Jeanne here.
We were fortunate this summer to get a 20 pound box of Flathead cherries from a friend who lives nearby.
Although I’m going to admit that after slicing, pitting and freezing 15 of the 20 pounds, my finger nails were purple for a week (it didn’t matter that I scrubbed them raw), my sink was stained and I was a little “over” cherries. So into the freezer they went… out of sight out of mind.
Months have passed now. There’s snow on the ground. It was 14 degrees when I trekked our garbage can to the curb this morning.
I “re-discovered” the cherries in our storage freezer a few days ago. My love for cherries is renewed. And after making cherry chia soaked oatmeal at least 3 times in the last week, I have discovered a new favorite warm and cozy breakfast treat.
It’s packed with protein (chia seeds), the great anti-bacterial-anti-viral benefits of raw local honey, the healthy gut-bacteria renewing properties of raw milk and the uber-digestible benefits of soaked oats.
Here’s how we do it:
SOAKED OATS:
- 1 cup rolled oats (not steal cut, not quick cooking)
- 1 tablespoon Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (you could also use whey or lemon juice)
- about 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- glass or ceramic (non-reactive) bowl/jar
OATMEAL:
- 1 cup soaked oats (thoroughly rinsed)
- 1 cup milk (we use raw whole milk, but you could use coconut milk or almond milk or whatever milk substitute you like)
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- handful frozen cherries (rinsed and partially thawed)
- pinch sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
The Night Before – soak your oats! (12-24 hours before you’re making oatmeal) – I put these in a bowl when we started making dinner and about 16 hours later, I used them for breakfast.
Add one cup of rolled oats to your non-reactive glass or ceramic bowl/jar. Cover (by about an inch) with filtered water and add 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar. (The ratio is 1 tablespoon for every 1 cup of oats … so if you’re making 2 cups of oats, it’s 2 tablespoons of ACV, etc.) Cover with a clean dish towel and leave in a warm spot in your kitchen.
NOTE: I put mine on the stovetop as it’s the warmest spot in the kitchen. Sometimes I put it in the oven as it stays pretty warm after using it for dinner.
In the morning:
First things first … rinse those soaked grains in a fine mesh strainer.
In a small to medium saucepan, add the soaked oats, milk and salt. Cook on medium until the oats are the consistency you like. (It takes about 3-5 minutes.) Stir in the honey and chia seeds.
When well combined, separate into serving bowls. Top with cherries (or blueberries or peaches or whatever other frozen fruit you like)
Totally satisfying and nourishing breakfast to start a busy blustery day.
