I would have thought that all of the “healthy new years resolution” buzz would have slightly died down by now (i.e. some people would have already given up). But no, everything is still in full swing. People are bumbling left and right carrying yoga mats, Safeway is totally sold-out of kale, and I have to elbow through people while trying to run my normal (usually very uncrowded) loop around the block. Right now, everyone is so focused on what they want to change about themselves/their routine.
What about the things that we actually like about ourselves? What about our little daily rituals and routines that make us happy?
I think that this whole mentality that we need to “fix” our bad, former ways, and “totally revamp” our routine is problematic. So Dr. Oz told you that the gingerbread latte that makes you smile is going to slowly and painfully kill you, or your neighbor told you that Cross Fit is so much better for you than your weekly Friday night yoga class. Do you need to switch your gingerbread latte for celery juice? Should you tone your booty with jump squats instead of utkatasana?
Personally, I don’t think so. New Years is a great time for trying new things, and sometimes they work out (I recently became re-obsessed with green smoothies). But why be miserable for the entire month of January? A little bit of familiarity and routine is important to hang on to in this crazy, unpredictable world that we live in.
Right now, things are a little crazy for me (exams, track starting again, new semester… not to mention that it’s beyond freezing outside). This is a recipe that I’ve been making forever, it’s a little bit of familiarity in this otherwise chaotic time. My special muesli has powered me through many English exams, track meet, and chilly days — I know it’ll still work.
What’s a familiar thing that you’re going to hold on to in the new year?
With love,
Erica
Ingredients
- 1 gala apple, grated
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup juice (I love Odwalla!)
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- Large pinch ground cinnamon
- a dash of cloves
- 1/2 cup nuts and dried fruits of your choice
- 1 Tbs. chia seeds (optional)
- fresh fruit (for serving)
Combine all of the ingredients except for the fresh fruit in a container with a lid. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, scoop into bowls and top with fresh fruit.
this looks great!fresh and healthy and delicious 🙂 i'm one of those trying-to-be-healthy-for-new-year people.. it is going quite well! my familiar thing is frozen yoghurt, which i can trick myself into believing is healthy! hope you had a great new years! 🙂
xx gee @ gemmachew.com
Good! Frozen yogurt is one of my favorites as well! Happy new years to you too!
Love the new look of your blog! Happy new year!
Thanks Anne Marie!
Such a lovely idea Erica – to focus on what we enjoy in our lives, I like it 🙂
I love munching on my apple as I wander downstairs each morning and pop some porridge in the microwave whilst watching the news. I like that part of my daily routine
x x
{The Lobster & Me}
Thank you! Yum! I love porridge too 🙂 Have you ever melted a banana into your porridge? Delicious!
I love your blog, and this looks incredible!! And the whole idea of focusing on the familiar things we love is awesome 🙂
I'm addicted to my daily bowl of muesli (usually topped with fruit and yoghurt), which I have while I read the news online 🙂 Hope you had an amazing New Years!!
xx Em {Drizzled With Honey}
Awesome! I love muesli too (as you can tell from this post). I recently became addicted to CarrotsNCake's protein oatmeal (it's nice to have something warm in the wintertime! Thank you so much for the kind words!
Ooh, I'll try it this winter. I live in Australia so it's currently WAY too hot to have that much warm food (it's the fourth day in a row above 40 degrees). But I LOVE oatmeal, and muesli can be too cold to have in winter so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it 🙂
Perfect! Tell me what you think of this recipe!
Hi, I was wondering if we could use milk instead of juice? I don't really like juice that much aha.
I can't wait to try this recipe 🙂
Totally! If you are feeling really indulgent, add a splash of cream as well 🙂
Is this 2 servings?
Yes! Typically this will serve two… maybe even three! But it depends how hungry you are! I usually eat about a 1/3 cup of oats, so this would serve three.