Oatmeal Add-ins

What's better than warm oatmeal on a cold morning?

Oatmeal is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast, but I like to make it "fancy." By that, I mean adding fruit, nuts and other delicious add-ins. If you have 3 minutes and a microwave, you can easily transform regular 'ol oatmeal into the "fancy" kind that you'll pay $4+ for at your coffee shop.

TO MAKE ONE SERVING OF OATMEAL
1/2 cup of old fashioned oats in a microwave safe bowl
Add 3/4 cup of your choice of milk (cow's, almond, flax, coconut, whatever) 
Microwave for 3 minutes
Carefully remove from microwave (it's HOT) 
Add in your choice of toppings, stir and enjoy! 

Here are some delicious combinations that I like:

- Dried cranberries, sliced apple, chopped walnuts, agave

- Chopped walnuts, blueberries, juice of half a lemon, honey

- Pumpkin seeds, sliced banana, pecans, maple syrup

Use whatever you like and whatever you have! Cheers to better breakfasts.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

You guys. I made my first strawberry rhubarb pie and it was amazing. It was pretty easy too. I used this recipe as a guide for the filling and made my favorite box pie crust (Betty Crocker, the same crust that my Mom has always used for her apple pie).

Our friends recently moved into a new house and had an excess of rhubarb growing in their yard, and generously gave us a bouquet of it. Thanks James and Bethany! The first thing that came to my mind was starwberry rhubarb pie, even though I've never used rhubarb before. Isn't it pretty? The giant leaves are poisonous, I learned. The bright red stalks are for eating, but are very tart/bitter and need a lot of sweetening. 

Enter strawberries and sugar. A winning combination! Such beautiful red. 

I had fun rolling out the dough, making a lattice top (use a pizza cutter), and adding a pair of hearts, just to make it cute. I'm no good at crimping the pie crust edges so I just try to roll it down and make it look halfway decent! 

The top got a tiny bit too golden brown but I caught it just in time. It was still perfectly cooked with the right amount of flakiness. The filling was sweet and bubbly and gooey, almost like strawberry jam. Yum. 

I cut the first beautiful slice and I was hooked! It tasted better than I imagined.

I confess, I ate three quarters of this pie. All. By. Myself. Not in one sitting. 

In my defense, I'm the only one in my house who likes sweets (until Marshall can decide for himself). 

I did share two slices. 

This is why I can't bake pies. 

I am weak. 

Ingredients:
3 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups of sliced rhubarb stalks
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Splash of orange juice or lemon juice
Pie crust of your choice (2 if you do a lattice top)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat fruit.
Pour filling into prepared pie crust. 
Cut dough to form lattice top. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle granulated sugar on top, if desired. 
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
If crust is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. 
Cool for 1 hour before serving.

Easy Homemade Crusty Bread

You guys, I can make homemade bread. I don't even have a bread maker. And it's pretty easy to do! You just have to think ahead the day before. It literally has 4 ingredients and you don't need some fancy machine, just an oven-safe pot with a lid.

I've always wanted to make bread but never tried because I thought it was super complicated and it involved yeast, which for some reason intimidate me. I have to thank my friend Alyssa, for introducing me to this wonder. She pulled a beautiful crusty artisan loaf out of her oven and I had to know her secret. The recipe can be found here. You can add all sorts of ingredients to it to jazz it up if you like.

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Add water and mix until a sticky  dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours. Heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450, place a cast iron pot with a lid (or you can use Corningware like I did) in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour the dough onto a well floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating. Remove hot pot from the oven (using potholders!) and drop in the dough. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove bread from oven and cool. 

 

Here's what the dough looked like after 15 hours. Please forgive my photography skills. I've been slacking lately.

 

This is the dough formed into a ball, waiting to go in the oven.

 

 Here it is, hot out of the oven all its crusty fresh-baked goodness!

Doesn't it look beautiful and delicious? I chopped up some rosemary and added it to the dough in the beginning. Impressive. 

And then we made panini's with it. So. Good. My favorite sandwich is caprese. Spread some basil pesto on each slice of bread, add a few slices of tomato, fresh mozzarella and chopped fresh basil. It's the best. Try it.

If I can make homemade bread, you can, too. You'll love it! This would be perfect with a batch of homemade soup.

 

Weekend French Toast

I love French toast. Growing up, my Mom would often make French toast for me before school. It was the best. Ever. This week, I was at a photo shoot for breakfast foods, and one of the components was French toast. Since then, it's been on my "must make" list. This weekend, I found an easy recipe and tweaked it a little bit, using thick slices of farm-style white bread. The thicker the bread, the better. 

Ingredients:
1 thick slice of bread
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp sugar
A few dashes of cinnamon
A small dash of vanilla extract
1 tsp butter

Directions:
Whisk egg, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Dip one side of the bread in the liquid and let it soak for a moment. Turn over the bread and let the other side soak up the rest of the liquid. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Slide the soaked toast into the frying pan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes each side. Check to make sure it's not burning out getting too dark. Repeat recipe for multiple slices of toast.

My favorite toppings are powdered sugar and maple syrup. Such a delicious breakfast - especially on a cold weekend day! 

Peanut Butter Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

I made my own soft oat bars for the first time. I tried to keep them on the healthier side, based on this recipe. Making them was very simple and I actually had all of the ingredients already. You can add whatever type of nuts or add-on's that you like. I usually keep a few store bought bars on hand for a snack or even breakfast, but at $1+ a pop, making them at home costs much less. They aren't as sweet, because there's no added sugar (which is kind of the point). Give them a try. I've already had two today, and I'd like a third! 

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used Organic, unsweetened)
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut (plus extra to sprinkle on top)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of old fashioned oats

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350
1. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Stir in the rest of ingredients and combine well.
2. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper (it helps to grease the pan a bit to get the parchment to stick to it.) Then spread the batter into an even layer with a spatula.
3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
4. Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

I was recently introduced to these amazingly decadent chocolate peanut butter cup cookies, by a new friend and blogger, Beka. I asked her for the recipe, which she found here. Not only are these cookies delicious, they are SO easy to make. I think it took me longer to edit photos and write this, than it did to whip up a batch of these sweet treats.

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 8oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter Cup mini's OR 12 pack of regular size, chopped up

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together cake mix, oil and eggs until combined. Gently stir in peanut butter cup pieces.

3. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and bake for 8-9 minutes.

Your kitchen will look like you went on a candy binge. 

 I scooped them onto cookie sheets with a measuring tablespoon.

Recipe makes 24 rich and indulgent can't-have-just-one cookies. Enjoy!

Baked Tofu Summer Rolls

I tried a new recipe that I found via Lauren Conrad's website. I've never even watched The Hills, but Lauren has some fitness plans and meal suggestions. The recipe for Baked Tofu Summer Rolls comes from the food blog Hazelnut. I learned how to make spring (or summer) rolls at a class at work. This was my first time trying them at home. They were so fresh, delicious and healthy! I used baked tofu, but you could swap chicken or use all veggies if you like. The dipping sauce definitely makes it, so don't skip it!

Ingredients for rolls:

2 large rice paper wrappers

1 cup baked tofu (slice one block of well-drained tofu into 5 rectangles, place on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, flipping half way through. Cut into strips.)

1 cucumber, cut into thin spears

1 cup bean sprouts

 1/2 cup shaved carrots

Directions:

1. Using two hands, run the rice papers under running warm water, one at a time, until pliable.
2. Lay rice paper on cutting board and fill with 1/2 of ingredients. 
3. Fold paper in at ends, then one side, and finish by rolling (like a burrito). 
4. Cut diagonally and enjoy with dipping sauce!

Ingredients for dipping sauce: 

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (or any hot sauce)

dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients with a fork.

I like to layer bean sprouts first, followed by cucumbers, then tofu, then carrots. If you want to add an extra burst of flavor, add some torn basil or mint. I made a few rolls ahead to take for lunch. Delicious! 

DIY Salad Dressing

I've been enjoying salads lately, and the dressing makes all the difference. Sometimes you don't want the stuff that's been sitting in your refrigerator for a year or two, if you're like us, and never finish an entire bottle. Sometimes I like to make my own dressing. It's quicker than you think, and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry.

If you have a mason jar (or any jar), it's even easier - you mix and store it all in one container. I learned that from Giada de Laurentiis.

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good olive oil)
Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
1 Fresh Lemon
Salt
Pepper 


Directions:
Pour olive oil and vinegar of choice into jar. I use a ratio of about 1:1 or maybe a little more olive oil than vinegar. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (keep out the seeds). Add a semi-generous amount of fresh black pepper and salt to taste. Shake it up and pour over salad. 

I love balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I use red wine vinegar. If you store it in the refrigerator, be sure to take it out ahead of time, because the olive oil will solidify. Give it a good shake once it comes to room temperature. 

Summer is the perfect time to dress farm market and garden vegetables with your own freshly made dressing! 

Delicious!

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Lately, we've been so busy at work, that dinnertime has turned into figuring out what we can make as quick and easy as possible, and hopefully it's healthy and affordable too. Sometimes that's a challenge. Last night we tried a new recipe that fit the bill. Easy chicken fajitas that were true to their name, found here. We tweaked the recipe a little. Add a side of rice and dinner is ready! I tried to snap a photo before I devoured these. They were good!

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 bell peppers, sliced in thin strips
1 large onion, vertically sliced thin 
1 LB boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon chili powder (or substitute a PINCH of cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon groung cumin
2 cans (10oz each) RoTel Original Dived Tomatoes & Green Chilies, DRAINED
8 flour tortillas (6 inch) warmed


Directions

1. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; set aside.
2. Add chicken to skillet. Sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. Cook 4 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
3. Return peppers and onion to skillet; add drained tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes more or until hot. Divide chicken mixture evenly between tortillas.

Spinach, Mushroom, Chicken Sausage & Cheese Quiche

This morning I made a quiche for breakfast with some different ingredients. I usually make this one with Ham, Cheese, Broccoli and Mushrooms. Today, I was in the mood for spinach, mushrooms and chicken sausage. I can't get enough of Wegmans all natural fully cooked breakfast with sage chicken sausage. It's a healthier breakfast sausage option, and goes great with eggs, breakfast sandwiches or in a quiche. 

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced breakfast sausage (cooked), about 4 links
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup Bisquick
4 eggs
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

Chop sausage and veggies and add to a large bowl with shredded cheese. Toss to combine. 

 Sprinkle mixture into a deep-dish pie plate and distribute evenly.

Add Bisquick, eggs, milk, salt and pepper to large bowl, and whisk by hand for 1 minute. 

Pour liquid into pie plate, covering all ingredients. Press down vegetables and try to keep everything covered. It will be very full. 

Bake at 400 degrees for about 50-60 minutes, until top is golden and knife inserted into center comes out clean. If it's still too "jiggly" in the middle, bake until more set. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Enjoy! Perfect for breakfast or an Easter brunch. Refrigerate leftovers.

30th Birthday Ladies Luncheon

These are some of my most cherished friends in the whole world! They are beautiful ladies, inside and out, and they got together to surprise me and help ring in my 30th birthday! My husband was the instigator behind this secret plan. Andrew enlisted the help of Christy and Kimi (sitting with me on the bench) to arrange a beautiful and unforgettable ladies luncheon. All for me! I was so surprised, very blessed and enjoyed every minute of it!  

It was Saturday, March 17th, 3 days before my birthday (also St. Patrick's Day). I was led to believe I was helping host a bridal shower - not so! Kimi's four season room was gorgeously decorated with a long table dressed with white and blue linens. The sun shone through the windows. We gathered around the table to share a delicious meal, laugh and enjoy each others company (and stories). It was a perfect afternoon! 

The girls thought of everything - fine china, linen napkins, beautiful tulips. So pretty and classy! 

They even made place cards.

And candle favors with soy wax and re-purposed glass baby food jars. Love these!

The food was amazing. Ina Garten's Curry Chicken Salad, Traditional Chicken Salad, Croissants, Spinach, Strawberry and Pecan Salad, Corn Chowder, Cheese Tortellini, punch, lemonade - all of my favorite things!

And the desserts - Vanilla cupcakes and fruit tarts! Thank you Mrs. White and Susan for helping prepare the food. It was delicious! 

And of course coffee and chocolates! Everything was so special. 

On top of all that, I received beautiful cards, gifts and gift cards to some of my favorite stores! You ladies know me well. My heart was overwhelmed. I was feeling so loved and so thankful for such wonderful friends, who are truly gifts from God. 

Photo courtesy of BA Photography


I couldn't have imagined a better way to celebrate this milestone year. Thank you ladies, for making my birthday so special and for being the beautiful, creative, thoughtful, talented, encouraging and inspiring women that you are. I love you and I'm grateful I get to share life with you. Kimi, thank you for hosting us in your beautiful home. You and Christy, aka "RoMaglio", outdid yourselves and should seriously go into business! You are both so talented and have a gift for throwing outstanding parties! 


And a big thank you to my husband for pulling off such a wonderful surprise! You are too good to me, and I know it. I love you with all of my heart and I'm so glad you're mine. You'll be 30 in a few months...


For more details about the ladies luncheon and yummy recipes, visit Christy's blog.