Breakfast Treat.

Winter has officially arrived. There is snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Oatmeal is always welcome on a cold morning, but sometimes it's nice to shake things up a little.

Here is a variation I came up with when I had some leftover streusel topping from baking muffings.

Blueberry Streusel Oatmeal

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened.

Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Oatmeal
1 cup oats, regular or quick cooking
2 cups water
dash salt
2/3 cup frozen blueberries*
prepared Streusel
milk or evaporated milk

In a large microwave bowl combine oats with water. Add a dash of salt, if desired. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, then 60% power for 5 minutes if using quick cooking oats or 7 minutes if using regular oats.

Immeditaly divide cooked oatmeal between two large bowls. Top hot cereal with approx 2 tablespoons streusel each and and divide berries between the bowls. Mix well. Top with milk or evaporated milk to taste.

*You can thaw the berries beforehand if you want, but it helps the cereal cool down faster, which is great if you have hungry impatient kids waiting for breakfast!

You will have steusel left over, but just put it in a plastic container and store in a cool place.

Serves two

Onion Soup for the lazy.

I have a bad cold today. I wanted something soothing. For some reason, French Onion Soup came to mind. I poked around on the Internet and the recipes were all too big or had too many ingredients. I wanted something easy and sort of quick. I messed around in my pantry, and this is what I came up with. It is pretty tasty for only having a handful of ingredients.

Lazy French Onion Soup
Serves 2 generously.

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium to large onion, cut in half and then sliced thinly
1 packet French Onion Soup mix
2-2/3 cups water
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or Swiss, or Jack, whatever white cheese you happen to have.)
2 slices stale rye bread
1 clove of garlic

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  
• Melt one tablespoon of butter over med-low heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add sliced onions. Cook onion until soft and caramelized, around 15-25 minutes. (Really. Don't rush this. The more patient you can be, the better the soup will taste.)
• When the onion is soft and brown and sweet smelling, add soup mix, water and wine. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for five minutes.
• While soup is simmering toast bread.
• Crack the clove of garlic and scrape the broken edge over the warm toast. Butter toast.
• Ladle soup into two ovenproof bowls. Float garlic toast, butter side down, on soup. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the toast.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted.
• Dig in, but remember, the bowl will be hot! Don't burn yourself!!
  

Handy Housewife Hint

I am a fan of silicone bakeware. I love how it flexes so you can pop things out. This comes in especially handy with mini muffins. I love how you can turn a pan inside out to wash the corners. It is nice how you can cram it into the dishwasher.

A cool thing I do with my pans is use them as liners in between my fry pans to preserve the non stick coatings when I stack them.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

I need to get this recipe down so I don't lose it. The book is due back at the library today!!!
Tasty and lighter than creamy clam chowder. Find some crusty bread to dip in your bowl.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

1/4 lb bacon, diced and browned
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 tbs dried parsley flakes
1-lb 12 oz can low-sodium tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
3 8 oz cans clams with liquid
2 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 medium-sized potatoes, cubed

• Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
• Cover and Cook on low 8-10 hours, until the vegetables are tender.

Update: I just found a neat product at my local grocery store: Seaquest Seafood Medley. It is a bag of about 1/2 pound of frozen mixed seafood. I used this in place of the three cans of clams and added a bottle of clam juice to make up the missing liquid and had a delicious seafood chowder.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Sundays are pancake days here. Based on the ingredients on hand we rotate between standard pancakes, banana, gingerbread with lemon curd, buttermilk.....Bacon or breakfast sausage and fruit on the side.

I came up with this recipe when I was presented with a beautiful ripe pumpkin from my Aunt's garden a couple of weekends ago. It is delicious and the pancakes rise wonderfully high from the griddle. The cinnamon and nutmeg smell like fall to me.

The recipe makes a lot because we eat a lot! Leftovers can be stacked between squares of wax paper and then stashed in the freezer to be reheated in the toaster for a yummy breakfast later in the week.

3 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each baking soda and salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours through spices). Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except for pumpkin puree. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold together with a fork. Just before ingredients are combined, add pumpkin and finish folding mixture together. It will be thick.
• Spoon batter onto a non-stick griddle or greased frying pan set over medium heat. Spread the batter around with the back of your spoon a bit.
• Cook until undersides are lightly browned and the edges are set. Flip and cook other side. Since the batter is so thick you will not get tell tale bubbles breaking on the uncooked surface of the cake. Watch the edges!

Makes around 15 pancakes, depending on the size.
Serve with your favourite toppings. Maple syrup is fabulous with these, as are slices of peaches.

Summery Farmer's Market Stirfry

Ok, so, I didn't actually get all of the ingredients at a farmer's market, but I did use summery vegetables and some of them came from my Grandma's and my Aunt's garden. To me, when someone says stir fry I think of Asian flavours, but the ingredients in this one are decidedly Prairie home cooking.

two ears of corn
three medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed and chopped (only peel if you think you need to)
a generous handful of grape tomatoes
1 small zucchinni, or half of a monster from your Aunt's garden, chopped
1 cup (or so) of sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed. (these came from the farmer's market!)
half of a large onion, chopped
1-500 gm package of turkey breakfast sausage chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup or so of your favourite balsamic vinagrette
1/4 cup or so of light feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

• Steam corn in microwave on HIGH for five minutes and set aside.
• Steam potatoes in microwave on HIGH for five minutes, or until just tender. Set aside.
  
• While potatoes and corn are steaming, cook turkey and onions in your largest skillet with a bit of no-stick spray until no longer pink.
• Cut kernels from corn and add to skillet with potatoes, salad dressing and the rest of the vegetables.
  
• Stir fry until the zucchini is cooked, and the tomatoes have popped. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with feta cheese and eat on your porch.

Feeds four hungry people.

Chocolate Popcorn

This makes fantastic movie night munchies. It is not too sweet, but intensly chocolaty.

Chocolate Popcorn Mix

1-1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in a covered jar in the pantry for emergencies.

To prepare popcorn:

Melt 1/4 cup butter or hard margarine in the microwave. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate popcorn mix. Drizzle over about 6 cups of popped popcorn in a large bowl. Toss to coat well.

Handy Housewife Hint

We use twisty straws as a part of Emmett's therapy regime. They help strenghten his oral-motor muscles. Sometimes grunge gets stuck in the twisty bits and doesn't want to rinse free. I have found that soaking the straws in warm water with a denture cleaning tablet easily loosens dried on milk or juice so it easily rinses free. This works with dirty sippy cup valves too.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

This recipe was given to me by the mom of one of Emmett's preschool classmates. I need to get it down so I don't forget it--she literally just rattled off the ingredints while we chatted at the wind up party today.

In a food processor place:

• equal parts cream cheese and goat cheese (I used a 140 gm package of goat cheese and around 1/2 of a 250 gm package of cream cheese)
  
• 1 300-ml jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 scant 1/4-1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Blend until smooth. Serve with your favourite crackers, pita chips and raw veggies.

I was told this is also fantastic as a burger topping and sandwich spread.

Carrot Cake

Mama Bear asked me for my favourite carrot cake recipe. This is the one I swear by. It tastes fantastic, and if you don't tell anyone they will have no idea it is low fat to boot. I call this Anniversary cake because we had carrot cake as a wedding cake so I make it every year on our wedding anniversary now.

Jen's Anniversary Cake

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute or 3 whole eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (you could also pour 1 tbsp vinegar into a measuring cup and top off with plain milk to measure 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pineapple, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir in grated carrots. Add flour mixture to carrot mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in nuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Set pan on wire rack and cool cake completely.
• While cake is cooling prepare your favourite cream cheese icing. When cake is cool, slather with cream cheese love . If cake is not devoured in one sitting, store leftovers in the fridge.

If you need more slices this cake can easily be made in a 10 X 14 inch rimmed sheet pan. You may need to adjust your cooking time. I lined mine with baking parchment to prevent sticking.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (regular or low-fat)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

• Beat first three ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

If you bake your cake in a 9 x 13 pan you will have leftover frosting. Do not despair. Spread it on graham crackers and top with fresh fruit slices. Dip cookies in it. Lick it off of a spoon. Use your imagination.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 bar plain soap (I use Sunlight, but I have heard of people using Ivory, or Fels Naptha as well)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup powdered Oxy clean (I use the generic brand)

Grate the bar of soap and then grind in a food processor until granulated. You should have around 1-1/2 cups of soap. Mix soap with remaining ingredients. Store in a covered container. Use 2-3 tablespoons per regular load.

This makes a plain, unscented detergent. If you want it to be smelly, add 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil to the mix. The Sunlight makes the detergent smell lemony, but there is no lingering scent on the clothes. The oxy-clean is optional, but I found it makes a real difference in how stains come out of the kid's clothes.

I like to add the detergent first and let the water run over it to dissolve a bit before adding clothes.

Here is a nice site to start with if you are interested in making detergent.

Slow Cook Pork Roast

My mom gave me a new slow cooker cook book for Christmas. This recipe is loosely based on a pork chop recipe from that book.

Ingredients:
1 3-4 pound pork roast
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 big tablespoons spicy mustard
1 pouch onion soup mix
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger root.

Directions:

Place roast in slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours. Slice roast and serve with the yummy gravy in the pot.

So simple, and so delicious!!

Slow Cook Sloppy Joes.

I freeze this for times when I need a meal and am too lazy to cook. It is great on toast, buns or poured into a pie crust with cheese on top. You could also pour it into a pie dish and top it with biscuits and bake.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes:
4lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1-28 oz can tomato sauce
2 cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook beef in large skillet over med-high heat until no longer pink, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Add onion and green pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes or until onion becomes translucent and mixture becomes fragrant. (I don't ususally add the pepper until the last minute so it won't totally turn to mush by the end of cooking)

Transfer meat mixture to slow cooker and add remaining ingredients, stir to combine.

Cook on LOW 4-6 hours.

makes 20-25 servings. I divide it into four 4-cup containers for freezing.

Grandma Jean's Date-Orange Muffins

I tried these at my Grandma's last week. They were so good I asked for the recipe. She said they came from an old community cookbook from her hometown. The muffins are really moist and have an intense orange flavour. I'll bet chocolate chips would be a good substitute if you don't like dates.

Date-Orange Muffins

1 whole orange

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup chopped dates

1 egg

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cupsugar

3/4 tsp salt

Cut orange and remove seeds put in blender with juice and blend until rind is fine. Add dates egg and butter whirl again.Sift flour soda salt baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Pour orange mix over and stir lightly until just mixed.Put in buttered muffin tins.
Bake at 400f for 15 minutes .about 18 or 20 muffins

EDITED TO ADD: I bumped up the protein in this recipe by replacing a half cup of the flour with vanilla protein powder. This did not affect the flavour or texture of the muffins.

Cheeseburger and Fries Pie

I was inspired by a recipe I found in a recent issue of Parent's magazine--I started to make their version and by the time it reached the oven it was totally different. If you try it, let me know how you like it!

Filling:
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
seasoning salt
1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
1 large handful sliced fresh mushrooms
1 carrot, grated (hey, sneak in the veggies where you can!!)
1 tomato, sliced thinly
3-4 dill pickles, sliced

Topping:
1 small package of oven-ready fries
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, or 1/2 package of processed cheese slices

Crust:
Pastry for a two-crust pie divided into two 9-inch pie dishes or one package of frozen pie crusts, thawed.

Cook enough fries to cover a cookie sheet in a single layer according to package directions. (That was around 3/4 of the package of fries I used) Turn oven down to 400 degrees F when fries are done.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook meat, onion, and mushrooms together until meat is browned. Drain off any extra fat and season to taste. Stir in soup and grated carrots and mix until combined.

Divide meat mixture between pie shells and garnish with pickle and tomato slices. Top with fries and cheese. Bake until pie crusts are golden brown and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. You may have to cover the pies with foil part way through baking to prevent the cheese from getting too brown.

Slice and serve. Save one pie to freeze or give it to a neighbour and score some brownie points!!

Note: DO NOT do what I did and dump pies out onto oven door just before baking. It makes you burn your fingers during clean up and your pies won't look as pretty. You also run the risk of teaching any small children in the room words you may not want them to know!!

Iced Cappuccino

Richard's Iced Cappuccino

1 can evaporated milk
10 cups really strong brewed coffee (dark roast is best), cooled to room temperature.
2/3 cup sugar (brown or white, it makes no difference)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 cups regular milk

Combine evaporated milk and sugar in a microwavable container and cook on HIGH 6 minutes, stirring at least twice. The goal is to scald the milk and caramelize the sugar a bit. Combine milk/sugar mixture with cooled coffee and add vanilla. Add more milk to taste, and chill well.

Now the fun begins: pour over ice cubes and sip on your deck in the sun. For a frothy frappuccino just put your cappuccino in your blender with ice then top the mixture with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Irish Creme, Khalua, Creme de Cacao, or your favourite shnapps added makes a yummy adult drink.

Use your imagination and let me know what you come up with!.

Homemade Oxygen Bleach

I got this recipe from an online community I belong to. It works surprisingly well. Safe for colourfast clothes as well as whites.

Step 1: Go through your closets and drawers to find the stained clothes you thought were ruined forever.

Step 2: Find a large container. A bin, a bucket, anything that you can put those clothes in without packing too tightly.

Step 3: Pour a small box of baking soda in the container and add hot water. Mix to dissolve.
Pour in a 400 ml bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
Add water to fill container half way and add clothes. Mix well and add more water to cover.

Step 4: Set the container in a safe place, away from kids and pets. Leave that container for at least a day, overnight or longer--check the clothes periodically and stir them.

Step 5: Launder clothes normally and be amazed that you saved clothes you thought were destined for the playclothes drawer or rag pile!

Almost Instant Oatmeal

Perfect to keep in the pantry--cheaper and more environmentally friendly than those tiny packets of instant oatmeal and just as convenient.

Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix

In a large bowl combine:

6 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup dried apples, diced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix well and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to six months.
Yield: about 8 cups total

To prepare: Shake mix well. In a large microwave-safe bowl mix 1/2 cup oatmeal and 3/4 cup water. Cook on HIGH 3 minutes, stirring every minute. (or do what I do and prepare cereal in an 8-cup glass measuring cup--I find that the the cup is deep enough that even 2 servings of oatmeal cooked at a time don't boil over)

Flavour variations: Change the oatmeal by substituting different dried fruits and spices. To make cream flavours substitute nondairy powdered coffee creamer for some of the skim milk powder.

More Chocolate???

This is a cross between a warm pudding and souffle. Eat it with a spoon right out of the pan, serve warm with really good vanilla ice cream or use as a decadent fruit dip. My favourite way is to eat right out of the pan!!

Chocolate Stuff


Ingredients


2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Beat two eggs with a cup of sugar and a half cup of flour.

2. Melt a stick of butter with two tablespoons of cocoa.

3. Mix the two and add 1 full teaspoon of vanilla. Add nuts if you want.

4. Put in a loaf pan then set loaf pan in bigger pan of water and cook at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Salty, Chocolatey, Sweet

3-Point Chocolate Popcorn

Take 3 cups air-popped popcorn (1 pt)
melt one Cadbury 100-cal Thin bar(2 pts) with 1 tablespoon fat-free creamer (0 pt) drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn and add a teeny shake of salt (bigger if you are PMSy and crave the salty and the sweet).

Yum!