I'm pleased to announce the first guest post, purple overnight oats from Olivia, @living.lush on Instagram! I was so happy Olivia shared the recipe with us. All of Olivia's pictures on IG look absolutely amazing! Whenever I scroll through her feed my mouth starts watering! She also shares #MotivationMonday pictures, with topics such as healthy snacks and how to have a positive mindset. She shows you how to live healthy and balanced, sharing recipes and meal ideas on the way. Now I'm turning it over to Olivia, @living.lush, who is truly a role model. 

We all have that “favorite breakfast”. Whether it be a refreshing smoothie or a steeping hot bowl of oatmeal, it’s something that urges us to get out of our bed and start the day. Personally, I’m an oatmeal kind-of-gal. But, I’m also really into cereal. To combine two of my favorites, I came up with this super quick, healthy, and most importantly, DELICIOUS recipe to satisfy both my cravings. Not only are these oats flavorful and colorful, but they are also packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins to keep you feeling energized and full all morning. Since this is an overnight recipe, its super convenient for a quick breakfast the morning before school/work! I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

½ cup rolled oats
½ cup milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp vanilla protein powder
1-2 tbsp granola
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup hot water

Directions:
    
1. Combine oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and granola in an air tight container. Shake well.

2. Add milk and water. Shake well. Add blueberries. Shake well.

3.  Store in a refrigerator overnight. Enjoy cold in the morning.


-Olivia, @living.lush


For more healthy and yummy recipes, visit @living.lush on Instagram or 
https://instagram.com/living.lush/

Studies show that January is a lot of the population's least favorite month. One thing’s for sure… January is my favorite. Okay, I may be a bit biased because my birthday falls during the month. Another thing that I love about the month (or the winter season as a whole) is waking up on Saturdays to steaming plates of pancakes and a hot cup of tea. One day it hit me, why not combine the two? Green tea pancakes? Interesting, but not so sure it would work (if you try it, make sure to tell me how it went!) Earl grey pancakes? Possibly. Chai pancakes? That could work. So with a little bit of experimenting, a few blender explosions (just kidding…only small ones), I think I may have found your new favorite pancake recipe. I even topped off a stack with apple-pecan compote that I whipped together (it looks fancy…but there’s a secret method!) I’m pleased to announce this month’s blog theme…healthy breakfasts! 

There is no video for this pancake recipe, but you will start seeing videos for the healthy breakfast’s theme later this month. These pancakes are fluffy, cake-like, and lightly spiced. So now to that compote secret method that I mentioned. Normal compotes take a while to make, so I turned to the best shortcut I could find…the microwave! After combining chopped apple with cinnamon, toasted pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup I stuck it in the appliance for about 2 minutes.  The compote really put a finishing touch on the pancakes and I highly recommend you whip up a batch for yours, or just make the compote for an after dinner treat-like an apple pie without the crust. So, without further ado...the recipe! 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour 

1/4 cup rolled or quick oats 

1 ripe banana (or about 1/2 cup plain yogurt, just increase the maple syrup by 1 tablespoon) 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

¼ teaspoon cardamom 

1 egg 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 tablespoon maple syrup 

1/2 cup buttermilk (make it yourself-1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar) 

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (coconut oil is one of the healthier options, but you can substitute melted butter or any other oil) 

Directions:  

1. Combine all the wet ingredients, the banana, egg, and milk in a blender and blend until fully combined. Add all the other ingredients and blend once more until fully combined.  (Yes, that's all. I used a blender to make the batter silky smooth, and I recommend doing this. If you don't have a blender, mix the ingredients by hand but make sure the batter is smooth).  
2. Heat a skillet/griddle to medium heat. Grease the pan. I sprayed mine with a little coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's, but you can use any other oil or butter. 
3. Add 1/4 cupful's of batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancake, about 3 minutes. Flip. Cook about 2 minutes, transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Transfer to a plate. 

Apple Compote (for topping)

1 apple, diced

Handful of pecans, toasted (I put them in a dry skillet for a few minutes before I cooked the pancakes, but you could use a separate pan, I  happen to be on dish duty this week at the Weber household so I tried to use as little dishes as possible) ☺ 

Dash of cinnamon

Drizzle of maple syrup 

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients above in a small bowl and microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Use the compote to top the pancakes, followed by another drizzle of maple syrup. 

Then, have a pancake photo shoot! (Completely optional) Post a #selfie! Show off your amazing, healthy, chai pancakes!