According to my calendar, it’s fall. If you’re anywhere near the southern United States, you know it doesn’t feel like fall just yet. In light of this, I’ve been reminiscing about one of my latest camping trips, to the (slightly cooler) Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina. Not only am I about to show off some awesome shots that were taken by yours truly, and my photographically (is that even a word?) talented best friend Jessica, I’m sharing a vegan instant oat recipe that’s perfect for a one-container campsite breakfast.
By campsite breakfast, I also mean your kitchen on really busy days.
Before we get started down this mountain path, I want to thank you all so much for the warm reception of my first blog; I was blown away by all of the email subscriptions! If you’re interested in signing up – there’s a place to do so at the bottom of this blog.
If you love a good sunrise,wild flowers, animals, apple orchards, and smiles you should check these photos out. If you hate sunrises and sprawling mountain views (what kind of monster are you?) you can scroll past and get to the recipe.
We camped out for the night at a beautiful site found on HipCamp that was just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The campsite setup itself was a bit dark, and we had no idea about the breathtaking view that was lurking up the hill at sunrise. Photographers tend to wander around for a good view when that golden light is around and we were not disappointed.
After realizing that cattle in fact do not care whether or not you’re vegan (just a minor stampede, no big deal) we meandered back to the camp site through apple trees and wild flowers galore,
making friends with a lovely Great Pyrenees along the way.
For campsite coffee, I prefer to make cold brew concentrate ahead of time (a recipe for later, mayhaps?) to ensure quality brews, and prevent the need for grinding beans and extra equipment. That way I can concentrate on other important things like campfires, frolicking, petting cute dogs, and food.
I chose to boil enough water for a few cups of coffee, otherwise known as “enough for everyone”, since I’m not a bad person. If solo camping you can always use your JetBoil itself for the water boiling and coffee drinking. Because who actually likes more dishes?
For the sake of real talk, I can normally count on one finger the amount of times per week I have time to make myself a nice sit down breakfast, so a lot of smoothies happen. These oats are a great alternative to smoothies for a quick option, and even better going into the colder seasons when you want a warm meal on the go vs. overnight oats. For those of you that are protein obsessed and that may be concerned about my rippling vegan muscles, these jars contain just under 18g of protein each.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 6 minutes
What you need:
- 1/2 pint mason jar
- 1/2 cup quick rolled oats (make sure they’re the quick kind, otherwise it’s a bummer)
- 1/4 cup dried fruit (I like mango, banana, coconut, or apple)
- 1 tbsp nuts (optional, but I love walnuts and pecans)
- 1 tbsp seeds (chia, flax, hemp, or pumpkin)
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- Optional toppings for later: peanut or almond butter, more fresh fruit, yogurt. Yes, I did use apples that had just been picked from a tree, but you don’t have to.
Instructions:
- Boil water
- Add enough boiling water to cover oat mixture, replace lid, shake it up, and let it sit for a minute while you grab whatever other toppings you want.
- Unscrew the lid, add toppings, and enjoy. You can also add an optional 1/2 tbsp or so of maple syrup if you must, but in my opinion the addition of fruit makes this oatmeal plenty sweet.
This would also be a great recipe if you have a large family and kids who are picky eaters; have a make-your-own-oat day so they can custom make their own flavors and stay occupied while having a hand (literally) in their own nutrition, choices and understanding where the food they eat comes from.
After a full belly and lots of laughter, I settled into a book and some writing as any good librarian’s daughter does.
I hope you guys love these photos as much as I do, and the crazy-easy recipe. If you have any questions or comments, let me know!
If you’d like to see more beautiful photography, inspiration and nutrition check out my instagram or facebook, and for more photos by Jessica (otherwise known as my photographically talented best friend) check out her Instagram , facebook, or her website . If the you’re someone who consistently needs quick recipes because your life is hectic AF and you’re interested in making it less hectic – head over to my home page and read about the ways to work with me.
See y’all soon!
Read the Comments +