It's pretty easy to get so caught up in trying to please everyone else that you forget to do things just for yourself.
I'm sure we all have been guilty of this at some point, but for me, the biggest example of this for me is when it comes to cooking. On the weekends, all of my meal-planning revolves around what everyone will like. At dinnertime, I generally will make two different dinners just to make sure that the twins get a dinner that they like and Chris and I get to eat something that fits our tastes more than plain creamy pasta. For Sunday brunch, meal-planning becomes a careful dance, trying to create something that everyone will like.
Recently, however, I decided I needed to make a little something, just for me.
I knew Chris and the twins would be perfectly happy just eating cereal and if I offered them oatmeal, it would quickly be turned down by all. We also had a ton of apricots from our CSA that needed to be used up, and the twins are deathly afraid of stone fruits ever since they learned that the pits are poisonous (it doesn't even matter if we remove the pit for them- they still think they will fall ill after one bite). With all of this in mind, I decided to make a breakfast version of one of my favorite desserts. Just for me.
I must admit, I felt a little guilty about letting the rest of the family fend for themselves. It's like when you decide to take a yoga class rather than doing the grocery shopping or picking up the dry-cleaning. You know it's great for you, but you fear that you're letting others down. This guilt quickly went away, however, when I began to smell the apricot crumble oatmeal. Hints of cinnamon and ginger along with a scrumptious warm and fruity scent filled the house. No one else even noticed the beautiful aroma but I just couldn't wait for my treat to come out of the oven.
Once it had emerged from the oven and cooled enough for me to scoop some onto my plate, I dove into my beautiful baked oatmeal. Warm, delicious, gooey and crumbly- this baked apricot crumble oatmeal made for the perfect Sunday morning brunch for one (though there is definitely enough to share and I even had leftovers the next day). I did share a bite or two with Chris because he was curious, but I really just sat peacefully by my dining room window and enjoyed each and every bite. Sometimes you just have to do that sort of thing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 3 tablespoons buckwheat groats
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 packets of stevia (or about 1 teaspoon sweetener of choice)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
- 2 cups sliced apricots (about 1 inch slices)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 packet of stevia
Instructions
- The night before you wish to serve this dish, combine all of the oatmeal ingredient together in a air-tight container, mix well, and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a pie pan or square baking dish. Set aside.
- Combine the apricots with the lemon juice, stevia, and cornstarch. Mix until fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared pie pan/baking dish. Remove the oatmeal mixture that has been soaking overnight. Pour the oatmeal over the apricot mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until oatmeal is mostly firm and the fruit mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How do you treat yourself?
Photography by Chris Miller
Caitlin
good for you, lady! this looks like the perfect breakfast and i would happily make this for myself and not share with anyone. i can almost smell the crumble in the oven..and the gooeyness..i just can't get enough!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Caitlin! 🙂 It's definitely a great way to treat yourself! 🙂
Caitlin
This looks amazing!! How anyone could not like those flavors is way beyond me! I ration the meals I make where I know my husband won't like the ingredients- but it's only fair that I get my share of sweet potatoes and squash when I make his favorites all the time! Don't feel selfish- just enjoy 🙂
keepinitkind
THank you! How funny- my husband isn't as crazy about sweet potatoes or squash either! He'll eat them without complaint, but they're not his favorites. 🙂
Somer
I'm back baby! hoping to do more catch up with you over the weekend. But first, I really wish I had this for breakfast. It's warming my belly just looking at it! xx
keepinitkind
Yay! I hope you're feeling better and getting up and around too! 🙂
Maria Tadic
This looks really yummy!
And you definitely have to do things for you - especially in the kitchen. My hubby is somewhat of a picky eater and I miss out on my fans since he refuses to touch them. So sometimes, i just let him know ahead that he should "fend for himself" in a nice way. And cook up something just for me!
keepinitkind
Thank you! And I totally get that- times when Chris has to work late is when I load up on all of my favorites for dinner. 🙂
Abbie
Oh wow, I know what I am going to do with those fresh, ripe apricots in my fridge this weekend! I love that baking pan and your creativity! Thanks for inspiring and being positive!
keepinitkind
Thanks Abbie- I do hope you like it! 🙂
Richa
Maybe just maybe i might eat Oatmeal this way. :)) i love the vibrant apricots!
keepinitkind
If you trick yourself into believing that the oatmeal is actually dessert, you're golden. 😉
Liz
It's so funny how so many of your commenters (myself, included) all seem to have the same kind of (unwarranted) guilt pertaining to cooking things "just for us". I would bet, though, that it's more an issue for US than the people we feed. There's so much unecessary self-imposed guilt in our lives that just serves ZERO purpose; we all need to accept that doing things "just for us" or merely because we WANT to is NOT a BAD thing. The world will keep spinning and everyone around us will survive; life WILL go on. 🙂
On another note, the twins sounds absolutely hysterical. Whenever you speak of them, I always envision lots of bowed heads, whispered conversations, covert communications and some kind of special language being spoken between them to settle on even the most mundane of decisions. They sound like little cohorts, in the sweetest way possible. When you talk about the two of them, I often find myself, smiling, tsking and thinking, "Those twins!" 🙂 They sounds like SUCH a kick to be around.
And so happy to see the stevia love! I started using this stuff YEARS ago but only for use in my tea. I started branching out and using it for other things a a couple of years ago. Then, about a year ago, it became my near exclusive sweetener in the kitchen for EVERYTHING, and I just adore it. I can't imagine what I would do without it in my kitchen.
keepinitkind
Thank you so much, Liz- you're comments always brighten my day. And you are so right- the twins are hysterical! They are always whispering to each other and they have secret hand shakes and they do aid each other in making decisions all the time. And they are getting to an age where they are so much fun to hang out with, though I'm sure they think we're getting more and more boring. 😉
Liz
Kristy, that's SO sweet of you to say. You just broghtened MY day. 🙂
Sometimes I catch myself thinking about my OWN perceived boringness (is that a WORD?) and say, "Geesh. WHEN did I get so OLD?!" LOL Things I vowed, as my younger self (much less than a decade ago, mind you), I would never do, say, or listen to, are now my favorite pasttimes, most spoken words, and go-to listening preferences. 🙂 I hear loud music and think, "WHY do they listen to it SO loudly? How can they possibly be enjoying that? You can't even HEAR it over the bass." All the things my mother used to say. Well, not the bass part. LOL 🙂 My first reaction upon seeing young girls with their bellies exposed wearing skirts or shorts millimeters away from a paparazzi shot is to question their self esteem and fight the urge to tell them to put more clothes on.
I see people do things I used to do ALL of the time without question (see aforementioned examples) when I was their age and just don't GET it. (Is it a curiosity or a gift how quickly I've forgotten those things? 🙂 ) I good naturedly roll my eyes when overhearing high school drama and feel so grateful for how much more SETTLED things are in my life. So, PERHAPS the twins may think, on ocassion, that you two could be a bit looser, but I'm sure they relish the stability and nurturing you provide much more than their desire for you to be more adolescent. I bet they keep you young. 🙂
The twins are very lucky, though. Believe it or not, I'm a twin, and I never had what they have with MY brother. He wanted NOTHING to do with me after we were old enough to make our own friends (read: 4-5 years), and he never changed his feelings on that. SO, unfortunately, I never got to actually EXPERIENCE the whole "twin thing" despite ACTUALLY being a twin. :/ I envy the bond they have with one another; they're SO fortunate to be able to experience that.
keepinitkind
That is so bizarre that your own twin didn't want to share a relationship with you! I'm so sorry that you weren't able to experience that bond. 🙁
You are right, though- they do keep us young. I imagine we'd be much more boring if we didn't have them around. 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
This looks amazing Kristy. So important to be a little selfish at times 😉 And never feel bad about it! You do so much for others, you deserve a treat. And what a treat this is!!
keepinitkind
Thank you- I couldn't agree more. 🙂
Hannah
Amen, sisterfriend. Plus, if you stop and think about it, you're really helping the twins and Chris learn resilience and how to fend for themselves. Life isn't *always* about having one's whims catered to endlessly, so you're doing the perfect thing for everyone by making something just for you here! 😉
keepinitkind
Amen! You are absolutely right- I'm actually doing them a favor by making them fend for themselves occasionally. I like the way you think, lady. xx
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!
Get it girl! You definitely need to take care of yourself and your desires, and you deserve. I'm sure Chris would agree with me.
I love this dish though. It's funny to me that summer fruits are so phenomenal in warm/baked dishes, but I would endure any oven-created heat in the kitchen to try this one out!
keepinitkind
Thank you! It's funny that you brought that up- summer fruits taste so wonderful when they're cooked, don't they?
Annie
Sounds like a perfect treat to yourself, Kristy. When Kel is away I'll usually make myself a pot of mac and cheez because he's just not that fond of it - and for me it's complete comfort food.
keepinitkind
Mmmmmm, Mac & Cheez! That is one of those foods that I can't keep in the house because I lose all control around it. Perfect comfort food!
Nicole
This sounds delicious! I love apricots. And I agree - sometimes you just have to do something for yourself.
P.S. It was so lovely to meet you and your husband at VVC!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Nicole! It was so lovely to meet you as well- I wish we could've spent more time chatting! 🙂
Heather
Oh yes, taking care of "us" sometimes we all have to be reminded to do so- Justin reminds me that he would live off of pizza & salad wraps and is perfectly capable of fending for himself on the occasion I am making something only adored by me 🙂 This looks incredible- a perfect Saturday breakfast! My treat is definitely taking time out for classes at the Gym and spending lots of time in the Garden 🙂
keepinitkind
It's funny how we get into the mindset that we need to take care of those we love, when in reality, they usually are perfectly capable of fending for themselves and probably don't mind doing so either. Taking some time to make ourselves happy is so important. 🙂
Cadry
Your family is missing out! How could they have the option of that mouthwatering, fragrant crumble and opt for anything else? That's so funny that the twins are so petrified of the stone in stone fruit that they won't eat it. Hopefully with time they'll come around! Until then, I'm glad that you're taking time to make something for yourself that you'll totally enjoy. I often save foods for lunch that I know David won't enjoy like Soy Curls, gravy, sauerkraut, or anything with ketchup.
keepinitkind
David doesn't like soy curls? I'll come over for lunch on the days you cook those up. 🙂
Kristen
I love this! I'm on a apricot kick right now, so this is the perfect breakfast...or even snack or dessert!
keepinitkind
Thank you! I'm all about stone fruits at the moment too! 🙂