Vanilla Oatmeal with Crunchy Apple Topping

It’s Saturday morning and I wake up before the sun. Silently, I crawl out of bed, trying to not wake Kalle, who is still sleeping. The wooden floors are cold under my bare feet. I tiptoe to the kitchen where I prepare a cup of green tea. I wrap a blanket around my shoulders and sit down in one of our large windows. Everyone is still sleeping. It’s too early, even for the birds. It’s a special feeling when you’re the only one awake. Everything suddenly seems so big and you feel so small.

I pick up the book I’m currently reading and disappear into another world for I don’t know how long. I come back to reality when Kalle enters the kitchen and I realize that it’s time for breakfast. We talk about making something special for breakfast, but we don’t know what to make so we decide to stick with our all time favorite – vanilla oatmeal (with lots of toppings). After breakfast we make coffee or more tea, then we cuddle up in our living room to read a book or watch a documentary (or a movie) before we get properly dressed (i.e wearing something that’s not sleepwear).

We try to have one slow morning like this every weekend. No stress, nothing we have to do and no plans. Just time for each other and time to relax. It’s always well needed and it’s also my favorite time of the week. I have a feeling that we’ll have our slow morning tomorrow, so today I thought I’d share our typical slow morning breakfast which, like I said earlier, is vanilla oatmeal with lots of toppings. Maybe some of you will be inspired and have a slow morning too.

Oatmeal is quite boring without seasoning and/or toppings so I make sure to top it with all kinds of yummy things. With the right toppings you can transform this pretty boring dish to something truly amazing. The key is to add some fruit or berry of some kind. It provides sweetness (or freshness) to your oatmeal. When you add some nuts or seeds, or nut butters you get a decent amount of fat in there too, which is always nice and healthy. Personally, I love everything that’s crunchy so I make sure to always add something like this to my oatmeal. My latest obsession is mulberries. So. Good.

When you’ve found a perfect combination of flavors I’m sure you’ll eat the same thing for breakfast for days and days. Oatmeal is both healthy and filling – plus it takes like no time to prepare. Dare I say that it might be the most perfect breakfast, ever?

Vanilla oatmeal with crunchy apple topping

serves 2

2 dl rolled oats (I use glutenfree oats)
4 dl cold water a pinch of Himalaya salt
1/3 tsp ground vanilla

To serve

one sliced apple
nut butter (I used cashew)
cashews
hemp seeds
mulberries
plant milk (I recommend oat, almond or cashew milk)

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine rolled oats, water, salt and vanilla.

2. Bring the mix to a boil and then lower the heat. Cook for about 3 minutes and stir occasionally. Your oatmeal is done when it has turned into a porridge.

3. Pour the oatmeal into two bowls and top with sliced apple, chopped cashews, a dollop of cashew butter, hemp seeds, mulberries and plant milk. Enjoy!