I’m feelin’ the blues tonight. My favorite show, Desperate Housewives, ended tonight, forever. I’ve been watching this show for 8 years so I feel a sense of loss if you will. 
I mean let’s face it, aside from REALITY TV, there aren’t that many great shows on television these days. Sex and the City is gone, Friends is gone, Everybody Loves Raymond is gone, even OPRAH is gone! It SUCKS!!!
Desperate Housewives was the only show I was hanging on to and now even that’s gone. So yes, I’m feeling the blues tonight. 
But I’m glad ABC is making it up to me by premiering a new season of The Bachelorette tomorrow night. I CAN’T WAIT! 
So to help pacify myself today, I spiced things up a bit in my kitchen by making Chai Spiced Oatmeal, ya know, by using chai spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and ginger. 
I then topped my oatmeal with some almonds, or cashews would taste amazing as well.
And then I sort of did a bad thing by adding Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter, I mean, it isn’t exactly healthy and I’m going through Desperate Housewives detox, hence I needed a little cheer me up. 
Seriously though, the flavors of the cookie butter echo the flavors of the oatmeal. It’s truly a match made in heaven!
NUTRITION: Oats help reduce cholesterol and are a good source of protein and fiber. Almonds help lower cholesterol and are an excellent source of Vitamin E. Coconut Milk is vegan and the brand (So Delicious) I used contains no cholesterol and is a good source of Vitamins D & B12.
INGREDIENTS:
- Old-Fashioned Oats – 1/3 cup
- So Delicious’ Original Organic Coconut Milk – 1/2 cup
- Water – 1/2 cup
- Vanilla Extract – 1/2 tsp
- Cardamom – 2 green pods
- Clove – 1
- Ground Cinnamon – 1/4 tsp (you can also use 1/2 a stick of cinnamon)
- Fennel Seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Ginger Powder – just a pinch (you can also use a small piece of fresh ginger)
- Almonds – 1 or 2 tbsp slivered
- Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter – 1 small scoop (use in moderation… not healthy)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Start by heating a small pot on low-medium heat. Add oats, water, and coconut milk. The Coconut Milk brand I used –So Delicious – is rich and creamy with no cholesterol and only 80 calories per cup. 
2. Add vanilla extract. Stir. 
3. While the oatmeal heats up, get your spices together. You’ll need cardamom, clove, ground cinnamon, fennel seeds, and ginger powder.
4. Split the cardamom open and discard the green part.
5. Check on the oatmeal and add all your spices. 
6. Including the cinnamon and ginger powders. Stir.
7. Once the oatmeal comes starts steaming, turn off the stove. 
8. Pour into a fancy bowl.
9. Top with almonds.
10. Top with cookie butter, or even almond butter would be delicious. 
11. Watch how the cookie butter slowly melts into the oatmeal. SO GOOD!
TELL ME: Are you a fan of Desperate Housewives? Did you enjoy the finale or not? Thoughts? Would love to hear!
Waaaait a second- Desperate Housewives is actually finished forever?? That makes me SO sad, especially given the lack of 'good' TV shows! We seem to have the same taste- LOVED Sex & The City and Oprah and still watch reruns….thank goodness Mumbai is a bit backwards in TV! Have you seen Modern Family & Downton Abbey- both are fabulous!
Love the sound of this oatmeal- I'm a tea fiend so will be trying this out soon! I'm actually sipping a cuppa Twinings English Breakfast as I type :)!
You, my friend, are an amazing photographer! And I think this oatmeal is an Indian person's dream!! 🙂
This looks dreamy! What a luscious combination of flavors and beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing!
Woah! What a divine combination! Gorgeous gorgeous clicks! 🙂
@Khushboo – Yup, Desperate Housewives is finished FOREVER! It is so sad. I watch the reruns of SATC as well, and I watch Oprah's Life Lessons. I have seen Modern Family, but surprisingly didn't get into it. I'll check out Downtown Abbey. I love Twinings too, man we really are very alike. 🙂
@Parita – thanks and so true. 🙂
@Georgia @BakerStreet – Thanks ladies. It's a delicious combination of aromatic spices.
OMG, this looks divine! Love your presentation and photographs. Absolutely beautiful!!!
I cried at the end of "Desperate Housewives." I don't know what I will do with my Sunday nights now!
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Seriously- your oatmeal recipes are off the hook. Honestly. Love this one, too! Oh, and I have one word for you (two words?):
MADMEN
Totally addicted to that show.
I just saw the cookie butter at TJoe's yesterday and did not know it was speculoos. This oatmeal probably taste fantastic. Need to start making some more 🙂
I just bought some cookie butter! This oatmeal looks awesome.
Very creative and tasty. I am imagining all those spices in that creamy oatmeal-yum! This is proof that with a few tasty ingredients, you can go from plain to gourmet. I would have never thought of oatmeal as gourmet, but it certainly falls into that category here. Well done!
Looks delightful — I need to get to Trader Joes — COOKIE BUTTER?!!!!! Oh mercy!
I like Desperate Housewives when they first started but I think they are quite boring now? Didn't even know that they had a finale already…Ops!
I like really special way of eating oatmeal. Seems very non-traditional yet extremely flavorsome!
@Asmita @Pam – thanks guys!
@Bonnie – I hear ya.. I barely watch any new shows. It was a bittersweet ending.
@Robin – Thank you so much! I'll have to check out Madmen, hopefully I like it. 🙂
@eatgood4life – yeah, Speculoos is Cookie Butter. This oatmeal is yummy!
@Tina – thanks so much for your sweet words. The flavors are very aromatic, basically what you would find in a Chai Latte. 🙂
@Laurie – yup, get the Cookie Butter today!
@Zoe – Yeah, Desperate Housewives is over.. I watched the show from Day 1 too, but somehow I fell in love with the characters and stories. Yes, very flavorsome oatmeal. Thanks!!!
Wow oatmeal looks really delicious…. Fantastic photos…. Used to see desparate house wives long before… Did not find timd to see now a days…. Feeling sad that I missed it… When u get time do visit my place…
And the presentation and photos are just mouthwatering.
this looks amazing…. I could eat this for dessert for days!
I love Desperate Housewives too. I cried last Sunday! I especially love that Tom and Lynette got back together!
i drink chai everyday so this is gonna be very useful to me!
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@Akila.. thanks. You can always catch up with Desperate Housewives DVDs. It was such a great show.
@Bianca – me toooooo! It was such a great ending. I was happy Tom and Lynette got back together as well. I wish they didn't tell us what happened to each of the ladies hoping they would someday make a movie.
@Nav – haha.. me too! Glad to hear that.
@Mollie @love2dine – thanks!
Wow, that looks really tasty! I watched Desperate Housewives from the beginning too and you're so right- it's weird when a show you've been watching for years ends!
Mmmmm… this looks really good. I love the Chai spices in it. It looks very warm and inviting.