Bad habits…we all have them! There are some which we can conceal well and others which are somewhat harder to. For starters, I am a terrible traveler over-packer. If my luggage allowance is 30 kgs, chances are my suitcase weighs 32 kgs. In my defense, I need to prepared for all case scenarios! What if the weather turns colder? What if we decide to dine at a dressy restaurant versus a more casual one? What if I’m feeling bloated and don’t feel like wearing jeans? I blame my over-packing on the endless “What Ifs”.
During my recent trip to Dubai, it was such a relief to check in my bags without the worry that I’ll have to unpack some of my items and repack them into my hand-carry. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I was actually 13 kgs under the max- a first for me! Another first for me was not having to ask for help to lift my bag off the conveyor belt. Sorry people, but feminism is overrated! While you would think that these simple pleasures would be enough reason for me to try & travel back light, that’s not how my mind works. Nope, I had to milk every last kilo while I can.
Because I haven’t yet turned orange despite my excessive intake of carrots & pumpkin, I’ll take it as a sign that my body can handle even more beta-carotene…which led me to purchase my first can of pumpkin whilst browsing the aisles of my favorite supermarket in Dubai: Spinneys. It’s not available in Mumbai and especially after seeing/hearing about its deliciousness, I couldn’t resist…plus I had the extra luggage weight to kill ;).
Eaten plain or stirred into yogurt, I wasn’t blown away at all- each bite had me hoping that the orange mush would grow on me. However, I will say that in the form of baked goods, it tasted excellent and added a wonderfully moist texture. More specifically, this Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin makes a great grab-and-go breakfast, balanced snack, a sneaky method to add more veggies into your diet, a potential solution to a cake craving or in my case: a last minute ‘I forgot to buy flowers so time for Plan B‘ breakfast on Mothers’ Day:
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin (serves 1)
Ingredients
- Oats, 25g (1/4 cup)
- 2 Egg Whites, whisked well
- Canned pumpkin,1 heaped tablespoon
- Cinnamon,1/2 – 1 teaspoon
- Vanilla essence, 4-5 drops
- Baking Powder, pinch
- Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180*C
- Combine and mix together the above ingredients
- Pour the mixture into a muffin cup
- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check whether it’s done: if it doesn’t come out clean, leave the muffin to bake for a few extra minutes.
In case you were wondering, I was merely 1 or 2 kgs underweight on my flight back to Mumbai…sorry, I’m not sorry :)!
Got any packing tips? I’m all ears!
I’m the worst packer too!! I’ll have to stalk your comments to get some tips, I always cram too much stuff in a suitcase heehee
Glad I’m not the only one then 🙂
I remember you commenting about baking pumpkin oatmeal muffin for your mother on Mothers Day (not sure why I remember it in such details..) glad you posted the recipe, will definitely give it a try since I love both major ingredients!!
Haha must be all those omega 3’s translating in a great memory- hope u enjoy it!
first off… i agree, libby’s pumpkin didn’t grow on me straight out of the can. So far I’ve added it to oatmeal, cakes, muffins, and it tastes delicious. and of course, pumpkin pie and cheesecake – good stuff!
regd packing light, hmmm… i keep like 1 to 2 pairs of jeans that go with everything, i keep a sweater that goes with everything, i keep dressy clothes, a pair of nice shoes that goes with everything. and if i have room, i’ll usually take extra shoes. i always wear a pair of sweats on the plane, and take an extra. and i also wear a jacket on the plane that i’ll use on the trip. 🙂
Oh man I should have added it to cheesecake- a bad cheesecake is just not possible! Thanks for the packing tips- noting them down for my trip at the end of the month!
Ohh man I pack WAYYY too much. I’ve gotten better though. I am so glad I am not the only one still loving pumpkin.
With the fresh pumpkin, it’s an all-year staple for me…can’t get enough of it grilled!
I overpack all the time. For a three-night trip, I packed 15 pairs of shoes. I like to have a selection.
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15 pairs for 3 nights??? Wow, I suddenly feel like a minimalist!
I am seriously the worst packer in the entire world…. over packer! I like to have way too many outfit selections haha
Great recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
THe worst part is coming back and seeing that you haven’t worn half of what you packed right :)!
Yum yum I love single serving muffin recipes!!! 🙂
I’m the complete opposite with packing… I always waaaaay underpack and my stuff is lighter than everyone elses… but I always forget something.
Haha I guess there is a silver lining to over packing- always prepared!
I’m such an over-packer too! I don’t like to limit my wardrobe choices while I’m travelling, so I try to pack as many clothes as possible. 😛
That’s a bummer you didn’t really like pumpkin with your yogurt! Did you add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice? Those are key!
I loaded up on the cinnamon…it was good but I guess I was expecting it to be a lot better? Note to self, don’t try something with high expectations! 🙂
I LOVE SPINNEYS! When I lived in Dubai I lived near a massive one in Jumeirahs…ahhh sweet nostalgia! And hello I am queen of overpackers anonymous too 😉 Last weekend I went for ONE NIGHT with a bunch of friends to this chalet in the wilderness and i packed three duffel bags…for one night…multiple bathing suits, rain coats, and of course every lingerie/pyjama/hygiene product under the sun. Always gotta be prepared 😉
Hahaha you always make me feel better about myself :)….isn’t there like a girl scout code to “always be prepared”- at least we cover that :)!
My packing tip is this: pack all black, white, and gray. And bring one or two things that provide a pop of color. I do this every time … it’s the only way to get away with just doing the carry on thing!
I’m so with you on feminism… 🙂
Hope you are having a good weekend so far!
Haha I was debating whether to throw in that line about feminism but whatever, I speak the truth…womens’ rights are great and all but so is manual labor being done by the opposite sex! Great tips- thanks, Ameena 🙂
Oh I definitely did not enjoy pumpkin straight from the can! But I agree, it’s so yummy in baked goods. For a quick dessert I mix a box of spice cake and a can of pumpkin and it makes muffin like cookies without the oil. So moist!
I have become less of an overpacker because now I will literally plan out all my outfits per day. This requires a bit of time to try things on and think it through but it has stopped me from throwing 10 extra shirts, 5 extra dresses, etc into my suitcase at the end!
I’ve been known to make lists which contain each day’s outfits, right down to under clothing :)- works a charm in terms of ensuring I don’t forget anything! Those cookies sound GREAT- now I wish I had a second can to work with!
I am actually a pretty light packer, so I don’t really have many tips. I like to collect everything I “need” in a large pile on my bed and then take away like half of it.
Haha I don’t think I’ve ever taken away from my pile…at least not up to half of the amount!
Wait, this post makes me SO HAPPY! I have two cans of pumpkin I keep meaning to use, but never get around to it because I don’t have a great recipe.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that- I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Oh I am so with you on being prepared – I’m also guilty of abusing the weight limit but several experiences of repacking my carry ons has taught me better! My general rule is that if I can carry my luggage with relative ease, it’s probably not overweight.
Haha with the exception of weekend trips, this might be the only time i was able to lift my bag with relative ease 🙂