The Gift of Giving

I'm trying to embrace the spirit of the holidays, so...

I gave myself a bowl of oats in the morning.
"Why thank you, m'self," I says.
"OH! You're most welcome."

I'm so polite.

Give Me My Oats! (plz)


1/2 c. oats
Pumpkin puree
Hemp protein powder, stirred in before cooking
White chia seeds, stirred in after cooking
Raw almond butter

I give myself the gift of health. :) Healthy fats, proteins & carbs all warmed up and ready to go. That's the gift that keeps on giving. Bowl after bowl after bowl...

But I don't only give oats to myself. I also give oats to my friends. I hereby present to you an oat-vertisement for my friend's music label, which you should definitely check out:

Dangerbox Oats


1/2 c. oats
Unsweetened dark cocoa powder
"DB" spelled out in raw slivered almonds
{side of Greek yogurt for delicious dippage}

DANGER OATS! No joke. That cocoa powder knocked my head off, especially when paired with a spoonful of yogurt.

Get the oats scoop on my friend's electronic music label here, and, if you flip around my mini OatPod, you can hear a song by Douglas Hazelwood, who is the mastermind behind this shindig.

AND I gave these didgeridoos to m'beau's family, since I will not be here to spend Christmas with them!


Cookie Dough-Brownie Muffins ;) They exist. And they're not "clean." Don't tell Tosca Reno :P (I love Clean Eating magazine, btw.)

Most of all, I am trying to give myself the gift of a new mentality. Back before I became a weeee bit obsessed with numbers and restriction, I had the healthy mentality of wanting to be "fit." I wasn't aiming for a specific weight; I just wanted to be as lean & cardiovascular-awesome as I was when I played competitive soccer. I wanted to be ACTIVE and move through life happily. Feel confident in my body. Trust myself.

For Christmas and a New Year's resolution, I plan to give myself the gift of not calorie-counting so much & stressing over meals. Sometimes you just have to STOP giving a rat's ass. Really, who wants a rat's ass?

(Charlie Brown certainly does not want a rat's ass.)

Slowly, I have been pulling away from tracking calorie-to-calorie to eating more mindfully; therefore, I will eat what I truly need to be FIT WITHOUT LOSING. I'm giving my body strength through weightlifting & tone through yoga. Don't be afraid of bulking up when you regain your health. You won't. You'll just have a slightly less puny bicep, like me.


CAN I GET A WITNEEEEEESSS! (She's some kind of wonderful!)
And I didn't even mention my tight ... grass ;)

The more I strive to nourish and strengthen my body, the more free I feel. Because I want to be fit. Not skinny-scrawny-weak. Obviously I'm never going to be a bodybuilder; I'd look like a hobbit on steroids ;) But I'm so excited to take care of myself when I think about all the activities my body will be able to participate in more fully, when I think about my strength and not my "skinniness." When I think about engaging myself in life, not shrinking from it.

Well, I'm off to tutor for the last time this s'mester. Serious brain-training. How. I. Roll.

mitrii x5

What the Oats!?

Good morning. Ooo-wee-oooo.... [song reference] just kidding. It's 3:40 PM. But so much has happened today, might as well be tomorrow morning. Strange...

I woke up extra early for a successful job interview. Black high heels, a ruffled Delia's blouse (I call it "the Benjamin Franklin"), and this bowl of oats prepared me to apply for the position of "client service professional."

Hemp-Tahini Oats


1/2 c. oats
1 T. hemp protein powder
1 T. white chia seeds, stirred in post-cooking
Roasted tahini
Carob chips

As I've said before, hemp tastes like grass. And we all know you can't spell grass without "ass." Therefore, hemp tastes like ass. [/logic]

You really have to get in touch with your inner cow to enjoy hemp protein powder. When I ate this breakfast, I pretended I was consuming a pasture. Because I'm pretty sure this is what it'd taste like. And strangely, I'm okay with that. x)

Is it even stranger to say that sometimes I now crave the ass grass?

Sometimes I like to try strange things. "You are what you eat." Hmm.... I think we know what that says about me. ;)

Blackeye Pea...nut Butter Oats


1/2 c. oats
Blackeye peas
Naturally More PB

I ended up either eating the oats+blackeye peas or the oats+PB in the same spoonful, but not all 3. It was an amusing experience, but one I probably won't repeat. ;)

Almost as amusing as my rationalization of a concept called "the study snack."

Study Snack


Unsweetened applesauce cup
Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal
Unsweet shredded coconut

Su cute. :) The whole point of studying is that you can justify fun "study snacks." The honey-sweet crunchiness of the cereal was excellent with the apple flavor! I guess I'll have to study more often... Except today I took that exam and am now DONE with school!

Now that I'm finished with school, might be some more frequent Mitri bloggin' before I go out of town for Christmas. I can promise you some non-oatmeal fun for the hell of it. Sometimes I feel like sharing other eats; sometimes I don't. But I know some people have told me that some of my eats inspire them to eat more, as their bodies need, so I'm all for that. :)

My lunch was pretty unique, m'thinks... and I enjoyed a spontaneous lunch date with m'beau today! Talk about so many activities. My head is spinning.

Apple-Tofurkey French Toast Sammie


2 pieces whole wheat bread cooked in mixture of egg whites, spice & almond milk
Hickory smoked Tofurkey
Unsweetened apple butter
Broccoli sprouts

I don't know why, but I've REALLY been craving French toast. For days. Each day I think I will make some, but then something else comes up and I don't take the time to make it! But I didn't want just maple syrup & French toast... c'mon. You're asking me to be normal here.

Instead, I wanted the wonderful egg flavor of the bread to enhance the taste of a sandwich! Love that hickory Tofurkey. I've had mediocre Tofurkey before, but this has a special summin' summin'.

Beek Conquers My Saute


Brown & wild rice
Fresh pineapple
Spinach, mushrooms, broccoli slaw, asparagus
Beek's maple-cinnamon-cumin almonds
Yellow curry powder, cardamom, & ginger

Beek did it again. Her almonds completed my sweet 'n savory little dinner with spice & crunch. How did she do it?? How did she know the right food to give me that I would use in all my dishes? I love the colors... I also love cleaning out the fridge with salads & sautes.

After I indulge in my complete nothingness (free at last, free at last...), I'm looking forward to a big ol' fridge-raider salad tonight. Hey! I can be Mitri Croft (instead of Lara).

signing off,

Mitri Croft
Fridge Raider

Oh Pumpkin, You're Too Cute!

HEYOOOOOOOOOOO! New commenters, gotta say, I love you. Like a hot steamy bowl of oats. And old commenters, you've gone down into oat history. I probably don't say it enough, but you all are THE BEST! Pat yourself on the back; make yourself a bowl of oats; say goooooooooooood morning and welcome to the Mitri show.

Has anyone ever called you pumpkin? I have no idea why, but it occurred to m'beau that he would like to call me [real name]-pumpkin. "A seasonal nickname," he said. How ridiculous is that?

Well, if that's what I'm gonna be called, then I better represent.
But I'm NOT going to use canned pumpkin. ;) Challenge, much.

Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix Oats


1/2 c. oats
Greek yogurt
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix
{side of crisp apple & Dunkin Donuts coffee}

Mmm this trail mix consists of sweet pumpkin spice-coated pecans, lightly dusted almonds, raisins, yogurt-covered raisins, and mini graham squares (too cute!). The addition of marshmallows would've hit the spot. Crap! Why didn't I add carob chips? My life is over.

Ok, now my life is not over, with this next bowl ;)

Pumpkin Milk in my Coffee Oats


1/2 c. oats, cooked in coffeeeeeeee
4 oz. Odwalla Pumpkin Protein Shake
Carob chips
Cinnamon-cumin-maple almonds from Beek!!!

I saw this drink sometime ago on Maya & Eliza's blogs, and I've been keeping an eye out for it. FINALLY found it! :) When I was at my last college and needed to use up my campus food $ + start increasing my nutrient intake when I had limited options, I used the college bucks to buy Odwalla protein drinks. Although I feel no need to buy them now, I still associate them with challenging myself in a good way. Besides, anything pumpkin-related is for me ;)

The sweetness of the drink was balanced out by the richness of the carob and the crunchy roasted almonds, which Beek generously sent to me with homemade coconut chia granola as well.


Wowerz! Thanks so much, Beek :) Made my cold rainy day so much brighter!

Pumpkin Spice Tea Oats @ the Clif


1/3 c. oats, cooked in Pumpkin Ginger tea
1/2 Pumpkin Pie Spice Clif bar, crumbled
Raw almond butter
{side of egg whites scrambled with pumpkin pie spice & maple extract}

Oh god, oh god, oh god. Someone save those oats before they jump off the clif[f]!

Season clif bars for a seasonal Mitri ;) Normally I would never crumble a clif bar on oats because I'd think, wowza carb overload. But you know what? That's dumb. I do what I want! And I want to make as many pumpkin-themed bowls sans pumpkin as possible.

If I had pumpkin butter, I would've rocked that a-hole! But I have a huge jar of apple butter my mama gave me, so let's not go crazy, k.

All of these pumpkinny bowls have fueled me for my recent agenda:
+finishing philosophy course paper
+studying for art history exam
+wrapping christmas presents ;)
+procrastination
+jkjk
+happiness

hehehe g'bye

xo mitri

Happy Oats & Crappy Knees

My oats seem to be bright, cozy, and all-around happy lately. Must reflect the oatmaker within ;)

Cheerful Oats


1/2 c. oats
Dried cranberries
Sunflower seeds
Maple PB
{side of almond milk mixed with hemp protein & nutcracker sweet tea}

I was very cheerful while I ate this morning bowl of oats. Short 'n sweet. Metaphor for life?
Well, maybe for YOUR life. As far as I know, I am immortal and invincible. *flex*

I was also very cheerful while I ate this supper bowl of oats.

Honey Mustard Autumn Oats


1/4 c. oat bran
White chia seeds
Buttercup squash, baked
Small apple, chopped
Annie's Lite Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
{side of steamed broccoli, possibly dipped in ketchup}

Two new items here: the squash and the dressing. As soon as I came home from Thanksgiving, I ventured to the grocery for some kabocha... alas, no kabocha to be seen! I decided to try a buttercup squash instead; I don't like it as much as kabocha, but HEY, squash is squash. It's all good. 8-) (Especially if you mash it with hummus & broccoli sprouts for a sammie, a la Eliza & Maya.)

As for the dressing, it's weak in flavor. I like mustardy things, but this isn't a keeper. :/ I guess that's what I get for choosing something "lite." Foodie sadness.

I quickly rebounded from that with my snail mail happiness...

Ok, ok, so this isn't really oats, but it does have "oat" in the title. ;) I was just so happy to receive this in the mail when many, many weeks ago I signed up online for a free sample of Kashi cereal! I love Kashi products, no joke, and I've never tried this particular one. Thanks to Kashi's generosity, not only did I get to try a new cereal, but I also received a $2.00 off coupon for ANY Kashi cereal! (Hence, Kashi Honey Sunshine now inhabits my pantry. :P)

Kashi Heart to Heart: *Oat* Flakes & Wild Blueberry Clusters


1 free sample box of Kashi cereal
Unsweet almond milk
Raw hazelnuts
{side of orange slices & Dunkin Donuts coffee}

This cereal is sweeter than I normally eat, but I really enjoyed it! The flakes stayed crunchy, and the bursts of wild blueberries paired perfectly with the hazelnuts. When I was gone for Thanksgiving, I became less anal ;) about having oats for breakfast every morning. Honestly, the world does not come crashing down if you change your breakfast routine. Who would've thought? Haha, wow.

Curry Oats with Cinnamon Hummus


1/4 c. oat bran
Yellow curry powder
Raisins
Orange bell pepper, diced
Sabra's hummus + cinnamon (!!!)
Egg white & black pepper
{side of Brussels sprouts}

Comfy on a brisk December day. Sometimes meals need no rhyme or recipe; they just need to be warm, spiced, filling, and sensible to the palate's whims. ;) Also, hummus mixed with cinnamon is the BEST THING EVER. I don't know why I thought to add cinnamon, but I'm glad I did!

Why have I been so happy lately? Christmas music (especially the Elf soundtrack!). Balanced eating. End of semester. Family fun. Thoughtful reflections. Serious and humorous conversations with the closest person to me. Oats. ;)

Of course, not everything is peachy keen. I seem to have gradually developed a knee injury, possibly bursitis... :( If I do cardio for around 30 minutes or more, I feel like my knees swell, turn bright red and hot to the touch. Then, if I try to bend too quickly right after they get to that point, a sharp pain shoots through my knees; I freeze up, unable to move. Last night I walked 2 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill, and when I came back home, I crouched to pull open the fruit drawer in the fridge-- pain 1. It really caught me offguard, and when I tried to stand up, the second shot of pain caused me to burst into tears in front of my dad because it hurt so bad.

Maybe I overused my knees in competitive premier soccer throughout my life. Maybe I abused them with "disciplined exercise" involving regular running, jump roping, and other high-impact action. As my dad pointed out, people think making a lot of money, buying fancy things, and moving up the socioeconomic ladder are the greatest points in life. In reality, being in good health is more important. You don't realize it until your health is compromised.

So maybe I won't be running marathons, or forcing myself to jump up and down out of guilt from "overeating." Maybe I will accept the damage I have done, however I did it, and let you all know that you can prevent this from happening if you take care of yourself. Yes, there are other ways to be healthy and lean without destroying yourself through intense, repetitive exercise. Who would've thought? ;)

Oats & Perfection

Oh, m'goodness! The days have been wonderful.

What does a "good day" mean to you? Do you demand perfection of your day? The perfect day is the one that unfolds naturally.

My good days have included playing out-of-tune piano for my grandmother's delight, witnessing hilarious things which cannot be repeated to the public, and completing numerous word searches. Sometimes I go on walks with my mom in the brisk air; sometimes I enjoy mini misadventures with m'beau around campus.

{Small things, big things.}

{Silly things?}

During my out-of-town, food-centric vacation, I learned perfect days do not involve strict calorie counting or compensating exercise. These realizations came after a slew of unenthusiastic eating, during which you experienced my oat-absence and personal reflection, and then a slew of unhealthy Thanksgiving eating. Let's just say that side of my family does not appreciate the Art of the Vegetable.

The circumstances were this: Eat grandma's buttery, sugary apple dumplings or eat nothing. The obvious choice is to eat the dumplings. ;) No choice is perfect, but this choice was perfectly more reasonable than starvation or deprivation, don't you agree?

For a long while I have been questioning whether I eat healthy because I enjoy being healthy or because it is "lower-calorie" and will help me "prevent weight gain." Thanksgiving's foods proved to me that I enjoy eating healthy because it prevents my skin from breaking out (unlike sugar!), generally manages my digestive system, and makes me feel great. Thanksgiving left me craving fresh fruits and vegetables. Now I know my eating habits are not about perfection; they are about nourishment, inside & out.

Of course, I wasn't "perfect" on my trip. I still found myself occasionally freaking out and thinking about what hardcore cardio I should do to "make up" for my eats, but when I wandered off alone to let my disordered thoughts consume me, I wondered, What the hell am I doing? Get over yourself! So I did. ;) Until the next time I started freaking out and started the thought cycle over. But hey, sometimes that's what you gotta do. Talk yourself up and out.

The WORST part of the trip was not the fact I had to hold my urine for over an hour when I-35 was at a stand-still. Nooo... the worst part was that I couldn't have oatmeal for breakfast! TRAGEDY!

Had to make up for it this morning:

Welcome Home Oats


1/2 c. oats
1 packet Starbucks Nut Medley
Unsweetened apple butter!
cinnamon
vanilla almond milk
{side of orange slices & Green Mountain Breakfast Blend coffee}

For once, I actually stirred all the toppings in. Slightly crunchy from the nuts but extra creamy from the almond milk & warmly spiced from the apple butter. What a lovely start to a rainy Monday morning... don't judge a day by its weather-- today was great!

Hey, let's make up for my lack of oats for dinner, too:

Curry Saute with Oat Bran Topping


Sliced button mushrooms
Chopped apple
Baby spinach
Broccoli slaw
Crumbled tofu
YELLOW CURRY POWDER
Oat bran
Sunflower seeds

Ho. Lee. Oats.

This is the best thing I have eaten in WEEKS. Probably tasted way better than it is because I was so vegetable-deprived and missed one of my favorite spices, yellow curry powder. I wanted so many veggies, I knew that I could not fit it on top of a bowl of oat bran. So I reversed the dish by piling my saute on a large plate and topping the saute with the oats! Hah. Genius. Everyone wins.

I'm feeling very well, content, peaceful. I hope you all are, too!

Let the holy Oat spirit guide you.

Let there be oats!

And other such proclamations.

Learning.

As I've refrained from blogging about food, I am taking more time to learn about myself.

Sometimes I learn things that are not so positive, but I accept that. For example, when the night deepens, I find myself up against a bleak wall. I stand alone, mind racing over trivial numbers related to food. Wondering what is the "right" amount of calories for my body. Hating the feeling of fullness, even though that seems counter-intuitive. Unable to concentrate. I stand in this corner, vulnerable to my darker thoughts.


The morning comes again. A fresh start. Each day, I believe I will live that day "right." Even though I know there is no such thing. Logic does not apply unless I enforce it. So I wonder, why do any of my disorderly concerns matter? Why would anyone compromise their health unnecessarily, or at the least be tempted to?

As night's shadows begin to wash over me, I like to think I've discovered a sphere of light. I hold it in the palm of my hands; it contains every peaceful, content, happy moment I experience. I experience those moments because I let myself experience them. Not because I could control them. But because control was no longer an issue.


Who do we think we are-- aiming to control our lives in such a way? We are not gods. We cannot ask so much of ourselves.

It's silly to think that, on our deathbeds, we will look back and say, "Wow, I really controlled my life. Isn't that great?"

The answer is no. I can tell you that much.

{just something to think about}
{just time to make a difference}

I'm traveling for Thanksgiving. Until then, adieu, farewell!

Same Old, Same Old haha

I'm in such a blogging fog lately! Although I've been enjoying my daily oats and have numerous recipe ideas I have yet to try, I s'pose I'm finding my blogging of them a tad boring. I should've known that I was pigeonholing my creativity. :P

On the one hand, I want to still be involved with everyone's blogs because I love your stories. On the other hand, I'm not sure whether I want to continue food-blogging. I pretty much just want to be friends; I wish we all lived closer and could visit all the time! :) If I dropped the oat theme and were to just "talk at you" on a personal level, assuming anyone would even enjoy that, I'd have to make this blog private and invite readers who are interested. Perhaps I might go back to being solely a reader and enthusiastic supporter instead.

Hrm, seems like I have a blog-identity crisis every couple of weeks xD I promise I'm much more stable in all other areas of my life.

Well, maybe I'll come out of my foodie rut soon enough, but in the meantime, don't be surprised if you don't see any oats 'round churr! And of course, if you ever want to talk to me one-on-one, I'm happy to oblige. :)