Baked Oatmeal, Ohhhh my!

Hello all! We eat A LOT of cereal at our house. We regard it as its own food group most of the time. For Michael, I usually end up buying several boxes a week. I also like oatmeal and this morning, I decided to try some baked oatmeal because this recipe calls for applesauce and I just made a DELICIOUS variety and this was a fantastic opportunity to use some. This was an absolute treat. It was so easy to make and the only problem is that even though I was full…I could have eaten the whole pan. Michael ate about half the pan and he doesn’t even like oatmeal that much. Yes, it’s that good.

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (I like a lot!)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup each of raisins and dried cranberries (I left these out)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup applesauce

1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl an combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir well.

Pour the whole thing into an 8 inch square baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I poured some extra applesauce over the top and it was literally the most wonderful start to the day that I could have ever asked for.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Well…my doctor tells me I have a sodium deficiency so I have been trying to find salty food that isn’t too fattening…I just know it’s possible. Soup seems to be a great way to get a lot of sodium in a healthy way. The recipe for this soup calls for low sodium broth but I’ve slightly modified it for more salt but I’ll note my changes for you hypertensive folks J This soup is so easy and quick but is also sooo delicious. The barley fills you up and keeps you full for a while. Mike refuses to try it because it doesn’t have meat in it but that’s okay because I have no problem eating this all week!

1 cup barley (I used instant, so much easier than boiling it for 40 minutes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 package of button mushrooms, sliced

3 cans low sodium vegetable broth (I used regular)

1 cup water (I added a chicken bullion cube to this)

2 bay leaves

(I added some Lawry’s salt with parsley for good measure)

Dry spices like oregano, basil whatever you had, I just dumped a bunch in.

In a medium pan add 1 cup barley to two cups boiling water. Cook according to package directions, set aside

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Add the vegetable broth, water (and boulion cube J), bay leaves, and lawry’s salt and any other herbs and spices you want. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add barley and cook another 15 minutes or so.

Remove the bay leaves and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. YUM!

Homemade Applesauce

I confess, I don’t absolutely love fruit. For me, it’s a texture thing. I love all-fruit smoothies but eating raw fruit is difficult for me. The one fruit I don’t mind eating raw is an apple but I’m VERY picky about it having ANY bruises and the texture has to be extremely crisp. That said, I am always trying to find ways to incorporate more fruit into my diet. I go and off of applesauce kicks. I don’t usually mind the texture and it’s easy to store and doesn’t go bad quickly but a nagging part of me always felt guilty about it since the kind you buy in the store has preservatives, even if it has no sugar added. Then I found this recipe for homemade applesauce. It sounds daunting, yes, but it was surprisingly easy and DELICIOUS. I can’t get enough of it. I put some on a toasted whole wheat English Muffin yesterday and I was in heaven. Also, I then put it in my baked oatmeal this morning (Recipe to come) and it was a revelation. Here’s how to do it:

Homemade Crockpot Applesauce:

5 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped

2 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped (the flavor in these babies is very prominent in the end product. If you aren’t a huge fan of tart apples, I suggest only using one and substituting another type of apple)

2 medium Honey Crisp apples peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped (My grocery store didn’t have honey crisp so I used Fuji)

Fresh Lemon Juice – I juiced two lemons

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water.

If you are like me and work then you’ll want to do all the prep the night before.

I sat and watched a movie the night before and peeled all the apples, then sliced them using an apple slicer, then chopped the slices into small bits about the size of a dice. It was mindless and relaxing.

When that’s done, place all of the apple pieces in the crock pot, pour the fresh lemon juice over them and toss them until you are reasonably confident that they are coated. Add in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour water in the crock pot, stir the whole mess together. Now, at this point, you can turn the crock pot on and let it cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours but if you are me, you stick the pot in the fridge and go to bed and in the morning put it on heat while you go to work.

When you come home, your house will smell like apple pie and you should probably invite people over and act like that’s how your house always smells. I plan on doing this the second time around.

Makes about 4 cups of applesauce.

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

I realize that popcorn balls are usualy a halloween or Christmas treat...But if that is the case then why does the song talk about spring? Either way it's Summer, not any of the aforementioned seasons or holidays and I have stumbled upon a recipe for popcorn balls that is so delicious and easy that you will want to make them every day.

Popcorn Balls

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
10 marshmallows
1-2 bags unbuttered popped popcorn

Directions:
Melt the butter and brown sugar over medium low heat. Once they are melted together, add the marshmallows. It's VERY important you keep the heat medium-low because I have learned, once upon a failed rice krispie, that if you heat this stuff too fast, it will turn rock hard when it cools and be completely unedible. Sad face.

While this is melting, you can pop your popcorn. I have a fabulous popcorn popper so I don't use the bagged kind so I just sort of estimate how much I imagine 1 and half bags of popcorn would be.

Pour the melted mixture over the popcorn and stir it with a spoon - you don't want to touch it yet, it's like sugary LAVA. Once you have coate the popcorn reasonably evenly, form the popcorn into balls as big or small as you like.

This makes enough to make about 10 baseball sized balls or 15 ish slightly-bigger-than-golf-ball-size.

I heart my new dentist. A lot.

Okay so since I've moved out to SLC, I've been slowly trying to get doctors closer to me out here. About the dentist. Let's face it. I can barely schedule an appointment to begin with let alone arrange to drive out to Centerville. I used to go to Ford Huffaker who I love and if you live in the Centerville area I highly recommend him. Well, after asking around for recommendations, several people mentioned the Sugarhouse Dental Spa. I googled it and saw only positive reviews and it sounded like an interesting concept, a little pampering to draw you in never hurt anyone, right? (But I'll get to that in a minute) So I called and they accepted my new insurance so I made an appointment.

A week later, whether it be mental or not, two of my teeth started to hurt. Not bad but it DID remind me to call to ask for a prescription for antibiotics to avoid further nasty heart complications. While I was on the phone, I mentioned I was having pain and the receptionist immediately told me they would fit me in THAT DAY. She called me back a few minutes later and asked if I could come in at 1:00. Well, my teeth still hurt so I said yes.

After A LOT of run around (bribing a co-worker to take me to the pharmacy) leaving an hour early to get my car from the trax station, etc.) I finally made it. When I walked in I was greeted by the accomadating receptionist who gave me some paperwork, took me into the waiting room where she sat me down in a massage chair and asked if she could bring me a drink - tea, coffee, water. Dumbfounded, I asked for water. After 15 minutes in my massage chair, the hygeinist came to get me. She then gave me a paraffin wax treatment on my hands, covered my hands in warm mittens and asked if I preferred a hot or cold eye mask...Um...where am I? I shrugged and decided on hot. She put the mask on me and said, "I'm going to massage your temples with some eucalyptus essential oil before we start." Oookay. Yes. Allowed. Then she began to clean my teeth which normally makes me cringe but since my eyes were covered with a warm mask and my temples smelled of eucalyptus, I didn't care. The hygeinist was sooo nice. She talked to me the whole time but not in that awkward dentist way. I really felt comfortable. After my cleaning, a girl came in and gave me a neck and shoulder massage.

Then I waited for the dentist. When he came in, I was a little taken back for a few reasons. First, he was wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch T-Shirt and jeans. Second, he was GORGEOUS. I mean, the sight of him was a revelation. (Keep in mind, I went into this knowing he's openly gay. The office touts itself as gay friendly and a referral and mentioned he dated her son) Dr. Graham is one of those men that is so perfect they have to be gay...sigh..and he is. (Author's note: I am marrying the most perfect GORGEOUS straight man alive) In retrospect, it's a good thing that he's gay otherwise I would have been far too uncomfortable around him to function. He sweetly introduced himself and looked in my mouth and said, "Aw, you grind your teeth." A small argument ensued about this but he won...only to be confirmed by Mike when I got home...I apparently DO grind my teeth. And the pain in my teeth is from clenching my jaw. He put his hands on my jaw and said, "Well there's your problem. Your jaw is so tight, poor thing." Yes, I AM a poor thing!!! Finally someone acknowledges this. :) He gave me some advice and then finished his exam. He did find one cavity and I have never been so excited to get a cavity filled in my life. Then, yes, he met me at the receptionist's desk with a latte. Yeah, that DID happen. And my co-pay was the same as it was with my old dentist. Hooray!!!!! Then, I got a really neat packet of dental supplies. I can't wait to go back.

Chipotle Lime Quinoa Salad - Just Try It!!!

I got this awesome recipe off picky-palate.com. I have a new obsession with Quinoa (pronounced by hippies as Keen-Wah). It's a super healthy grain that has lots of protein in it. Men's Health calls it a super food because of how nutritious it is...and Men's Health is my bible so I believe it. This salad is GREAT for Barbecues and family get togethers because it is delicious but more importantly, you greatly impress people because you are fancy enough to know what quinoa is and how to use it. Just act like it's not big deal and you are just that awesome. Enjoy!

1 Cup uncooked quinoa

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley

1 teaspoon adobe sauce (from can of chipotle peppers)

1 can yellow corn, drained

1 can white beans, drain and rinsed

1/2 Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves, chopped

2 chipotle peppers, chopped

1/2 Cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 Cup green onions, chopped (the green parts)

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. In a small bowl whisk the lime juice, olive oil, salt, parsley and adobo sauce. Pour into quinoa and mix in corn, beans, cilantro, chipotle peppers, red bell pepper and green onions. Cover and chill until serving.

8-10 servings

Recipe Box: Spaghetti Pie!!!

I love spaghetti pie...more than regular spaghetti...more than I should. This is my favorite recipe. Enjoy!

You Will Need:

6 oz. (about half the box) of spaghetti (I use whole wheat, much to Mike's dismay)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small can of tomato paste

1 packet of Spaghetti Sauce seasoning

2 1/4 cups water

(You can substitute the previous three ingredients for a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, I just prefer the kind you make from the seasoning packet)

1-2 tbsp butter (optional but helpful)

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozerella cheese

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

What to do:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Boil the spaghetti noodles (I like to salt the water with kosher salt, it adds a nice flavor to the noodles)

2. At the same time, brown the beef. Once cooked, drain the grease (Author's note: I hate hamburger grease like I hate the Nazis so once I drain off the extra grease, I also spread it out on a few paper towels to get ALL the grease off) and set aside.

3. Mix the hot spaghetti with a little butter (maybe a tablespoon, I usually use less), the parmesan and the 2 eggs and put in a pie dish to form a "crust" for the pie.

4. Mix the tomato paste, water, and seasoning packet according to directions on packet. Then add the beef and let simmer for a few minutes.

5. Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti mixture

6. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the spaghetti and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

7. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the hot pie and bake 5 more minutes until the cheese in melted.

8. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving, it will thicken this way.

Since my fiance is a cop and works weird hours, I generally like to make stuff that I can put into tupperware to make little TV dinners for him to heat up when he gets home so yes, this reheats well. I served it (to myself) with steamed vegetables seasoned with nutritional yeast and a garlic knot breadstick that I made a while ago and froze. And I wanted to cry because it was so good. That is all!