There’s been no messing around in the kitchen here lately. The cold front has me craving warm, creamy deliciousness. Check it out:
Nothing says cold weather like a big bowl of oats! This bowl was extra creamy because instead of water I used Whole Food’s refrigerated almond milk. (I was provided the almond milk for free to review on the blog, however as usual I only accepted this because it’s something I would actually purchase with my own money and I always provide my honest option.)
I fell in love with almond milk a while ago when I was trying out some different dairy free milk alternatives. I soon became sweet on the Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla variety due to it’s low calorie and sugar content. I haven’t really strayed from it since so this is actually my first time trying refrigerated almond milk. I like the half gallon size because it will last longer (the liter containers go way too fast around here). I also liked the flavor of this variety, it’s super creamy, has the same calories as my normal almond milk and I didn’t even miss the vanilla flavor. Although, it may have been due to the fact that I added ground vanilla bean in the oats. 
In the pot – 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 banana (sliced), 1 cup almond milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Cooked on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes (stirring occasionally).
Served with a spoonful of almond butter and a sprinkle of chia seeds = perfection.
More hot, comfort foods were calling my name come lunch time so I made a quick grilled cheese on ww bread with smart balance butter for grilling. On the inside I stuffed garlic hummus, feta, kale, and red pepper.
And of course, there’s been some FOOD & WINE inspired meals going on. The first this week was a remake of the Fall Harvest Salad.
Basically I just took the idea using roasted butternut squash as a salad topping and went with it. It’s delicious and quite similar to the Falldorf salad I started making last year around this time. Butternut squash is good on anything so why not salad?
Last but not least – I realized it’s been a while since this little lady was featured. For your viewing pleasure, here’s Miss Olive.
Happy Friday!
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As part of my participation in the FOOD & WINE Blogger Correspondent program, FOOD & WINE is giving away a year-long subscription to a lucky reader from Eating Bird Food. Click here to enter and read official rules here.
This post is part of a series featuring recipes from the FOOD & WINE archive. As a FOOD & WINE Blogger Correspondent, I was chosen to do four recipes a week from FOOD & WINE. I received a subscription to FOOD & WINE for my participation.
Brittany Mullins, HHC
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
I have never done kale other than chip form, but I think I could try it in a grilled cheese! That sandwich looks delicious!
awhhh, olive! such a cutie!! and i want to try that sandwich. yum! have a great weekend!! xo
You have the cutest dog ever. Oh. My. Goodness. Adorable.
Olive thanks you!
Miss Olive is so cute — my Father in law has a dog just like that named ChaCha
The grilled cheese looks so good – that is definitely a good food for fall!
Holy canoli! Your dog is beyond adorable!!
Olive is so cute!
It’s amazing what Almond Milk does to stovetop oats.
Hope you have a great weekend!
I agree- almond milk is just so creamy!
Mmm…those oats and that sandwich looks so delicious and satisfying:).
My grand dog is precious! That grilled cheese sandwich look’s wonderful! Love ya sweetie have a wonderful weekend!
did you sautee the kale before using it as sandwich stuffing, or just use it raw? either way, it looks like a great sandwich, might have to copy!
Nope – the kale was just raw.
doggie cuteness!!! it has been chilly around here lately, so glad the warmer temps are back for the weekend, looks like it’s going to be perrrrr-fect!!
I love Miss Olive!
I am SO glad that I experimented with different brands of almond milk! It is amazing how much they all differ in taste/texture/etc…. I have been hooked on the unsweetened original Blue Diamond for a few months now!
I can’t wait to do roasted squash salads! That is a fall favourite.
I’m the same way with my product reviews. I’ll review something but only, like you said, if it is the type of thing I would have bought anyway and even then I give my 100% honest opinion.
your sandwich looks delicious! It has cheese and hummus? I never thought of the two together for grilled cheese!
It’s a great combo!
dangit. i want olive for my very own! she’s the cutest.
You can’t have her.
I have to try that oatmeal recipe. My hubby wants to stop using the microwave to cook our oats and now I have a recipe to try! Thanks for sharing.
Please let me know what you think if you do end up trying it!
Oats and hot sandwiches like that have been my go to meals for breakfast and lunch recently. Simple and delicious! And comforting too.
Thanks for the info on the WF almond milk–I’ll have to give it a try for myself!
Miss Olive is too adorable! Thanks for ending my night on such a precious note! I’ve been a huge fan of almond milk for a few years now…I just finished a pumpkin almond milkshake. Yum!
Oh, my goodness, that recipe is delicious! I figured, well, I’ve got almond milk and almond butter in the house, so of course I’ve got to! And I woke up early enough so that the Georgia morning was still crisp enough to call for oatmeal…all things considered, a perfect situation!
And a perfect oatmeal recipe. The cinnamon and banana together are amazing (and available during the winter months ahead, thank heavens!), the oatmeal’s creamy, and almond milk is a thousand times better than dairy. I use it all the time, especially the refrigerated version (as you said, it’s bigger!), and although I don’t have a Whole Foods here and buy Almond Breeze instead, that was my only deviation.
I want to speak up in favor of the regular almond milk variety, though, because it’s still subtly sweet, it’s got an amazing aroma and faint taste of almonds, which makes me melt, and it’s not so sweet that it knocks my socks off, makes my teeth hurt, and I wander around feeling like I’m in a sugar coma. I transferred from dairy straight to almond milk, and wanted it to be approximately close–and turns out, the unflavored kind was love at first taste without the vanilla or even possibly the chocolate.
Olive, by the way, is utterly precious. I’m usually a cat person, but she’s cuter than most cats I know!
I’m a longtime lurker, first time commenter.
I dont like to comment on sites that get as many comments as yours because I feel like it will be lost. But I really had to say how I’m melting at the site of olive! I often dog site for a dog that looks identical to her! its so uncanny!
Anyhow, I’m not the biggest fan of almond milk in general. I know its got fat in it but i find it so watery. I prefer coconut milk if I’m going the nondairy route and Whole Foods sells an excellent unsweetened kind thats almost the same amount of calories as almond milk.
Thanks so much for commenting Eden. I LOVE “meeting” my readers!
Have you tried any of the refrigerated almond milks? They seem much thicker! I haven’t tried any coconut milks – besides the canned varieties but perhaps I should check out the selection at WF.
PS – Olive thanks you for the kind comment.
I’m guilty of only using the microwave for my oats too, I will be trying this recipe. I actually just tried the original almond milk since TJ’s ran out of vanilla, and it’s good! worth a try!
Hey lovely!!!!
I am w. jessica- ive never had kale in any other form except a chip!! I should try it in a sandwich or wrap tho! I love how nutritious KALE is!! I used to always use the microwave for oats- now im a stovetop girl and never going back!!
Hi KATIE!! I’m the same way. I used to use instant all the time and then realized how good stovetop oats are and have never went back since!
I had no idea WFs had their own almond milk! Now I totally want to try it. That bowl of oats looks delicious, but the sandwich looks even better. Great makes in the kitchen. Hope your Sunday treats you well
Olive is too cute!!! I’m craving oats now so think that will be my breakfast tomorrow! x
i love how piercing the greens and tomatoes look in that lovely sandwich! no wonder it was calling your name!!!
wow and i just noticed ur new profile pic on ur site- GGGGORGEOUS!!! how do u get even more beautiful than you already are!! its crazy!! <3
pumpkin smoothie, why didn’t i think of that?! breakfast tomorrow!
both of our most recent posts have a pumpkin theme, though yours is far healthier than my pumpkin scones
if you ever see a hazlenut flavor at sweet frog, load up. its nutella fro yo, seriously.
Like you, I use alternative milk for cereals and oatmeal. I recently stopped buying Almond Breeze and most of the alternative milks (almond and cocounut) because an ingredient found in most of the milks, carrageenan, iwhich s linked to cancer. The only milk I have found that doesn’t contain this ingredient is rice milk. I am not trying to lecture but I thought I would spread the awareness.
Thank you for all the delicious recipes you post….especially pumpkin recipes!
“which is”….oops
I was so inspired by this oatmeal recipe that I’ve tried it with bananas, Bartlett pears, apples, a little amaretto, and I’m going to try it with kiwi next! Almond milk oatmeal is pretty much the best thing ever for a chilly fall breakfast. Here’s my post about an almond-pear variation:
http://operachild.blogspot.com/2010/10/sweetly-comforting-almond-pear-oatmeal.html
Finally got around to making these oats (but with real milk). Delicious, easy, and nutritious. I will not be hungry in spinning this morning!
Thanks for the easy, great recipe!