By the time you read this I’ll be on a flight heading to Anaheim for the Natural Products Expo West. On a 6:00 a.m. flight. Oy, why do I do this to myself and schedule such early flights? Let’s just hope I’m not that annoying person who leans into their neighbor while trying to catch a few Zs. Okay, maybe I will be that annoying person.
I’m getting quite excited for the expo because it will be like walking into one giant Whole Foods, but with free samples everywhere. Oh, and I also found out that I get to check in a bag for free! Friends, I might need you to check up on me to make sure that I don’t get too overboard. I’m prone to snag any free thing I see. Seriously, shoot me a message, hound me on social media, and stop me if I decide to bring back 45 pounds of loot.
Since I’m going to be waking up very early in the morning, I’m going to want to have breakfast ready in no time. Mornings are still a bit chilly here, so I’ve been cooking a lot of hot breakfasts lately. (As I write this sentence, I can hear my friends from the East Coast snickering at me for daring to describe the weather in the Bay Area cold.) In anticipation for this trip, I cooked up a big batch of chai tea oatmeal for reheating in the morning. I always cook my oatmeal with plain water but decided to cook it in brewed chai tea instead for some extra flavor. The chai flavor was subtle, but I loved that it was something different from my normal breakfast routine.
I don’t know about you, but I’m quite picky about the texture of oatmeal. Cooked plain rolled oats is much too mushy for me. What I do is mix in a bit of Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Cereal to the oatmeal for some extra texture. The additional cereal adds a nice chewy, gritty texture, so I don’t feel like I’m eating baby food for breakfast. If you don’t fancy the overly mushy texture of plain oatmeal either, you should definitely try mixing in some other grains. I promise you won’t regret it!
So tell me, how do you like your oatmeal?
Chai Tea Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (325ml) brewed chai tea
- 1/4 cup (20g) oatmeal
- 2 TBS 10 grain cereal
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 TBS maple syrup
- fruit, nuts, or toasted coconut for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Bring the tea, oatmeal, and 10 grain cereal to boil. Once the tea boils, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for another minute or two.
- Stir in the cinnamon and maple syrup and turn off the heat.
- Serve with your favorite toppings, such as fresh fruit, nuts, or toasted coconut.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post for Bob’s Red Mill. I just happen to enjoy the 10 Grain Cereal very much and wanted to share the knowledge with you!
Karla - The Candid Kitchen says
What a great breakfast idea! I love oatmeal 🙂 with Chai and berries it sounds just perfect!
Lisa says
Thanks, Karla!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
GAH! I wish I was going to the expo! Have SO MUCH FUN LADY.
Don’t mind me, I’ll just be stuffing my face with this oatmeal. LOVE that you used Chai Tea! Pinned!
Lisa says
Thanks, Taylor! Oh man, that expo was HUGE! I ate SOOOOOO much, but that should come as no surprise.
Farrah says
This looks delicious! I keep meaning to make tea oatmeal, but unfortunately haven’t gotten around to it yet!
Yay for a free checked bag! <3 Hope you have a safe flight, and have fun at the expo!
Lisa says
Thanks, Farrah for sending me the reminder to maintain my self control! I still managed to lug home a duffle full of snacks though. Oops.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I just knew by the title of this post that I would be craving oatmeal after I clicked 😉
Lisa says
Hehe, thanks, Rebecca!!
Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says
way better than my usual oatmeal. i love this!
Lisa says
Thanks, Kelsey!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
This sounds delicious! Another perfect 5 ingredient Friday! Have a great time at the expo!
Lisa says
Thanks, Sonali. You’re too kind!
Emily @SinfulNutrition says
I’ve been making chai tea lattes lately, so adding it to my bowl of oats seems genius! Have a blast at the expo! 😀
Lisa says
Thanks, Emily! Let me know if you do try it!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Lisa, I love breakfasts like this!!! the Natural Products Expo sounds so fun!! how do you find out about events like this? and I hear you on the early morning flights. . those seem to have the best fares so I get stuck on those early morning flights a lot too!! hang in there!! and have fun!
Lisa says
Thanks, Alice! I think I heard about this one through Kitchen Play. I knew it would be a big event but I had no clue it would be THAT big! I had such a great time and ate too much, of course!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
The expo sounds amazing! You have to post about it and any great finds!
Lisa says
I’ll have to do another post with some of my favorite products from the expo!
Joanne says
Girl, have SO MUCH FUN this weekend!! I think it’s worth the early flight. 😛 I can never get enough of chai flavors and they are perfect for dragging me out of bed in the morning!
Lisa says
I had soooo much fun at the expo! Tiring, but so worth it!
Eileen says
Hooray for oatmeal! I think chai spices sound like the perfect combination. 🙂 Have good expoiing!
Lisa says
Thanks, Eileen!
Marissa says
I love the idea of adding chai! Brilliant Lisa!
Lisa says
Thanks, Marissa!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I am loving the look & sound of this chai tea oatmeal.. oatmeal is such a great, filling and healthy way to start the day off with and I must make this one!
Lisa says
Thanks, Thalia! I’m definitely thinking of trying this with a whole lot of other teas!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
Not going to lie, I got jealous when I saw your swag. Do you have swagger to match your swag? SWAG.
I love oatmeal and once soaked green tea in it without sweetener. It was heinous. The damn tea bag opened.
Lisa says
Sir, you know I gotz swagger. By the way, the Instagram photo only showed half of the swag I got from the expo. I did Mama Lin proud.
Katie says
I do believe I need chai tea infused oatmeal! It sounds delicious, I love chai and oatmeal, why not to combine them?
Caroline says
Yum! i adore anything chai…never thought to simply put it in my oatmeal/breakfast! Definitely going to try this soon, thanks! 🙂
Lisa says
Thanks, Caroline! Let me know how it goes!
Erika says
Wait this is SO GREAT. I love oatmeal and I love chai!! Match made in heaven much? Oh and I hope you ended up bringing home 45 lbs of loot or more!! Because that’s definitely what I would do–love me some freebies 😉 Gorgeous photos, lady!
Lisa says
Thanks, Erika!! I brought back sooo much food! My shoulders were sore just walking around with a big bag of food!
Lu Ann @ The Cup of Life says
Replacing water for tea is the most simple and perfect way to cook with tea and get more flavours going. I have made a chai oatmeal before myself, but am intrigued to try your recipe next. Thank you for sharing 🙂 happy steeping & sipping.
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Lu Ann!
Jerry Nordstrom says
I add a 1/4 cup of 10 Grain to my Oatmeal and love the taste and texture. I get either Bob’s Red Mill or Nuts.com 10 Grain, which ever I happen to see when I run out, both are inexpensive. I also add Chia Seed, Pumpkin Seed and Coconut Flakes . Just a seedy guy.
Lisa Lin says
I love their 10-grain cereal too!