolate frosting. It was great (I used chocolate PB2) – I’ll post about it later after I grocery shop.
I need to win your contest.
I’m drooling everywhere. My jaw literally dropped upon seeing this nut butter. AMAZING!!!
HOLY FREAKING GENIUS, THAT YOU ARE!!
The nut butter loooks amazing. (that sentence sounds so weird…never thought I’d type that one!)
Your cereal looks creepy, but I’m sure it was delish!
I love coconut ice cream!!!! Nutty coconut from baskin robbins is the BEST.
take care!
Kaneil, balanceisbest
Wow, just when I think you can’t come up with any more creative breakfast bowls, you out-do yourself!
ha i appreciate CD’s edit about the cookie dough! I think I’ll let that slide, I hope i WIN!!
“Try not to lick your screen.”
Too late!
I wish I had a food processor, I would be aaalll over homemade nut butter!
WOWWWWWWW!!! That’s one cool bowl of oatmeal. Might have to try it…
Whoa girl that looks amazing! I love the color contrast
I love green and brown!
Spinach in oats? That’s a new one! I might try this, though. Great way to sneak veggies into breakfast.
Heather, my computer screen doesn’t taste so good. Stop posting such amazing pictures of nut butter!
[as I sit here googling the vitamix...do you think I could get a used one for cheaper?]
Emily,
Hello my friend. Try the spinach – once you get past the odd color, you really don’t taste the greens…especially if you add a banana or something else to sweeten the oats.
You can buy a reconditioned demo model Vita-Mix. This is what I did. Still pretty pricey, but so worth it: https://secure.vitamix.com/acb/stores/4/Vita-Mix-5200-P748C108.aspx
That being said, I actually used my food processor to make the nut butter…it was much cheaper than my Vita-Mix.
you are so innovative with your food!! and your nut butter looks so perfectly creamy and, really, exactly how i imagine heaven would appear
.
** runs to go blend more nuts **
I’m so glad you tried this. I actually thought to myself the other day – if you can put spinach in a smoothie, why not oats? Glad you liked it.
And by “you” I meant… anyone. not you specifically
i totally just made a walnut cashew cinnamon nut butter because you made your walnut almond one! but i def couldn’t get mine as smooth…i only have a magic bullet to use and it wasn’t very effective…but i suppose that’s what a bit of chopping is for!
love the green-ness of your bfast!! yummers!
Your picture of nuts looks like it should be on a nut commercial! Mmmm I would love to taste that almond butter.. and cookie dough! You live quite the charmed life.
ill be over with a spoon in a bit.
that cashewalmond butter is callin
my name. you are amazing ladyfriend.
p.s i agree. screw pb2 and bnpb.
i decided if im going to shell out
the extra dough it might as well be
to get my grubby little paws on some
barneybutter or more naturallynutty.
:]
i thought hte same thing about the smoothies i’ve been making with half banana, milk, spinach and flax–don’t even taste the spinach! yum.
Oh my goodness! Spinach is my favorite veggie and I always put it in my salads, juices, smoothies… I’ve never even considered putting it in oatmeal! What an awesome idea–I’ll have to try it!
And, don’t even get me started on that fresh nut butter. It looks delish!
I’m giving this post a stumble!!!
*smiles*
Michele
Now that is a green monster!!! lol
You nailed it on the head when you said “try not to lick the screen”. Your nut butter looks superb Heather!
I was actually thinking about trying spinach in a blended grain bowl!! I’m so glad to hear it’s tasty. I might have to experiment with it in the near future!
I just made roasted almond butter too….yumm. Your blog makes me want to lick the screen
you are so brave to try spinach in your oats! you make popeye proud =) hope you have a great FRIDAY!
That’s a superfood bowl of oats if I’ve ever seen one–such healthful ingredients!
Choc Chip Cookie Dough Dairy Free ice cream sounds too good to be true…
When my nut butters run out I am SO making a batch of my own!
Your oatmeal was very green – great for st. patty’s day! Not sure about spinach in oatmeal, but I guess i shouldn’t knock it til I try it right?!
That nut butter looks simply AMAZING. How did you not eat the whole jar then and there??! I need to seriously get myself a food processor.
I’m kinda a cookie dough ice cream snob.
My favorite is to get Cake Batter ice cream from Coldstone Creamery and have them put in LOTSO cookie dough. But I would give that kind a whirl…I try not to discriminate when it comes to important matters such as cookie dough.
WOW your new nut-butter is beautiful & creamy… like a SMOOTHIE? get your straw out girl! hahaha. Have a great weekend!
you are CREATIVE.
Im wondering if I could sneak the green in to the Toddlers oats?
shes 3 but shes so freakin observant.
love,
miz, who will now be singing that green acres song all day
That nut butter looks AMAZING! We have an itty-bitty kitchen right now and I am so glad I have a stick blender for soups and things, but I can’t wait to have more space and a nice powerful blender for things like nut butters!
I am totally a salt-craver…very rarely do I get that urge for sweets…I have noticed that when I go a while without sweet treats and then return to something on the sweeter side, the level of sweetness is sometimes overpowering because I haven’t had it in so long. Really puts those “I can’t live without this!” cravings into a better perspective.
Wow, I can’t imagine spinach in oats!
Spinach in oats?! Cool!
The cashew almond butter looks great!
What kind of food processor do you use? (I don’t have one, so I was wondering if you would recommend the brand you have).
Mmmm, I love cookie dough ice cream!
Foodie (Fab & Delicious Food),
I got my food processor from a friend who imports appliances from China. It was a prototype and doesn’t even have a brand name on it. It was a completely random gift, and I had no idea how much use I would get out of it! Love my food processor. That beings said, I know both Cuisinart and KitchenAid make good models. Costco has great deals on food processors if you have one in your area. Every foodie needs one in the kitchen for sure!
Homey, that nut butter is awesome!!!! And I love the idea of spinach in oats.
this post is awesome!! i love the idea of spinach and oats!
Heather, Thanks for answering my question!
heather, do you think that any of your breakfasts’ are dorm/microwave friendly?!?! Now that I am home for spring break I am definitely going to try to re-create one of your amazingggg looking concoctions, but help, what about when I get back to school! haha!
thanks!
Jesslikesithot,
We don’t own a microwave, and so I cook all my oat bran concoctions on the stove-top, but I’m sure you could recreate them all in your dorm room using either oat bran or rolled oats. These are the microwave instructions from the back of Bob’s Red Mill oat bran:
MICROWAVE: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2/3 cup Oat Bran. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, let stand for 2 minutes. Makes two 1 cup servings.
Here is a great post regarding bananas in oatmeal that is microwave friendly: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/two-for-one/
Another post from Lee with instructions on how to make overnight oats in your dorm room: http://philabundanceoflife.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/my-first-instructional-video-overnight-oats/
Hope this info. helps. A girl’s gotta have her oats, even in living conditions sans kitchen!
Enjoy your spring break my friend.
Totally makes me want to lick the screen! YUM!
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