RECIPES - Crunchy Coconuty Cinnamony Oatmeal

After a week of sun, pasta, pizza and ice cream (in other words, a week in Italy), it's time to get back to healthy eating. I've been loving a good and warm bowl of oatmeal. I used to eat granola every morning, but it just didn't fill up my belly enough and I always got hungry an hour after breakfast. Oatmeal is supposed to be very good for you and it's very very filling. There are many variations on oatmeal recipes, but I happened to come up with this one. And yes, I'm going to share this goodness with you.

What you need:

• 60g oats
• 250ml rice milk
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 tbs grated coconut
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 3 tbs granola

What you do:

1. Put the oats, rice milk, half of the banana (sliced), the cinnamon stick and the grated coconut all together in a casserole.
2. Heath the mixture while stirring. Turn down the heath when it starts to simmer.
3. Let it simmer until it becomes as thick as you would want it to be. I don't really like my oatmeal to be very liquid.
4. Serve the oatmeal in any bowl you like, slice the other half of the banana to garnish the ugly brown mixture. 
5. Throw some homemade granola over the oatmeal to add a little bit of crunch. 
6. Lastly, toss a little bit of agave syrup all over the place to add that sweetness we all love.

I get many questions on how I motivate myself to eat healthy or work out. For me, knowing that I look better when I do, is enough to get me on track. She says while eating pretzels...

Another thing that motivated me was an article I read in last month's issue of Red magazine. I quote Xanthe Clay: "Be mindful about what you eat. Forget 'is it worth the calories?' and ask, 'Is this nourishing as well as delicious?"

xxx