Peach & Almond Baked Oatmeal

I love baked oatmeals. And this one is no exception! I love that you can just throw everything together and bake it. And you could make it the night before for an even easier breakfast treat. Plus it's healthy. So it's a win-win! 

• 2 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 2 cups almond milk (I used vanilla flavored) you could also substitute regular milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter OR coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh or frozen peaches
• Peaches and almonds for the top, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 dish and set aside. Mix together your oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and almonds, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, egg, melted butter or oil, vanilla and almond extract. In your prepared baking dish, arrange the chopped peaches evenly over the bottom. Pour your dry mixture even over the peaches then pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, making sure the milk covers everything evenly. If desired, add some extra peaches and almonds to the top. Bake 40 minutes or until the top is golden and set. Let cool a few minutes before cutting into. Serve warm with milk or yogurt. Or as is. 

Freezer directions: Make this in a freezer safe dish. Follow all the steps until baking. Before baking place in freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw and bake as directed above.

Recipe from:

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/baked-peach-almond-oatmeal/

Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad

This is one of my favorite healthy salads. It reminds me of a Caesar salad, but without all the calories. And if you have someone that doesn't like Brussels sprouts? They'll never even notice them in this salad. It's so good. And it tastes even better the longer you let it sit.

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch of kale, center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 6 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup shredded parmesan

In a large bowl add the chopped kale and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Gently massage the kale for around 5 minutes. This helps the kale to become a little less bitter. Combine lemon juice, dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat over medium high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle almonds with salt, if desired. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil into lemon-juice mixture. Add cooled almonds and Parmesan to the kale. Add enough dressing to coat. Save the remaining dressing for later use. 

Recipe slightly adapted from:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-Brussels-Sprout-Salad-368295