If you’ve read my blog, you already know about my love-hate relationship with oatmeal. Growing up, my dad made it for us almost every morning—and to be honest, I didn’t start eating it again until my thirties. But now, with a bit of culinary experience under my belt, oatmeal has become one of my favorite ingredients to play with. Exciting, you say? Oatmeal? Stay with me for a few minutes, and I’ll show you just how creative—and delicious—it can be.

The whole Greek yogurt thing started when I wanted to add more protein to my diet. Greek yogurt is wonderfully creamy, and if you use the non-fat, plain version, it’s like a blank canvas—you can make it taste like anything you want! Plus, it’s packed with those happy-tummy probiotics we all need. I’ve had so much fun experimenting with different oatmeal and Greek yogurt combinations, and I encourage you to let your imagination run wild, too. Trust me—you’ll never look at oatmeal and Greek yogurt the same way again. And as always, remember to Set the Table with Love.

TIP:For the yogurt bowls below, I used a mix of Organic Rolled Oats, Quick Oats, and Steel Cut Oats along with non-fat Greek yogurt—just follow the cooking directions on each package. I always make my oatmeal with oat milk instead of water; it gives it a richer, creamier texture that makes all the difference.

Here are the recipes for the toppings:

Triple Berry Jam

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large heavy pot, combine the berries and sugar; let them sit for 1-2 hours until the sugar has dissolved into the fruit and created a syrup.
2. Place the pot on the stove top, on to medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring often until the fruit breaks down and the mixture starts to thicken slightly about 30-35 minutes. Add lemon juice, stir and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Take the back of wooden spoon, stir the jam, if the back to the spoon leaves a coating, the jam is done. The jam will still have a liquid consistency, but that’s okay, as it cools it will thicken.
3. Remove the jam from the stove and pour into3. or 4 clean half-pint size glass jars or similar. Add lid securely and cool completely. These will in the refrigerator for 4 weeks and the freezer for 6months, they also make amazing gifts.
4. To make the blueberry jam, follow this recipe and just substitute for blueberries only.

Banana Fosters

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2  bananas, sliced 
• 1 cup  light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add sliced bananas and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Lower heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes.

OPTION: You can add rum to this recipe if you like, but add it after your 2 minutes of cooking is over and remove it from the stove before adding the alcohol.

GRAND MARNIER WITH CARAMEL GREEN APPLES

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoon of brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon 

• 2-3 green apples, cut into quarters

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 -2 tablespoon orange juice, use less if you want a thicker sauce and more if you want a thinner sauce.

• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.

2) Cut them into quarters and remove the stem, core, and seeds. Cut each quarter into three slices.

3) In a nonstick frying pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the apple slices coat with the melted butter.

3) Sauté the apples until they are brown and turn over on the other side to brown. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mix over top the apples and stir to incorporate the mixture over all the apples slices. Sauté until the other side is brown.

4) When the second side starts to brown, add the orange juice Grand Marnier and stir. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the liquid thickens into a sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit, before serving over over your yogurt and oatmeal. .

Steel Cut Oats with Brown Butter, Sea Salt & Caramel Green Apple

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats

3 cups oat milk (instead of water) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 green apple, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons brown sugar (or caramel sauce)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Pinch of sea salt

Non-fat Greek yogurt (optional, for serving)

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring oat milk to a gentle simmer. Stir in the steel cut oats and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally until creamy. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it turns golden and fragrant (about 2–3 minutes). Add the diced apple, brown sugar (or caramel sauce), cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Sauté until apples are tender and caramelized. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, top with the caramel apple mixture, and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra creaminess and protein, if desired.

Tip: Using oat milk instead of water gives the oats a rich, velvety texture that pairs perfectly with the buttery caramel apples.