Peaches & Cream Oatmeal

I don't know about you, but I have fantastic childhood memories revolving around those itty bitty packets of Quaker Oats instant oatmeal. We LOVED those as kids. In fact, I still love them.

For our family, those were usually a special treat reserved for our annual camping trip (other special treats included Spam, Svenhard's Danish pastries, sugary cold cereal from those fun little boxes, Dinty Moore stew, etc.). They were also a staple breakfast item at my great-grandma's house. She kept strictly to the Apples & Cinnamon flavor. I've loved just about every flavor I've tried, especially the "& Cream" varieties (with perhaps the exception of "Bananas & Cream").

Recently when Hubby and I took our own camping trip, I couldn't help but snag a box of the "& Cream" instant oatmeal packets. They were of course fantastic (I avoided the banana). One day when I was enjoying the "Peaches & Cream" variety, I stirred in a few chopped ripe peaches (a great idea, by the way) and that got my wheels turning.

So back at home, I created my own homemade version of "Peaches & Cream" oatmeal. It isn't instant, mind you, but it is delicious. No powdered "cream" or dehydrated peaches here- this is the real stuff. And boy, is it good. I used peaches that I had previously peeled, sliced and frozen (no thawing necessary), but I think it will work equally as well with fresh or canned peaches. Another bonus to making your own is that you can adjust the portion size! This recipe makes a pretty hearty 2 person meal and is perfect for these chilly fall mornings!

Homemade Peaches & Cream Oatmeal

(printable version)

by Jenn

makes 2 hearty servings

3 cups water

dash salt

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup chopped peaches

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 TB brown sugar

2 TB heavy cream or half and half

Bring water and salt to boiling in a small saucepan. Stir in oats and peaches and reduce to medium heat. 

Cook 5-8 min., stirring occasionally, or until most of the liquid is absorbed (or until it reaches desired consistency- remember the oatmeal will thicken somewhat as it cools). 

Remove from heat and stir in spices and brown sugar. Stir in cream.

Power Granola

Ah, the satisfying crunch of granola. Not much like it. Especially when you know it's healthy- packed with wonderful ingredients like oats, flax seed, honey, nuts and more! One of the best things about homemade granola is it's pretty cheap- unlike its ready-made counterparts. And very versatile. You can swap the peanuts and almonds out for virtually any kind of nuts you want, add in coconut or some other dried fruit, skip the honey for a bit of maple syrup or agave nectar, replace the orange juice with something more to your liking or even swap the cinnamon for a different spice! See what I mean? This recipe is meant only to be a springboard for your taste buds and wild imagination!

I must say, I think the combination I chose is remarkably delicious, but feel free to make alterations! I can't stop grabbing little handfuls as I go by the pantry, and it is a perfect compliment to my morning Greek yogurt.

Power Granola

(printable recipe)

adapted from Myrecipes.com

yields about 4 3/4 cups

2 cups regular oats

1/3 cup flax seed meal

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cups chopped slivered almonds

2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 300.

In a large bowl, mix first 5 ingredients.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, honey, and brown sugar. Heat and stir just until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in oil and vanilla.

Grease large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Pour juice mixture over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly. Spread in a thin layer on greased baking pan and bake for 10 min. Stir well. Bake another 10-15 min or until golden brown (granola will become more crunchy as it cools).

Spoon granola into bowl. Stir in raisins. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Mother Hubbard's Spaghetti Sauce

Even though it's September 1st, I'm at the end of my grocery month. The cupboards are getting bare, the refrigerator is hollowing out, and even the freezer is mostly occupied by...cold air. We are going grocery shopping tomorrow- yay! So tonight's dinner was a bit of an experiment and a last hurrah. I knew I wanted to make spaghetti (a good, last minute, throw together meal), but I didn't have any spaghetti sauce...at least not pre-made, in a jar. So, I made my own. I have made my own spaghetti sauce many times in a pinch, but it comes out different every time I think- usually because I hadn't planned on it and I use what I have on hand. What did I have on hand today? 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, onions, 3 tiny cloves of garlic and the usual herbs. So, I put it all together while trying to decide what kind of meat to add. I have some frozen chicken breasts, but we've eaten a lot of chicken lately. I have 1 lb of hamburger left, but I want to save it for chili for our potluck on Sunday. I had almost decided to defrost the hamburger anyway when I had a flash of inspiration- the 2 sweet Italian turkey sausages leftover from a BBQ in the freezer! Perfect. After defrosting, I split the casings open and sauteed the meat inside with onions and the little bit of garlic I had. After mixing the meat with the sauce, I put it in the crock pot to simmer for a few hours (and of course, infuse the house with an amazing smell!). Ladled atop whole wheat spaghetti (and a bit of penne mixed in to make it stretch, haha), and served alongside garlic bread and salad it made a delicious and hearty meal!

I have to say, I think this is the best sauce yet. Thankfully, I took down my measurements just in case it came out well.  The "recipe" is as follows- tweak it how you like!

Mother Hubbard's Spaghetti Sauce
(printable recipe)

a KitchenJoy original recipe
makes 4-6 servings

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 garlic cloves + 1/4 tsp garlic powder (use all fresh garlic if you have enough)

2 sweet Italian turkey sausages, casings removed (substitute other meat if desired)

Mix tomatoes, paste, water and herbs. Set aside.

Saute onions, garlic and sausage until meat is browned and onions are transparent.

Stir meat into tomato mixture. Simmer on stove-top for at least 15 minutes or simmer in crock-pot on low for about 4 hours.

Serve atop spaghetti or other pasta.

Homemade Chicken Broth

Well, as much as I hate to admit it, fall is just around the corner. Today marks the first day of September, the month in which we officially enter into the autumn season. And our weather has reacted appropriately. Today is clear, but the air is crisp and when I woke up this morning there was a fog blanketing the neighborhood. Just a whisper of fall- that slight tang in the air that warns you change is not far off.
So, it follows that today I'm writing a post about chicken broth, which is that base for many things, but most commonly soup. I don't think I've made one soup this whole summer! And I even refused to use my fresh chicken broth, storing it away in the freezer (especially since I made it on a hot day!) for a less warm and sunny season. I love soup- and so does Travis. One of our favorite things about the colder months is smelling big batches of homemade soup simmering away in the crock pot all day. And coming in out of the cold to slurp down a flavorful bowl of warm liquid, filled with savory herbs and hearty vegetables while snow softly falls outside.
A friend of ours gave us one of their huge (5 1/2 lbs!) freshly butchered chickens a few weeks ago. When I finally had it defrosted, I put it in the oven to one day when we were in town and we came home to a delicious roasted bird! Since there are only two of us, the meat has stretched to at least 4 or 5 meals. I used it in a chicken pasta salad, enchiladas, and chicken pizza! And there is even a bit of the dark meat left in the freezer to toss into a soup one day. I was determined not to let a bit of this bird go to waste, so I set about making chicken broth.

Having never made it before, I was surprised to find that vegetables go into the pot too, for flavor! And everything retains its skin- chicken, onions, garlic- even the celery leaves were included. So in went the chicken bones and chopped vegetables, along with some herbs and seasonings, and of course, water.

Then I simmered it for a few hours (which caused an amazing smell to fill the house and surely the neighborhood as well!). Once I had simmered it, I had a dilemma- no cheesecloth for straining! After scouring our 2 conveniences stores unsuccessfully, I asked advice of my trustworthy Facebook friends and finally chose the route of straining the broth through an old cotton dish cloth- which worked perfectly in the cheesecloth's absence. Once cooled, I skimmed off the little bit of fat there was, and popped it in the freezer- ready for the first fall soup urge I get!

Chicken Broth
(printable version)

BHG Cookbook

makes about 6 cups

3 lbs bony chicken pieces (wings, backs, necks)

3 stalks celery- with leaves, cut up

2 carrots, cut up

1 large onion, unpeeled, cut up

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme, sage, or basil, crushed (I used thyme)

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns or 1/4 tsp black pepper

4 sprigs fresh parsley (I didn't have fresh, so I substituted some dried)

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, halved

6 cups cold water

Place chicken pieces in large kettle or stock pot. Add vegetables and herbs and spices. Add water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 2 1/2 hours. Remove chicken pieces from broth.

Strain broth through cheesecloth in colander into container. Discard vegetables and seasonings. If using while hot, skim fat. Otherwise, cool, then lift off fat. Cover and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.