Spiced pear oatmeal full of rolled oats, cooked pears, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter is a weekday breakfast delight.

Pear Oatmeal

A steamy bowl of fragrant oatmeal is a must on a cold morning. Oatmeal is the breakfast equivalent of a hearty soup when it comes to warming your entire body and fueling the belly when the temperature drops to chillier temperatures.

We have always been a family that enjoys waking up to a pot of oatmeal simmering on the stove for breakfast. But it wasn’t until moving to the midwest from Arizona that I fully understood its warming powers.

Warm spiced pear oatmeal with cinnamon, nuts, and brown sugar has the power to pull my flannel pajamaed kids out of bed. It is an easy oatmeal to make on the stovetop and leftovers heat right up in the microwave.

When making pear oatmeal I tend to go light on the brown sugar. Depending on the variety, pears have so much natural sweetness to them.

I wait until just before serving and top each serving with a teaspoon or two of brown sugar to melt with the butter for a delicious combination to mix into each bowl.

For most fruit desserts, pears included, I rarely peel the fruit. I’ve found that in most cases, the peels soften enough they don’t bother us a bit and we are happy to include them in the recipes.

Check out the best-ever peach cobbler and this peach oatmeal for proof of that.

However, in this recipe, because I like the pears to retain their fresh flavors, I don’t cook them in the oatmeal for more than a few moments to warm them. It’s worth a few minutes of effort to quickly peel them and avoid any tough peels in the oatmeal.

That said, if pear peels don’t bother you a bit? Feel free to skip that step.

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In this expert column, we’re exploring self-care in leadership – AKA, how to take care of yourself when you’re used to putting everyone and everything else first

Look at some of the top leadership traits and you’ll see an impressive list of qualities; dependable, decisive, innovative, risk-taking, solutions-focused, confident, and empathetic, to name a few. Leaders are the people we depend on in both our professional and personal lives, and it’s due to these qualities that many of us look to leaders for a sense of security, direction, and stability.

Some of the most revered leaders have a sense of duty, often to the point of selflessness – think Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. These great leaders may be exceptional examples, but I’m sure we can think of people in our day-to-day lives who exude such admirable qualities as well. However, what happens on the other side of that coin, when empathy, a sense of duty, and responsibility for others’ welfare comes at the expense of a leader’s own wellbeing?

Many of the people I work with, as a nutritional therapist and wellness coach, are leaders in their careers, and leaders in their businesses. Irrespective of the initial health issue that needs attention, a common area that comes up in the course of our working together, in addition to nutrition, is self-care, stress management, and sleep.

According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a record 12.6% of UK adults were in the first three months of running a business or were already running a new business in 2021 – the highest figure since the study was first conducted in 1999. With the rise of the side hustle, and the number of people starting businesses at an unprecedented high, it naturally follows that stress and fatigue may feature, and that self-care falls to the back of the to-do list. Look online and you’ll see content on both productivity and toxic productivity, but less on self-care as a leader. Whatever side of the fence you sit on, it’s true to say that being a leader at work, or the leader of a new business, comes with putting other things before yourself, often to the detriment of long-term health and wellbeing.

So how can leaders, particularly those with a side hustle or new business, support their health and wellbeing?

Plan to eat well

When the days are long and the calendar is longer, it’s unlikely that cooking up a nutritious meal is at the top of your priority list at the end of a busy day. Temptation and availability make it easy to grab and go, or to order in, while some people may skip meals altogether. Being tired, and hungry in addition, means that we’re less likely to make the best choices. Save yourself the brain power and plan what you’ll eat in advance. I advise my clients to take a realistic look at their diaries. If it’s showing a distinct lack of time for cooking, it may be worth meal planning in advance, including deciding what you’ll eat, where you’ll get your dish from, and being confident that it’ll provide a balanced meal option. This might mean meal prepping ahead of time, using a meal delivery service, or having a go-to list of restaurants that you can rely on to provide balanced meals when you’re in a rut.

Sleep well

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Want to know how to make gooey, soft, and chewy Rice Krispie Treats?

Whether you’re serving them after dinner, taking them to a potluck, or simply making them for a fun snack with your kids after school, find out how to make rice crispy treats that turn out perfectly every time!

Gooey Rice Krispie Treats

Which is it? Rice Crispy Treats or Rice Krispy Treats? Rice Crispies or Rice Krispies? I go back and forth as I’m guessing you all do as well. Luckily, we all know how delicious they are, regardless of how you spell the name!

If you spend any time with me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I’ve been on a wee bit of a homemade rice crispy treats kick lately.

Chocolate-drizzled peanut butter cup rice crispy treats, coconut rice crispy treats, even rice crispy treat ice cream – yes, I went there and it was AMAZING!

Add some chocolate-covered pretzels or really mix things up with these chocolate peanut butter bites, classic rice crispy treats, and ooey-gooey marshmallow-filled soft rice crispy treats; it’s hard to find home style rice crispy treats that I won’t eat.

I like Rice Krispie Treats that are soft enough to pull apart with my fingers, the day after making them, after they’ve been sitting out on the counter. 

Gooey rice krispy treats aren’t complicated. You probably made the original rice Krispies treat recipe at least a time or two when you were a kid. While I’d never turn down anyone else’s rice crispy treats recipe, I’m kind of picky about my own.

This gooey recipe krispie treats recipe delivers soft and chewy rice crispie treats with plenty of ooey-gooey marshmallow goodness. I want to taste the sweet and sticky marshmallows in each and every bite of my treats.

I’ve tested this recipe by leaving the sliced rice krispy treats on a plate for 48 hours and they remained chewy and not at all hard. (The only thing hard was not eating the entire batch in the first 24 hours after baking them. Lord knows how little self-control I have when it comes to Rice Crispy Treats of all kinds.)

I don’t like my rice krispy treats to scrape the roof of my mouth or become crunchy. So, in short, gooey rice crispy treats = my happy place.

How to Make Rice Crispy Treats

This recipe–it is THE recipe, the only Rice Krispie Treats recipe you ever need. Once you learn how to make rice crispy treats like these, you’ll never go back. No other recipe can compare, I promise.

Have I convinced you yet?

In a nutshell, take the original recipe off the side of the cereal box, add more butter, add way more marshmallows, and there you have it. It isn’t complicated, but oh, it makes me so very happy to have perfectly soft rice crispy treats

Taco Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joes – that classic comfort food with a Mexican twist! These taco sloppy joes are like eating your favorite taco with all the toppings you love but in sandwich form!

We are no strangers to sloppy joes here at Oh Sweet Basil! We love them! Our best sloppy joe recipe is one of our most popular posts! And of course we have sloppy joe sliders, instant pot sloppy joes and a sloppy joe casserole! Let’s not forget our healthier sloppy joe recipe and one of my all time favorites, the philly cheesesteak sloppy joe! My mouth is watering!

What Ingredients Do You Need for Taco Sloppy Joes?

Very few ingredients are needed to make this quick and easy dinner recipe! You’ll just need some good ground beef and a few things to make the sloppy joe meat mixture, and then you can go as crazy or as simple as you want with the toppings. Here is your ingredients list:

• Ground Beef: we prefer 85/15 beef for maximum flavor
• Onion: just a yellow onion works great
• Taco Seasoning: you can use store bought seasoning or make your own
• Diced Green Chiles: I usually go with mild to keep it kid friendly.
• Worcestershire: deepens flavor and adds richness
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Want to know the most life-changing words of wisdom? Well you’re in luck. We reached out to our audience to find out the best life advice they’ve ever had, and these were their answers. Sit back, take it in, and prepare to see the world a little differently…

Thoughts aren’t facts

A simple yet powerful piece of advice we could all do with taking on board. When thoughts pass through our minds, we often take them at face value, believing them to be true. In reality, however, these thoughts aren’t factual. They are stories we’re telling ourselves.

Some of our stories are fuelled by fear, sending us into self-doubt spirals. When this happens, pause and remind yourself that thoughts aren’t facts. When we can distance ourselves from our overly critical or negative thoughts, we can see a more positive perspective.

This too shall pass

When times are tough and we can’t see an end in sight, we might think we’ll feel this way forever. The truth is, the only constant in life is change (and this is a good thing). It means the way you feel, the situation you’re in, will one day change. This too shall pass.

Remind yourself of this on darker days, taking a moment to think about what steps could push you closer to the light. And on the good days, this sentiment can remind you to appreciate them even more.

You can’t eat an elephant all at once, eat it one bite at a time

This is one for overwhelmed souls. Experiencing overwhelm can feel like being asked to eat an elephant – daunting, and too big a task to undertake. But the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, and the only way to tackle big projects is one step at a time.

Break things down into small chunks, see if there’s anything you can delegate, and practice some radical prioritisation. Then, simply… start.

(Note: no elephants were harmed in the making of this article.)

Pace yourself

Pacing is a technique recommended for those with long-term conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, encouraging them to balance activity with rest, and to monitor energy levels. This is excellent advice, and not only for those with chronic illness.

By pacing ourselves, only taking on what we have capacity for and recognising the importance of rest, we can all take better care of our wellbeing. Life isn’t a race, after all.

Find the good in every day

Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day – a simple saying that can help us look out for the positives. An easy way to incorporate this advice is to start a gratitude journal, noting the positives in your day. Perhaps a loved one checked in with you, or you got to do something you enjoy. Whatever it is, really notice it, no matter how big or small.

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