Delicious Oatmeal

I have oatmeal almost everyday. The other day I came across a fun oatmeal recipe in Runner's Magazine and had some time this weekend to try it out. It was really tasty and easy. Also, it would feed a whole family (and it is good enough that everyone would want to eat it). Between Jake and I we ate about half of it. Now I have leftovers for the week!

Here is the recipe:

Creamy Cocoa Oatmeal

In a pot boil 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats (I used regular oats and added a bit extra) and 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk (I used soy milk).

Simmer for 15 minutes (or less).

Stir in 1 mashed banana, 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg, and 1 cup (or so) of water.

Cook for 10 minutes (or less)

Add 1/3 cup walnuts and 1/3 cup dried cherries (I used cherry flavored craisins)

Serve with maple syrup and blueberries (we skipped the syrup and used frozen blueberries; which helped cool the oatmeal down and make it ready to eat faster. Happy accident.)

It is a pot of oatmeal, not rocket science, so have fun with it and be flexible. I used what we had on hand, hence the substitute of the oats, cherries and blueberries. I cooked the pot in less than half the time the recipe suggested, because that is the way it seemed to work out. Maybe it was because I used old-fasioned oats instead of the steel cut. Just go with it. It was so easy and a really fun way to dress up regular old oatmeal without adding a bunch of sugar or fat. Enjoy!

Smokin' Snack Pack Pie

Smokin', because when mixing up the "crust" in my mini prep, it started to smoke. Something about sticky dates didn't agree with it, even though it was the recommended tool. I'm not sure what my solution will be for the next time I make it...because I will be making this again.

Snack Pack, because when I first tasted this pie filling, I paused, thought, then excitedly shared for all to hear, "This tastes like a snack pack!" And then I felt dumb for sounding like Nanny from Billy Madison.

Pie, because that's just what it is. Plain and simple.

When I say simple, I mean it. This is pretty much the easiest most delicious tofu filled pie you will ever make. Did I loose you at tofu?

Crust:


bottom:
1 c. dates
1/3 c. walnuts
1/3 c. cashews
1/3 c. almonds
1 t. vanilla extract

edge:
2 bananas, slice lengthwise

Blend "bottom" ingredients in a food processor until at a sticky consistency, (but before said food processor starts to smoke). Press the blended ingredients into a pie pan.

Lay Bananas on top of the crust and press (don't smash) along the sides.

Filling:


1 package Silken Lite tofu (firm or extra firm)...(silken tofu comes in a tight box and it not refrigerated)
2 T. cocoa powder
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or honey) (I also added a couple sprinkles of regular sugar)

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Pour over crust.

Let chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. But is best if left for several hours or overnight.

Serve up and enjoy with your favorite berries and/or extra bananas





Please bad excuse the camera phone photos, but you get the idea. Also, if you let it sit longer than I did (1 hour) it will set up better and not be so runny.

I got this recipe from The Engine 2 Diet book by Rip Esselstyn.

Lesson Learned, Again.

Tonight I made dinner and tried two new recipes. 

One worked and one did not. 

Our oven cannot make bread. It is a lesson I have to relearn every time I try.

Our oven can make muffins, cookies, cakes, brownies, but definitely NOT bread.

If you try to bake bread in our oven, this is what you will get when you pull it out:

This is my epic fail attempt to make sweet potato bread.

Look how sad it is. It looks like a gross, lumpy, raw, blondie brownie.

The edible parts were actually really good (it is a vegan recipe so eating it a little raw was not potentially harmful). So, I'll modify the baking time for a muffin pan and try again.

On the other hand, the Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup I made turned out great. 

I got the recipe from Joy the Baker. If you are looking for a new soup recipe, you should give it a try.

Don't let the "Vegan" title scare you.

This weekend I saw a couple of great movies:

Win Win:  Starring Paul Giammati (need I say more) as a down on his luck lawyer, who through a series of bad decisions gets more involved in a clients family than he even though possible. 

Moneyball: I'm sure everyone has heard of this one, since it stars Brad Pitt. If you haven't seen it you should. You will learn more about baseball than you ever expected to, as well as a couple of life lessons.

Have you seen any movies worth mentioning lately? I love movie suggestions.