A New Workout & A New Oatmeal
My exercise has been a bit all over the place since I got back from California. My body was so tired from the trip, and I just haven’t had a lot of time for 90 minute yoga classes or long walks with the dogs. I’m trying to fit in at least 2 studio classes a week these days. Otherwise, I do short sequences on my own at home, and I try and walk the pups at least 30 minutes everyday. One of my new favorite interval workouts on the stationary bike is Mona Fartleks.
You can do the following on a bike, on the roads, a treadmill, the elliptical, etc.
- 5 minute easy warm-up
- 90 seconds fast, 90 seconds easy (x 2)
- 60 seconds fast, 60 seconds easy (x 4)
- 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds easy (x 4)
- 15 seconds fast, 15 seconds easy (x 4)
- 5 minute easy cool-down
The entire workout takes 30 minutes, so very quick and efficient and a nice alternative to my beloved Tabata Intervals. I did this yesterday on our stationary bike followed by about 10 minutes of yoga stretching and a headstand.
Now onto breakfast. Polly has been telling me of her love for McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal for a while now, and since Kroger was out of oat bran, I decided to try some for myself.
I love intervals as a workout. Cheese AND chocolate on oats? As much as I love both, I wonder if I would like it in oats?
That spin workout sounds amazing. I bet you’re super sweaty when you’re done (such a fabulous feeling). I’m going to look for that Irish Oatmeal. I want to give it a whirl. Happy Tuesday
Goat cheese and nutella? Hmmm, odd but I’ll give anything a try. I love Rapunzel brand organic chocolate hazelnut spread.
As for oats, I’ve been loving having a cookie crumbled on top. Holly’s vegan pumpkin molasses cookies are amazing for this
Thanks for sharing the bike workout! I screwed up my foot somehow so the stationary bike is my new best friend.
I made some spinach kabocha oats last week…delicious!
Oh gosh, I used to be a Nutella addict! I always like the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. That’s one of my all time favorites. Not too unusual though
Heather, I love the cheese and chocolate idea. My partner is from Wisconsin, and as I’ve learned from my previous visit, there is nothing that can’t be paired with cheese! Now, I couldn’t tell you how it got there, but there may have been some crystallized ginger and banana in a recent bowl of oats, round here…
I loooove steel cut and do most of the cooking the night before, but you may have persuaded me to try out the quick-cooking variety. Do they have to process the oats to cut the cooking time?
<3
Jaya, I’m assuming the Irish quick cooking oats are more processed just like regular quick cooking oatmeal. They probably roll them out and steam cook them or something. By the way, crystallized ginger and banana oats sounds amazing.
Your interval workout looks great. I love doing interval workouts now and than!! Goat cheese and chocolate… sounds good to me. I have had that combination together a few year ago and I remember it being delicious! Have a great day!
Haha I had to read that sentence a few times. At first I was like “okay, goat cheese sandwiches and nutella sandwiches” and then I realized it was nutella AND goat cheese on the same sandwich/oats!!! ahhh! Then again it’s hard to go wrong with sweet’n’salty!!
Hi, I hear that steelcut is better. So steel cut is chewer and quick is creamier? Hmm…maybe I shoud opt for the quick cook then. How do you tolerate oats when you are not a gluten fan? Can you get by ?
What is the difference between the goat cheese and the raw goat cheese?
Ive never had McCanns brand oats.. I see them everywhere, though. Ill have to check em out! My new fav combo is a simple mix of creamy oats (water, soy milk, oats), raisins, and a scoop of peanut butter (OR DUH ALMOND BUTTER) and a scoop of jelly (I like apricot). Tastes like a cookie!
Hey Carrie, I’m can tolerate gluten, but I usually avoid it by choice. However, love love love my oat bran and oatmeal. Other than that, I try and stick with gluten free grains. Raw goat cheese is not pasteurized. According to Alisa Fleming’s book, *Go Dairy Free* , it is well proven that pasteurization destroys and alters many beneficial nutrients. This is why some people opt for raw goat milk products, but many states have laws regulating the sales of unpasteurized dairy, my home state of Tennessee included.
Ah, well, it was a solid attempt at re-creating Nutella, but you know that can’t really be done
Nevertheless, I bet the chocolate + goats cheese made for a creamy combination!
I haven’t had oats in ages, actually! I’ve been loving my apple pies
I love love love Nutella!! My tummy doesn’t like it , I think because of the skim milk.blah!I do have a little container in the pantry I brought home from Italy.I may just have to dig in with some oats.YUM!Thanks for the idea:-) cc
That sounds incredible!!! I made my oatbran with sugar cookie sleigh ride last week–and doctored it was jam and stevia… sooooooo good
sounds like i need to try it!
my oat bran these days consist of banana, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, pumpkin butter and some almonds or walnuts. if i have some dark baking chocolate then a little of that goes in, too
Great workout and breakfast!! And yes, get on that Nutella
I remember that Runner’s World article!!! I definitely made myself a nutella and goat cheese panini (you can’t read about that combo and not try it at least once!), and it was delicious and really rich and filling. I love your oatbran interpretation of the sandwich
I’m totally diggin’ the goat cheese nutella oats! Fun! If you haven’t seen this, check out Healthy Indulgences homemade sugar free nutella. Sooooo much better: http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/search/label/nutella%20swirl%20cupcakes
For some weird reason, goat cheese and nutella sounds like an excellent combo! I guess chocolate and cheese are amazing on their own…so it only makes sense to team them up :O)
- Beth @ http://www.DiningAndDishing.com
Like the work out plan! can’t believe that is a 30 min ! I’ll use it in spinning next time!
That ooey gooey melted cheese and 100% choco is pretty awesome ! I prefer to only eat the tops though:-)
I think I might try that interval workout sounds interesting. Might be a neat thing to do a couple times a week
Can’t really beat long walks and yoga though.
I have been eating quinoa flakes the past few days and I am obsessed. They are so fluffy and light. I love their mush factor. I have also been eating a lot of sunflower seed butter to give myself a break from almonds for a little while. This stuff is amazing. It took me a while to find a brand that didnt have sugar but I found an organic brand that is so creamy and delicious. YUM
That combo sounds yummy! Today I had instant oats with flax, pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla soy milk. Twas tasty!
Allie, Just checked out the *Not-tella* link. Um, all I have to say is brilliant!
Cheese on oats?! Yum!
Girl that looks yummy!! I wonder what Gorgonzola and dark chocolate would taste like?? hehe
~Justine
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Irish oats!!
Love you, my peach. I make mine super simple and fast. I just dump my super hot water on top of the oats. Let them soak. EAT.
Hope your day is happy. It’s really sunny here! It’s also very COLD here! I left yoga this AM and about froze my hiney off. Breakfast today was an old standby… apple, avocado (farts and all) and can of tuna. hehe
Love that bike workout! Reminds me of a spinning class with the breakdown of speed and rest. Very fun, my friend. Hugs to you!! Love you bunches! Are you reading Malachi with me? Mama Pea and my friend Jenn are reading it. Join us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXO
Polly, Malachi – I’m in.
You’re so adventurous when it comes to oat toppings. I play it safe, almond butter, friut, nuts and jam.
I always try to think of a creative combination but it ends up tasting like ass every time….
Graze With Me, Had a few ass tasting bowls myself.
Before Halloween I thought I’d try a little “candy bar” oatmeal. I called it almond joy oatmeal and I sang that awesome jingle in my head while making them. It was those Irish quick cooking oats, shredded coconut, chopped almonds, and semi sweet choc. chips. mmmm yum
Nutella makes everything better
But goat cheese… and chocolate?… Hmm.. Well, I know cheese and fruit works well, so why not cheese and chocolate right… but the fact that you made the combo with OATS! Haha! It made lol, but it did sure sound interesting
That sounds like a great interval workout. I haven’t done intervals for a while, so I think I’ll try this for my next run.
Not sure about cheese and chocolate on oats but I would definitely try it! I like sweet and salty…
I love Nutella! when I lived in Denmark it was a staple in the house!
hhmm..that sounds really tasty! I love sweet and salty combos…my fav…I might give this a try soon. Thanks!
Nutella is good on EVERYTHING!! That’s why I’m so happy I finally created a recipe for vegan Nutella… but it’s equally addictive and lasts about 5 minutes in our house!
Anything topped in chocolate!
YUM!
http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
You never cease to amaze me with your oat combos! Love goat cheese, love dark chocolate… but I don’t think I’m brave enough to put them together! Maybe one day
I love McCanns Irish Oats. They’re even creamier than regular quick oats.
I haven’t had oat bran in so long! I need to get it in life. It’s my favorite. And that last pic (even though its goat cheese and chocolate
) is definitely making me crave some!
You said Mona Fartleks. Heheheheheh.
I’m not a cheese girl, but chocolate is never a bad thing, is it?
You can cook steel cut oats in a slow cooker over night. This way you never have to use any form of instant again! They are really delicious too.
Lisa
http://www.snacksnoop.com
Oh my that sounds awesome! I must try this soon
Um, that’s an AMAZING idea. Along the same lines, maybe some oat bran with roasted beets, goat cheese and walnuts would be good too! I love that combo on salads, so I feel like a slightly sweet version with oats could be good too…hmmm…maybe with honey as well!
What kind of chocolate are you eating? Please enlighten!
Thankyou, now I am also intrigued by the nutella and goat cheese combo too! I looove steel cut, but have yet to try the instant kind, will also add that to my list (maybe with goat cheese and nutella on top
)
Lately I’ve been putting M&Ms and marshmallow fluff on my oats. Healthy? No. Delicious? Hell yes!
Chocolate oatbran sounds perfect to me! Lately i’ve been very into pumpkin/almond butter oats, although I’m sure you’ve tried that before.. soooo good!
( http://www.joelygolightly.wordpress.com )
You have some very creative foods ma’am I’m not that adventorous!
I’m loving the combo! It sounds scrumptious!
Wow what a unique oatmeal combo!!! So HEAB-tastic!
PeonyJen, You’re the second reader who has emailed me about eating bread with kabocha and apple slices today. Crazy, huh? My favorite chocolate is the unsweetened Bakers baking chocolate. Weird, I know, but I love it. I topped my oats with 1/2 square pulsed in the food processor.
Awesome new workout Healther
and your oats look greatttt!
Interval workouts are seriously the best. I am going to copy this one down and try it out of the elliptical.
Also, every time I read your blog your making another unique bowl of oatbran. Although I would probably never put goat cheese and chocolate on my oats – I simply love how creative you are!
I have a question for you about oatmeal since you mentioned kroger. I’ve looked for it at our kroger and the only brand I can find is the store brand. Is that the kind you usually buy? I’ve never had it before, so I was a little nervous to buy the store brand b/c sometimes the quality isn’t so great.
I just bought a box of cream of rice cereal. The ingredients are listed as 100% stone ground milled brown rice. It says 3 tbsps (35 g) is 120 cals, 27 g carbs, and 3 g of protein (1 g fiber). Is this comparable to oat bran?
Oo I have been eyeing that cereal for a while. And I love when you give us workout ideas. Today Bobby picked up some hot cereal mix that I’ve never seen before. I was so proud of him
I’ll have to try it tomorrow.
Homecookedem, Love the Kroger brand oat bran. Good stuff!
Carrie, I’ve read so many different calorie counts for oat bran, but I’m just going to go with the Quaker guy. According the their website, 1/2 cup (40g) of oat bran contains 150 calories, 25 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. So, close in calories, but oat bran definitely higher in fiber as well as protein.
It’s not oatmeal per se, but I’ve been using oats in my morning smoothies for the past few weeks and it is amazing (literally, I am consistently amazed) at how full it keeps me. I really like that I can prep the smoothie at night, throw it in the fridge, and sip on it throughout the morning. It prevents me from gobbling it down in 10 minutes while I’m getting ready for work, thus causing me to be fuller longer and actually enjoy my meal!
I generally use 1/3 cup oats, almond butter, frozen naners or fruit (whatever variety), wheat bran, flax seeds, and milk or yogurt for some protein. Thinkin’ about getting me some Jay Robb though! Maybe the chocolate?!
Erin, Love Jay Robb. I’m a rice protein powder girl b/c I try and avoid dairy, but Jay’s whey is the best. Do you live near a Whole Foods? They usually sell individual sized serving packets of his whey protein powder, and yes, chocolate is YUMMY!
Thanks for the great interval workout Heather! I tried it out this morning at the gym, and it was awesome! I was a big sweaty mess by the end – just the way I like it. I love intervals because I know I push myself harder when I’m focused for a shorter time frame like that, instead of just zoning out.
so funny I just bought nutella for the first time every and it is good, but after reading the ingredients (oops a bit late) I probably won’t pick it up again! I actually have a post about that tomorrow
When I first saw the picture of your new oat bran concoction I thought I saw little chunks of onion. I thought, “Oh wow…Heather has REALLY done it this time!!!” Good to know you haven’t quite gone that far – yet!!
Just wanted to drop in, say hi and see how you’re doing.
interesting combo for the oats!
and great bike intervals…even when i do those to keep me from getting bored, i still get bored! haha!
Awesome bike intervals!! Seems like a great, fast workout!
Lovely looking oats! Oat bran or irish oats, both look yummy to me!!
<3 jess
YES YES YES, I don’t have a combo, but I’m simply MAD MAD MAD over roasted carob powder. It’s going into everything!!! Shakes, puddings, breakfast cookies, greek yogurt. I’m gonna post one of these days on how insane I am over this stuff.
So your oats were savory and sweet all at the same time?!?! Did you like it? Love it?
PS Although it KILLED me, I just threw out an unopened jar of Nutella that I had been keeping and keeping and keeping. Finally I got ruthless and when I saw it “expired” in 2007 I just tossed it- literally ten minutes ago. You and I both know that Nutella will last until the next ice age, or the end of the world, but STILL. I just had to part ways with it. :-/
Katie, So glad you liked the workout. Intervals make the time go by so much faster – the only cardio I really do these days. Very quick and efficient – perfect.
Hi Hayley, Miss you.
Wise decision Deb on the Nutella, and oh my gosh, I love roasted carob powder. Made hot cocoa with it last night – my favorite thing to do when it starts getting colder. 2 cups rice milk, 2 TBSP carob powder, and stevia. Mmm. Goat cheese and dark chocolate were good, but I think it would have been better with sweet chocolate. The unsweetened stuff was a little too bitter and the raw goat cheese was a little too…goaty? Not horrible though.
wow! great oatmeal!
jenna
Oooh – I like your new workout! And I’m impressed you’ve lasted with the bike tabatas as long as you have. One month of those babies and I relegated them to the every-once-in-a-random-while pile. Effective, yes, but very boring! Anyhow I’m excited to see how your new workout works out (hee!)
Love McCann’s! Never tried it with Jay Robb though.
McCanns is amazing! I just finished off the last of mine and, im not gonna lie, im a little depressed about it.
That being said, Feta Cheese and Sundried Tomatos. Do it now and thank me later (perhaps even add in some garbanzos for good measure).
Looking forward to trying those intervals. I’ve been doing the tabata’s 2x/week (5:00 warm up, 35-40 mins of 8sec sprint/12 recovery , then finish out up to an hour with lighter spin cooldown) and would enjoy something different in the mix. I also took Gina’s RAD workout and adapted it for the bike (ie: sprints, hill climbs, etc) and do it some.
Love McCanns…yummy stuff! I’ve slacked on oats of all forms lately. Need to get back to them. Hardly been eating at all it hurts so bad!
Hope you’re able to get back to your longer yoga sessions!
Sam, What’s hurting so much?
Love your savory combo Clay. Must try it soon – thx!
I love cottage cheese with chocolate syrup drizzled in, so there is a chance I would like what you had!!
Great picture ofthe oatmeal! I have to ask what camera you use?!! Also- try Tahini sprinkled with chocolate!!! HEAVEN!!!! Hope you are doing well! Also, the poppyseeds are great in butters/tahini with some stevia added!
ProteinGirl, Still need to try the poppyseeds, and I love the idea of tahini and chocolate! My camera is a Canon Power Shot A630. Christmas gift from my mom and brother. I love it!
I have been CRAVING Nutella lately! I think I’ll just have to go ahead and get them.
I’ve never tried steel cut oats, but yours look pretty good. I was actually thinking something a long the same lines as your combo yesterday though. Kind of weird! I have a hunk of brie in my fridge right now, so I was pondering if that would be good on oatmeal with some raspberry, apricot, or fig jam? I mean…that’s such a good combo on crackers and sandwiches right!? I don’t know if I’m brave enough to try it!
Tina, Try it – your brie/jam combo sounds delicious in my opinion, and here is a recipe for homemade vegan Nutella that I want to try: http://chicagomarathonval.com/2009/08/11/nutella-nutella-nutella-nutella-nutella/
Stomach. The heating pad is my friend.
Sounds really cool…I will give it a shot!
A current more classic combo that I have been drooling over lately is pears and blue cheese. Once you stir over low heat, the pears become really soft and melty. I then stir in a big spoonful of blue cheese and I am in oats heaven!
When I was a pastry chef, back in the day, Nutella was my passion. The most interesting thing I ever did with it was eat it by the spoonful(hey–I’m a purist), but I did hear about a place that somehow incorporated it into a sauce for salmon and called it–what else?–”Salmonella.”
I ultimately ate too much of it and can’t really enjoy it anymore, but I completely understand your passion for it and even though I’ve tried healthy substitutes, nothing does the trick like the real deal, peanut oil and powdered skim milk be damned.
Your oatmeal reminds me of my new favorite sandwich! AB, C, & N sandwiches
Almond Butter, Carrots, & Nutella on sprouted bread. I’ve also branched out to Almond Butter, Spinach, & Nutella. Though my family thinks I’m insane to eat spinach & nutella together, I find both combos to be delicious!
Catherine, I don’t think you’re insane. All your combos sound delicious to me!
Sounds amazing Courtney!
now i’m totally intrigued–goat cheese and nutella?? i’m on it
Okay Heather, so I tried the interval workout today on my recumbent bike and it was great! Sweaty and awesome, and a lot more interesting than pedaling away with a book. Thanks for the idea!
Rebecca, So glad you tried it. Intervals are so fun – make the time go by much faster.
Lisa, I tried that once and ended up with a gelatinous pile of goo. I have a super cheap slow cooker – I think if I ever get one with a timer, I’ll try it again. Mine has 3 settings – off, low, & high. It gets the job done, but when it dies, I hope to get a nicer one, and then I’ll try the steel cut oats again.
Heather– where do you find raw goat cheese? I live in NY just outside of NYC and I have never seen anything like that at Whole Foods before. Suggestions?
Kim, I buy it at my Whole Foods, but I always have to ask the cheese guy where it is. I also use to buy this brand at our Wild Oats before Whole Foods bought them out: http://www.altadenadairy.com/products/cheese.html