Oatmeal brings back memories of trying to convince my mother to add more brown sugar to my bowl. Of the different types of oatmeal: steel cut, rolled, or instant, my preference for rolled oats remains the same. It’s the coarser texture created when cooked in water, but most people enjoy their oats cooked in milk for a creamy consistency. In recent years, oatmeal brands have introduced instant varieties with artificial flavorings. Here’s a few instant and natural ideas that are healthier than the store-brought flavors. May your day have a sweet start.
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Granny’s Sweet Potato Pie
There are many Sweet Potato Pie recipes using corn syrup. I don’t remember my grandmother and father using that super sweetener. However, I remember plenty of brown sugar. I made this for our Christmas dessert this year, and I understood I had big shoes to fill. Apparently, the boyfriend’s mother makes the best Sweet Potato Pie. I called on my dream team, the Dad and the Granny, to help me with this recipe. Even when I forgot a couple ingredients after I placed the pies in the oven, I called my Granny for reinforcements. Thank goodness she saved the day, and it was great talking with her as the pies were baking in the oven. Of course, I would never ask the boyfriend who does it better. I tell myself, I must stay humble. Oh, humble pie, I sweet you.
Read moreSlow Cooker: Chicken Stew (a Twist of the Coq au Vin classic)
A Sunday quick meal. In the a.m., brown the chicken and add to a slow cooker. Simmer wine in the same skillet as the chicken and pour into slow cooker. Dump the rest of the ingredients in a slow cooker. Enjoy a warm Fall day of football, museums, visiting friends, coffee shop, working, talking, shopping, laughing and partying. Come back in the p.m. Quickly make a salad. Open a bottle of wine. Remove lid from slow cooker. Serve yourself a hearty stew. Be in bed in the early p.m. Wake up to a good work week tomorrow a.m.
Read moreAlmond Salty Butter Cookies
Nuts and salt are appropriate flavors for a bloody Saturday boxing match. I found this recipe from a New York Times article last year. It’s an elegant bar treat served somewhere in France. We’ll watch a fortunate soul receive millions of dollars with blood dripping out of his nose. I will sympathize with his agony by eating a few of these salty sweets. What a bloody joy.
Read moreSpaghetti Squash with Sautéed Shrimp
This is my first Sunday meal after moving in with the boyfriend. The kitchen is finally a quarter decent to finally cook a meal. It’s still unfamiliar territory, yet the benefits are worth taking the time to familiarize myself in our new home. A larger kitchen; a sit down mini table for eating and rolling out dough; amble counter space; a new fridge in the near future; and dreamy decorating ideas making cooking meals a comfortable affair. After we completed our grocery shopping in the late evening, we were a little hungry. Thinking up a good, quick light dinner for our first meal here, I was going to prepare for a salad and a risotto. I overheard another shopper ask her boyfriend to pick up the spaghetti squash. I quickly changed my menu and picked another one for myself. Initially, I told my boyfriend the new dish, and he quickly replied, “Yuck.” An hour later he was helping himself to seconds.
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