Overnight Oatmeal Waffles

Oh HELLO beautiful breakfast!! We have been on a waffle kick. Correction, my SON has been on a waffle kick. He is a very picky eater and when I saw how he gobbles up waffles, I knew I had to find a healthier version to make it more hearty. And so I want to share with you my discovery.

The original recipe is from the blog One Lovely Life I liked that there was oatmeal but did not like the 7 TBSP of BUTTER! I was making this recipe for a play date I was hosting. And was caught up with getting everything on the table. I put the butter in the microwave to melt to add to the batter......and guess what!? I FORGOT to add it! I noticed the waffles were crispier, which the original buttery version the waffles are way too soft, they need some sturdiness to them. Anyways, my guests raved about them, and then emailed me for the recipe. Only after they left, I was cleaning up and putting something in the microwave that I realized that there was completely NO BUTTER in the waffles. And the batter did not stick to my waffle iron either. I do spray the waffle iron at the very beginning, but then that's it. So I am including 2 TBSP in my recipe, just to make them a little fluffy. Oh and some ground flax seed of course ;)

Ingredients:
2 cups oats
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 TBSP ground flax seeds (optional)
2 TBSP sugar (or less to your taste)
2 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl combine oats and buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. When ready to prepare waffles, stir in eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Then add flour, flax seeds, sugar, baking power, soda, and salt. Stir until just blended - batter will be quite thick. If you feel it is too thick (wooden spoon standing straight up) you can thin the batter out with some milk.
3. Cook in waffle iron. Each waffle iron is different. You will want to leave them in a bit longer than normal for the oats to cook and waffles to crisp. I scooped the batter generously in the middle and then spread it out. Don't add too much because this batter expands, leave some room on the edges.

Mixing the oats and buttermilk at night.

In the morning, oats have soaked up most of the buttermilk. 

All the ingredients ready to GO!

Mix, mix, mix.

Spreading the batter out.

Viola!

My last waffle, trying to use up the last of the batter
and added WAY too MUCH!

Pile the fruit....who needs maple syrup!?

Little Mister all SMILES :)
Little Miss busy feeding her bunny.

Zucchini Quiche

What to make for that potluck, baby shower, or in my case....mom's get together!? 

Yep, I've got you covered!

I adapted this recipe from the 1980 Bake-Off-winning recipe from Pillsbury.

This recipe is kid friendly, easy to make, and even freezes well.

The Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Butter (and olive oil as needed)

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes (and whatever other herbs you may have on hand: basil, oregano, etc.)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups Muenster or Mozzerella cheese

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F. Heat skillet, and melt butter over med-high heat.
2. add zucchini and onions, cook 6-8 minutes, until tender; add more olive oil if necessary.                Stir in parsley/herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. In large bowl, mix eggs an cheese. Then add cooked vegetable mixture, stir gently to mix.
4. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch glass pie plate/baking dish. Press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to form seal.
5. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pie plate.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. I cover the edges of the crust with foil the last 10 minutes of baking so that my crust does not come out burnt (that's the best part!)

The Ingredients

Sauteing onions & zucchini together

Stirring together egg & cheese mixture

Rolling out the crest & pressing the perforations together

Adding vegetable mixture to cheese mixture

Pouring in the good stuff!

Don't forget this step to keep your crust golden while the rest of the
 quiche continue to bake

Yep, you will be the talk of the town when you bring this to your next gathering ;)

Yum-o

3 Ingredient Granola....seriously amazing!

We spent last week visiting family in Canada. And of course the day I get there, I go grocery shopping for our ‘standard’ food items: peanut butter, yogurt, fruits/veggies for green smoothies, etc….things that my mother-in-law may not have stocked already. I bought a huge thing of peanut butter and couldn't find a granola that I liked at the grocery store. Luckily on the PB jar there was a granola recipe and there at the store I immediately knew I was going to make it! And make it I did….THREE times! It was so good couldn't get enough!! I ate it with yogurt, it added a nice peanut butter crunch to oatmeal, and of course by the spoonful fresh out the oven (after it cooled ;)

Here is the easy peasy recipe:

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 TBSP maple syrup

1 cup quick oats

HEAT oven to 350F

MIX peanut butter and maple syrup together, Add oats and mix until mixture evenly coated. Spread onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I wet my hands to spread the granola out evenly.

BAKE 15 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes

DONE!

The ingredients

So quick to whip up!

Fresh out the oven

Strawberry oatmeal topped with PB granola

Yogurt topped with blueberries & PB granola

My morning shenanigans: a toddler looking for something mischievous to do & a crying infant!!

MMMM MUESLI

After trying muesli on our fall cruise and at Richtree Marketplace, I am hooked. It a good breakfast for the warmer weather that will soon be upon us. You make it the night before so that the oats soak and eat it cold.

Bircher Muesli:

2c. rolled oats (the old fashion kind, not instant)

1/4c. ground flaxseed (opt.)

1/2c. raisins or cranberries

another handful of other chopped dried fruit in your pantry

1/4c. sunflower seeds

1/4c. any other nuts you desire

1/2 shredded apple per portion, washed and unpeeled

cinnamon

Add all the dry ingredients in tupperware or jar. This mixture will keep for up to two months in an airtight container. The night before measure out 1/3c serving with 1/2 shredded apple (that is for one person), add milk to cover and about 2tsbp plain yogurt or Greek yogurt. Put in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning add cinnamon, and more milk or yogurt if mixture too dry.You can also add fresh berries (or frozen berries the night before) or 1/2 a banana. Experimenting is great, with different nuts and fruit :)



Extra Protein Scrambled Eggs

1 egg

2 egg whites

portobello mushrooms

1 Tbsp cottage cheese

parsley or any herbs on hand

garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

I always have sauteed mushroom in the fridge. I buy a huge thing of sliced portobello mushrooms at Costco, saute them in the beginning of the week, and then add them to my cooking throughout the week as I go along. I love mushrooms! Plus it saves time. I saute them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar with some salt & coarse black pepper.

For the scrambled eggs I throw the mushrooms in a frying pan with some cooking spray, while I mix up the rest of the ingredients in a sm. bowl. Once the mushrooms had some time to heat up, I add the egg mixture. Allow to the eggs to set for a few min on med. heat, don't over cook because your eggs will be dry. But the cottage cheese actually melts and is yummy.

Cottage cheese is great to include in your balanced-diet because it a good protein source and low in fat, read more on why its good for you...http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-cottage-cheese/#

Steel-Cut Oatmeal...please give this a try!

uncooked steel-cut oats

     If you are an oatmeal fan or not, you must consider this recipe.....

What is steel-cut oatmeal?? Well let me tell you, as per Wikipedia:

Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernels) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces.

    The taste is awesome, much nuttier and chewier than the bland mushy quick oats (no offense). They take a while to cook and like most people, you probably don't have 30min to spare to cook it. So I have come up with an easier way, start the night before. Sure you can put it into a slow cooker, but I just do it on the stove-top.

For 2-3 servings
1/2c. steel-cut oats
2c. water

1. First I toast the oats in the same saucepan that I will boil them in. I add a little coconut oil (or butter/margarine). Toasting them enhances their nutty flavor...plus makes your kitchen smell great! Just for a few min 3-4 until they become fragrant.
2. Add 2c. water to saucepan, it will boil quickly bc you already had the heat on for a while. Once boiling, turn down the heat let simmer for about 10min.
3. Turn off heat, put the lid on and go to sleep.

toasting oats

IN THE AM:

I transfer the oats to a tupperware container and take about 1/4c(-ish) back into the saucepan, add milk to cover and simmer another 5 min, until the milk has absorbed. Meanwhile, I am usually getting my lunch together for work, or making some tea/coffee. Don't feel like you do not have 5 min in the morning to get this done, go brush your teeth, get dressed, etc. It does not need your help to simmer!





                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Apple Cinnamon

Toppings are endless...



Pear & Almond Butter

Banana PB & J

Spinach Souffle Success

I have a cookbook titled Omelette's, Frittatas and Souffles. I have successfully made the first two, and decided to conquer the latter. Bought some souffle ramekins and was on my way.

Recipe  servings size: 6-8

3/4c. shredded cheese: Gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella, whatever is on hand
1 small onion

1 bunch (1 lb.) fresh spinach, chopped
1 c. milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. water
fresh herbs of choice: parsley, dill, thyme
salt & pepper to taste
6 eggs, seperated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar


Preheat oven to 375F, grease your ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle ~1Tbsp cheese on bottom.
1. Saute onion in some olive oil until translucent and tender, add spinach until wilted ~1min.
2. Transfer onion mixture to food processor or blender and add egg YOLKS and pulse until just blended.
3. In saucepan scald milk, add cornstarch/water mixture using whisk continuously stir until it starts to thicken. Add onion mixture to milk, stir until uniform, take off heat.
4. In metal mixing bowl beat egg WHITES until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form
5. Fold 1/4 of egg whites into onion/spinach mixture, gently stir. Then  GENTLY fold this mixture into the rest the remaining egg whites.
7. Divide evenly amongst the ramekins, smoothing out the surfaces.
8. Bake 30-35min. until puffed and golden brown.

**I used this recipe with 4 eggs and divided the rest of the ingredients by 2/3 bc I have only 4 ramekins
**The beauty of this recipe is that you can subsitute the spinach for 1 1/2c. broccoli, 1 1/3c. mushrooms or 1 1/2c. asparagus, just made sure the veggies are chopped and follow the rest of the recipe! :)



Complete Brunch Menu:
-Spinach Souffle
-Home-made Corned Beef (beef brisket cooked in slow-cooker ~9hrs completely submerged in water with 2Tbsp of pickling spice and crackled black pepper...its that simple).
-Classic oven potatoes
-Rye bread with olive oil margarine

This should keep you full for hours!!