• 3-4 cups of hearty or creamy soup of choice (ideas above)
• About 1/2 pound sliced stale bread (sourdough is great)
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Brush the bread with olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub each piece with the garlic clove.
2. Lightly oil a gratin dish or Dutch oven. Break the bread into pieces and scatter them over the bottom of the pan. Pour or ladle the soup over the top of the bread. Place the pan on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow) and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling. Let cool for about five minutes before serving.

Crockpot Oatmeal
Makes about 4 servings

• 1 cup oats of choice (I like oat groats)
• 3 cups of water (or recommended ratio of water +1 cup)
• Optional mix-ins: chopped apples, raisins, dried, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.

1. Put oats, water, and mix-ins in crockpot and turn on low overnight*.
2. To serve, I stir in 2 tablespoons of raw almond butter and top with a bit of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

*Tip: If you find that your oats are sticking to the crockpot, try adding a bit more water the next time or use a holiday light timer to turn your crockpot off for you while you're still getting your beauty sleep!

Leftovers can be refrigerated and re-heated in the microwave with a little non-dairy milk. Feel free to get creative with the optional mix-ins!

Cherry Vanilla Muffins With Pecan Streusel
Makes 9-11 muffins

1 1/2 cups frozen cherries
1⁄3 cup flax meal (ground flaxseeds)
1 cup non-dairy milk
1⁄3 cup sugar
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (or more whole wheat)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or more vanilla)

Streusel topping:
1⁄3 cup pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 margarine (preferably Earth Balance)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Pulse cherries in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
3. In a small bowl, add the milk, flax meal, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Combine well. Add the cherries and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture and combine with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Pulse the pecans, brown sugar, and margarine in the food processor to make the streusel. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and top the muffins with the streusel. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 26-28 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

For some extra cherry goodness, I'm in love with the Snow Geisha tea from Teavana. It is a loose leaf white tea that smells like cherry lollipops (it has a light cherry flavor when brewed). Awesome.