Good morning!

Today is a mid-week rest day from the gym.  I needed to sleep in, as I didn’t get to bed until 11pm last night, which is very late for me.  Yesterday, I didn’t arrive home until 8:30pm and I hadn’t even eaten dinner yet!  After throwing together a quick meal of steamed veggies, marinara sauce, Morningstar Farms Meal Starters, and cottage cheese (sounds really strange, but I promise that it tastes delicious!) it was time for me to start packing…

Packing is seriously one of my least favorite things to do simply because I am so indecisive and I feel like I am always forgetting something!  Fortunately, packing usually means there is a fun trip in the near future, so there is a positive light at the end of the packing tunnel.

Tonight, I will be driving home to Fort Wayne right after work to participate in my third Vera Bradley photo shoot!  I am really looking forward to my long weekend at home and having fun at the photo shoot.

Breakfast

Aside from sleeping in, one of the benefits of having a mid-week workout break is being able to eat breakfast at home on real dishes rather than eating out of my typical tupperware at my desk.

Yesterday, when I posted this picture on Instagram, a couple of you asked how I made my overnight oats.  I have posted a tutorial on this in the past, but here is another little “how-to” featuring two different overnight oat methods 🙂

Overnight Oats Version 1

Ingredients:

• 1/3-1/2 cup oats
• 1/3-1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 packet stevia
• 1/3-1/2 cup water
• dash of cinnamon
• a splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

I combine all of these ingredients in a small plastic container.  I then place this mixture in the fridge overnight (or even for a half hour!)  When I remove the oats from the fridge I love to top the oats with fruits and nuts for some added flavor and texture.  Some of my favorite toppings are:  bananas, strawberries, frozen cherries, nut butters, chopped nuts.

Overnight Oats Version 2:

This version tends to be a bit thicker than version 1, but equally as tasty!  When you pull these out to eat in the morning, you can add a bit of almond milk to smooth up the texture!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 packet stevia
• dash of cinnamon
• splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

Process is the same as version 1!

Today’s oats were version 2, and I mixed in 2/3 of a frozen banana with 1 Tbsp of natural crunchy peanut butter.  YUM!

I hope you enjoy your overnight oats!

Question of the Morning:

• Do you find it more difficult to pack for a short trip because of indecisiveness?

YES!  I always take more than I need.

• Any tips for how to make the packing process more enjoyable and less stressful??

I’m all ears!