Blueberry Chia Oats: A Different Kind of Breakfast

I hadn't planned on there being this much time between my last post and this one but life got away from me. Work got busier, I was working through a pain flare, and my mom had surgery. It's been quite a hectic few weeks. I am finally getting back on track. I have been trying some new foods and eating a more plant based diet. Don't worry, I haven't fully gone vegan, but probably about 75% of my diet is now plant based. Not surprisingly, I feel a lot better. I am even trying out Kombucha for the first time. I don't know who this healthy girl is, but I am liking her. I wish she would have gotten on board in her 20's. Maybe then she'd have a lot fewer health problems!

Part of being healthy is eating whole foods and getting all the nutrients you need to create and sustain energy throughout the day. I have been looking at ways to take some of the foods I am eating and add to them or mix them up a bit to make them more interesting. One thing I need more of in my body is Omega-3. I used to take a supplement but I have such a sensitive stomach that it didn't last long. I consume granola with flax seed almost on a daily basis but wanted to find an additional way to consume more Omega's. Cue Chia seeds.

I made overnight oats the day that my mom had surgery. We had to be there so early that I knew I would never be able to eat breakfast beforehand. So, I brought my overnight oats in a mason jar to save to eat after she got settled. I had added chia seeds to the jar and I loved it. It tasted so good that when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I am not one for making breakfast on the stove top if I can help it. I am all about quick and easy breakfast (hence the overnight oats). My standard morning breakfast is oatmeal cooked in the microwave with blueberries and granola. I decided to take a chance on something a little different and I loved it! Even cut in quarters, this recipe still made enough for me to have the leftovers the next morning. Find the original recipe here.

Blueberry Chia Oats

1/4 c gluten free rolled oats
1/2 T chia seeds
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c blueberries
pinch of sea salt
1/2 T honey
1 c unsweetened almond milk

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a small to medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer for about 10 min. Stir frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed and remove from heat.
3. Transfer to a bowl and top as desired.

I topped my batch with granola, dried blueberries, and almond slivers. Super healthy and very tasty. You can see pictures on my Instagram page: randomcoordinatedchaos. 

Get out there and try something new and healthy! Let me know what you find.

November: Clean Eating Begins!

The last two weeks have been fun celebrating my (yikes) 40th birthday! One weekend I had one of my best friends come down from San Jose to visit and we got to spend some time together and with other long time friends. Then this weekend another best friend took a group of us to Glen Ivy Spa for a day of lounging and pampering. It has been a fun time of celebrating with some of my favorite people. I have the best friends and family! Needless to say, I haven't been eating the best the last couple of weeks. I woke up this morning and decided it was time to get back on track. Enter Pinterest. 

Oh Pinterest I love you and loathe you. Pinterest makes me excited about everything and makes me feel inadequate in the same minute. Crafting, drawing, creating, baking, cooking...you name it, I look it up and pin it.

I am not the best cook. When you cook for one, you tend to go the easy route versus the healthy route. With the Santa Ana winds blowing through Southern California the last couple of days, coupled with trying to stay cold free when everyone likes to cough on you in public, I have been a little under the weather this weekend. I immediately thought crock pot cooking! Easy, yet can still be healthy. I have a ton of food issues, mostly food allergies. I try to stay on the healthy side when searching for recipes and I always have to modify to be gluten free, dairy free, and egg free, as well as something I actually like. The recipe I found ended up turning in to something completely different when I was done so it ended up being my own recipe. 

It was so tasty and simple, I feel like I forgot something!

What you need: 

Chicken (I went for organic, free range chicken tender strips from Trader Joe's)

Chicken stock (again, Trader Joe's. They have gluten free stock)

Sweet potatoes (I used two smaller ones)

Organic Brown Sugar (Trader Joe's)

1/2 Sweet Onion

Garlic salt or chopped garlic

Layer chicken in bottom of crock pot. Top with cubed sweet potato and sliced onions. Sprinkle approximately 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and garlic salt to taste. Fill almost all the way with chicken stock. Cook on high for approximately 5 hours (until chicken is cooked thoroughly). I cooked on high 3 hours and then turned to low for a few more.

The plan was to have it more like a chicken and potatoes meal, but it quickly turned in to a stew that smells amazing. The brown sugar is mostly for the top of the sweet potatoes, but I wanted to make sure there was enough liquid that the chicken and potatoes would cook and be tender. So, I may have gone a little overboard with the chicken stock. But I am happy! The sugar probably could have been left out since the potatoes soaked up the stock, but then the sweetness would be gone. The sweetness makes it taste amazing!

The best thing about the crock pot is you don't have to measure. You just throw it all in and turn it on. I just made a healthy chicken and sweet potato stew with minimal effort and amazing taste! Substitutes are easy. You could easily change out the sweet potatoes for pumpkin, regular potatoes, or even another type of squash or root vegetable. Want it a little spicier? Add black pepper and cayenne? It's whatever you want to make it and it's easy!

Happy healthy eating! Bring on Fall!