creamy blueberry oatmeal

i've always hated when food bloggers claim that their food tastes like something else. like, "reese's cup smoothie," or "apple pie granola bars." just because something has the same general flavoring as something else doesn't make it an equal substitute. anyway. this oatmeal is great, but not because it tastes exactly like blueberry cobbler. it doesn't. if you want blueberry cobbler, you should probably eat some, because any oatmeal substitute is sure to disappoint, regardless of what all the health bloggers say.

my last post makes it seem like all i ever do is indulge myself with pounds and pounds of pork and coleslaw. on the contrary, i find that i eat oatmeal way more than the average person. i usually follow the same basic recipe and then add whatever fruit we have in the fridge. this week, my mom brought home three cartons of blueberries, so i've have been having a lot of this purple oatmeal.

it's super quick to whip up, but even so, i was late to my internship this morning because i took too long to make it (sorry).

instructions and ingredients are super simple: rolled oats, blueberries, milk, cinnamon, sea salt, maple syrup, vanilla extract. i added a blob of almond butter on top (i'm in love with justin's) for extra fun. yum. you probably have all the ingredients you need to make it in your kitchen now.

the lovely lavender color comes from cooking the blueberries in the pan until soft before adding the milk to boil. a bit unorthodox, but i like the color and the contrast it makes with the bowl and almond butter. the milk i use is my mom's homemade cashew milk (just soaked cashews + water) but any kind of nut or standard milk should work. to make it super rich, add a swirl of cream.

recipe:

1/2 cup rolled oats (i use bob's red mill)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup milk of choice (i use cashew milk)
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
sprinkle of cinnamon
optional: almond butter

heat a saucepan on the stove on high. when it gets hot, add the half-cup of blueberries. let cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally until the blueberries are hot. use a spatula to smush the berries and split them in half.

add the cashew milk and stir. once the mixture is boiling, decrease to temperature to medium-low and continue to cook until the blueberries are incorporated into the milk. when the mixture is thick and purple, add the oats and stir to combine.

add the maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon to the oats and stir. cook for 2 to 5 minutes -- less time will result in a chewier oatmeal and more time will make the oats softer.

when your oats are at their desired texture, spoon into a bowl and add a spoonful of almond butter on top. eat as fast as possible so you make it to your internship on time (i'm not that good at following that direction).