Recipe: Make Ahead Breakfast...

This week, I tried a new make-ahead breakfast, high in protein, low in sugar, and it has a little fiber. You can get 4-6 servings from this (see below).

QUINOA EGG BAKE

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter or cooking spray
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
2 whole eggs
8-10 egg whites
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded romano or parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch glass or metal baking dish with butter/spray; set aside.
2. Put quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear; drain well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and quinoa. Stir in spinach, then pour mixture into prepared dish.
4. Cover tightly with foil then jiggle dish gently from side to side so that quinoa settles on the bottom in an even layer. Bake until just set, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove foil and sprinkle top evenly with cheese. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more.
6. Set aside to let cool briefly, then slice and serve. 

Servings

4 servings = 305 calories each, with 25 g. protein, 5 g. sugar, and 2 g. fiber
6 servings = 203 calories each, with 16.6 g. protein, 3.3 g. sugar, and 1.3 g. fiber

I reheat mine in the toaster oven, set on convection bake, at 350, for 15 minutes. That gives me time to make coffee, get a nice plate set out, etc.!

Recipe ~ Roasted Carrot Soup....

I made this after seeing a recipe in my sister's copy of Women's Health, though I did change it up a bit, of course! It turned out to be fabulous -- even M, who doesn't care for blended soups, loved it.

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs carrots, cut into chunks (save back a few for adding later, but chunk them up too)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2-3 small shallots, peeled and halved
As many garlic cloves as you like, peeled
Salt and pepper
about 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp (more or less) ground cumin
1 Tbsp (more or less) curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger

Directions:
Mix carrots (except reserved ones), shallots, and garlic with the coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet, and cook at 375F until the carrots are soft and starting to brown nicely. Scrape the roasted veggies into a a cooking pot, and add the spices, broth, and reserved carrot chunks. Simmer over a medium low heat until all the carrots are very tender. Add the coconut milk, and then puree (I use an immersion blender). Adjust seasoning, and enjoy!

Happy Equinox! Monday Musings....

Fall (autumn) is my favorite time of the year, so I am happy to welcome it once more! The leaves, the cool crisp air, the anticipation of holidays, soup simmering on the stove, time for hot tea... 

...Seeing...

Our maple tree's leaves are turning red. I can't wait for all the liquid amber trees in town to do the same, as they turn a truly magnificent color. The olives are ripening, and it looks like we have a bumper crop this year! Our apples are almost done -- I need to pick the stragglers for homemade apple butter.

...Cooking...

Tonight we're welcoming fall with a fall veggie soup and homemade corn muffins. Last night I made a spaghetti dish everyone loved:

 Pizza-Style Spaghetti

1/2 package turkey pepperoni, sliced in half

8-10 mushrooms (crimini are nice), sliced

1 can sliced olives

1 large can crushed tomatoes (or you can use a premade pasta sauce)

1 small can petite diced tomatoes (can skip if you are using the premade pasta sauce)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

Italian seasoning (maybe 1-2 Tbsp? I didn't measure)

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Whole grain spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add pepperoni, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to get crispy. Add garlic, onion, and mushrooms, and continue cooking until the onion is translucent, and the mushrooms are fairly well cooked. Add tomatoes, olives, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Serve sauce over cooked pasta, and top with the Parmesan cheese.

The Girl also helped me make some pumpkin-cranberry-walnut muffins over the weekend that were very good, and felt very appropriate for the season.

...Learning...

The Boy has chosen to work with Write With the Best for the moment. I really like this book -- the excerpts they use are very good selections, and the work required is both straightforward and not overwhelming. He was a bit overwhelmed with the Art of Problem Solving last week, in working with negative numbers. I pulled up some videos on Khan Academy, which seemed to really help. AoPS does offer video instruction for much of the prealgebra book, but section 1.4, the one he struggled with, wasn't a featured section!

The Girl is doing quite well with Math Mammoth, so I am glad we made the switch. She's making good progress in Reading Horizons too, and we're taking time to make sure she reads aloud from real books on the side.

...Reading & Watching...

We finished The Twenty One Balloons (to which we all wish there was a sequel), so today we can start delving into The Marvelous Land of the Snergs which J.R.R. Tolkien cited as the inspirational book for Hobbits. The Boy is reading Two Hundred Years of Bicycles, as well as The Lord of the Flies. The Girl and I are still in the world of Queen Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth & the Spanish Armada), and we're enjoying Sea Turtle Scientist. The Boy and I are trying to decide if The Wizard of Quarks would make a good read aloud for a science selection for the Afternoon Basket.

As far as watching, we started The Amazing Race (season 1). We already have a favorite team just two episodes in (Team Guido). We're finally back to watching season two of Once Upon a Time (from which we had taken a rather long break), and plan to start Firefly soon.

...Creating...

I am finally back to knitting, so that I can finish The Girl's scarf in time for winter, as well as my own. I have found the best time for this is while at The Girl's derby practices. I have a gift certificate to a fabulous yarn shop from my last birthday that I need to spend still!

The Girl is fascinated by the book Fairy Houses...Everywhere!, so I think we might expect some crafting there soon, and she's been making all kinds of scaled down clay models lately... a tea set, cookies, sandwiches, and more. She loves to play restaurant that way. The Boy is building a very intricate and very tiny model airplane -- I will take pictures later this week!

...Doing & Going...

We're getting used to the whole M-working-schedule, and ironing out the loose ends when it comes to getting everywhere we go on time. Regular practices this week in both roller derby and fencing, and I have my classes (speaking of which, I have homework to catch up on!). I'd really like to start getting in a regular nature walk on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

...All the Rest...

The Boy's new iguana, Hyperion, is settling in nicely. is very meticulous when it comes to feeding and changing Hyperion's water. The Girl is taking great care of Olivia, her wild-caught bluebelly (aka Western Fence) lizard. She has been trapping ants and fruit flies to feed the tiny creature. She does plan to eventually return Olivia to the wild, as she knows even the nicest habitat isn't a substitute for the great outdoors. If she continues to take such good care of the lizard, she may be next in line for a pet one!

Hope you have a good week, and enjoy the beginning of a new season!

The Girl's Cake...

The Girl loves cooking and baking, so this week she made a variation on an applesauce spice cake recipe (Moosewood), turning it into an Applesauce Honey Spice Cake that is absolutely delicious! It came out moist, and not too sweet. So here's her recipe!

Applesauce Honey Spice Cake

Ingredients:
* 2 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
* 1/2 tsp ground cloves (or to taste)
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1/2 c butter, softened
* 1 1/4 cups honey
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a bundt pan (other pans would work well too, such as an 8x8x2 baking dish).
Cream together the butter and honey until well mixed and fluffy. Add in the vanilla, and then the eggs, and finally the applesauce, mixing well. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture.
Pour the batter into the pan and level out. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a knife or skewer inserted near the middle comes out clean.
Makes 12-16 servings.

Optional drizzle topping:
1/2 cup apple juice
A sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
2 Tbsp. honey

Place ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a near syrupy state. Drizzle over the top of the finished cake before serving.

Enjoy!

Thursday Thoughts... A Recipe...

It is that time of year... the temperature has dropped a bit, and the air is crisp, a little chilly in the mornings. This is the time of year that I start baking more. Now, while we are not following a Paleo diet, and we are not grain-free, both The Boy and I seem to have some issues around gluten, so I like to experiment with new recipes. This one, which we love already, is originally from PaleOMG [see original recipe here]. Naturally I tweaked it a little!

Apple Spice Muffins (grain-free, dairy-free)
1 large, or 2 smaller, tart apples, peeled, cored, chopped (cut quite small if you're making mini muffins)

photo courtesy of PaleOMG

1.5 cups almond flour/meal
4.5 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
Optional spices: a few pinches of ground cloves and/or ginger

Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease your muffin tin, or use paper cups (or silicone ones if you have them).

Mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, spices) together in a large bowl. Add the apples and cranberries, and toss to lightly coat the fruit (this helps keep the fruit nicely distributed in the muffins). Add in the honey, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well, then fold in nuts if you are using them.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. If you're making regular sized muffins, this will make around 10-12 muffins. With mini muffins, you'll get around 24. Bake regular muffins for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, and the muffins are slightly springy to the touch. Mini muffins bake in about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mmmm, Mmmm, Yummy!

We've been experimenting with grain-free cooking lately. A friend passed this recipe along, and I tweaked it a tiny bit. I have to say, it is absolutely delicious! There was about half a pan left after the kids each had two servings for breakfast, but with everyone picking at it every time they walked past, those leftovers were gone quickly! So without further ado...

image courtesy of nourishingdays

Grain-Free Dutch Baby

3-4 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
4-6 eggs
1/3 cup each almond meal and coconut flour OR 2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 cup milk of choice
A good pinch of sea salt
Optional: if you're using a sweet topping, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a [heavy] dash of cinnamon; if you're going the savory route, try some pepper and smoked paprika

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the butter/oil in cast iron frying pan, or heat and then pour into an 8x8 baking dish, or you can heat it in the baking dish in the oven while it preheats - just don't burn the butter! In the meantime, put the other ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth (I used a bowl and an immersion blender, which worked well). Pour the batter into the hot butter/coconut oil, and place the pan/baking dish in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until very puffy and brown.

To serve sweet-style: While the Dutch Baby is baking, place about a cup each of blueberries and cut-up strawberries in a small pan. Add a dash of vanilla, and about 2 tsp. maple syrup. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until all juicy and hot through. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the warm fruit and enjoy!

A savory variation: Sauté leeks, mushrooms, and sliced chicken sausage in butter, lard, or olive/coconut oil until the leeks and mushrooms are very tender, and the sausage rounds brown nicely. Season with a little salt and lemon pepper. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the mix, and enjoy! This is actually what I am planning for tonight's dinner, alongside a simple green salad.

Have a good week!

Monday Bits & Pieces...

Not as smooth a title as Monday Musings, but oh well! It feels more bits and pieces today.

Yesterday, we headed out to a free mini-workshop offered by Lowe's. The kids got to construct a dragon (the dragon in the Shrek movies) from a simple kit. Hammers were involved, so it was fun!

I'm back at work this week, regular hours, more or less. My boss and I did adjust my schedule a bit, so I work 5 hours on Mondays, and 4 hours a day the rest of the week. I will have an occasional longer day here and there, as my target is 1000 hours per year. Since M is home, the kids are only heading off to my mom's house a couple of days a week right now. Things are definitely a bit different when I have work... and I am going to try from today on to establish a good rhythm to our days, perhaps something like this:

~ When I/we get home, I will have the kids do a couple of chores each while I make lunch.
~ While we eat, we can watch a documentary.
~ Everyone clears up their dishes, and then we settle in for some reading from the Afternoon Basket (which yes, I am putting into full use this week. I decided to add it another subject or two a week over the next couple of weeks rather than starting up out of nowhere in September.)
~ Then, they can play while I get my workout and some housework out of the way, before tackling dinner, etc.

I'd like to establish this routine now, and get everyone into the groove soon, since next week I go back to school myself, and September is drawing near!

This week's agenda:

~ Establishing a routine
~ Getting my project/experiment book basket set up
~ Switching out some books in my Afternoon Basket
~ Finish cleaning the kitchen, and get the living room done (I am deep cleaning one room at a time)
~ Go swimming at a pool with friends!
~ Try to get out hiking again over the weekend, or maybe even mid-week
~ Get geared up for the big airshow that happens around here next weekend!

It should be a good week. And just for fun, here is a recipe for the recent family favorite...

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa:
Rinse 1 cup quinoa well. Add to 2 cups boiling water, bring back to a full boil, then cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Put quinoa in a bowl, and chill.

Once the quinoa is chilled, add the following:
About 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, or larger tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh salsa
About 3/4 cup cooked corn kernels (I like grilling corn for this recipe)
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
A good handful of chopped cilantro
A squeeze of lemon juice
About 1 Tbsp. good olive oil
A few dashes cumin, salt, and pepper

Mix well, return to fridge until nice and cold. You can serve this by itself, with meat or shrimp or black beans, over mixed salad greens, etc. Yum!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins

These taste like summer to me! I used frozen (defrosted) blackberries, probably twice as much as the recipe calls for, but then you get more (and fruitier) muffins!

Blackberry Corn Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I actually use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 whole large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) melted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 cup (or more!) blackberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin tin with paper cups, or grease. Whisk the flour with the cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. In another (medium) bowl, lightly whisk the egg and egg yolk, then whisk in buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in blackberries. Divide batter into muffin tin, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. makes 12-16 muffins, depending on how many blackberries you use.

Coffee Cake with Raspberries & Hazelnut Crumble

Here is a delicious recipe for coffee cake. I found the original online, and then altered it to suit my needs. This is definitely more of an occasional treat, with all the butter and sugar, but so yummy I had to share!

Coffee Cake with Raspberries & Hazelnut Crumble
Batter
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups raw sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain (nonfat) Greek yogurt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal (optional, you can use an additional 1/4 cup of the flour instead)
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp sea salt

Topping
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Filling
1 1/2-2 cups raspberries (if frozen, thaw and drain first)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, mix well, then add in Greek yogurt. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring until well mixed.
Spread half the mixture in the baking pan, top with a layer of raspberries, then the remaining batter.
Mix together, in another bowl, the topping ingredients. When well mixed, spread over the top of the coffee cake.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Best served slightly warm!

Lemon-Lavender Muffins

These are a quintessential spring/summer treat!

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp lavender
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used regular & added a Tbsp of lemon juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon or vanilla extract
1 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter

Note: I also added 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice as the batter seemed really thick...

Preheat oven to 400 F, and prepare muffin pan. Combine sugar, lavender and lemon zest in a blender or food processor; process until lavender is chopped. Remove 2 Tbsp. to a small bowl & set aside. Combine remaining sugar mixture, flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. Stir together buttermilk, oil, extract & egg in a small bowl; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes until they spring back to light touch. While they're still warm, brush with the melted butter & dip in the reserved sugar mixture.Makes 12 regular muffins or 24 miniature ones.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe came from Recipezaar, but since it called for one and a quarter cups of oil I altered it.

30 muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup applesauce (or you can use more pumpkin, which I did & they came out great)
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

Play dough recipe...

1 cup flour (plus more for kneading)
1 cup water
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Food coloring/unsweetened koolaid mix
Glitter if desired

Combine all ingredients except the coloring/koolaid & glitter in a pan. Whisk until fairly smooth and then heat over medium temperature, stirring constantly with a (wooden) spoon. When the dough becomes very hard to stir and starts coming away from the pan, pour/scrape out onto a sheet of floured wax paper, or onto a floured countertop. Allow to cool, then knead until smooth and elastic, adding in flour as needed. You can knead in a few drops of food coloring or the koolaid, and any glitter, at this point.

Store in plastic bags or in a tub with a tight-closing lid.

Basic Muffin Recipe...

I've made this a few ways now, by varying the yogurt flavors and the added fruit. We've made vanilla raspberry, lemon blueberry, and apple. All came out yummy!

Basic Yogurt Muffins
2 1/2 cups flour (we use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (we use sea salt)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (we use unbleached cane sugar, but not the chunky stuff, if you know what I mean)
1 1/4 cup yogurt (try varying flavors)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp extract (vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.)
2 Tbsp veg oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh fruit (berries work really well, as do chopped apples... you could use 1/2 or so cup dried fruit)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
Cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. optional

Preheat oven to 350F, and prep 12 muffin cups. Keeping fruit set aside, mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix together and then gently fold in fruit and/or nuts. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 - 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and lightly springy to the touch. I have actually gotten between 14-16 muffins from this recipe each time, as I increased the fruit in the original.

Let cool, and enjoy!

Curried Lentil Soup

Curried Lentil Soup
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup dried lentils (I used the red variety)
2-3 carrots, thinly sliced in rounds
1 cup julienned greens (I used mustard greens this time)
1-2 Tbsp curry powder, or to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 can coconut milk

Saute onion & garlic until tender. Add broth, bring to a boil, and add lentils. Simmer until lentils begin to soften, then add carrots, salt, pepper & curry powder. Continue cooking until carrots & lentils are cooked through. Stir in greens - cook for about 5-8 minutes more, then stir in coconut milk & serve. If needed, during the cooking process, you can add a little water to reach your desired consistancy.

Granola

You can make this granola "regular" or fat-free...

4 cups rolled oats*
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed meal (optional)
1 cup raw chopped nuts, or to taste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/3 cup canola oil (can use applesauce as substitute)
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey (adjust to fit your own sweet tooth)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (use the lower amount if you're using more honey/oil/applesauce)

Preheat oven to 3oo degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the oil/applesauce, water, vanilla and honey. Pour the liquid mix over the dry one, and toss until all the ingredients are well mingled (I do use my bare hands to do this). Spread in a lightly oiled baking sheet (9x13, 11x7, etc.)

Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, depending on how toasted you want it - stir it about every 15 minutes so it all gets evenly toasted. After it cools, stir it up a little and add a cup or so (or less) of dried fruit, coconut flakes (the unsweetened variety), etc. to taste. Store in a sealed container, preferably in the fridge due to the oil/applesauce. If it does suck up any moisture and get "chewy", simply heat it in a baking sheet again until crunchy.

*I use the thinner rolled oats because they're easier for kids to chew up, though you can use the really thick rolled oats too.

Easy Taco-Bean Soup

This recipe is absolutely delicious - my kids devoured it. I was hesitant to use the packet of Ranch dressing mix the original recipe calls for, but its necessary! It is also a great crockpot recipe.

1 pkg (2 lbs) 15 bean soup mix or 2 lbs any dried beans
1 can petite-diced tomatoes with jalepeno or mild Rotel
1 can tomato sauce
6-8 cups water
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
1 cup, plus or minus, fresh green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernals (you can use canned, but none of us like that texture)
Up to 1 cup additional misc. veggies (I added carrots and celery)

Place dried beans*, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and water in large pot or crockpot. Bring to a boil, add seasoning packets, lower heat and simmer until the beans are very tender. Add the veggies, and cook until they are tender.

You can serve this with a variety of "toppings", like sour cream, diced avocado, salsa, cheese, etc.

*If you want to cut down on cooking time, soak the beans the night before in cold water, or do a "quick" soak - bring the beans and about 8 cups water to a boil. Cover, turn off heat, and let soak 2 hours, then rinse & start soup!

I thought I'd start something new here...

and share some of our favorite recipes!

Here's a good breakfast one - it can easily be made vegan too.

Baked Oatmeal
2 cups oatmeal (don't use steel cut oats -- it won't work the same)
2 cups milk (or soy milk, almond milk or water)
2 cups boiling water
generous pinch of sea salt (maybe 1/2 tsp)
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup raisins
3 small apples chopped well
3T brown sugar or other sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
1/2 t cinnamon or to taste
pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Mix oats, milk, water and salt in a casserole dish with a lid and let it set for 5 minutes. Put everything else in, stir well, cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover for last 5 minutes. Serve with milk or butter as desired.