Cooking Class

Tonight there was a cooking class at my house. It was supposed to be a healthy cooking class, and I don't really know a whole lot about healthy cooking (brownies are made with cocoa, and cocoa comes from cocoa beans which come from a tree so it's a plant and that makes it a vegetable, right?). BUT, I have been trying to do the whole vegetarian thing lately. I was a little worried how the class would be received. After all, we're smack dab in the middle of cattle country. Everyone was so wonderful! They asked questions, they tried the food, they seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying AND a good portion was stuff no one had heard yet. I forget that not everyone is as obsessed with natural food blogs as I am so I assumed most of it would be old news. It felt good to be able to share some of the things I've learned as I am trying to make this transition. Thank you so much to the sisters that came. You guys are the best! And in your honor, I am going to share the recipe for my favorite breakfast.

Sybil's Steel Cut Oats

1 c. steel cut oats
3 c. water
5 dates, roughly chopped
sprinkle of cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
rice milk (or any milk, really)
1/2 Tbsp hemp seed
1/2 Tbsp chia seed
handful of raw almonds
maple syrup or stevia or other sweetener

Bring water to a boil and add oats. Turn heat down. Toss in your dates. I'm trying to give up processed sugar, so I go a little heavy on the dates to get my sweet fix. :) Add cinnamon and cloves. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. I know, I know, that seems like a long time, BUT it makes a lot. I always store it in the refrigerator and just heat up individual portions. It will last me about 4 days. When it's done cooking, spoon out a portion (a little goes a looooong way), top with rice milk, hemp & chia seeds, almonds and maple syrup. If you let it sit for a while, the almonds get a little tender and it is delicious!

I always feel like a million bucks for 2-3 hours after eating this. It keeps me full without making me feel sluggish and gives me lots of energy.