Steel Cut Oats

(google stock photo)

I struggle with breakfast. I am just as happy having my protein shake EVERY SINGLE DAY. My kids really have suffered because of it. I make breakfast maybe once a month (although my last 2 posts have been breakfast....maybe turning over a new leaf?). Keaton (the boy who will eat and enjoy anything) does not eat hot cereal. I grew up on the stuff. I have not been able to find any he really loves (I have tried adding cocoa, brown sugar, honey.....all 3...no luck). We were watching good eats on Steel Cut Oats. Keaton said, "Mom that looks GOOD". I never pass up a chance like that so we made it. He loved it and so did the little one year old lady. Alton B. adds a lot of cream. I used skim milk and I am glad I did. It worked fine and saved a ton of calories, and fat.

Here is how to make the best bowl of Oatmeal EVER:

Saute:

1 cup oats

1 Tbsp butter

While that is sauteing boil 3 cups water. My water was boiling right as the oats got really toasty. Add the water to the saute pan (there will be lots of bubbles). Stir a bit, turn down to a simmer, cover and let cook for 1/2 hour.

After the 1/2 hour add 1 cup skim milk and gently stir every so often with the end of a wooden spoon. Cook about 10 minutes or until a nice creamy consistency (about 5 for me).

LASTLY add 1/2 tsp salt (be sure you don't add before or it won't be creamy). We topped with real maple and cinnamon. Keaton had seconds :)

Super Fast Skillet Quiche

(picture from Prudence Pennywise)

I am not one to make breakfast. For some reason most breakfast foods make me feel sick so I usually stick to a protein shake. This morning I was inspired and made this for Keaton and I. Ooooh Lala! Keaton said, "Mom you really should be the Next Food Network Star". If only he knew I stole the recipe from Prudence Pennywise the great. Remember to use just a small 6" skillet.

I made mine with french goat cheese, garden tomato's (sliced thin then drained on a paper towel), and fresh basil. I made Keaton's with garden tomato, Monterrey Jack cheese, and thin slice avocado. I used Panko for both. They were heavenly. Head on over to Prudence Pennywise to get the full directions. Enjoy!

Summertime Brown Sugar Pavlovas

I found this recipe 10 years ago in my Cooking Light magazine and just had to try it. Over the years I have modified it a little here and a little there and it has become a star player in my repertoire. It always is a crowd pleaser. I made it Sunday for a baby blessing and it once again went over fabulously. Over the years I have tried a 1/2 dozen other pavlova recipes and I don't really like them. This is also a VERY cheap recipe to do for a crowd! You can prepare the shells ahead and freeze them for up to a month. Not sure what makes this one a stand out but OH MY!

Brown Sugar Pavlovas

4 large egg whites

2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Beat egg whites, corn starch, and salt at high speed till frothy. Add brown sugar and regular sugar one TBSP at a time until thick and glossy (see picture). Add vanilla. Shape into meringue nests on parchment or silpat making the nest part with the back of a spoon (you want the sides about an inch tall). Put them in the oven and immediately reduce the temp to 300. Let them cook for one hour. When they are done turn off the oven but leave them in there with the door closed for 4 hours or overnight (I think they are a little better overnight...not sure why). CAREFULLY remove from paper or silpat.

Now to dress those little precious nests. My all time favorite is sliced strawberries and blueberries mixed with strawberry jam. I pile that up atop some lite cool whip. DELICIOUS. The original recipe has you using a combo of tropical fruit (mango, kiwi, pineapple) and drizzling with caramel syrup...also good. I have also done raspberries and mandarin oranges. You pick what you like and what you have on hand. I have also done a large pie sized pavlova for a birthday cake. Quite impressive but harder to cut. Hope this becomes a favorite for you too!

muesli

My Dad served an LDS mission in Germany. Some nights my Dad would whip some of this up and we would have it with a little toast for dinner. My kids are not picky eaters but they snub oatmeal. This though they gobbled right up (anything is better with yogurt, right?). This was a healthy comfort food night for me :)

Muesli

fruit of your choosing (I used banana, plum, nectarine, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes)

Yogurt for a sauce (I use the low sugar yogurt which Keaton doesn't usually like but in this, he was good)

whole rolled oats

Mix and serve soon.

Tomatos!

I just Couldn't wait until my tomato's are in! We ran out of our supply of diced tomato's a couple months ago and the store bought ones just don't do it. When our produce co-op had 20 pounds of tomato's for 7 bucks I grabbed 2! Lee and I processed the 40 pounds of tomato's in about 2 hours. Many people have asked how we do it so....

(sorry this is so BLURRY!)

First I put an x on the bottom of each tomato.

We then drop them in boiling water for about a minute until they start looking like this. The peel then just falls off! I have read other people that then put them in ice water to stop the cooking. I myself hate an extra step. We use the tomato's in soups and sauces so I don't see the big deal if they are partially cooked.

We then dice them up and put them in ziptop bags in the freezer. We LOVE the fresh taste this produces. We also have put them in canning jars and boiled the jars for 15 minutes. They are great that way too!
****My friend Lisa's Mom suggested just throwing the whole tomato in the freezer. When you are ready to go let it defrost a moment then squeeze the pulp out. This works too, just a little more messy and bigger chunks then we prefer.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

The other night I had one of those: what do I make for dinner with all these odds and ends moments. I came up with these Chicken lettuce wraps and they were divine if I do say so myself. This is SUCH a healthy meal for your family. TONS of vegetables (8 were in mine shown above). Here you go:



1 1/2 pounds chicken

1/2 of an onion grated on a box grater (this makes you just have the flavor without the texture problems many kids have)

3 cloves of garlic grated on a box grater (you already have it out, this makes it SO easy!)

2" of fresh ginger (you probably guessed, grate that up too after you peel it)


1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup (or to taste) Yoshida's or Teriyaki sauce (I highly recommend Yoshidas although it is higher in sugar...I AM trying here)

beansprouts, red pepper, carrot, cucumber for toppings

large leaf lettuce

Slice chicken up pretty thin (if you do not thaw it all the way it is much easier). Heat skillet with about a tsp of olive oil. Give the onion garlic and ginger a little spin in there (maybe a minute or so). Add the chicken and celery and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and stir fry the whole lot of it until the mushrooms start getting soft. Add the Yoshida sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes while you prepare the toppings. I think it is fun to make "ribbons" to go on top. I use my potato peeler to "peel ribbons" off the red pepper, cucumber and carrots.

Apples, Apples, Apples....

I think I need to start this post by saying all apples are not created equally. Every week we get a set of apples from our produce co-op. Some are lovely ones, perfect for eating (have you had an American Cameo apple?!?!)....others not so good. So, after a couple of weeks we find ourselves with a drawer of the not so good apples.
Tonight I had my drawer pretty full so I went to work. First we made my friend Lori's apple chips. EASY SQUEEZY! I used my handy dandy peeler, corer, slicer (please note it is MY slicer but LEE is always the operator :). I peeled and cored the apples then I boiled them in some white grape juice from last season I had in the freezer (Lori just uses apple juice). I left them in the boiling juice for just a couple minutes until they were tender. Then just spread them out on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Her directions said to cook at 250 for 20 minutes until brown and crisp. Mine took 40 minutes, maybe mine were thicker? They also never actually crisped but tasted like a really good dried apple.
*I sprinkled a little cinnamon on before I threw them in the oven.

With the rest of the apples I did a big batch of Apple sauce to throw in the freezer. Last time I did apple sauce it was flavorless and the kids wouldn't eat it (and my kids eat anything). I ended up making it into apple butter. My Mother-in-law suggested adding cinnamon and sugar. I am sure that would work but we are trying to eliminate sugar where we can. This time I sliced, and peeled the apples (Lee again) then boiled them in the white grape juice. I then put them through the food processor with some of the juice. So sweet, so yum! Much better then tree top. I will let it cool then put it in quart ziplocs to freeze ( you can bottle it if you want).