OIAJ…..WTH?

May 10, 2014 by lilmissfitnessfreak 44 Comments

Hey Friends!

So I’m just here sippin away on my new Stash Orange Chocolate herbal tea (I almost always have a mug of tea at night before bed) and after making the man his own OIAJ for his breakfast tomorrow as he rushes out the door, it occurred to me that I have never touched on this easy-peasy, lemon-squeasy deliciousness.

So lets touch on that shall we! 😀

So you might first think to yourself….

What the heck is an OIAJ?

Oats In A Jar. Ahhh you gotta love Instagram #hashtag names

So yeah, basically, as the picture shows, it’s your good ol’ oatmeal but it”s put in an ALMOST empty (this is important!) jar of nut butter.

You then may ask me….

Why would I do that?

Why would I cook oatmeal, dirty up a pot, then proceed to put it in a jar to eat?

Doesn’t that make it harder to eat?!?

1. Because who wants to waste the lil bit of nut butter left in the jar? Not this girl. #NutButterAddict

I would hope, no pray, that you wouldn’t just toss this jar out!

#NoNutButterGetsLeftBehind!

2. If cooking your oatmeal stove top, this means you don’t have to dirty another dish (ie. bowl). You can just toss the jar when you are done. Sorry nuker’s, you still have a bowl to dirty up.

3. It’s convenient, ready-to-go when you need it and portable. Got an early class and just want to sleep in a bit? Take your breakfast with you.

4. Get yourself a long handled spoon and you are good to dig in. It’s a game to get in all those crevasses AND if you buy a crazy angled and weirdly shaped jar, well that ones on you. 😛

So last thing before I give up some OIAJ-porn from Instagram and a few recipes, I want to mention that you can have your OIAJ two ways.

1. Hot and Steamy. This would be my preferred way of eating them because the thought of eating oatmeal cold makes me shudder. Just make sure your jar is glass as we don’t wanna be eating leaching plastic and chemicals do we?

2. Classic “Overnight style.” Again, with overnight oats in a jar you can heat it up in the morning BUT the classic overnight oats is eaten straight out of the fridge and generally is not actually cooked. Instead, a hefty serve of yogurt is often added to the oats and the acids from the yogurt help to break down the oats enough giving the OIAJ a nice chewy texture that many love.

So, we will start with Hot and Steamy shall we…

Bring on the #FoodPorn! Thanks to my fellow Instagramer’s and food bloggers for your delicious treats! 😀

To start, here’s a basic recipe. This is the one I made tonight for the man using Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats. You don’t have to use steel cut, I just wanted to show you some variety.

Banana Bread Eggy [Steelcut]OIAJ.

Serves 1

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 3/4 cup water or milk of choice
• 1 large egg or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1/3-1/2 of a large banana, chopped
• Cinnamon, spices and/or sweetener of choice to taste
• Toppings of choice
• 1 almost empty nut butter jar.

Directions: Add you oats an liqiud to a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. When bubbling, bring the heat down to a simmer and pop the lid on the oats. Let them cook until almost all of the water has been absorbed. Crack and quickly whisk your egg or egg whites into your oats. Throw in your banana and whisk that in as well. Once your oats have reached you desired consistency (add more liquid if you feel they are getting dry while adding your egg and banana), remove from the heat and add in your yogurt, spices and sweetener. Toss into your jar and add your toppings.

Toss in the fridge to eat in the morning OR demolish then and there!Zee jar. He’s likes his Mighty Maple Peanut Butter and Co.

 Please NOTE that I waited for the oats to cool before putting them in this PLASTIC JAR.

 

Toppings of choice. A slice of paleo banana bread, tsp of peanut butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Here’s another one of my own creations from a previous post..

Carob and Pistachio Eggy-Oats in a Chocolate Nut’s n’More Jar.

Apple Pie OIAJ. Kim @ The Coconut Diaries.

You can even do Waffles In A Jar (WIAJ). Thanks to Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli Blog.

And you don’t even need it to be a nut butter jar. You know what else comes in a jar?…

Proats in an almost empty jam jar. Debbie @ Accidentally Delish.

What about something chilled?

Let’s take a peek at the “Classic Overnight” OIAJ combos:

Here’s a basic recipe courtesy of Sarah over at The Sweet Life.

[Copied directly from her site]

Overnight Oats

Base: 
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 heaping tsp chia seeds
1/3 cup plain vegan yogurt
1/3 cup nondairy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a 6 ounce mason jar stir together the base ingredients until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients from the flavor options below and combine well. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, grab and go.

Enjoy cold.

*These will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

She gives a basic VEGAN recipe, which you can sub non-vegan alternatives if you wish, for cold overnight oats and some wonderful flavour pairings.

Clockwise from the far left: Chocolate Chip Cookie, Carrot Cake, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Banana Bread.

 

Neapolitan Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait. Angela @ Oh She Glows.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats. Michelle @ Peachy Palate.

Enjoy!

Happy Friday Night Friends!

Do you like cold oats?

Ever had OIAJ?

-Chelsea