Oatmeal is big news!  If you google “oatmeal” you will get a multitude of hits.  I’m not a fan of jumping on the band wagon for every new food craze; although you can’t really classify oatmeal as new.  I like to eat healthy fresh food whenever possible and treat myself occasionally with a sweet treat.

When I started seeing overnight oats popping up on all the recipe and Pinterest boards, I was intrigued but slow to investigate.  When I begrudgingly decided to see what all the hooplah was about I found so many recipes that I was a bit overwhelmed.

I thought a crock-pot version that would cook overnight might be tempting. I imagined waking up to the aroma of warm cinnamon and apple snaking through the air to entice me from my warm bed. Searching, I discovered numerous refrigerator oatmeal recipes made with yogurt as well as crock-pot recipes.

I like oatmeal and I like yogurt, but I never put them together.  Texture is a big thing for me.  I don’t enjoy soggy food so I was hesitant to try it.  Saturday morning I was sitting on my deck searching for overnight oatmeal recipes.  I found a dozen or so recipes that I sent to the printer.  I didn’t bother to save any links so unfortunately when I discovered the printer was low on ink  and only a few recipes actually printed, I was disappointed.

Of course the recipes that printed were all cold overnight recipes made with Greek yogurt.  When I realized they were the only ones printed, I decided to give it a try.  After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was ready to master some overnight oats.

I seldom follow recipes to the letter but I’ll do my best to tell you how I mixed my first batch.

• 1/4 cup raw oats
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp of chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries and berries
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup of walnuts 

I dumped it all together in no particular order and stirred it just enough to ensure everything was moistened before sticking it in the fridge.

The next morning, I hesitantly scooped up a small amount of the yogurt/oats mixture and carried it to my office for breakfast.  As I sat at my desk and lifted the lid, I was pleasantly surprised at the pleasant berry aroma that escaped.  Still nervous about the texture, I found the raw oats not soggy and the addition of the pumpkin seeds and walnuts added just the right crunch. I scraped the bowl clean wishing I had more!

I am a definite convert!  I still haven’t gone back to find the crock-pot recipes, but have continued enjoying cold overnight oats.  I’ve seen it called Kerf, Muesli or just plain overnight oats.  Whatever you call it, I call it delicious.