Crock Pot Oatmeal

I belong to a very nice gym in Wilmington, DE called Plexus.  In addition to flexible schedules, nice equipment, great classes, beautiful locker rooms and knowledgeable staff, there is a resident yogini who often offers delicious and nutritious recipes, many of which are available on the sister yoga website, Empowered Yoga.

Anyway, my co-worker often brings real, home-prepared oatmeal to work and one day I asked her about the recipe. She told me it’s from the EP site and gave me a copy.  Taking a quick glance at the ingredients, I had all on hand, except a small crock pot.

I do have a big, honking, dinosaur crock pot so I decided to stop at Target to see if I could score a cheaper smaller one while they are still offering back-to-campus deals.

$10 for a 2 quart, classic round crock pot…with recipes. SOLD.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats (not quick oats or instant)

4 cups of water
2 tablespoons of flax seed
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

The night before you want to enjoy this super-food breakfast, combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours.  Store overnight in the refrigerator.  In the morning, reheat in the microwave and top with walnuts or almonds and fresh fruit.  I used blueberries and strawberries that I also got at Target.  Gotta love Target.

According to the Blueberry Council, blueberries are dietary rock stars.  Blueberries are a powerful antioxidant that work to neutralize molecules linked to the development of cancer.  Additionally, they contain vitamin C, dietary fiber and manganese, important for bone health and converting certain foods into energy.