When it comes to making oatmeal, most of us get pretty basic: Add water, then microwave or cook over the stove top. Maybe swirl in some brown sugar or dried fruit, if we're feeling fancy.
Not Tiffani Thiessen.
The actress, mom and Cooking Channel star gets creative in the kitchen, turning her kids' morning bowl of oats into something that makes getting out of bed a little easier. She makes a peanut butter-banana version, raspberry-lemonade—even a savory grilled cheese and tomato soup-inspired blend, which features shredded cheddar, breadcrumbs and sun-dried tomatoes. It's no wonder she's partnered with Quaker Oats for a Bring Your Best Bowl contest, where you can win $250,000 for coming up with the tastiest oatmeal imaginable.
We caught up with Thiessen to uncover some of her snack obsessions—and the food that will always remind her of her days at Bayside High.
She's All About One Unexpected Energy-Booster.
Though Thiessen has one or two cups of coffee a day, she swears by an entirely different drink when she's feeling sluggish: Good ol' H2O. "I'm a big believer that water is the basis of all health, so I go for that first when I need an energy boost," she says.
She'll Pass on Conventional Birthday Cakes.
The rest of the world can swear by a classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. For Thiessen, who celebrated her 42nd on Jan. 23, birthdays mean one dessert: her mom's Cream Cheese Pie.
"Everybody who has it is addicted," says Thiessen, who made the pie during the first season of her show, Dinner at Tiffani's. It's kind of like a cheesecake, only you don't have to bother with water baths or worry about it cracking halfway through baking. It's actually no-bake!
If Thiessen's grabbing a store-bought cake, there's only one place she trusts: SusieCakes in Los Angeles, where she always orders a lemon cake.
She's Not Afraid of Indulging from Time to Time.
For the most part, Thiessen tries to eat healthy, but she'll make an exception for her birthday weekend. "I might have indulged more than I should have," she admits of the recent celebration. Still, we consider her food diary a pretty good exercise in moderation.
- Breakfast: Usually oatmeal—"five out of seven days of the week"—but since it was the morning after her birthday, she splurged on homemade pancakes and bacon.
- Lunch: Roasted veggie salad, "which I love. I had a half-day photo shoot for my cookbook, and ran to the grocery store right after, so I got a bunch of vegetables to make for the salad."
- Dinner: Takeout sushi and a slice of leftover birthday cake, er, pie. "It was divine."
She'll Never Forget The Max.
Thiessen may have left her Saved By the Bell days long behind her, but if she had to think of one food to remind her of the years she spent as cheerleader-slash-hottest-girl-in-school Kelly Kapowski, it'd be...
"Burgers and hot dogs," she laughs. "They make me think of The Max," she says, recalling the restaurant where the characters hung out after school.
As for her role in USA's White Collar? "Food trucks—that was the fun of filming in New York. Every day there were different food trucks to order lunch from, and you could get anything from dim sum to tacos," she says.
She Knows Pizza.
If you ever visit Thiessen's house (because, you know, you've become besties after casual liking her photos on Instagram), be sure to ask her to make a homemade pizza for you. It's the one dish everybody asks for again and again.
"I put anything and everything on them, but my most favorite is fresh ricotta, lemon, grapes and pine nuts," she says.
Her Go-To Snacks Go Way Beyond Baby Carrots.
Thiessen has no shortage of snack ideas, largely because she's so used to eating on the go—and needing something healthier than what most vending machines can provide. She's all about nonfat Greek yogurt, apples with peanut butter, and sliced cucumbers with lemon juice, but she loves one snack that you may associate more with roast chicken dinners.
"I love roasting veggies with a little olive oil and herbs, which makes them a little sweeter," she says. "I'll just put them in a bag and take them to go."
She's not the type to pretend that roasted vegetables cure all sugar cravings though.
"If I really want something sweet, I'll go for dark chocolate," Thiessen says. "I'm that kind of girl."
That kind of girl who happens to be all of us.
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