Overnight Soaked and Baked Oatmeal

Happy New Year! A week late ;) But still basking in the newness of January after the holidays. I'm not really a resolutions person lately. I think I was in the past for some years there. I think I want to believe that any day can be a FRESH NEW start even if it is a random day in the middle of the week with no holiday to celebrate. I think I know this after being through a plethora of my own setbacks, traumas, and new beginnings. Sometimes the event or day just happens. And sometimes, yes, you have to make it happen. So either way you have to find what would bring the best source of health and balance for you. So maybe it is resolutions and goals, or maybe it is a word for the year, or maybe a theme. I think all of those things are amazing. I love seeing a person grab onto something and make it a part of there life with passion and force. I've seen change happen this way. It is a powerful thing to watch and create.

So, here we are 2017- maybe you have been trying to set goals for healthy living and eating, and breathing and movement- or all of the above- I am there with you. I have been forcing myself to get some form of movement in every day. The treadmill, a yoga class, dancing. But for me it is just as much a help for my mental state as it is for my body- the mind-body-soul connection happening. This is a goal of mine I guess you could say.

And this recipe is here to help you on this journey. It is an easy make before bed and bake in the morning while you trying to get out the door or while you are spending some time on the mat or in meditation. This is a great choice to start out the day and it isn't super difficult to make it happen. I know this to be true about myself, that starting the day with a few simple positive choices, the whole day seems to stay focused. And being focused is where I want to be!

Overnight Soaked and Baked Oatmeal Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, egg and refined-sugar free}

2 1/2 cups of rolled GF oats
1/2 cup of chopped dates
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1 apple finely chopped (optional) (you could add other fruit)
1 ts of ground cinnamon
1/2 ts. of ground cardamom
1/2 ts. of ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cloves
2 cups of milk of choice (I used coconut milk beverage)
1/4 cup of ground flaxseed or chia seed

optional: sprinkle from frozen blueberries onto before soaking
optional #2: 1/4-1/2 cup sprinkle of roasted almonds or walnuts

In a mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir together and then pour into a glass 9x9 pyrex pan.   You can sprinkle some frozen blueberries or nuts on top. It is very loose, but it will soak and sit overnight (or 3-4 hours works too) and then you can eat just like that, so to warm up put in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Then scoop into bowls and serve with a an added drizzle of maple syrup, ghee, butter of choice and milk of choice. Or even a dollop of greek yogurt and a fresh fruit. 

This recipe fills a 9x9 pan, if you want to fill a 9x13 pan then add 1 more cup of oats and 1 more cup of milk, and additional dates, nuts and seeds of your preference. The dates add a caramelly taste and crunch to the dish to perfection.

This recipe is very similar to my Raw Breakfast Museli but this is a baked version to warm you well over the winter months with added spice and baking. 

Hope you are starting 2017 well. Don't give up and keep going...

Much love and light xoxo