CityView Magazine

14 August 2021 Overnight oats for breakfast on the go ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (regular milk works well too) 1 teaspoon chia seeds (can be left out if you don't enjoy the texture) ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Maple syrup, honey or agave nectar to taste Toppings of choice – diced mango, sliced almonds, fresh berries with granola, peanut butter and/or bananas 1. Put oats, milk, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. 2. Stir well until oats are covered in liquid. 3. Pour into mason jars or other glass container with lid and refrigerate overnight. 4. In the morning, remove the lid, and stir in liquid sweetener to taste. If the oats are a little too thick, add a splash or two of milk. 5. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy. Tips: • To turn this into chocolate overnight oats, add 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of liquid sweetener of choice in step one. • This recipe can be easily doubled or more for a crowd. Overnight oats will last up to a week in the refrigerator. Involve children in all aspects of prep and packing. Maybe if they pack it, they'll remember to take it with them. Kids can help organize meals on a dry-erase board. If they're old enough, have them use a grocery app to shop. For little ones, Mrs. Carson notes that practice makes perfect: "Does your child know how to open items in their lunchbox?" Utilize cold packs, ermoses and anything that makes the job easier or more fun. A joke of the day scrawled on a seasonally decorated napkin is never a bad idea. You can buy pre-printed jokes on a pad of paper, too. Concede to an outlandishly colorful lunchbox, as it will be easily identified in the lost and found. Last year, we dipped a toe in normality for the final nine weeks of school. Cumberland County blessedly provided "breakfast on the go," which I plan to mirror, this fall. A simple grain or protein, a fruit and a drink. Items like overnight oats, sausage biscuits and quiche ("breakfast pizza" in our house) can be prepared beforehand and hold up well. My goal is to prevent a Grimm trail of Pop-Tart crumbs from the car to their classrooms. Wild Berry is the collective favorite. Finally, give some thought to dinner. I continue to be surprised that it must happen every single day, whether I'm ready or not. A slow cooker, a quick cooker, freezer meals prepared ahead, weekly grocery delivery, local co-op vegetable boxes and meal subscription services are helpful tools. Experiment with recipes now. To transition leovers to lunchboxes the next day is an art form. FDIC INSURED All we see is you , NOW TRUIST Sasha Pelaez

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