wiaw: twelve

i bookmark a lot of recipes. recipes that i find on other blogs and from my cookbook collection. i also recently joined Pinterest (follow me!), which may not be a good thing. time will tell. some of my isoteric pantry items are from bookmarking a recipe and then forgetting/waiting to make the recipe. then I try to save the ingredient until i finally make the recipe. so, i hold onto ingredients perhaps a bit longer than needed.

this week, my challenge was to eat through my pantry and my long list of bookmarked recipes. i realize that not all recipes will be winners, but thought i would share my thoughts anyways. that’s the fun of wiaw!

ready. set. go! check out jenn's blog for even more food!

current eats iHeart + bookmarks

1. oats

i love oats. for a long time though, i didn't like them so much. they made me feel full and bloated and i didn't like that feeling. so i avoided them.

i do not eat overnight oats. although i've never tried overnight oats, i do not like the look of them: soggy, wet, and drippy. no thank you.

i do not eat anything out of a microwave either. no mug cakes or thirty second oats for this gal.

my favorite way is to cook oats is on a stove top with water, almond milk, or a mix of both. sometimes, i'll cook and flavor my oats then add them to a small mason jar for later.

i love that there are so many toppings! i like bananas, cinnamon, a tablespoon or two of nut butter (almond, peanut, sunflower seed, cashew, hazelnut). apples, berries, raisins or other dried fruits, hemp seeds, chia seeds, nuts, or protein powder are also great in oats.

currently loving these inspirational recipes i found on the internet.

1. pancake love

the truth is, i’d gone the last few years not eating pancakes. let me back up. i spent a lot of years eating a lot of pancakes… pancakes for dinner, late nights at Denny’s, the whole bit. the pancakes just kept adding up and the easiest thing for me to do was cut out the temptation altogether.

but that’s all behind me now.

my pancake preferences have certainly changed over the years and now i only enjoy the lighter at-home ones made with bananas or berries.  

currently loving these vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free pancake recipes. yes please.

3. tea

i abso-frickin-lutely love tea.

any hour. any day.

i love how you can mix and match to your heart's desire until you come up with the perfect blend that will warm you up from the inside out. so soothing.

currently loving mighty tea chamomile citrus and ginger twist, david's tea pumpkin chai (with cinnamon, pumpkin pieces, cloves and cardamom, plus the sweetness of caramel and pumpkin candy), and traditional medicinals nighty night tea.

4. root vegetables

i’m deeply drawn to vegetables grown underground. i find them mysterious. like crystals and gemstones, they come from a world that I know little of.

currently loving potatoes, yams, beets, squash, carrots, turnip, parsnips, and radishes. roasted to perfection and drizzled with coconut oil and sea salt. this is bliss.

5. lentils

i always seem to gravitate towards foods that are easy to cook. nutty and earthy, lentils are one of my favorite ingredients to use and they make a nice compliment to any meal.

currently loving janet's recipe for red lentil and spinach curry (vegan tikka masala) or any one of her other lentil recipes. this girl knows lentils.

these gluten-free lentil energy bars sound pretty darn tasty too. #bookmarked

6. soup

i LOVE soup!  easy to make, difficult to screw up, very tasty and usually healthy. i will concede that i rarely make my own stock, but that doesn’t stop me from making a delicious, flavorful soup.

in my opinion, there is nothing more satisfying than curling up on a chilly fall day with a bowl of your favorite soul-warming soup. 'tis the season for rich, hearty soups and stews featuring your favorite deliciously comforting ingredients.

currently loving vegetarian times white bean and kale soup, season's and supper's fall vegetable soup, and the food network's moroccan spiced chickpea soup.

happy wednesday!

how do you like to eat your oats? do you like tea or coffee? what is your favorite root vegetable?

disclaimer: i do not own any of the photos (except for the pic of "my little taste tester"), GIFs or any recipes unless stated.