Spring Stuff

I have a super serious question.

Do you swap out your décor for the season?

I, for one, enjoy doing so. But I need to know who are the people who buy ALL THE SPRING STUFF that I'm seeing in stores? "Hoppy Easter" signs. Faux-carrot wreaths. "This way to the carrot patch" plaques. Jellybean-scented candles. Fake eggs. SO MANY FAKE EGGS.

I'll confess that I have these two bunnies, but otherwise I like to keep it on the simple 'n' pink side.

Even though I may prefer decor that's on the minimally-obnoxious side, I am all. for. springy. food.

Enter Hummingbird overnight oats. Have you heard of Hummingbird cake? It's a classic Southern recipe, made with bananas, crushed pineapple, spices, and pecans. It's delicious and I've had it before and one slice is 623 calories and 58 grams of sugar. Yikes. I'm always trying to think of high nutrient versions of treats, so I came up with the idea of making this into overnight oats. It's super easy to throw together and my kids LOVED this (they also loved eating the leftover crushed pineapple of course).

Hummingbird Overnight Oats

1 cup dry oats (doesn't matter what type)

1 ripe banana

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1/2 cup crushed pineapple canned-in-its-own-juice, drained

1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain or vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine oats, hemp hearts, 1 tablespoon of the coconut, pineapple, almond milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large resealable jar. Stir well. Cover and let sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Before serving, mash up half of the banana and stir that in. This serves as the substitute for added sugar. Divide the mixture into two bowls and top with the remaining banana half, sliced, plus the reserved coconut, and pecans.

It's got the flavors of Hummingbird cake, but unlike the real thing, this is sweet without being a total sugar bomb! Traditional hummingbird cake doesn't have coconut but since I had some on hand, I figured why not? If it's not your thing, omit it. Same goes for hemp hearts- I tossed some in for additional fiber, protein, and healthy fats, but if you don't have any it's not a big deal.

Makes 2 heaping servings. Per serving: 354 calories, 55 grams carbohydrates (including 9 grams fiber), 12 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 135 mg sodium.