The secret to living apple-y ever after is Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats. Actually, I don’t know the secret to happiness in this wild new world, but I’m doing my best to find the little joys in daily life. And while everyone else is wondering, what day is it? I’ve started to name my days by the flavors of overnight oats. What day is it? Oh, Apple Cinnamon day. When is that presentation due? Raspberry White Chocolate day. Can’t remember when you last washed your hair? Probably Carrot Cake day. Oh you heard that right. And maybe it’ll mean more hair washing because Carrot Cake Oats are oh so worth it. If you’re looking for a little pep in your step, read on for any endless array of overnight oats…and a few other ways I’m coping with keeping the days straight.

Having a case of the Mondays…every day? Same. But what’s been giving me a little thrill on the daily is concocting a new variety of oats to put a little pep in my step. I’m going on week 6 of working remotely. And while I went into this thinking I’d have sooooo much time to make a delicious, homemade breakfast every day…I was quickly jolted into the reality of working remote. The number of calls have amplified x10. And with everyone wanting to stay “connected”, those calls have turned into video conference calls. While I’ve gotten real comfortable doing no-makeup conference calls, I haven’t quite worked my way up to full-on cooking during said calls.

So, overnight oats it is! And the options truly are endless. The prep is legit 5 minutes and most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry or freezer. Let’s cover some of the basics.

What kind of oats should you use?

Old-fashioned oats are the Goldilocks of overnight oats – just right. Quick oats will do in a pinch, but you’ll likely want to scale a bit back on the liquid since they won’t soak up as much. Skip the steel-cut oats , which will be too firm. Instant oats (like those found in single serve packets), will become a mush.

When should you use fresh vs frozen fruit?

Either will work! What I love about frozen fruit, is that when warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds, they get really juice and add an abundance of flavor to the overnight oats mixture. I personally prefer to reserve fresh fruit as a topping the next morning.

What else can you add to overnight oats?

Nuts, seeds and shredded coconut are all fair game to add some texture, but should be used as toppers only – they’ll get mushy if added the night before. For added health benefits, protein powder is great for a boost of protein (obviously), ground flax or chia seeds for omega-3’s and fiber, or adaptogens like maca root powder for managing stressors. These ingredients should all be added the night before so they have ample time to soak into the liquid.

How long do overnight oats last?

Technically, they’ll be good in the fridge for up to 5 days, but I find that they’re best in the first 2-3 days as they’ll continue to soften.

Ready to become a master of overnight oats? Let’s get mixing!

Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
Overnight Oats
– 1 C old-fashioned oats
– 1 T chia seeds
– 1 T maple syrup
– 1 1/4 C milk of choice
– 3/4 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon Apples
– 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
– 1/4 tsp cinnamon
– 2 T coconut sugar
– Butter or ghee for sauteeing
Optional Toppings:
-Nut butter of choice
-Pecans

Directions:
Step 1: Make the cinnamon apples by placing the apples, cinnamon and coconut sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat the apples. Heat a saute pan to medium heat and add a tablespoon of ghee or butter. Once melted, add the apples and stir to coat. Cover and continue to saute, stirring every once in a while until soft and easily pierced with a fork – about 5-7 minutes. If pan becomes too dry, add some water. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
Step 2: Add the overnight oats ingredients to a quart-sized mason. Cover and shake to mix together. Add 1/2 of the cinnamon apples and shake to combine. Place in the fridge overnight. Store the remaining apples in a separate container to top the overnight oats the next morning.

Blueberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 C old-fashioned oats
– 1/2 C Greek yogurt
– 3/4 C milk of choice
– 1/2 C blueberries (frozen recommended)*
– 1 T chia seeds
– 1 T maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
Optional Toppings:
-Chopped pistachios
-Additional blueberries

Directions: Add all of the ingredients (with the exception of optional toppings) to a quart-sized mason jar. Cover and shake to mix. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, split between two bowls and top as you’d like with additional blueberries and pistachios.

*Tip: Place the frozen berries in the microwave for 30 seconds so they become extra juicy.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 C old-fashioned oats
– 1 1/2 C milk of choice
– 1 T chia seeds
– 1/2 C shredded carrots
– 3 T raisins
–  2 T maple syrup
– 3/4 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp allspice
Optional Toppings:
– Pecans or walnuts
– Additional raisins

Directions: Place all of the ingredients (with the exception of the optional toppings) in a mason jar. Seal and shake to mix. Place in the fridge overnight. Split between two serving dishes in the morning and top with optional nuts or additional raisins.

Raspberry White Chocolate Overnight Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 C old-fashioned oats
– 1/2 C Greek yogurt
– 3/4 C milk of choice
– 1/2 C raspberries (frozen recommended)*
– 1 T chia seeds
– 1 T maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
Toppings:
-White chocolate chips
-Fresh raspberries

Directions: Add all of the ingredients (with the exception of optional toppings) to a quart-sized mason jar. Cover and shake to mix. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, split between two bowls and top as you’d like with white chocolate chips and additional raspberries.

*Tip: Place the frozen berries in the microwave for 30 seconds so they become extra juicy.

Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 C old-fashioned oats
– 1/2 C strawberry yogurt (I used Cocojune strawberry rhubarb coconut yogurt)
– 3/4 C milk of choice
– 1/2 C strawberries (frozen recommended)*
– 1 T chia seeds
– 1 T maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
Optional toppings:
-Granola crumbles
-Fresh strawberries
-Chopped pecans

Directions: Add all of the ingredients (with the exception of optional toppings) to a quart-sized mason jar. Cover and shake to mix. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, split between two bowls and top as you’d like with white chocolate chips and additional raspberries.

*Tip: Place the frozen berries in the microwave for 30 seconds so they become extra juicy.

Mocha Overnight Protein Oats
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:
-1 C old-fashioned oats
-2 T chia seeds
-1 scoop chocolate protein powder
-1/2 C chocolate almond milk
-6 T of cold brew or strong coffee
Optional topping:
– Chocolate chips

Directions: Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, stir to combine, refrigerate overnight and enjoy in the morning! Option to top with chocolate chips.

Now the biggest question is, which one first?!

The post Endless Overnight Oats appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Coffee in one hand, confidence in the other. And when you make it MOCHA OVERNIGHT OATS amped with ingredients to improve gut health, that’s winning breakfast AND the week.

It’s officially week two in the new city and new job. Moving across the country from Chicago to Austin is kinda a big deal. And stress is sorta an everyday occurrence these days with moments of, “OMG my GPS isn’t working and I have no idea how to get home from work!” and, “where did we put ANY of our frying pans?”. Stress isn’t just impacting me though, it’s at an all-time high in the U.S. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret: the right foods, can improve your mood. Yup, there’s increasing evidence that there is a direct link between food and mood – specifically, gut health and mental health. Get the dEATs on gut health and find recipes for some sweet treats to boost that mood.

I’ve always been an advocate for the “eat real food movement” and couldn’t be happier that science is supporting the notion behind “you are what you eat”. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, every system in the body can be impacted by chronic stress and if this stress is not released, it could suppress the immune system and lead to illness – everything from mental illness such as depression to immune system illnesses such as arthritis. And get this – with more than 300 million people suffering from depression worldwide, it’s not the leading cause of disability.

So what’s the connection between your food and your mood? According to Harvard Medical School, 90% of serotonin receptors are located in the gut. And serotonin is often called the “happy chemical” because it contributes to happiness and wellbeing. When the balance of good and bad bacteria is disrupted in your gut, that’s when issues occur. Studies show that eating a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet) and avoiding inflammatory foods could help keep your gut bacteria in balance and protect it against depression.

Here’s the tricky part though – everyone has a unique microbiome or balance of gut bacteria. So there isn’t a simple solution. But here are a few ways to improve gut and mood:

Good Mood Food
1.) Eat whole fruits and vegetables rather than juices to get all the good fibers to aid digestion.
2.) Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet with tricks like adding cinnamon to your morning coffee or latte rather than sweetener.
3.) Incorporate probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles and kefir into your diet.

If all of this sounds like a lot – it is. Gut health is complicated…and unique to everyone. One new discovery that’s making gut health a heckuva lot easier is Uplift. It’s a dietary supplement of gut healthy prebiotic fibers and resistant starches that nourish the probiotics in your gut, lifting your mood and making your mouth happy with a creamy vanilla flavor. You can add it to everything from your morning smoothie to pancakes. And below you’ll find two of the recipes I created to get the most out of your mood and your food! Read on for the recipes and enjoy the lift!

Mocha Overnight Protein Oats
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
-1 C of raw, old-fashioned oats
-2 T chia seeds
-1 scoop of Uplift (or substitute vanilla protein powder of choice)
-1/2 C of Apres Sea Salt Chocolate Protein Drink (or substitute chocolate almond milk)
-6 T of cold brew or strong coffee

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, stir to combine, refrigerate overnight and enjoy in the morning! Option to top with chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Nice Cream
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Nice Cream
-2 bananas, frozen (peel and cut into chunks before freezing)
-1 scoop of Uplift
-1/8 C almond or coconut milk
-1/4 C natural peanut butter
-pinch of sea salt
-1/2 T maple syrup (optional)
Strawberry Chia Jam
-3 1/2 C of strawberries, quartered
-4 T maple syrup
-2 T chia seeds
-squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:
Step 1: Make the strawberry chia jam by adding the strawberries and maple syrup to a small pot over medium heat on the stove top. Stir to combine and continue heating until bubbling. Once bubbling, mash the strawberries, then add the chia seeds and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from the heat and give it a squeeze of lemon. Allow to cool.
Step 2: Make the peanut butter nice cream by adding the ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth and place in a small mixing bowl.
Step 3: Swirl into the peanut butter nice cream as much of the strawberry chia jam as you’d like. Serve immediately as soft serve nice cream or place in the freezer if you prefer a hand-scooped texture. Option to top with additional jam and granola, as shown.

The post Good Mood Food appeared first on The Shooks Life.

‘Twas the night before vacation, when all thro’ the house, not a creature was stirring, not even Moose the bulldog. Steel cut oats were warming in the slow cooker with care, in hopes that warm weather would soon be there. The parents were nestled all snug in their bed, while visions of pumpkin pie danced in their heads.

‘Tis the season for story time. The Shookman household is readying for a warm winter’s nap in New Orleans before the Thanksgiving holiday. And with the days getting shorter, the air getting a wee bit chillier, and more chairs at the table, these Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oats are just what’s needed to warm bellies while allowing you more shuteye. Read on for the dEATs, along with some tips on warming the mind & body if the changing seasons are impacting your mood and energy levels.

There’s nothing like a cozy bed, a hot cup of cider and long nights by the fireplace with family as the first snow falls this time of year. It’s the quintessential picture of hygge, the Danish concept of all things comforting and cozy. This concept of cozy contentment and enjoyment of the simpler things in life is part of the Danish DNA. It’s credited for being one of the reasons Denmark is always listed as one of the world’s happiest countries, despite miserable winters.

I’m a sun and summer lover, so while I love the cozy comforts of fall, I start to feel the energy dwindling as the daylight hours wane. This year, I’m going to try to embrace more hygge with a few simple tips to beat the winter blues (or seasonal affective disorder, as it’s more formally known).

Embracing Hygge

1.) Investing In Relationships: Home is a place we return to this time of year, but it’s only a geographic location. It’s family, friends – the people, who truly make that geographic location feel like home. This year, I’m going try to focus more on my surroundings and the people by dedicating just one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening to tech and the rest of the time to being present. There’s no hygge without home and no home without the people.

2.) Sharing the Food I Love: Food is my love language, so I’m planning to cook up a storm of comforting foods through the winter. But, I’m going to focus on simplifying – doing more slow cooker meals, more one pan or sheet pan dishes, so that I can enjoy the limited daylight hours and time with friends and family.

3.) Breathing Fresh Air: It can be super easy to get lost in Netflix and chill this time of year, which isn’t a bad thing, but the body does need that mood boosting Vitamin D. My goal is to take the bus less (do more walking, while bundled up!) and to try to take a brisk walk over my lunch hour to get a breath of fresh air, some sunshine on my skin and to get the blood flowing in between meetings and loads of desk time.

4.) Indulging in Self Care: I’ve taken to “Selfish Sundays” with a pampering session that I plan to continue through the winter months, warming a nice bath withessential oils like lavender to calm and epsom salt to relieve tension or a revitalizing mask at home. This winter, I’m going to infuse more of this self care in my daily routine using orange peel essential oils to awaken and revitalize in the morning, adding maca to my daily bowl of oatmeal to relieve stress and listening to inspiring podcasts on my walk home rather than business books or music.

5.) Planning Wellness: I’m generally very diligent about being active most of the year, but when it’s constantly dark “outside office hours” it can be hard to find the motivation. This year, I’m going to be diligent about planning my workouts in advance to hold myself accountable and schedule those workouts in the morning to set the right tone for both mind and body at the start of the day.

Now that we’ve fully embraced hygge, let’s make some hygge food!

What I love about these slow cooker oats are 1.) versatility 2.) set and forget 3.) feeds a crowd for the day or a two-person household for the week! While I’ve infused this recipe with the epitome of the season (pumpkin and spices) you can adapt this recipe as you see fit, or go plan jane allowing for customized toppings. The only watchouts are to make sure not to let the kiddos (or significant other) lift the lid too soon to steal a sniff (every lift of the lid will set you back an hour) and also note that in the morning, the oats will seem more liquid until you give them a good stir. They’ll continue to thicken as they cool.

Enjoy one of my favorite recipes for some hygge vibes!

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats with Pumpkin & Spices
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
-2 C of Quaker steel cut oats
-6 1/2 C of water
-1 1/2 C of Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-1 can of Libby’s pumpkin puree
-1/4 C of brown sugar, packed (option to sub coconut sugar)
-2 tsp of pumpkin spice
-1 tsp of cinnamon
-1/2 tsp of salt
-1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Prep the slow cooker by spreading a layer of butter or coconut oil on the sides and bottom of the bowl to avoid the oats sticking. Add all of the ingredients with the exception of the vanilla. Stir to combine.
Step 2: Turn the slow cooker to low for 8 hrs, covered. Get a good night’s rest and awaken to the sweet scents.
Step 3: Stir the oats after 8 hours have passed, adding the vanilla. Enjoy with your favorite toppings (shown: brown sugar, pecans, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds).

To make plain overnight oats, simply add an additional cup of water, remove the pumpkin puree and the seasonings. Adapted from ChowHound.

The post Warm Heart & Belly {Full of Slow Cooked Pumpkin Oats} appeared first on The Shooks Life.

 Do more of what you love . A new month and a new opportunity to set an intention to do more of what you love and less of…the other stuff. One of my favorite aspects of my blog is a commitment to try new things and find new inspiration each month. And that comes to light in my monthly favorites. This month’s list has an LA flavor. Get the list below!

Here’s the roundup of my favorites July discoveries, inspired by my visit to LA a few weeks ago.

1.) Favorite Place: Hollywood Farmer’s Market

This market fulfilled all my produce dreams with rainbows of carrots, beets, and things I didn’t even know existed, like cherriums. Here are a few of the fancy pants newfangled fruits I found at the market:

-Cherriums: a cross between a cherry and a plum. Looks like a cherry, tastes like a plum. Woah.
-Pluots: a mix of plum and apricot. They don’t have the bitter taste of a plum and come in a plentitude of varieties like the juicy Emerald Green and the sweet Dapple Jack with a dusty rose flesh. Fancy.
-Plums: even this standard fruit gets a re-branding with funky names like the Elephant Heart. Who date?

2.) Favorite Fitness Class: “The Class” by Taryn Toomey

“The Class” at Wanderlust West Hollywood was definitely the first and only time I will ever do 7 1/2 minutes of burpees. That is not a typo, my friends. 7 and 1/2 frickin’ minutes. I had read that this workout brings people to tears, but I thought that was only for the disciples who got overly worked up by the heavy emo tracks and self reflection that makes this workout famous with celeb types. Descriptions of the class online are relatively vague – it’s described as “a practice of self study through physical conditioning” that includes “simple, repetitive calisthenics and plyometrics”. If you read between the lines, those “simple, repetitive calisthenics” = burpees until you’re a tangled mess of noodles. Each exercise on its own is simple enough – mountain climbers, split lunges, etc. But when those movements are on repeat for 5-6 minutes, you feel all the feels emotionally and physically. Yes, I wanted to scream and walk out when mountain climbers were the last move of the morning (there is nothing more I hate than mountain climbers), but I stuck it out and felt like an accomplished warrior goddess afterwards (well, after I gathered my bearings and sought nourishment).

3.) Favorite Start to the Day: Backyard Bowls

The acai and oatmeal bowls at Backyard Bowls were exactly the nourishment I needed for days after workouts like “The Class”. What makes Backyard Bowls a standout, is that they have a soundproof room with viewing windows for you to watch all the smooth magic. It’s a haven of quietude despite all the blending happening behind closed doors. Featured above is the Anchor Oatmeal filled to the brim with steel-cut oats, soaked in cashew milk and pea protein, then loaded up with almonds, bananas, blueberries, goji berries, hemp seeds, cinnamon and honey. I created a simpler version on my Insta in case you want to concoct your own.

4.) Favorite Outdoor Space: Los Liones Trail, Pacific Palisades

The Los Liones Trail had me jumping for joy with all the coastal views of the Pacific. This hikes weaves up a lush canyon at the south end of Topanga State Park, just a mile from the Pacific Ocean. The ivy and chaparral-lined hike offers glimpses of Santa Monica Bay. After 1.3 miles and 550 feet of elevation gain, Los Liones Trail arrives at a clearing on a ridge at a bench that looks down on the Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, and the ocean beyond.

5.) Favorite Frills: Glossier Cloud Paint

This cream-based blush is my favorite beauty find of the moment. The pillowy texture of Cloud Paint glides on like a dream and is light as a feather, especially good in the summer months. It’s super easy to apply (if you can finger paint, you can apply this like a champ) and intended for layering so that it’s near impossible to add too much. The shades come in every hue of the sunset and work on just about every complexion. I discovered Glossier on my trip to LA where the one and only live store exists (they started their following online). It was a COMPLETE SCENE with a line out the door. Now I know why. This cult favorite is worth the hype. When I returned to Chicago, I was lucky enough to get glammed up by Glossier at the Nike Chicago Air Max pop-up shop before rocking out to Pitchfork. Not just a blush, this cream color can add a glow to the eyes and a warmth to lids that is ooo la la gorgeous.

6.) Favorite Sweet Treat: Salt & Straw

The avocado ice cream at Salt & Straw was a creamy dream that tasted nothing like avocados and everything like the honey lavender lacing of your dreams. Salt & Straw is known for their unique flavor pairings and this one definitely delivered! You can find all kinds of seasonal fun flavors across their stores in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, San Diego and San Franscisco. Right now, their seasonal binge is all about vegetables – yup, vegetable-inspired ice cream flavors like carrot cake batter, freckled chocolate zucchini bread and beet red velvet cake.

7.) Favorite Coffee Joint / New Tech: Carrera Cafe custom latte art by Coffee Ripples

I went absolutely bananas when I heard about the custom latte art from Coffee Ripples, which is available at coffee shops across the country via the Ripples app. Just download the app, upload your custom art and locate the nearest cafe with the printing capabilities. The “ink” is made of very fine layers of coffee extract that sit on top of the foam. I’m not much into tech, but this is tech I can get behind.

8.) Favorite Snack: Dang Stick Rice Chips

Dang those Dang Sticky Rice Chips are good. Crispy little discs of organic Thai sticky rice soaked in watermelon juice and crisped up to take just like the “bottom-of-the-pan” rice. The original is slightly sweet due to the watermelon juice and the sriracha brings just the right amount of heat to these chips. Bonus: 30% less fat than the old standard potato chips. Win!

9.) Favorite Hidden Gem: Frog Hollow Farms

This is a bit pre-conceived, but I have excellent sources that tell me Frog Hollow Farm has THE BEST peaches and I can’t WAIT for my order of Cal Red peaches to arrive. People, these peaches are only available 2 weeks out of the year and need to be pre-ordered because they’re so juicy good. I’ve been utterly depressed by the peach offerings in Chicago so I’m counting down the days until I get to bite into these juicy jems! Even the New York Times says these are, “Good Enough to Make Farm Stand Peaches Blush”.

10.) Favorite Recipe: Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

And it wouldn’t be a favorites list without a highlight of my favorite recipe of the month: this Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler that I made for the hubster on his birthday. It’s a grain-free and healthier spin on the usual with a crumble made of coconut flour and almond flour, then sweetened with pure maple syrup. It’s a must-try, must-make for the summer months. Get the dEATs here!

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And…that’s a wrap. Set an intention to do more of what you love this month and make it your best August ever because…why wouldn’t you?

The post July Favorites appeared first on The Shooks Life.