Make Ahead Breakfasts

I've made a commitment to myself to eat healthier this school year. One of the ways that I'm going to do this is by making Overnight Steel Cut Oats for breakfasts.  They are packed with protein and staying power to keep me full until lunch time.

I've spent the summer trying different recipes and perfecting one.  The nice thing about these little gems is that they can be mixed with different fruits, nuts, and spices to make each breakfast unique and tasty.

Here is the basic recipe:
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats
2 T Sugar or Honey

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt and milk until it's creamy.  Add the oats and sweetener and mix until the oats are well coated.

Now for the fun part- Spoon the oat mixture into 4 small containers.  I like to use small wide mouth Ball jars.  Stir in berries, nuts, raisins, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spices, apple slices, pumpkin pie mix, coconut, etc.  You get the idea.  Try different combinations for different tastes.

Mix In Ideas:

Apples, cinnamon and walnuts

Blueberries and coconut

Blueberries, strawberries and almond slices

Peaches, vanilla and almonds

Rasins and spices

Raspberries

Blackberries

Apricots and blueberries

Cherries and almond slices

Craisins and mandarin oranges

Pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices

Bananas and walnuts

I love the portability of these.  I've grabbed one from the fridge and taken it in the car.  By the time I got to my destination, it had come to room temp and was delicious.  

So, this is my plan for healthy filling morning meals that take no time at all and are completely portable.

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Peppermint Bath Salts

Looking for a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift?  Try making these!

All you need are a few items, a few minutes and a voila-  you've made a great gift!

What you'll need:

• Epsom Salts
• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Red Food Coloring
• Kerr Wide Mouth Half Pint Jars

In small bowl, mix together 1 cup Epsom Salt and 4 drops Peppermint Essential Oil.  Stir well

In separate small bowl, mix together 1 cup Epsom Salt,  4 drops Peppermint Essential Oil, and 6 to 8 drops Red Food Coloring, depending on how dark you want it.    Stir well. 

Carefully spoon the mixture into the jar starting with the red layer.  Tap it down before adding a layer of white.  Tap that down and continue to layer until your jar is full.

These make wonderful gifts.  I give them to my parent volunteers at Christmas time as a small thank you for all their hard work helping in the classroom.  

Don't forget about yourself!  I always put any leftover salt into a large Mason jar and I keep it next to my bath tub.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to treat myself to a relaxing, detoxifying soak after a long day teaching kindergarten. 

You can use this recipe to make many different scents too, just change the Essential Oil and adjust the coloring if necessary.

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