homemade oatmeal packets

maybe it's a winter thing, maybe it's because of the convenience, but i'm really in love with instant oatmeal packets lately. well, good thing my wonderful mother-in-law brought us a few boxes of quaker... but we're almost out! well, my mom sent me some recipes for homemade oatmeal packets, and i figured it was finally time to make those. super convenient, nice to keep in my desk drawer for days when i forget breakfast, and healthy, this is the perfect breakfast.



here's the basic "recipe" for the bags:
using a 1/4 cup scoop, put 1.5 scoops of oatmeal into snack-size baggies.
add 1T ground up oatmeal (finely ground in the food processor)
add a pinch of salt, and about 1/2 T sugar

then, pick your flavor! the possibilities are endless. i made the following:

blueberries and cream:
about 2 dozen dried blueberries and 1T of non-dairy creamer

apples and cinnamon;
about 2T of chopped, dried apples, and some sprinkles of cinnamon

AND dessert oatmeal:
1T non-dairy creamer, 1.5T chocolate chips, and a touch of cinnamon

i can't wait to try these! you cook them just like you'll cook those store-bought oatmeal packets. add enough water to get it the thickness you want, and microwave for a few minutes. i'll let you know how they are, but you should try them also.

**EDIT**
i tried one today for the first time. in the words of tony the tiger, they're great! i added about a half cup of water (more of less depending on how you like the texture of your oatmeal), and it did need more sweetener. add a full tablespoon when you make them, or plan on seasoning it with sugar after you make it. i was surprised that it only needed to microwave it for about 2 minutes, seeing as i didn't use the quick-cook oats. what a convenient breakfast!

dinner roulette

you know what's convenient?

freezing leftovers. or freezer cooking days.

because then you have a freezer full of dinners ready when you are.

you know what else is convenient?

labeling the tops, so you know when and what.

(i used dry erase markers. it cleans right off!)

you know what is NOT convenient?

getting into the labeling habit only in the past month.

which means anything before that....

isn't labeled.

so, husband and i decided to play dinner roulette. and lemme tell you, if it turns out like this every time, i'd love to do this for every dinner! so, looking through the tupperware, any guesses? chili? pasta sauce? soup?



it's taco soup! one of our favorites!

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lady locks

ahhh. a family favorite. mom used to make the pastry part by hand, but, well, i don't want to have to buy the clothespins to make them, and you can't buy pennsylvania pastries in dallas... so mom sent some cookie shells to me with christmas gifts!

if you don't have a wonderful mom like i do, you can make your own shells by following steps 1-3 found here.

but for the filling, oh, the filling. don't listen to anything online. listen to me. because i got my recipe from my mom, and it's a family favorite. in the chances that it's one of those "family secret" recipes, i don't think she reads this blog. and if it is, i promise she won't mind me sharing this amazingness with you.


Lady Lock Filling

• 2 cups milk
• 4 heaping teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Dash salt

Combine the milk and flour. Cook over low heat until thick making sure to stir with a whisk.  Cool completely (refrigerate until cool).

it ends up being pudding consistency.

Beat the flour mixture, using an electric mixer. Add the margarine, vegetable shortening, sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy.

sugar, salt, crisco.

this is the "before"-- the after is so fluffy!

if you don't have a pastry bag, put the mixture in a large baggie.  Only fill baggie about 1/2 full.  Twist so it is all in one end.  Cut off small tip.  Fill lady locks.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat. or eat fresh after they're filled. i think they taste a lot better after the filling has chilled and set a little. mom likes them best fresh.

 

enjoy!!

can't wait to use this!

for my birthday, husband got me this awesome cookbook.

i can't wait to use it. it shows pictures of every step of every recipe. so, there's no more wondering what the difference is between chop and dice. or trying to figure out whether they meant blended or pureed. it's all right there.

go get one for yourself.

root vegetable soup

here's how to make an awesome winter soup.

root vegetable soup.

something good about my cooking lately?

i've been trying all sorts of ingredients that i would never have tried before.

today's ingredients?

parsnips and rutabega.

here's what you do:

cut up into bite-sized pieces:

3 big carrots

2 parsnips
some celery

as much of a rutabega as you can chop. those suckers are dense. i think i ended up with half of one.

in a dutch oven, brown some beef that's been chopped into similar size pieces as the veggies. add all the veggies (and onion, if you remember. i forgot. it might have made the dish thatmuch better), along with 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth and 2 cups of low sodium beef broth. add salt, pepper, and whatever spices you feel like. partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are fork-tender. before serving, wilt some fresh spinach in there. it only took about 2 minutes for the spinach to cook.

awesome: soup. lame: homework.

have you had a parsnip? it's like a white carrot, but sweeter. have you had a rutabega? it's like a dense potato, but spicier.

together, these ingredients all add up to the perfect winter soup. i'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch again tomorrow!

eggplant stir fry

a great thing about this week? i've been cooking with tons of ingredients i'd have not tried if it wasn't for the little "challenge" going on over here.

today, it was eggplant.

all you do is cut up beef, heat it on a higher heat just until it's cooked through to your liking.



then, cut up vegetables-- i chose eggplant, red pepper, and broccoli. lots of color!-- and added them to the pan for a few minutes to cook.

no soy sauce, since this week we're staying away from soy-things. so i used a splash of low-sodium beef broth, and lots of ginger. it was perfect! toss together, and serve over brown rice.



yumm-o!

a throw-together

what do you get when you mix together mushrooms, bok choy, and tilapia?
well, i imagine if you actually mixed them, it wouldn't be THAT great.

however, if you cook them like i did, you get a winning dish!
and it's good for you!! seeing a trend? yes. it's the new year.




mushrooms:
baby bella, sliced, drizzled with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and rosemary, then roast at 450 for about 20 minutes.



bok choy:
(wash it first, of course)
tear the leaves off, and cut into large chunks. chop the stems at an angle, about 1/2" thick. get a pot REALLY hot with just a touch of oil, and stir fry the stems. add ginger and salt. after 3 minutes, add the leaves, and stir fry for another 2 minutes, just until the leaves get bright green and wilted.



fish:
i'm lazy. it was frozen tilapia. not fresh.
i didn't even thaw it.
put two lemon coins on each piece (or one, if that's what you prefer), and top each with the smallest sliver of butter. sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. bake in the 450 oven with the mushrooms, 20-25 minutes.

two bean vegetarian chili

i hesitate to actually call this dish "chili", except for the spices that i used. i don't generally use cumin in soups and stews, or else this could be considered a soup. of course, the amount of beans in it definitely earns it the designation of chili, right?
best part about this meal? besides the fact that i could eat it every day for the rest of my life?
there's a measly 400 calories in one generous serving!
add 1 tablespoon of light sour cream, and you've reached a whopping 420 calories.
yumm-o.

i'll do this one the old fashioned way...

1 onion, chopped
most of a butternut squash, chopped into 1/2" squares
red pepper, chopped
garlic cloves, or garlic paste
red pepper flakes
1 cup water, separated
two cans of beans. whichever you like. i used red and pinto.
a can of stewed tomatoes
spices-- cumin, italian seasonings, cilantro-- whatever you like.



in a dutch oven, or large pot, heat some oil. add the onion and saute about 5 minutes.



add the butternut squash, red pepper, and 1/2 cup of water. also red pepper flakes, garlic, and any spices you choose to add. simmer for about 7 minutes.



add the beans and the stewed tomatoes, using the spoon to break apart the tomatoes a little bit. add the other 1/2 cup of water, then simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes, until it thickens a little bit.



serve as is, or garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge. or, a small dollop of light sour cream.