Hi friends! 😀
I have a secret to share with you guys today. Actually, make that two secrets.
Secret #1? (And Mom, if you’re reading, please stop now…)
I’m a plant killer.
… it’s true.
Caught red dirt handed at the scene of the crime….
With my mom gone for the summer, the care of our household plants fell onto my shoulders; their lives were in my hands. Now, I have nothing against plants – in fact, I actually kind of like them quite a bit – but taking care of them? Whooooole other story. Previous summers where my mom’s been away, we may or may not have lost a few plants to uhm… dehydration. I would forget to water them, and unless it was a cactus, it would be either shrivelled up or hanging on to life by a thread by the time my mom came back.
This summer, I’m proud to say that I more-or-less kept on top of the whole watering thing, but I must have some sort of subconscious vendetta against plants, or something, because despite my best efforts, they die anyways. The other day, while I was on the last leg of my water-duty rounds, I walked into one of the plant stands, sending the poor thing crashing to the ground, leaves flailing and roots exposed.
It wasn’t pretty.
In my defense, however, I did try my best to resuscitate it. Short of giving it mouth-to-mouth, I did all I could to keep it alive, including putting up with the extremely unpleasant feeling of dirt under my fingernails *shudder*. As of right now, the plant is on life support [read: an empty vase supporting it’s hanging branches];Â but I’m hoping that, with time, it’ll re-root itself and pull through. Fingers crossed.
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BUT… let’s move on to happier subjects with Secret #2:
How to cook eggy-bananafied steel cut oats.
I’ve had quite a few questions as to how I make my oatmeal, so I figured it was time to spill the beans. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a complete snob when it comes to my oats – I love ’em, but only when they’re prepared just so. Not too runny, not too voluminous – just thick and dough-like perfection. I’ve experimented with a lot of different techniques over the years, and this one is by far my favorite.
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What you’ll need:
- 1 cup water (or milk)
- pinch of salt
-  ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- ½ banana
- 3 Tbsp. steel cut oats + 1 Tbsp. scottish oats/oat bran
This yields one serving. Steel cut oats are more compact than rolled oats, which is why one serving is ¼ cup instead of ½. I prefer using steel-cut as opposed to rolled because of the crunchier texture… You can use a whole ¼ cup of steel cut instead of adding the scottish oats, but I find that the combination of the two leads to a slightly creamier consistency. I use Bob’s Red Mill for both kinds:
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What you’ll need to do:
1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small pan over medium heat. When water is boiling, add oats.
2. Reduce heat slightly just until oats are gently bubbling. Allow them to cook for ~20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to thicken and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in your egg white. You’ll need to pour and stir at the same time to prevent the egg from setting before it can be fully incorporated into the oats. The important thing to remember here is to add the egg white gradually and mix continuously. Allow it to cook for ~10 minutes.
4. When the egg white has set and been fully absorbed by the oats, add in ½ of a thinly sliced banana and ¼ tsp. of vanilla. Stir like crazy before allowing to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Remove oats from the heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes. This will allow them to thicken up a bit more and give them a more doughy/cakey/creamy consistency.
6. Transfer to bowl and garnish with the toppings of your choice!
Happy Eating!
. – . – . – .
What did you have for breakfast today?
Are you good with plants?
Wow. Talk about questions that have absolutely nothing in common…
… unless you eat plants for breakfast….
… no judgment if you do…
… (but oats are better)
I had breakfast at a friends house because I spent the night, so I went for something very out of the ordinary, whatever is available for me because I wake up famished! it was a big ole blueberry bagel with nutella on one side & Jif PB on the other with a side of grapes. I went home and needed something else almost immediately though haha.
And I am actually pretty good with plants. They all have specific watering needs (eg my orchid needs 3 ice cubes a week as opposed to water) And I take care of it unless I get in a busy funky week, and they can usually withstand that on occasion!
Ice cubes for plants? Lol I’ve never heard of that one… Clearly I’m in the know when it comes to taking care of these green buggers 😉
I had oatmeal for breakfast today with cookies and cream protien powder and berries, so good!
It looks fantastic! But I just don’t have the patience to cook a breakfast for 40+ minutes. And even if I had it, rolled oats are hard enough to find here, let alone steel cut. My breakfast today included some maple and honey rolled oats with a sliced banana (yum!) but it wasn’t enough for the hungry bicycle-riding beast so I had some (way too expensive) pumpernickel bread with coconut spread.
As for plants – I can write a dissertation on plants and emotions. Sometimes they just die, no matter what you do for them. I almost killed 2 begonias like this. They were perfectly fine and then one by one they lost all of their leaves and turned into ugly naked stems covered with mould. I had a bad period and they suffered with me. I still can’t believe they survived. So maybe these flowers miss your mom too (we don’t count the latest victim here 🙂 ).
Your oats look great! I’m gonna try adding egg whites into mine next time I make them.
I had two slices of Ezekiel toast with three egg whites for breakfast today. I actually have it every day because it’s low in sugar, has lots of protein and keeps me full for quite awhile.
I am no good with plants. You name the plant and I’ve probably killed it. Most recently it was these beautiful orchids I bought. It’s funny because the reason I bought them is the tag said they were so easy to take care of. Haha!
Gorgeous oats! Thanks for letting us in on your secret 😉
Breakfast is usually overnight oats – but my way, not the soak-raw-oats-method. I just love ’em!
And I’m pretty decent with plants, I grow herbs and lavender during the summer. In my yard, the deer tend to eat everything else; I’d love to grow Swiss chard, though, since I eat so much of it!
BAHAHAAH i dnt rly have any plants… but i would suck at keeping them healthy! im bad with flowers… so wait.. yeah those are plants! duhh.. yeah i SUCK!.. WOAH only 3tbsp makes that much!! impressive!
Oooh thankyou so much for sharing because your oats always always look SO amazing. I’m still new to the whole oats thing..I love my cereal too much. But I’m starting to get with it and have only tried Carrie’s method so I’m definitely going to try yours and compare!! 🙂
Guess what I had for breakfast?! Cereal of course haha! But GAH I’ve run out of my Puffins…I am truely truely devastated.
I actually have quite ‘green fingers’ and like growing things like herbs and I have some strawberries, raspberries and a lemon tree growing at the moment! They always seem to turn out well 🙂
EEEE thanks for sharing! I can’t stand having oats just made with water. Mine at least need some milk 😉
xxx
HAHA I’m the same with plants!! I had the EXACT same thing happen to me!! I looked after my momma’s plants and they died…yeah she wasn’t too happy about that! 😛
Oooh I REALLY want to try steel cut oats!! They sound so yum!! I just had my breakfast, and guess what? It was OATS!! It was PB chocolate chip cookie dough baked oatmeal, and it was HEAVEN 🙂
I eat plants for breakfast nearly every day. 🙂 Right now I’m on an asparagus kick, but zucchini, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and butternut squash all make frequent appearances. I wish I could say that I grow this delicious morning veggie fuel, but the truth of the matter is, I kill plants too. It’s far better for me to purchase them from farmers–those people who are *slightly* more responsible in the garden. 🙂
Thanks for the eggy oats tutorial! I’ve never been an oats person, but I’m pretty certain it’s because I don’t prepare them right.
I kill plants. Enough said there 🙂
Gahhh I MUST try this way of cooking oats soon! I’m always SO jealous of your oats!
Hi Amanda:)
Great to see how you make you famous oatmeal! I have only tryed rolled oat, but the steel cut ones looks yummy too (we dont have them in Norway though..).
For breakfast today, Im having oatmeal with cashew butter and strawberries 😀 I really cant wait, but I have too.. Im at work so I have to wait for my break, only 2 hours left 😀 2 hours suddenly felt like a really long time 😛
And you are not the only plant killer around.. I love plants, but they always die, so I buy new ones all the time 🙂
love your little eggy oats tutorial.
i also love hearing about houseplants. i know that sounds weird. but really i do. i have a soft spot for them. mainly because i don’t have to take care of them (otherwise they would probably die, i doubt i have a green thumb) but my dear roommate at school had 2 lovely plants and i was their godmother. all that that required was walking past them and smiling at them and once in awhile singing them a lullaby.
you probably think i’m crazy 😉
well that’s not too far off!
Oats are indeed better! In fact, oats are the best. <3
Girl, you are hardcore! My body cannot handle hot oats in the summer. If it makes you feel better, my sister and I once had a babysitter who knocked over a plant onto our cream colored carpet then cleaned it up with bleach… Yeah we ended up getting new carpet
Hehe my oats are actually pretty cool by the time I eat them. And it doesn’t really get THAT hot up here, so maybe that’s why 😀
I still have to try eggy oats. For breakfast I had a sandwich thin with cream cheese, raisins, and cinnamon. An apple on the side 🙂 I’m no good with plants… my mom’s green thumb skipped a generation.
I can’t keep a plant alive for the life of me. I don’t even try anymore.
Those oats look so good! I would eat them each and every way.
I am a plant killer too! Well, either I kill the plants or my cat will kill them. Fail.
And ahh interesting how you make your oats. I have to say, it’s a bit too much work for me first thing in the morning.. well you know, when I go back to work and all.
Oooh, thank you for the steel cut oats tutorial!
Breakfast today = Nature’s Path Maple Sunrise Cereal (tastes just like Cap’n Crunch) with unsweetened hempmilk.
I’m good with growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables (surprisingly) – hope it stays that way, haha.
Hmmm I’ve been curious about eggy oats, will have to give this a try sometime! I am actually okay with plants…although I’m just now getting better at watering. Having lettuce and tomato plants that NEED watering every day makes me much better at it!
I need to rekindle my relationship with oats =)
I wont tell on you for being a plant murderess! <3 shhh
I’m HORRIBLE with plants of all sorts. Honestly, I killed a bamboo…how does someone do that?!! Kind of funny too considering my name’s Mary. Everytime some says “Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” I can;t help but politely inform them it doesnt. Never has, probably never will lol
Lol. I can relate to the bamboo. Mine died too 😉
I love steel cut oats but I hardly ever make them because they take so darn long to cook. I never thought of putting an egg in….looks good though! I am gonna have to try this out for sure!
I didn’t eat plants for breakfast – and I’m surprisingly not killing plants lately, which is saying a lot for me!
I’ve never tried steel-cut oats but they look a lot easier than I thought! Have you ever cooked a whole egg into your oats? It’s simply divine!
That’s actually on my list of things to do. I’ve been curious how that would change the texture of them…
Yeah, you definitely have to whisk it vigorously (I can’t believe I just typed that!) or you may end up with some interesting egg bits. I’ve never had them with just egg whites, so I can’t really say how different it would be.
Have a happy weekend!
my dad is so passionate about gardening and it’s really really stinking cute. In fact, he’s growing raspberries for me in the back yard. They taste like dirt but I eat them to appease him. I guess it’s the least I can do since he, like, gave me life and all.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have a microwave just so I could find the motivation to whip up a legitimate bowl of oats. I just hate cleaning all them pots and pans.
I definately don’t have a “green thumb” like my dad but i do enjoy taking care of plants. Every summer i have a small herb garden or some tomato plants – i don’t always have success but i try!!
Great recipe – thanks for sharing – i was always wondering how you make your oatmeal always look so thick and creamy!!! 😉 aim
I’m so glad you posted this! Your oats always look amazing, I was curious how you made them 🙂 I just had steel cut oats for dinner actually, and I had a bowl for breakfast too… I topped my breakfast ones with a pear, raisins, pb, and almond milk. SO GOOD.
Haha i make my dad water/take care of the plants!! I really hate the dirt feeling under the fingernails 2 🙂 I had my oats this morning, done my way….BUT I will try yours 2morrow!! I just bought some steelcut oats today 🙂
I think my dad is even worse with plants than I am… 😯
I love seeing how different bloggers make their oatmeal! I’ve never tried steel cut oats or egg whites in my oats before. That’s something I’ve got to try soon! This morning I had apple and fig oatmeal for brekkie.
Thanks for sharing your oats secret! You must be so patient with your breakfast, I’m not sure I would be able to wait that long 🙂
It’s actually quite a relaxing way to start the day. I hate being rushed in the mornings, so this sets a nice tone for the rest of the day 🙂
your oats look wonderful. i admire how much care and love goes into your breakfast…lately i just pour stuff out of a box 😛
…even if you don’t always show plants as much care and love. oh my word, i am TERRIBLE with plants. I never remember to water them, don’t take care of them…it’s bad. luckily, my mom is here to water my fig trees for me. otherwise, they’d have died months ago.
I’ve got grim reaper thumb…however keep on making those eggified oats (as if you’d stop anytime soon ha!) because the egg shells (if you use them) make great fertilizer. I have never actually tried that so please use your google and fill in the blanks. I have no idea how to get from egg shell to fertilizer. (0:
Lol I’ve read that too. Maybe you have to crush it really fine? I dunno, I’ll let Mom deal with that…
Those look so perfect! Ilovee steel cut oats but I’m not patient enough to wait 20 minutes for them to cook.
I was inspired by all of your…um….interesting sandwich combos so I had facon, egg, cinnamon and blueberry jam on an everything bagel. YUM.
Yes, yes, YES for “interesting” combinations! Love it 😀
I have an Ivy plant that girls at my college are given as first years and we’re expected to keep it alive until commencement- ivy day. I’m doing okay although my mom takes care of it since it is now living at home.
I need to try your oats. I love that bloggers are all putting up their recipes- so much variation! I like making my oats overnight in the slow cooker. I like cracked wheat because of the chew as well. so much yum there!
yay! so happy you did a post on this! i can finally give your oats a try 🙂 This morning I had cottage cheese and cereal. It was awesome 🙂 and i’m a plant killer as well. I was not born with a green thumb.
Yummmmmy yummmy yum yum. I don’t usually put an egg in my oats but I have before and loved it. Im not actually sure why I DONT put an egg in there, maybe because it takes longer and Im always rushed for time? Sheesh now I feel bad for neglecting my eggy oats. I guess there is always tomorrow right? 😉
Yum! Your steel cut oats look great. Well I slept in a bit and then was doing other stuff so I didn’t eat anything until 12 or 1. But, since I hadn’t has breakfast I had a english muffin/egg/turkey/gouda/rasberry jam sandwhich for lunch 🙂
I’m a microwave or kettle girl…stovetop is too intimidating for me.
I didn’t know your parents read your blog – its terrifc that you have such a good relationship like that.
(p.s…i just wrote a post on a book dealing with eating issues…like u , i prefer fictional books to escape in…but this book i read did have many thought-provoking points).
I had chia old fashioned oats with 1/2 cup blueberries. Yummy! Are the steel cut oats much different? Sinced they’re more $$$, I assume they’re healthier, but hopefully it’s not by much!
Ehh it’s probably not THAT huge of a difference. I do find that they hold me over a bit longer, but I mostly like them for their texture.