Baked Oatmeal

There are those mornings when you need a "big warm hug", in the form of a comforting breakfast and for me, today was such a day. I have tried baked oatmeal before and didn't have much success, but was excited to find a simple recipe that was quite lovely. Everyone was fed & happy! The oatmeal was quite delicious!!!

I snapped a pic of my breakfasts. My baked oatmeal with cherries, homemade bread with butter & honey, and coffee. The girls giggled to one another and said "She's taking pictures of her breakfast" (accompanied with a "hee hee hee")  They think I am insane :)

Love,

Mon

Apple Pie

We recently picked a WHOLE LOT OF APPLES!!! I made a pie with some of them that came out really delicious. I usually like to use this recipe that has almond flour in it, suggested by a dear sister (who is a fabulous cook/baker), but I was out of almond flour. I instead found this recipe, and used organic butter and organic vegetable shortening...while it came out nicely I think I will stick with all butter in the future. To be honest, I did eat the majority of the pie, as I have discovered my girls are not really pie people and my husband is never home. Mind you, I always ate one slice at a time (in a single day), I promise. Who says you can't drown your sorrows in pie?!?! Who says? Just Kidding, but really....I do love pie.

Lots, and Lots of love,

Mon

Goat Cheese I love you!

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND CHIVES!!!!!!!!!!! HOLLLLLER.

This was the day that goat cheese completely rocked my existence. I've always know that I liked goat cheese, who doesn't???? It is wonderful, creamy, and delicious. But this recipe solidified why! I mean they were amazing. Please try them. You will not be disappointed. We served them with our soup for dinner, and we all loved them!!!

Love,

Monica (aka bread freak)

peach cake

Let me first preface this post by exclaiming vehemently that I AM NOT A GREAT CAKE MAKER!!! Furthermore, I am NOT A GREAT CAKE DECORATOR EITHER! So there, I got that out. Now you will understand why the cake I made for Joe looked like a nursery school student slathered frosting all over it with their fingers! I try though, I have this thing about store bought cakes...while they may look all put together and stuff, I feel a homemade cake is so much more meaningful! I hope to get better at it!!!  The family and I went out to pick peaches one afternoon, which was lots and lots of fun, and since Joe's birthday rolled around the same time and he loves peaches, I decided to make him a peach cake. Well, actually I decided to make him peach cupcakes with this recipe found here!  I absolutely love the blog the recipe comes from, it is truly a favorite. Anyhow, when I made a  batch of the cupcakes, I decided to bake off the rest of the batter in this super cute, teeny, tiny little cake pan I bought for Hazel's first birthday cake.  I had planned to deviate from the cupcake recipe, and make a marscarpone frosting, which I found...here. While, I do indeed need a cake decorating lesson, I thought I'd share because the cake was super delicious!!!!  Joe was happy!!! In the future, perhaps I will make the cake ahead of time, so that I may have time to decorate it without a crying 6 month old, and fighting 3 and 5 year olds (and a hot and humid house, an enemy of frosting...so I've discovered) to contend with...perhaps!!!!

(the birthday boy with his cupcake)

Love,

Mon

dinner rolls.

Tonight I needed a little something to round off our dinner. Since I do indeed have my hands very full with three small children (one very, very, very small) I searched online for an easy and quick recipe. I found a recipe that seemed to fill my criteria.  I didn't use shortening but opted for butter, and used white whole wheat flour. When it was all mixed I was a bit put off by how goopy it was....but I just went with it. I baked them in muffin tins and was actually surprised at how yummy they were. Quick, easy, and simple..just how I like things!!!  The girls loved them!!! Yay for rolls!! 

Oats, Oats. Oats!

(No those aren't hockey pucks, they are my attempt at a "healthier cookie")

I mentioned to my chef husband that I wanted to make a healthy oatmeal cookie...and he of course rolled his eyes and said "cookies shouldn't be healthy". Since I am needing to lose about a zillion lbs, and occasionally have a sweet tooth I knew I needed something that would help my situation and that I could give the kids without feeling too bad.  I found this recipe online and decided to give it a shot. I added golden raisins, dates, and almonds to my version of this recipe...and I split up the honey ratio in half with applesauce. I agree with the Chef, this isn't quite a cookie, although it is mostly healthy. If you want a decadent, buttery cookie, well this is not it. Well what is it then? I agree with the recipe description it is almost a supplement. It has healthy oats and nuts in it! I know Joe will not come close to ever putting one of my cookies in his mouth...but the outcome with the girls is:

Hazel-Loved them!

Jade-Ate half of her cookie!

Mom-Loved them!

Love,

Mon

Cookies!!!

This is the second day of what appears to be a baking streak. Yesterday I made a peach pie after purchasing a large amount of peaches at a wholesale produce store. I have eaten a lot of pie since yesterday. I am ashamed :( So I have no idea why I had the desire to bake again today. I looked up a recipe for almond cookies since I love almonds!!! <3 I also have a jar of almond butter and was super excited to find a recipe that incorporated almond butter and maple syrup...double, double yummmmmmmm!!!!!

Maple Almond Butter Cookies

I used this recipe but changed it up a tiny bit.

1/2 cup natural almond butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons melted butter (the recipe online used vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached pastry flour (the recipe online used whole wheat pastry flour which I did not have on hand)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped almonds

I mixed the almond butter, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla extract in the kitchenaid.  In a separate bowl I mixed the dry ingredients. I gradually added the dry ingredients to the almond mixture, then added the chopped almonds.  I baked them at 350 for about 10 minutes. 

The result = delicious!!!!! The house smelled beautifully, you would not believe!!! The girls loved them and I suggest if you love maple syrup and almond butter as I do...try it out.

Lots of love,
Mon <3

I love...

How my recent loaf of bread came out with these really cool curled ends.

And, I learned something. I ran out of wheat bread flour and decided to visit our local, cute, and funky organic market.  I usually use another brand of flour, but decided to switch things up this time and give their flour a try.  I noticed the flour was in the refrigerator, which seemed interesting to me. What is awesome about this grocery store is that the employees love for you to ask them questions. So I asked...."why is the flour in the fridge?"  I was told that it preserves the nutrients in the flour longer and should be stored in the refrigerator. So now I have my wheat bread flour in our fridge.

 You learn something new everyday.

Love,

MON

Strawberry Cupcakes

I made strawberry cupcakes for Hazel's birthday playdate. They came out yummy, so I thought I would share.  In retrospect, I did not add the two egg whites in the recipe (guess I was a bit preoccupied and didn't notice that ingredient...oops), now that I read it through.  Guess what? They came out ok. I used raw sugar, and unbleached cake flour.  A simple vanilla frosting recipe later, and we had strawberry cupcakes for 6 kids!  Very simple!  Very yummy!  Try it!

Love,

MON