Vata-Pacifying Recipe: Crock Pot Oatmeal

Welcome to the Crock Pot Kitchen! School is in session, and it’s time to welcome back our autumn routines. With classes, extracurriculars, and holidays just around the corner, life can become increasingly hectic. And, more often than not, we tend to sacrifice the quality of our food for ease and convenience.

But worry not! There are so many ways to make food easy and convenient, without sacrificing quality. With all of the amazing kitchen technology available, it’s simpler than ever to maneuver around the kitchen and save time. With that said, enter the slow cooker, or the crock pot.

Why is the crock pot so good? From an Ayurvedic perspective, one of the biggest reasons is that it allows food to cook much slower than a microwave or a pressure cooker. The faster food cooks, the more likely the prana, or life force, of the food is going to get zapped out. The crock pot is an amazing tool and resource for hectic lives!

This breakfast recipe is ideal for the transition of the seasons. With the winds picking up and the mornings becoming cooler, oatmeal is a nourishing and grounding way to start the day. The warm, heavy, and “gooey” qualities are perfect for this vata time of year. The addition of the spices help warm up the vata within us, and fruit adds good fiber to our diets. Vata can be very drying to our bodies—our intestines included! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats (I prefer not to use “quick” or “instant” oats)
• 2 ½ cups water
• ½–¾ cup milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons turbinado sugar or sweetener of your choice
• 5 whole cloves
• 2–4 cinnamon sticks
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Fruit of your choice (1 apple, a handful of prunes, blueberries)

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a crock pot and mix well. Set your crock pot to high for approximately 1 hour, and let it do the work for you!

For an added treat, top your oatmeal with some coconut flakes or nuts (pecans or almonds would taste great!). Maybe add a drizzle of honey (which is great for kapha types)? Make this oatmeal totally yours! Try adding different ingredients and let us know what you like best.