Spiced Oatmeal, Cranberry Chia Jam + Clementines {vegan + gf}

Hello, hello! 

I am so excited to share this Chai Spiced Oatmeal recipe with you guys! It’s literally just winter in a bowl. In fact, there’s more winter in this bowl, than there is outside. Seriously, it feels like spring today–all warm, wet and soppy-like. I’m sure it won’t last forever, but I’m definitely embracing it while it’s here.

2017 is off to a wonderful start:

• I’m doing my externship at the food styling studio (where I mostly make coffee, wash dishes, and get in everyone’s way) and I’m learning so much. In case you didn’t know (I didn’t) there’s a lot that goes into making food look gorgeous on camera, and the people I’m working with have such a fantastic eye for it. 
• I’m learning how to take better pictures. Between the photographer I intern with and a friend of mine who’s currently in school learning all about photography and digital media, I feel like I am just bubbling with questions and learning a lot of neat tricks. Even just watching how they stage their pictures, has been really valuable to me (and the blog). 

Before I dive into this recipe, I thought I’d share some cool resources I’ve been using to help me feel more calm and focused. If you haven’t seen it yet, I wrote a post about mindfulness being my theme for the year, and how I really want to give my energy to get centred.  Because let me tell you, there is so much research right now talking about the tangible health benefits of mindfulness. 

Awesome Mindfulness Resources

• The Brain That Changes Itself– I’m currently reading this book for a course I’m taking on Neuroplasticity, and it is amazing. It looks at how your brain is flexible and ever-changing. We used to think that the brain was fixed, and if you damaged a part of it, there was nothing that could be done. Or that if our memory was bad, we could never improve it. Think Again–actually.
• How To Learn Faster, Increase Your Focus + Develop A Superhero Mindset– on this podcast episode of The Model Health Show, they interviewed Jim Kwik who just gives fantastic advice on how to improve your memory and feel less stressed out by the information overload that we all experience day-to-day.
• Five Minute Journal App– I’d heard about the 5 Minute Journal before, but I already have so many journals/planners on the go, I didn’t really want to add to my collection. Then I found out they had it in an app form, and I was, hell yes. Basically, you spend a few minutes in the morning setting your intention for the day, writing what you’re grateful for and what would make today great, and then a few minutes in the evening reflecting on your day. It’s just a really cool tool that helps me set a positive tone for the day, and allows me to prioritize my happiness instead of my to-do list.
• Headspace– For those that feel like meditation is hard, tedious, and not for them, this guided meditation app does a great job at encouraging you to sit down and breathe. Aside from daily meditations, it also has themed meditations, like mindful cooking, commuting, kindness, focus and stress. (It also has cute little cartoons to walk you through the basics.)
  

Okay, to the recipe!

Ps. For you Pinteresters out there, I’ve made all of my recent recipes easy to share on Pinterest, so if you click the Pinterest Icon on the left, you’ll notice that you can now share pictures that are larger, have text and look better on Pinterest! Woo!

Chai Spiced Oatmeal, Cranberry Chia Jam + Clementines

This recipe is just yum. Not only is it really easy to make, but you can make it in large batches and eat it throughout the week. The cranberry chia jam would also be delicious with yogurt, on toast, or with some chocolate avocado pudding. And you can top it with whatever you like–I chose to go with some clementines and raw cacao nibs (I use these guys), because that just sounds like a cozy snow-filled day, spent indoors, am I right? 

I hope you make this + let me know your thoughts! Also let me know in the comments if you have any great tools to stay mindful this year!

Print Pin

Chai Spiced Oatmeal, Cranberry Chia Jam + Clementines

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Author Tisha Riman | The Nourished Mind

Ingredients

Spiced Oatmeal

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp spice mix below

Chai Spice Mix

• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp all spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp ginger

Cranberry Chia Jam

• 6 oz half a bag cranberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Optional Toppings

• 2 clementines peeled and segmented
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, water and coconut sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer until the cranberries start to break down and the mixture begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in chia seeds and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat almond milk until it begins to boil. Add rolled oats, maple syrup and spice mix and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• To assemble, pour oatmeal into bowl and spoon chia jam on top. Add on toppings, such as clementines and cacao nibs, if desired.