So sorry that I’ve been slacking on dinner ideas and recipes! By the time I get home home from work, all I want to do is sit on the couch and eat ice cream straight from the carton.
… Then I eat a peanut butter sandwich. Goal for the weekend: prep some easy casseroles to much on throughout the week.
And anyway, I’ve been much more into breakfast. The only thing I’m really craving for breakfast lately is a yogurt mess with raw oats (I promise, I promise – the raw oats taste really good when they soak up the yogurt!).
My momma always buys frozen berries to use in her yogurt, but for years, the concept gave me the willies. I never even tried her yogurt messes because I thought the texture of the defrosted berries would be off. But then… winter came around and prices of organic berries seemed to skyrocket overnight (makes sense because they aren’t in season).
Berries are one of the fruits that I always buy organic because of the Dirty Dozen list – a great guide if you want to eat more organic food but don’t have unlimited grocery dollars. One day, I was dying for some blueberries but only had frozen ones for my smoothies… so I ran them under some warm water and added it to my mess. And you know what? It was just as good as fresh. And as cheap as a box of conventional berries.
Further evidence that moms do, in fact, know everything.
With Greek yogurt, raw oats, sesame-seed cashews, and defrosted blueberries.
Have a WONDERFUL Saturday!
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t bring myself to put frozen berries in my yogurt. It’s always sounded weird to me too. In fact, I only like hot blueberries in my oatmeal, I don’t like them fresh at all!
Sesame seed cashews?? First I thought that was strange but now…I must try it!
Thanks for the tip! I love blueberries and still buy them out of season in the winter, but my grocery store doesn’t typically stock organic ones so I buy the regular and just try to wash them well. But even a small 4 oz. tub is at least 3 or 4 dollars, and I can a eat that in a couple of days! I’ve started buying the organic frozen in the freezer section to use in baking but it’s good to know I can use them in my cereal and yogurt messes now to save some $$!
mixed frozen berries are a pretty big staple in my diet actually! I don’t find the texture to be weird at all and I just keep them frozen when I mix them with yogurt, coconut milk, or regular milk for snack. very very convenient.
I always use frozen berries (and other fruit) with my raw oats. I don’t like them to be warm so I just let them sit on the counter for awhile before mixing in. Works great!
I have used frozen berries in my yogurt, but the yogurt started to get icy and frozen … which wasn’t bad, but sort of weird I guess!
By the time I get home from work, all I want to do is sit on the couch and eat ice cream, too. Not pregnant…probably just human!
Thanks for the berries tips – I find that frozen berries & frozen fruit in general have better flavor why you buy them in individual bags rather than a mixed blend. I’ve bought some blends from Whole Foods and some of them were just yucky. I wasn’t quite sure what I was biting into!
Do you find frozen berries slightly sour? I find they lack the sweetness of fresh berries!
These aren’t – but I’ve had sour ones before. Maybe it’s an organic v conventional thing?
I think defrosted berries are great mixed into yogurt or oatmeal, but I would never just pop them into my mouth on their own like I do with fresh berries. They are a great substitute in the winter though, for financial reasons as you mention.
I look forward to your casseroles for weeknights! I always make menu plans on the weekends when I’m feeling creative and into cooking, then by Wednesday or Thursday of the work week I’m over it and just want something fast and easy.
I’m a huge fan of frozen berries–they make it so easy to make your own flavored yogurt, without adding sugar like the storebought versions do.
PS I find honey sesame cashews dangerously addictive.
Trader Joe’s also has a great organic berry blend. And one that has cherries in it too! I highly recommend checking that out, especially for smoothies.
I don’t even bother really defrosting the berries. I throw em in frozen and just leave it be for a few minutes before eating it. They thaw a little and the juiciness is incredible!
I love that idea. Berries can go for like $5.99 up here in the winter. NO thank you. And they’re never very good because they’re not even close to fresh! THanks for the tip!
I’ve also noticed that frozen blueberries are just as good as fresh. I just throw them in my cereal frozen and they kind of thaw on their own right away – I don’t even bother running them under warm water! Such a great money saver
I love frozen berries! Definitely less expensive!
I LOVE frozen berries! Just had a smoothie chuck full of ‘em!
You are so right, raw oats really do taste phenomenal in yogurt. Kind of like chewy granola.
I love the idea of the “yogurt mess” for breakfast. I must try that – tomorrow!
I use the frozen berries in smoothies…I just can’t use them in yogurt. Maybe I should try again.
Those sesame cashews are soooo delicious! One of the best and worst things I ever bought from TJ’s!
Yum to yogurt messes- I just bought some of my fave Soy Yogurt
http://www.wholesoyco.com/our-products/24oz-soy-yogurt/unsweetened-plain
…and my very first pomegranate (!!) and plan on getting down with those next week.
I hear you on the lack of motivation, I have been getting home from work and eating whatever I can get my paws on around 5. It sucks because I never really feel as satisfied as I do when I make a real meal, y’know? Think I just need to make my lunches a tad bigger!
I LOVE eating frozen blueberries. I put them in a little bowl and eat them straight all the time. They’re almost better than ice cream to me (and certainly healthier!
Curious…. what type of ice cream is that?
trade joe’s mint chocolate chip. so good.
I love frozen berries in cereal, so I imagine I’d like them in a yogurt mess as well
Yogurt messes always seem more appealing than real dinner. Probably why I’m always good about breakfast foods, and not so great and coming up with dinner ideas.
I know it’s so much cheaper to buy frozen, but I just can’t help from buying fresh berries throughout the winter!
I always buy TJ berries. You can get organic berries there for relatively cheap and since the berries are part of the dirty dozen, I try to buy organic whenever I can.
Hi Caitlin! You’re right…. mums DO know everything. The moment you give birth all the knowledge in the universe will flood into your head.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to appreciate this great wisdom when you’re feeding every 4 hours, are sleep-deprived and too tired to even remember your own name. Just sayin’.
lol!
I love frozen blueberries. I always microwave them for about a minute with my oatmeal. It’s great!