Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is from my wife's aunt Jenni. It's almost like a cake once it's been baked.


1 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup skim milk
1 apple, chopped (optional)

Mix oil, sugar and egg with a mixer until yellow and glossy.

Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium until blended. Mix in whatever fruit you want.

Pour into a 9x9 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with milk.

The Greatest Cook of All Time.....

......My mom. I think the majority of people grow up thinking their mother is the best cook in the world. It's what we know and it's what we get used to. Not everyone grew up with the luxury of having a home cooked meal, either by mom or dad. I was one of the lucky ones. Sure there was bickering and some arguing, and sometimes it seemed like the perfect format to gripe at us, but for the most part I remember meal times fondly. Delicious, home cooked food with tons of flavor. And gravy. I remember lots of gravy.

  There were six people in my family growing up. We were not rich but mom and dad provided for us. My mom made $30 a week babysitting and that was where the majority of the grocery money came from. I can honestly say I never once went a day where I was hungry or didn't get enough to eat. She was a master at making things stretch to feed a whole family. And she could make anything taste good, even Spam. I've also noticed when I compare new recipes I find to the ones my mom used to make, her's has about five or six less ingredients than the new one, and tastes ten times better. All this with a very modest kitchen (not even an automatic dishwasher).

I'm pretty sure I got my GIGANTIC sweet tooth from her. She was and still is always making some kind of cake or cookie or pie. Her birthday cakes are better than anything you'll ever get from a store or bakery.

 My mom's house is the one where everyone goes for holidays, because of the quality and quantity of food. They have counted up to fifty people at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are relatives, friends, neighbors of relatives, neighbors of friends, etc. She never has and never will turn anyone away.

So thank you mom, for my love of food and cooking (and possibly high cholesterol).

Creamed Spinach

This is one of the Healthier versions of Creamed Spinach I've found. I came across this one on in a daily newsletter I subscribe to from Dr. Gourmet. I tweeked a couple of things to make it my own. Quick, tasty and healthy. Even my wife liked it.

1   10-ounce package frozen spinach (thawed)
1   tsp olive oil
1/2  small red onion, diced
1/4  cup 2% milk
1 ounce  reduced fat cream cheese (cut into 
               small chunks for easier melting)
1/8 tsp salt and pepper each (to taste)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
parmesan cheese for garnish

Place the spinach in a strainer and press with a rubber spatula or spoon to remove all the excess water.
Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Cook until the cheese is melted and well blended into the spinach.

Makes about 2 one cup servings.

Calories 75; Total Fat 3g; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 300mg; Total Carbohydrates 8g; Protein 6g.

 

Oatmeal Candy

My mom always made these for us when we were little. She made them for my dad when they first met, and he called them "little chocolate turds". I finally got the recipe from her and made them myself. They aren't healthy, or pretty, but they should satisfy your sweet tooth.

Oatmeal Candy

2 cups sugar
2 huge Tablespoons peanut butter
2 cups quick cook oats
1/3 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

Melt together sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Bring to a full boil and time it for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter (2 big scoops). Then stir in the oats and let it sit for 15 minutes. Scoop them out with an ice cream scoop onto wax paper and let them set up.

They are awesome with a glass of cold milk!

The Ultimate Supporting Character

The Fancy French word is nonpareils, but they are more commonly know as sprinkles or jimmies.
How is it that something so tiny can have such a huge influence over our decision making? A chocolate glazed doughnut is tempting enough in its own right, but just add a few sprinkles and it becomes practically irresistible. "Sprinkles" is the general term used to describe anything from the familiar cylindrical or round shapes, to sanding sugar and confetti, to countless new shapes now available. Doughnuts, ice cream and cupcakes are quite commonly adorned with these confectionery companions.
The most common technique for applying these tiny ticklers of the palate is to lightly "sprinkle" them over the desert of choice (hence the name). My nephew, however, employs the method of dumping a large quantity of said sprinkles into a bowl and then dipping the cupcake, etc., into the sprinkles, thus assuring maximum coverage. Bravo, Alex. Bravo.
Ah, the humble sprinkle. Content to be the bridesmaid of the desert world. I salute you my friend, and I dare not envision a world where you are not a part of it.

Ramblings

I've pretty much always loved food. I was picky about some things when I was younger, like most kids. Generally, however, I was always willing to try anything my mom had cooked. Anytime she tried some new, weird recipe, she knew she could always count on me to try it when no one else would.
I moved to the Midwest from Florida in 2003, where I grew up. Shortly thereafter I began calling my mom on a regular basis for recipes of the foods I had grown up on. The comfort foods that only a mom can truly prepare to one's satisfaction. Chicken and Dumplings, Carrot Cake, Lemon Pie, Biscuits and Milk Gravy (all from scratch of course).
Over the last few years I've went from cooking simply because I had to, to truly enjoying being in the kitchen and being creative. My wife and I both enjoy cooking, especially together. Although somehow I always wind up being the sous chef, doing all the chopping, peeling and the majority of the grunt work.
My philosophy on food is everything in moderation. We rarely if ever buy anything processed however. The sodium level in most of the processed dinners at the grocery store is enough to float a goat. I've found its almost always less expensive, healthier and tastier to cook home made meals.
All for now :)

The Spork

Ode to the Spork

Of all the eating utensils I’ve used in my life,

Only one touched my heart, it was love at first sight.

Its uses are numerous, much to my delight

Here are a few reasons the spork’s out of sight:

Consuming anything and everything at my favorite camp site,

Keeping me safe in my tent, on a warm summer’s night.

Eating cake with my new bride on our wedding night,

Defending myself against terrorists, on an international flight.

It changes from fork to spoon at the speed of light,

Once I used my spork to kill a red spider mite.

It’s my favorite choice to scratch mosquito bites,

Without the handle they make excellent shades against ultraviolet light.

Although it’s an impressive weapon in its own right,

The spork’s most common use is for eating, most every night.

Potatoes, cole slaw, soups of all types,

You can even cut spam, if you hold it just right.

Mixing or stirring, even beating egg whites.

Its uses in the kitchen aren’t lacking in the slight.

Although made of plastic, its strength is all right,

They come in many colors, but usually black or white.

Try and take my spork, and you’re in for a fight,

Its not just mere cutlery, it’s a way of life.

Ode to Debbie

I wrote this poem a few years ago.

Two oatmeal cookies, with cream layered in between,

The world has yet to find a more satisfying cuisine.

The Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie, a snack above the rest,

Perfect when you’re happy, even better when you’re depressed.

Flour, sugar, water, oats, all mixed to the right consistency,

And just to kick it up a notch, a dash of Polysorbate 60.

They are baked, assembled, cooled, and then neatly stacked,

Into their container they go, 12 per box, individually wrapped.

Its nutritional value is certainly nothing to snub at,

A mere 370 calories, and only 14 grams of total fat.

Any normal person will agree, whether an adult or a youth,

The Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie will satisfy any sweet tooth.