Vegan Overnight Oats (Summer Porridge) Updated

Sometimes at international breakfast bars there is "Muesli".  It's cold oats that have been soaked usually in milk and yogurt.  I love this stuff!  I am an addict really for this.  The problem is,  I don't know how to make it.  Usually there are no real specific directions on the quantities with which to soak my oats overnight.  Plus, I wanted to try this with rice or almond milk since I'm trying to cut back or sugar, dairy, and meat.  I tried it last night and was actually very happy with the results. So, here is my first try batch ratio list.

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk

This is the "base"  meaning this is what I put in the fridge overnight, covered in a glass jar.  In the morning I mixed in 1 Tbsp.  raw almond butter, one banana, 1 Tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed, and a sprinkling of raw unsalted sunflower seeds.

It was good BUT for many readers, this just might not be sweet enough.  A person could probably put in some honey to sweeten it.  Next time I might mash the banana instead of just chopping it so that the sweetness of it can be better spread out in every bite. 

Again, this was my very first trial run but it went well.  It was simple simple simple and fantastic for the Summer.  No need to heat of the kitchen with this recipe!  Some other things I may try is mixing in some applesauce and cinnamon instead of the above combo.  Once I get my hands of some chia seeds I may try that as well. 

Do you have any suggestions for mix-ins?

***UPDATE***

I've refined my oats a bit.  I've limited the amount of oats and am now added a lot of yummy bulk to it.  So really don't need all the oats (or sweeteners). 

1/3 cup oats
about double the "milk"

Right now, I'm working on a plant based diet and it's really been life changing for me and the family.  This means that my milk is almond, rice, soy or coconut.  I'll usually rotate them around.  I haven't eliminated milk or meat all the way but, I've cut it out drastically.  I don't preach (usually) and I don't judge so just use whatever milk substance you'd like. 

If your curious what a plant based or nutritarian lifestyle is, I highly recommend the book (The forward is by Dr. Oz)  Eat to Live  the Author Dr. Fuhrman, also has fantastic webpage with helpful articles and more.  A fellow mommy friend recommended him to me.  What really motivated me was his free podcasts. This doctor has helped thousands and thousands.  For free you can also listen to his prerecorded podcasts.


Here's the combo that I've really enjoyed.

• 1chopped and peeled granny smith apple (if it's oraganic, no need to peel) .  I use this snazzy Chop 'N Prep Chef to chop up my apples.  LOVE THIS thing.   I use it every single day if not twice a day. Because I move around a lot to different countries, having something that is not electric makes it possible for me to not have to purchase new appliances every few years.  
•  2 tsp. sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. ground flax seed (the body can't absorb the nutrients of whole seeds)
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• 2 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• maybe more milk if you want to change the consistency.

Nutritional Yeast (Edelhefe) At the Reformhaus

Everytime I've gone off to the Reformhaus, I've been a little too nervous to venture through what they offer.  I live in a fairly small village so it's a small little Reformhaus but the lady is as helpful as she can be with her limited English and will most likely order anything that she doesn't carry.  So, what is a Reformhaus you ask?  A Reformhaus is a health food store...basically.  If the choosy pallet can't find it at the local "frou-frou" grocer, it may be found at a Reformhaus.

Recently I've been on a little eating adventure.  Getting the weight off of me has been challenging to say the least.  Deciding to stay kosher I think was the beginning of diving into a more sensible diet in general.  The idea that I might have the power to say "no" to foods is very appealing to me.  That I can conquer the voice inside of me that says, "you're not the boss of me" is a common goal of mine.

Many healthy vegan recipes that I'd been looking up called for Nutritional Yeast. I had absolutely no idea what this stuff was but decided to look into it.  I was intrigued and well, wanted to give it a go.  But where oh where could I get something as exotic as nutritional yeast?!  I'm fortunate enough to be able to order some things online from US venders but honestly, I tend to have a short attention span and an "I WANT IT NOW" mantallity.  So, I wondered if I could get something like this out on the economy.  Enter Toy Town Germany another really fantastic source of information. Nutritional yeast here is known as "Edelhefe" the one I purchased at the Reformhaus was Dr. Ritter Brand.  For a picture of the box, click here for the company webpage.

I did a little price comparison and it's fairly comprable to the American Bragg's brand of flakes.  Bragg's is about $5-$6 for a 4.5 ounce (about 127 grams)  canister of flakes.  Dr. Ritter Brand is 3 Euro for a 125 gram box. So, for vegans looking for it in a pinch, they can pick it up at their local Reformhaus.