cozy coconut butternut oatmeal / November 11, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

cozy coconut butternut oatmeal | dolly and oatmeal

i was recently asked during an interview why the name dolly and oatmeal. the two words are significant to me in many ways, but the simple explanation is that i've had a love affair with oatmeal since i can remember, and my mom's somewhat nickname for me is dolly. so when i started a couple social media accounts (way before i started blogging) dolly and oatmeal was an obvious choice. and when my husband gifted me my blog for christmas one year, he extended the name just as a place holder, and perhaps out of laziness, i never changed it.

in that same interview, the interviewee expected that i must have a million oatmeal recipes in my blog archives since i love it so dearly, and because it's part of the blog's name. i was super ashamed when i my answer was, no! the truth is, is that i'm pretty lame when it comes to my weekly morning routine - typically it's a packet of instant oatmeal (occasionally i break out the rolled oats and cook them slowly over the stove), a small spoonful of creamy almond butter, a few drizzles of good maple syrup, a generous dousing of ground cinnamon, and a couple pinches of sea salt. in the summer there are always berries on the side, but in the colder months i tend to just keep it cozy and warm with a hot bowl of creamy oats.

but i wanted to change the routine, and get out of my oatmeal funk. i generally use water for making oatmeal, but i thought i could boost the nutritional quality a bit by using ZICO natural chilled coconut water. i love using ZICO's new chilled coconut water because it's shipped from thailand cold which helps preserve that awesome coconut-y flavor. it also has no added sugar, and offers nutrients and a unique flavor to recipes like this oatmeal. i had also recently bought almost a dozen of some super cute, baby butternut squash varieties to roast and puree which i knew would be an awesome addition in making the oats super velvety and creamy. because i wanted that coconut flavor to come through a bit more and some classic autumn warmth, in went some toasted coconut flakes and warm spices. for now i'm stepping my morning up, but we'll see how far i get in a few weeks ;) how do you keep your morning meals interesting?

*thank you so much to ZICO for sponsoring this post! all opinions are my own.

coconut butternut oatmeal (gf + v)

| makes 2 large portions, or 4 small |

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 cups ZICO natural chilled coconut water
1/3 cup butternut squash puree
1/3 cup shredded toasted coconut
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
fine sea salt

toppings

1 asian pear, sliced thin
pomegranate seeds
toasted slivered almonds
chia seeds
coconut milk (or milk of choice)

coconut butternut oatmeal | dolly and oatmeal

method

in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the oats and coconut water. bring them to a simmer and stir frequently until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. once the mixture has thickened, add the butternut squash, shredded coconut, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and a few pinches of salt.
portion the oatmeal into 2 bowls and top with sliced asian pear, pomegranate seeds, chia seeds, toasted almonds, and a drizzle of coconut milk. enjoy!

similar recipes:

overnight oat waffles w/ pomegranate honey

breakfast quinoa flakes w/ stewed blackberries + basil

stone barns / November 3, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

a day at stone barns - pocantico-hills, ny | dolly and oatmeal

i'm always beyond excited when my brother comes home for a visit - it's like i'm 8 years old all over again and he's coming back from summer sleepaway camp and i have all to do to not squeeze him to death and litter his cheeks with big smooches. he's been more than a brother to me, i consider him one of my greatest friends - when others don't get it, he surely does; and when he tells me something (good or bad) there's no BS, just totally straight up. but after a few years of him living there, that new norm became life, and i made it through my dreaded brother-withdrawals with the help of facetime (thanks, apple!), some frequent visits to see him, and the benefits of maturing into an adult! and so after almost 10 years of him living on the other side of the country what i thought would be a terrible thing turned out to be survivable, and may i say really good.

each time he comes back for a visit we find ourselves at stone barns for a walk. i like to think of it as a reset of sorts. a place that changes with the seasons, but offers up the good juju whenever you set foot on its grounds and breath in its fresh air. but autumn here gets me every year. those leaves! the crisp cool air! the scent of cozy hot apple cider wafting through the air! we were lucky enough to see the last of the tomatoes being plucked, and the remaining asian pears still secured to their branches before the first freeze hit, and a group of farmers herding the turkeys from their grazing field into where they settle for the evening. big hopes that you're enjoying these cozy november days as well! xo

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears (gf + df) / October 28, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears | dolly and oatmeal

so i'm back from a quick trip to oakland, ca to visit the california olive ranch! it was a day and a half worth of meals, events, talking to some amazing chefs and people, and visiting the ranch and mill where my favorite olive oil is made! i feel like i need another whole other post to recap what an awesome experience it was to learn about the olive oil process from so many passionate and dedicated workers. it's such a beautiful thing to not only see, but feel the love and pride that people take in their job and for those they work beside each day. plus, i got to hang with this lovely lady the entire trip, and to meet the beautiful people behind some of my favorite blogs: michelle, nik, phi, phyllis, and todd!

while i'm sure we all love cooking with olive oil - using it dressings, and for drizzling - i love using it in all sorts of desserts - cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins. i'm a sucker for anything cake-y but what i'm sometimes put off by is that hit-you-over-the-head sweetness that some can have. but when i bake with olive oil it offers just the perfect amount of earthiness while also providing the fat content which gives baked goods that moist and delicious texture we know and love. the ranchers at the olive oil ranch explained to us that because olives are a fruit, their oil is essentially fruit juice, and because there is no chemical processing, nor any high temperatures involved in the oil developing process, it retains much of its natural nutrients even when in oil form. after seeing the how california olive ranch's oil was made that notion of olive juice still stands out as one of the most interesting things i learned those couple of days.

hope you all are having wonderful weeks! xo

*this post was sponsored by california olive ranch, all opinions are totally my own.

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk bread w/ pears (gf + df)

this is a dense, but not overly rich quick bread. i often have a slice as a treat after breakfast, or an afternoon snack. it could also be great as a dessert with maybe some coconut cream, or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

| makes 1 loaf |

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup california olive ranch extra virgin olive oil (for baking i like using their everyday oil)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 large pasture raised eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pear, diced small
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, extra for topping
handful of chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper letting sides of paper hang over like wings; set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until the mixture appears sandy, then add the eggs and whisk until combined. whisk in the applesauce and the vanilla until combined. using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 applications until mixture is smooth. fold in the diced pears and chocolate chunks.
evenly pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with extra chocolate and the chopped walnuts.
bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove bread and place on a rack to cool for roughly 30 minutes. then use the parchment wings to lift the bread from the pan; let it cool completely before slicing.

enjoy!