Banana, Coconut and Blueberry Overnight Oats

Overnight oats appear to be all the rage at the moment, appearing in magazines and Pinterest boards all over the world. I can certainly see why, after my first attempt at making them this week. We all know the great benefits of porridge oats, in terms of cholesterol reduction and an easy way to consume good fibre, but they can get a little boring. As we hit summer, we don't want to be waking up to a steaming bowl of porridge but that doesn't mean we have to miss out. It is the perfect time to jazz up oats and get our summer berry fix, with simple and very quick recipes. I made a banana and blueberry mix but you can be as creative as you like when it comes to what fruit, seeds, nuts or yoghurt you add to your oats. The idea of overnight oats is to allow the yoghurt to soak up the oats overnight, giving a soft but nutty texture, without it being too stodgy. If you mix in a Kilner jar, you can grab out of the fridge in the morning and eat on the go, meaning there is no excuse for skipping breakfast.

Ingredients


30g Porridge Oats1 Banana100g Blueberries100ml Natural Yoghurt1 teaspoon desiccated coconut

Method

Poor a layer of yoghurt at the bottom of a Kilner jar ( or a glass/bowl will do) followed by a layer of oats, then a layer of fruit. Simply repeat until all ingredients are used up. Chill in fridge overnight and rather eat straight our of jar or serve in a bowl. If the oats seem too dry, you may like to add an extra spoon of yoghurt.

Bring on the Cheese

The lights are starting to twinkle, tills are starting to ring and the goose is getting fat, which means just one thing, Bah Humbug time! Only joking, I do love Christmas but preferably in December. For me, too much planning and over thinking spoils what should be simple family time with an extra bit of jazz. One thing I do like to think about early on is all of the party food that inevitably gets eaten. I have lots of Christmas food traditions, some nostalgic and others a little more ' Deb' like. My absolute favourite thing to eat at Christmas is slow cooked ham but that is followed closely by cheese. Cheese and red wine is a combination that is very hard to beat but it is not too kind on the hips so my cheese indulgences are few and far between these days (particularly as I have reluctantly joined a slimming club in the hope that i shift a few pounds so that I can eat lots of cake at ham at Christmas!).

I have long been a fan of my fantastic local cheese experts, The Liverpool Cheese Company and I will definitely be stocking up on their goodies in the run up to Christmas. The team at Liverpool Cheese are so knowledgeable about the produce they sell and the quality never disappoints. I bought cheese school gift vouchers from them for present last year and can heartily recommend this Christmas food gift with a difference.

Image from Liverpool Cheese Company 

As much as I love to support local, I have recently come across The Fine Cheese Company love the products that they have available, with everything from seasonal cheese selections to beautiful serving plates. So, as all of my blog readers cannot travel to Liverpool (although they do have an online shop), this is definitely a cheese company I would recommend*.

The new 'crowd pleaser' selection will do exactly what it says not the tin, give everybody a big cheesy smile for the camera! There are also great packages and gifts for Christmas, including fun stocking fillers such as chocolate bottle openers and salami cigars. For those who are not after christmas cheese hampers or gifts, you can just browse through the hand selected artisan cheese from Britain and further afield. Stilchelton, an organic soft blue cheese from Belvoir and Hafod Welsh organic cheddar are both on my Christmas list.

Bring on the cheese and I may just wash away the bah humbug in me!

Image from The Fine Cheese Company

*I do have an affiliate link with The Fine Cheese company but I only use affiliate links for carefully selected businesses that I honestly like. I have no affiliation to Liverpool Cheese Company, I just think they are great!