OATrageous Oatmeals? You Betcha! And How About a Pre-Release Giveaway!?!

I have literally been waiting for more than five years for Kathy Hester to come out with an oatmeal book. I mean, she comes up with oatmeal recipes that are truly oat-rageous. She can turn a simple breakfast food into gourmet fare and somehow manages to come up with seemingly endless oaty variations. Irish Cream Oat Pancakes, Pear Rose Cardamom Cake Oatmeal, and Coconut Banana Pecan Coffee Cake Oatmeal are just a few of the yummalicious recipes that have made me swoon.

Kathy used to post a new oatmeal recipe to her blog every day. And I would wake up each morning with unbridled giddiness, looking forward to every new recipe she'd create. Now that her oatmeal book is finally here (well, almost here—you can pre-order it now at amazon.com), I feel an overwhelming sense of excitement and anticipation all over again.

I had a chance to preview a pre-release copy of OATrageous Oatmeals: Delicious and Surprising Plant-Based Dishes From the Humble, Heart-Healthy Grain, and the recipes in this book are out-of-this-world fabulous! With offerings like Cashew-Oat Cream Cheese, Southern-Style Oat Biscuits, Butternut Squash Maple Walnut Scones, Pomegranate Rose Smoothies, Curry Cashew Savory Granola, Creamy Butternut Squash Oat Soup, Eggplant Pizza Sliders (Yup! They're made with oats!), and Dreamy Dark Chocolate Oat Cream, you will never look at the humble oat quite the same way again. And yes, there are lots of recipes for morning oats, too!

Here's a sneak-peek of the deliciousness that awaits readers who get their hands on a copy of OATrageous Oatmeals. I made this recipe for Blackberry Mojito Oats last night and savored every bite of it this morning. With just the tiniest smidge of rum, it won't get you tipsy, but you may feel a bit decadent starting your day off so deliciously!

Photo credit: Kate Lewis

Blackberry Mojito Overnight Refrigerated Oats
(Copyright ©Kathy Hester 2014, reprinted with the kind permission of Page Street Publishing Company, Salem MA)

Sweet juicy blackberries soaked in bright lime and mint flavors with the faintest aroma of rum will perk you up even on the toughest mornings. You can add a teaspoon or two of chia seeds to make this extra thick.

1 cup blackberries (cut in half if large)
1/2 cup (120ml) unsweetened nondairy milk
1/2 cup (31g) rolled oats
2 Tbsp minced fresh mint or 1/4 tsp mint extract
Zest from 1/2 lime or 1/4 tsp lime oil
1/2 tsp rum or rum extract, optional
1 Tbsp agave, to taste (or your choice of sweetener, to taste)

Add all the ingredients in a mason jar or a dish with a cover. Mix well and let sit in the fridge overnight. Stir and eat. Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: Calories 255.8, protein 4.8g, total fat, 4.3g, carbohydrates 52.9g, sodium 90.0mg, fiber 10.8g

Now you can be among the very first to dig into all of the delectable recipes in OATrageous Oatmeals when it is released in September, because I'm giving away a copy to one lucky reader! To enter to win, simply leave a comment below, and then follow the Rafflecopter prompts.* Your comment is the only mandatory entry requirement. To earn additional entries, you can also follow any or all of the other steps. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Sorry international friends, this giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.