Cocoa Oats

I'm very seasonal when it comes to breakfasts.

Spring and summer?  I'm all about the smoothies.

Fall and winter?  Give me all the hot breakfasts.

While most days it's avocado toast with an egg, I do get cravings for a hearty bowl of oatmeal.

And apparently, the secret to this, which I literally just found out, is to add more liquid than called for.  Makes the oats fluffy and bigger, hence more filling.  While it does take a bit longer to cook, it's totally worth it.

This bowl is loaded with chocolatey goodness.  I added some Vital Proteins collagen peptides in the recipe, which is totally optional.  I've been using it for a few weeks now and I have to say, definitely seeing a difference in my hair and nails!

Of course, the great thing about oatmeal is being able to top it with whatever you want!  I topped this one with some almond butter, some banana, and some Trader Joe's super seed blend (which I am obsessed with!).

Cocoa Oats
Serves 1

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
1 scoop collagen peptides (optional)

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  Add in oats and reduce heat, stirring occasionally as the oats cook.  (Mine took about 7-10 minutes until it was a nice thick consistency)  Once the oats are at the consistency you like, remove from heat and stir in coconut oil until melted.  Then, add the collagen, maple syrup, and cocoa, and stir well until combined.

Pour into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings!

Fantastic Friday Four

Happy Friday!  It's like spring up in here in Jersey, which I'm going to guess is the reason for this lovely head cold I have.  But, even with the stuffiness, I have a few things that I'm loving this week!

Thanks to mom and dad, I now officially feel like a Jetson.  I am loving my Amazon Echo!  I can play my Spotify playlists or just my Amazon music, create a shopping list that goes on my phone (like literally, I notice I'm out of something and just call Alexa!), get the weather, news, and I'm sure so much more I haven't even figured out yet.  Oh, the best thing?  Asking Alexa for cooking conversions while I'm cooking - no more using flour dusted fingers on the iPad!

And thanks to my brother, I'm now officially obsessed with Hamilton, which is a tad unfortunate since I likely won't be able to score tickets until 2030.  I saw a kid at school today with a shirt that said "I had a life and then I discovered Hamilton".  Accurate.

And thanks to my other brother and his girlfriend, these adorable "Cat Nap" pillowcases, which in addition to being precious are super soft and comfy.  Charlie likes them too :)

You guys, this candle literally smells like a fraternity party full of cute guys (like when you first arrive and before the red Solo cups of beer get spilled all over the place) and I am not mad about it.  Have this lit takes me back to my URI days and it is glorious.


What is making you smile this week?

Welcome to....A Cozy Cup of Coffee!

I mean, caffeine is king, yes?

So, as we neared the end of 2016, I began thinking about this blog.  A lot.  I love this blog, but I realized that while I love all the cooking / baking / recipe posts, I wanted it to be more.

Because, you see, I love so much more than that.  And I always felt like those "other" posts would feel out of place on a blog with the word "kitchen" in the title.  Whether that's true or not, that was my perception.

So I thought about my other interests.  Music. Books. Home. Decorating. Organizing. Planning. Beauty. Sports. Crafts (though it's definitely not my specialty, I love to try!).  And I realized I wanted to really encompass all of those things.

With that decided, I started thinking of a new name.  Which, let me tell you, is not easy.  I spent days.

And then it hit me, one Saturday morning.  Because I was doing what I always do on Saturday morning.  Sitting in front of my fireplace, candle lit (because that's the first thing I do when I wake up), fuzzy slippers, and coffee in hand while I caught up on my favorite blogs for the week. 

That is what I want this blog to be.  To feel like you are sipping your coffee (or tea or cocoa!) and relaxing and catching up.

And therein lies the inspiration for the name.

I'm looking forward to bringing a lot of different things to this blog - but YES there will still be plenty of recipes - because let's be honest, that's still my favorite.

So grab your favorite beverage, pull up a couch and a cozy fireplace, and enjoy!