Here's a haiku to begin this week’s column:
Did I eat breakfast?
This week will be a nightmare.
I need a long nap.
When we decided we were going to embark on a joint apartment experience, we anticipated the slight lifestyle changes that would have to be made in order to live peaceably together. We expected to spend a fair amount of time apart in our separate rooms binging Netflix series and sharing necessities such as sound-stylistic advice and food. When one of us is grumpy in the morning, the other doesn’t take it personally, and instead offers to make and bring some food to our first class together.
Remember when your parents used to tell you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day? They were ingraining this in you in order to prepare you for your years as a 20-something, aiding you in avoiding total grouch status. This week we tried to follow that mantra by preparing overnight oats and eating them together in class.
Overnight oats are a combination of rolled oats, Greek yogurt and any combination of add-ins that you desire. Some recipes are better than others, depending on your palate and preference for breakfast food. Juli personally doesn’t like heavy morning breakfasts, so she stuck to fruity and light flavored oats. Sydney doesn’t like bananas, so she ditched them in a recipe and used strawberries instead. We each prepared two jars, one for each of us, every time we made the oats. It’s a kind of roomie love that bonds two people while simultaneously making others stare at us in class as we sit next to one another chowing on the same breakfast.
Juli’s favorite recipe:
Oats, almond milk, Greek yogurt, honey, chia seeds, shredded coconut, almonds and strawberries. It’s refreshing and tangy, making it almost impossible to discontinue munching on it.
This recipe was thrown together without following a guide.
Sydney’s favorite recipe:
Oats, milk, chia seeds, peanut butter (some crunchy, some creamy), nutella and agave syrup. In the morning, I added some strawberries that I had cut up the night before as well as some crunchy granola to add a bit of texture.
This protein-packed breakfast is enough to get me going, even after a long weekend.
Overnight oats are the perfect on-the-go breakfast. These recipes are so easy you can do them while brushing your teeth before bed. Just pack everything but the kitchen sink in a portable container, stick it in the fridge and let it soak. In the morning, all you sleepyheads have to remember is to grab a spoon. A few tips from the pros: make sure your ratio of liquid (i.e. milk, juice, etc.) to oats is equal, allowing the oats to soften. Cater to your own personal breakfast needs, you don’t always have to follow a recipe. And finally, adding fruit or granola in the morning can break up the monotony that oatmeal often is. Even if you hate warm oatmeal, like Sydney, try out a recipe; there’s a good chance you’ll find something you enjoy. Meal preparation, like our overnight oats, helps you feel like you have your life under control.
Juli Holbert and Sydney Otto are juniors studying journalism at Ohio University. Have suggestions for their next adventure? Let them know by emailing or tweeting them at jh673913@ohio.edu/@juliangela_ or so828613@ohio.edu/@sydneynotsydney respectively.
