Cream of WHAT? My Breakfast Bowl of Blueberry Goodness

I'm a loyal oatmeal lover...well, former oatmeal lover.

I love cooking up my oats in several different ways: hot, cold (overnight oats are my JAM) and I've even mixed dry oats into my Greek yogurt. Yea, I know the last one sounds weird, but don't knock it until you try it...it's kind of like a chewy granola. Anyway, although I might consider myself a borderline oatmeal addict, I've recently swapped out my morning bowl of mush for an even more delicious alternative: cream of rice.

Yes, you read that correctly...cream of rice, not to be confused with its fierce competitor, cream of wheat. The differences are minor: one is gluten-free while the other is not, and cream of wheat has a smidge more sodium/carbs than cream of rice — but they are pretty comparable. I've tried both but tend to gravitate toward cream of rice because the texture is a little smoother, while cream of wheat seems more grainy.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make a pretty bold claim: cream of rice is breakfast's best-kept secret. I'm not sure why I previously thought oatmeal was my only option to enjoy a hot bowl of morning carbohydrates, but cream of rice has undoubtedly taken the lead.

I wasn't living under a rock and knew cream of rice existed after seeing it pop up on several Instagram accounts, but I never thought twice about it until my trainer suggested mixing up my breakfast routine (get it, mixing up? HA) and swapping out oats for cream of rice. I gave it a whirl, and the end result blew my mind. In my opinion, it's more voluminous after it's cooked, which is another win-win. More food = yes please!

Before you buy, prepare and inhale cream of rice, I need to warn you: never eat it plain or only mixed with water. Do that, and you'll be greeted with a nice cardboard flavor upon first bite — trust me. But that's the same with any flavorless/bland foods. After all, oatmeal is pretty disgusting when you add nothing "fun" to it, so I went into my mission determined to make a flavorful breakfast bowl, which is exactly what I did! I call this tasty concoction my "Blueberry Cobbler Cream of Rice." I apologize in advance though, because this recipe is very much based on your taste preferences, so the measurements aren't necessarily set in stone. I never measure out certain spices, a.k.a cinnamon. I just shake in a ton until I feel like there's enough in my bowl! I also prefer things a bit sweeter, which some people might not like, so adjust accordingly!

Blueberry Cobbler Cream of Rice

What you need:

• 1/3 cup of cream of rice, measured dry
• Stevia (I use 4-5 packets) & cinnamon, to taste; I'll sometimes add an additional sprinkle of all spice or cardamom
• A dash of sea salt
• 1 + 1/4 cup of water 
• 1 teaspoon caramel extract (You could use vanilla)
• 1-2 teaspoons Sugar-free maple syrup (I use Walden Farms, but choose what you like!)
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• Optional: If you don't like blueberries, use any fruit of your choice or raisins, nuts, etc.! The mix-in ideas are endless!

Directions:

• Mix together cream of rice, spices, sea salt and any other dry ingredients.
• Add water and stir in caramel extract
• Heat in microwave for one minute. Remove and stir (it should be watery), then heat again for another minute. Remove and stir again. At this point, it should be getting a little thicker, and I usually nuke it again for 30 seconds, then stir it with a fork to remove any clumps/make sure I scrape the sides of the bowl. (It WILL stick if you don't.)
• Stir in maple syrup and blueberries, then heat for 30 more seconds. (I find that this heat/stir/repeat method helps add volume.)
• Remove and enjoy! But be careful...it's probably hot after all that microwave work!

Please excuse the horrible photo I snapped shortly before devouring this at work.

Cream of rice is filling, delicious and healthy, so go ahead and give it a shot!

Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,

Kat

The BEST Buffalo Chicken

I don't know who invented the Crock Pot or when it became a common kitchen appliance, but I do know it's drastically changed (read: improved) my cooking game — one dinner at a time.

If you read my previous post for my honey dijon chicken, you'll know I eat a LOT of chicken, so I'm constantly trying to switch it up and find new flavors or recipes to fix my favorite protein. I also like to make a lot of chicken in advance and eat it throughout the week; the Crock Pot makes my meal prep extremely easy and way more efficient than trying to grill or bake pounds of meat.

In my opinion, eating healthy isn't that difficult, especially when you find delicious ways to flavor your food. This buffalo chicken recipe was the first thing I ever made in my slow cooker, and I'd venture to say it's probably still my favorite Crock Pot recipe to date—and I've made a LOT of things in my crocker. Whenever I have friends over for dinner or need to take a substantial dish to parties or family gatherings, this is my go-to. I even managed to get my roommate hooked on this. Between the two of us, I'm pretty sure this dish makes a weekly appearance in our kitchen.

Like most meals I make, this recipe requires minimal ingredients—two, to be exact—not including your choice of spices. I've recommended it to a lot of people, and they've all come back with rave reviews. It takes almost zero effort to prepare and make, so check it out for yourself!

The BEST Buffalo Chicken

What you need:

• 3-4 large chicken breasts
• 1 large bottle of Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce 
• Spices of your choice: I use a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper and paprika
• Optional: packet of dry ranch seasoning

Instructions:

• Spray the bottom of your Crock Pot with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pour a thin layer of the buffalo sauce on the bottom of Crock Pot.
• Add chicken breasts to the Crock Pot, then cover with more buffalo sauce. Note: you don't need to use the entire bottle, but make sure you cover the chicken with enough liquid so it doesn't dry out.
• Sprinkle your spices over the chicken...again, I use a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper and paprika. I don't measure this; just season to your liking! (If you want to add a packet of ranch seasoning, this would be the time to stir it in. Personally, I don't think the recipe needs it...but if you want an extra kick of flavor, go for it!)
• Cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours, depending on the thickness of your chicken. 
• Shred the chicken with two forks (it should easily fall apart), and stir into the sauce so everything is equally covered. Let it sit for 20 more minutes, then enjoy!

In the picture above, I ate my chicken with roasted zucchini fries on the side. But this recipe is so versatile; you could put the meat over a salad, stuff it into a tortilla or lettuce wraps, or make buffalo chicken sliders...the possibilities are endless! Talk about the perfect protein.

This chicken only gets better as it sits for a few days and continues to marinate in the sauce. And the best part? It takes very little effort to throw the ingredients in a Crock Pot, but you feel like you've hit the jack pot when you come home and sit down to this delicious dinner!

Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,

Kat