Category Archives: oatmeal

August 6, 2012 · 7:52 am

Oatmeal Chillers

It’s summer. As much as I love oatmeal, I save warm cereal for cold mornings. I don’t want hot oatmeal for breakfast when it’s 80°. Recently I read a blog post (the Yummy Life) about refrigerated oatmeal. I liked the idea, experimented with my own recipes, and came up with a couple of favorites. I’m not sure how it works, but it does. Perhaps the acidophilus in the yogurt “cooks” the oatmeal. Anyway, it’s a nutritious, easy breakfast, especially for those on the go.

Ingredients for making an oatmeal chiller.

RECIPES

Oatmeal Chillers

Basic ingredients:

  • ¼ cup oatmeal (not instant or quick cooking)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup Greek style yogurt
  • 1 tsp. ground flax seeds, ground nuts, or wheat germ
  • 1 Tbsp. sweetener (your choice)
  • ¼ cup chopped fruit, berries, or applesauce

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients except the fruit to a 1 cup glass jar.
  2. Shake jar to combine.
  3. Stir in fruit, seal, and refrigerate overnight.

Variations of fruit, sweeteners, or seasonings:

Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Chiller

Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Chiller

Use 1 Tbsp. honey for the sweetener, add ½ tsp. vanilla extract, and combine with milk, yogurt, oats, etc. Take 8 frozen cherries, half, and stir in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Stir again before eating.

Maple Walnut Applesauce Oatmeal Chiller

Use 1 Tbsp. real maple syrup for sweetner, add a pinch of apple pie spice (or ¼ tsp. cinnamon), and chopped walnuts. Combine then stir in ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce.

Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal Chiller

Reduce sweetener to 1 tsp. sugar or omit. Stir in 2 Tbsp. Nutella® hazelnut spread. The Nutella® will be stiff and require a lot of stirring.

Peanutty Oatmeal Chiller

Same as the Hazelnut except use all-natural peanut butter instead of the Nutella®. Add a sprinkle of peanuts.

Strawberry Preserves Oatmeal Chiller

Reduce sweetener to 1 tsp. or eliminate (taste test and add before serving). Stir in 3 Tbsp. strawberry (or your choice) preserves.

I found ½ pint Mason jars work well. If you get the wide mouth jars, you can buy the plastic screw-on lids. (Save the two-piece rings and seals for canning.)

Experiment with other fruits and flavor combinations. I’m hooked, and soon you will be, too.

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July 10, 2012 · 7:29 am

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Everyone has a meatloaf recipe it seems. It’s a beloved comfort food that also stretches a buck. I vary my meatloaf, depending on my mood and what’s in my refrigerator. This is my favorite, ideal recipe. I use fresh produce, but chopping in the Vitamix makes quick work of the preparaton. I bake it in my Pampered Chef® stoneware loaf pan. If you use a metal pan, lower the oven temperature to 350°.


RECIPE

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • ¼ red bell pepper
  • ¼ green bell pepper
  • ¼ yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
  • 1 can tomato sauce, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. In a large bowl, combine the two ground meats with the egg.
  3. Remove the plug on the Vitamix lid, set Vitamix speed to Variable Speed 4, and turn on. Gradually add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper quarters until all are chopped. Add chopped vegetables to the ground meat.
  4. Add all other ingredients except reserve half the tomato sauce. Mix just until blended.
  5. Transfer mixture to a loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Cover with remaining tomato sauce.
  6. Place loaf pan in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  7. Remove meatloaf from oven and allow it to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

Start to finish is about an hour. While the meatloaf bakes, you have plenty of time to steam potatoes and vegetables, set the table, and brew the iced tea. Enjoy your comfort food!

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June 18, 2012 · 6:43 am

Cheri’s Granola

Recently I’ve been obsessed with making my own cereals. I like the total control over ingredients. I searched for granola recipes and quickly learned there are as many variations for granola as there are for chili. I want a granola I can eat in a bowl with milk or dry as a snack or yogurt topping. I want high fiber, natural ingredients, and my choice of nuts. I don’t want raisins!

Here is what I created, a recipe I call Cheri’s Granola. I encourage you to make your own version. It’s easy.

Cheri's Granola

Cheri’s Granola

RECIPE

Cheri’s Granola

Ingredients:

  • 1 box old fashion oatmeal
  • 8 oz. shredded coconut
  • 8 oz. pecan pieces or halves
  • 8 oz. slivered almonds
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • (optional) 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
    2. Spread oats to cover the bottom of a bar pan (approximately 10″ X 14″)
    3. Add nuts, coconut, and cinnamon. Using your fingers or a large spoon, toss to mix evenly with the oats.
    4. Drizzle the honey and oil over the mixture. Lightly toss.
    5. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and turn the granola, then bake for another 15-20 minutes.
    6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (Wait till it cools to add optional chocolate chips!) Store in a sealed container¹ in a cool, dry cabinet.

¹I use a Tupperware cereal keeper, and this recipe fills it almost full.

There are endless variations for granola. You can add flaxseeds, or pumpkin seeds. Or after your granola cools, mix in some of your favorite dried fruits, chopped. You can switch out the coconut for shredded wheat or crisped rice cereal.  You can increase the amount of honey or add real maple syrup or molasses. You can mix granola with a little peanut butter and make your own granola bars.

Make it your own and name it after you!

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