Carrot Cake Oatmeal

  Yesterday was suppose to be a good day, but it turned out to be one of the most frustrating and emotional days that I have had in a while. My mom and I went down to one of the community colleges to try to get me set up for classes and fix some of the information that the computer system messed up. We were shuffled from one office to another to try to fix some information, see what was already set up, and to see what else I needed, but after being told by several people that they weren't sure why things weren't falling into place, my hopes of it being a smooth ride were gone. So, I now have a few days to refresh myself on math subjects that I completed over 4 years ago to take a 4 hour accuplacer test {covering 4 subjects} and then go back a few days later to well.. I'm not sure why I have to go back so soon if they won't have my test results that fast so I guess i'll have to wait and see.

 Question: So what happens when I have a horrible day?
Answer:
1.I listen to some good music by Ray Lamontagne. I love him!
2. Fall in love with a pair of cute slouchy moccasins online, but can't find where to buy them. They said they were Steve Madden but I didn't see them on the site. 
3. Cuddle with the kittens{who have turned into little monsters as seen here} while watching something on t.v. 
3. And finally make some really good comfort food. 

  Chocolate seems to be most people's comfort food, but I decided to stay away from the 2 dozen many brownie recipes that I have bookmarked and opted for something a little healthier. Carrots are one of my favorite veggies because of their bright orange color, their crunch {I'm a texture person}, their sweetness, and their also have a lot of health benefits. I tend to juice with most of the large carrots we get, but I have made carrot cake cupcakes, carrot cake whoopie pies, and a breakfast cookie which i have yet to post about. Carrot cake is one of my favorite non-chocolate desserts because it's sweet, has a variety of warm spices, and is topped with cream cheese frosting , which I should stay away from since dairy hates me, but I can't resit. Actually last time we went to Whole Foods, they had just remodeled their bakery section and now have a little corner with slices of vegan cake and brownies ready to take home; I grabbed the vegan carrot cake which was really good except the frosting was a little too sweet for me, but I would get it again.

 I bookmarked this recipe a while and decided that it was the perfect and healthy comfort food that would make me feel a little batter. If you wanted to take this to the next level you could even mix together a little non-dairy yogurt with some maple syrup to pour on top to serve as the "icing". One thing I like about oatmeal is that it can be made and stored in the fridge for up to a week and simple reheated.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

adapted: Oh She Glows

servings: 1-2

1 cup almond milk
2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk cream (or extra almond milk-what I did)
1 tsp cinnamon, to taste
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 tbsp golden raisins
1 cup carrots, finely grated
1/2 cup GF old fashioned oats
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional)
2 tbsp chopped nuts
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes

Topping; extra chopped nuts, sweetened coconut flakes, maple syrup.

Notes: 
I used all almond milk, used golden raisins which I added into the milk to plump up.

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk together the almond milk, coconut cream {if using}, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and raisins.
2. Stir in the carrots and oats. Adjust heat to medium-low if it starts to boil. Cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture is thick and cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, lemon juice, nuts, maple syrup, and coconut flakes before serving.
3. Top with the extra toppings of your choice. You could also add some dairy-free yogurt on top to serve as the "icing".

To reheat, I usually add in more soy or almond milk to thin it out a bit ,heat for 1.5 minutes, and add more toppings.