No words...

This is a bag of steel-cut oats.  Some random kid under my roof decided to poke a finger into the bag to stretch out the plastic.  Hint:  She's 5 and has a bad habit of doing that.  There's always a hole in one bag or another because of a wayward finger.  Usually, the bag contains something messy.  It's her way of telling me to quit buying in bulk. 

Go ahead, caption this  photo.  I'm at a loss.  

Soup Happens...

One of my favorite things after the holidays is the ubiquitous bowl of turkey soup. I have no tried or true recipe, I just throw stuff together along with some turkey stock and soup happens.

Turkey Stock

8 quarts water

1 turkey carcass, meat removed.
turkey skin (optional, but nice...)
1 onion, quartered, then quarters halved
2 whole heads garlic, skin removed and cut horizontally
2 carrots rough chopped into large pieces

Into a tea ball add:
1 tea cracked pepper corns (not ground)
1/4 tea each: dried tarragon, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil
2 bay leaves

Time to get all Hanibal on the bird's remains. Break up the carcass into smaller pieces, cutting bigger bones in half. Place mangled bones/carcass into stockpot and cover with water. Allow to simmer for 2 hours. DO NOT STIR!! Occasionally, skim off the junk that forms along the surface of the water with a spoon-but do not agitate the bones.

After 2 hours, carefully add vegetables and tea bag to the pot and allow to simmer for an hour longer.

Carefully pour hot stock through a cheesecloth lined strainer. This is where I get a blister, mutter some bad words, etc. Stock is ready for immediate use.

If not used immediately, place container of hot stock into a sink of ice water and stir to cool. Do not place hot liquid into refrigerator. Continue to give it the polar bear treatment until liquid is cool THEN place in refrigerator. Allow to chill out in the fridge overnight, then skim off the fat that accumulates on the surface the following day. Use within a few days--or pour into cube trays, freeze then transfer cubes into freezer bags for later use.

To crack peppercorns, place whole pepper corns on a cutting board and use something flat, hard and heavy to smash them with. I do not suggest using ground pepper as this will linger in an otherwise clear stock.

Quick Crescent Pecan Pie Bars

Desperate times call for desperate measures. This means tripping on the internet to Pillsbury's website to find ANY recipe that uses crescent dough which doesn't involve wieners or simply a recipe that I don't already have.

The stipulation for making the cut was that I had to have all the necessary ingredients at home. No grocery-store runs for me the day before Thanksgiving. No stinking way. I'd turn all them crescent rolls into a gigantic biological experiment before I'd do that. Who wants to stand in line for an hour for some odd-ball ingredient? Not I. I'd be forced to justify the loss of time by purchasing junk I simply do not need. This would be the reason why I am the proud owner of 20 packs of gum.

Well, I found this recipe. Easy enough for my kid to make... but do you think he will? Oh, no... no he won't. I could not even bribe him. Funny how things change though. Once told he wouldn't be able to have any if he didn't help, that tune changed. "Whatcha need ma?" He didn't like my response. I may have gotten the stink eye--but if he glowered at me, I didn't see it directly.

Yes, it was quick... and easy.

I'm a bit of a pecan pie snob, though... It was nothing like the pie. It was more of a cheap American knock-off of a baklava--only baklava tastes better. Not something I would take to a pot-luck, give to friends or serve to company. I would make it whenever I need a pecan pie fix or attempt to freeze a dozen tubes of crescent dough. How often does that happen?

After taste testing the end product, the kid definitely gave me the stink eye.

Pillsbury=1, Freezer=0

SCORE!

Pillsbury crescent dough was on sale and I had a coupon as well.

DOUBLE SCORE!

As a non-career minded woman who just happens to work full time, Pillsbury crescent dough comes in handy for those times when I need to fix something quick and easy. My mouth was watering over the prospect of baked brie, wienie wraps or maybe an appetizer pizza. I couldn't just take a handful. I had to get a dozen. I mean, I figured you can't have enough... and they stay good for awhile, right? Not really.

It wasn't until I got home that I noticed the expiration date. There was a very good reason why they were marked down. I already get in trouble for things lingering in my refrigerator long after their due date has passed. I live with the expiration date inspector. It's nothing to hear my son holler from behind the open door of the refrigerator, "Mom, this ketchup expired two days ago." He's a kid. 2 days = 2 days. I'm an adult. 2 days = 2 months. My typical argument that expiration dates are for the store really doesn't fly with him. Doesn't fly with me either--but that's the excuse I use to save a bit of face.

OK, so I bought a dozen tubes of crescent dough that I really didn't want to expire in my fridge. In a moment of sheer genius, I decided that I could stick them in the freezer for later use. Now, I was told to never keep food that you want to preserve in the freezer inside the door--place it deep into freezer until fully froze. Carefully, I rearranged the items around my freezer to accommodate a dozen tubes of crescent dough. I managed to fit all of them where my ice trays used to sit. I figured it would be a grand time to soak the ice trays in a bit of vinegar anyway. (Note: I had no baking soda in my sink....) 2 birds, 1 stone--or so I thought.

I've said this a thousand times--but there are warnings on packages for a reason. The packaging on the tube clearly said, "DO NOT FREEZE". I just happened not to read it. I mean, seriously... the mascot is a dough boy, what harm can a tube of crescent dough do? Evidently, I have not watched the movie "Ghostbusters" nearly enough.

It wasn't long into the freezing process that I was standing next to the fridge, pouring myself a cup of coffee when I heard a muffled explosion. Startled me so bad, I nearly dropped my cup of coffee. For the life of me, I couldn't tell where it came from or what it was. After a spell, I went about my business. Then came another explosion... then another... then another... then another. When it finally dawned on me what had just transpired in my freezer, I about gave birth to kittens.

The tubes exploded open. All of them.

My son saw what transpired--threw an incredulous look at me and shook his head pitifully. "Mom, your own your own..."

It's not just chutney I'm taking for Thanksgiving. I'll have the corner market on stale crescent rolls come Thursday.

Cranberries!

I've been asked to fix a double batch of the Cranberry Chutney I've made for the past 7 years for the same function. Personally, I love this recipe so much that the canned variety of sauce is now ruined for me. It's insanely good. It's got some crazy textures going on with a surprisingly spicy sweet and sour kick. Definitely not your grandma's cylindrical sauce that slurps out of a can. I'm now of the opinion that a person should never be able to stack their cranberry sauce like cord wood in a serving dish. I don't care how much parsley lays underneath for "presentation". There ought to be laws against it. I'm horribly embarrassed I ever did that.

About this chutney... Again, I found this recipe HERE. At the time, I had a bag of berries I feared would go bad if I didn't use them right away. I also had all the necessary components needed to make it. So, I fed my fear and made the sauce. Unfortunately, it was January--a little too late for the holidays--but it was awesome for the Super Bowl. Having no meat to serve this with--I spooned it over cream cheese and served with butter crackers. AWESOME!

In later years, I chopped up left over turkey and mixed it into some of the chutney and served it like a sandwich on a bagel that has been schmeared with cream cheese. The same turkey salad is also great on left over salad or rolls too.

On my Tuesday agenda: make a double batch of cranberry chutney. I may or may not go to the grocery store for bagels, crackers and cream cheese.

Cranberry Chutney

1 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup apples - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In a medium saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Add the cranberries, apples, cider vinegar, raisins and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring often. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Cool to room temperature and serve or cover and refrigerate. Bring chutney to room temperature before serving.

HINT: The chutney tastes best if made a day or two in advance to allow the flavors to meld.

Addendum: I could never perfect the technique of getting the gelled cranberry sauce out of the can without marring the surface. One crack... one scratch and the glistening sheen of the cylinder is ruined. For whatever reason, it just doesn't taste the same if it's not perfectly can shaped. It can only be saved if eaten with olive covered fingertips.

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Zucchini and Black Olives in Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette

I can't resist posting this salad recipe. It's not exactly one of those "heirloom" recipes, but it could be. I found it on the internet. (Here) It's incredibly yummy. It's even better after sitting in the fridge for a spell. One could even expand the leftovers (if any) by serving it over a bed of romaine lettuce and finishing it off with feta cheese.

Great recipe to use up summer veggies from the garden.

* 2 large cucumbers, diced
* 1 zucchini, diced
* 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
* 3 large tomatoes, diced
* 1 cup chopped black olives
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
* 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
*
* 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large salad bowl, mix together the cucumbers, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes, black olives, basil, and thyme. In a separate bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, sugar, and white pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour the olive oil slowly into the dressing mixture, whisking to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad, and serve.

One way to clean a kitchen sink....

….and so the other day, I arrived home to be greeted by a really foul odor. Being a nurse, I’m accustomed to almost every noxious odor known—and it bothers me none. Usually. This stench, however, knocked me completely over. It was as if every inhabitant of hell released their collective bowels of hell inside my apartment… and I yakked.

Finding the source of the stink was not difficult.

It’s been almost a year since my garbage disposal chewed a spoon. It’s not been the same since. My attempt at getting it fixed has been futile. See, if it makes noise—my landlord thinks it works. Yes, it makes noise, but it also registers on seismometers. No USGS, St. Helens is not waking up, that’s just me using my garbage disposal. I’m not kidding. The disposal shakes the counters to the point where glasses will dance off and land on the floor.

Since then, the sink occasionally takes on whatever stink until it’s cleared of all the gunk.

This particular day, I just finished off a long 12-hour shift and I was tired. I had yet another 12 hour shift that night. The last thing I needed to be doing was clearing the pipes. So, I dumped a couple of boxes of baking soda down the sink and went to bed—with the intent of dealing with the issue when I woke up.

Immediately, the sink no longer stunk…

Now, if anyone knows me well… I simply do not do much in the way if housework when I am in the middle of shift work. After a couple of days, there are always dishes in the sink waiting to be hand washed.

In my bleary state, I did not notice that I knocked over an open bottle of dish soap into the sink. It precariously landed, nozzle side into the drain and bottom end wedged between two coffee cups. Practically full, I lost a good ¾ of the bottle down the drain as it leaked out. I only noticed when I woke up.

Upset to have wasted so much of a cleaning product, I completely forgot about the baking soda down the sink and proceeded to fix dinner. I completely perseverated on the fact that I nearly lost all of a bottle of dish soap. I was out of sorts.

Do you know there is such a thing as putting too much baking soda down a sink? Evidently, I didn’t but I do now. Yeah, and with a bottle of soap down a sink, the stuff just doesn’t flush out easily.

Oh well, I thought, it’ll eventually dissolve and flush out. So I ate dinner. Leftovers and whatever is easy to fix. I don’t rightly remember what I ate except for one thing: marinated cucumbers. Let me extrapolate. Cucumbers marinated (read bathed) in undiluted apple cider vinegar. Just so you know, I have no problem dumping a quart or two of vinegar over cucumbers… but I get all testy about dish soap. To boot, marinated cucumbers taste much better than dish soap. Oh, such irony.

Between the kid and myself, we polished off all the cucumbers.

OK, not wanting my house to linger of the smell of vinegar from dinner, I thought it would be wise to dump the waste down the sink.

Oh, yes I did.

The end result was not pretty.

My drain belched forth suds.

Unlike that third grade science experiment where students learn about lava flows from volcanoes, this was more like grown-ups learning what it means when their kitchen sink has rabies.

Naturally, I did what came naturally. I screamed. This alerted my son, who came running to see what the commotion was about. Upon seeing the sink, filling and overflowing with suds, he stood looking at the sink, mouth agape.

Seriously? Only you ma.

So, the kid decided to be helpful and flipped on the garbage disposal. One might thing that would be a logical thing to do—that is, if only the stupid thing worked which it didn’t. It sucked nothing down. No, everything went in reverse. Suds shot out, spraying both the kid and myself with suds that smelled like pickled lavender with a hint of putrefaction.

This all happened 5 minutes before I had to leave for work. No time to bath myself, let alone clean a kitchen.

I felt oddly self-conscious at work, smelling like rotten pickled flowers and all. Fortunately, strange odors aren’t uncommon for the unit I work on and if I smelled funky, it was largely ignored.

I fully expected to come home from work to find the world’s biggest mess in my kitchen—awaiting my attention. Instead, I came home from work to find my kitchen the cleanest it’s been in months. The kid spent hours cleaning up the mess.

My kitchen drain has not stank since.

Tater's Twice Baked Taters

  Twice Baked Potatoes

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 12 slices bacon, cooked til crisp and crumbled
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup half n half or milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 10 green onions, sliced, divided

Scrub potatoes until clean.  Smear butter on skin and salt.  Prick potatoes several times to vent.  Wrap in foil and bake at 400 degrees until knife can easily cut through flesh.   About 1 hour.

Remove potatoes from foil, allowing them to cook for 10-15 minutes--or until able to handle without receiving 3rd degree burns.  Carefully cut each potato in half.  Scoop out flesh into a mixing bowl--leaving about 1/4 inch of the flesh on the potato "shell".  With a pastry brush--paint inside of shell with Worcestershire sauce.  Set aside.

To the potato flesh, add sour cream,  milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 of the sliced  green onions.  Mix with a hand mixer until creamy.  Spoon mixture back into prepped potato shells.  Top each stuffed potato with remaining cheese and green onion.  Bake for another 20 minutes. 

NOTE:  These freeze VERY well. 

Congo Bars

For as many yummy recipes my mother had in her arsenal, there were a few complete misses—the one that first comes to mind are her Congo Bars.  It was like a challenge for my mom, I suppose, to finally conquer the recipe and make it work.  Ultimately, the recipe won.  There was no cracking it in her lifetime.  They never came out right--but you know, that never stopped my mom from trying.  She made these all the time. 

Just to clarify things a bit…. 

Congo bars fit into the category of brownies and blondie—the difference being the addition of toasted coconut being added to the dough along with chocolate chips and nuts.  The bars should have the same consistency as their counterparts.  

So, what was wrong with my mom’s recipe?  The end product never cooked evenly.  The edges were break-a-tooth rock hard while portions of the center were undercooked and doughy. .. and the bottom overbrowned or burnt.  Now, I even tried to make the same recipe with the same result—so it wasn’t my mom—the recipe she had was a bad one.  After researching a bit, the recipe we meticulously followed had issues.  Subsequently, I chucked said recipe and found a new one.  

Cook’s Illustrated’s version:

Congo Bars

How Congo Bars are supposed to look.

• 1 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped
• 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (+ ¾ cup coconut, toasted to sprinkle on top--optional)
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 TBSP unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), melted and cooled (No substitutions!) 
• 1.5 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tsp vanilla extract ( I know, it’s a lot)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips—(may use milk chocolate chips or butterscotch—or blend all three together). 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast the coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.  

Fit two pieces of aluminum foil into a 13 by 9″ baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Stir melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix.   Fold in chocolate, coconut, and nuts.

Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut.  

Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not over bake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Turtle Bars

This particular recipe was one of my mom's "go-to" recipes in case of emergency pot luck. At least, it was one of her favorite recipes in her arsenal of pot luck friendly dishes she knew she'd never bring back home.  These cookie bars got rave reviews wherever she brought 'em. 

On a practical note, this "fills the bill" at least once a month when we are hormonally challenged.  If you really want something salty, add salt into the recipe either in the  crust or in the filling...  It works!  I know...

Turtle Bars:

For Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

For filling:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Topping:
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. For crust, combine flour, brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. 
2. For filling, Sprinkle pecans evenly over crust.  Combine butter and brown sugar in small saucepan. cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
3. Bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle evenly with chocolate pieces.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into bars.
   
   

Homemade Marshmallows

Thinking about gift giving?  Here's an idea... a package of homemade marshmallows coupled with a jar of your favorite homemade hot cocoa mix. These puffy squares o' bliss are absolutely delish!  If you never had the homemade variety, you just don't know what you are missing.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 3 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cornstarch--divided
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar--divided

Directions

1. Oil the sides a 9x13 baking dish (not the bottom) and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. . Cut another piece of parchment to cover, set aside.  Blend cornstarch and confectioner's sugar together in a bowl, mixing well.  Sift 1/4 cup of this mixture on top of parchment lining the bottom of the pan. It's important to sift to eliminate any lumps.  
2. Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to allow gelatin to bloom.
3. While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.
4. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on high for about 8 minutes with electric mixer OR until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks. Add vanilla extract, and beat just until blended.
5. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using an oiled spatula to smooth the top of the candy.  Sift another 1/4 cup cornstarch/powdered sugar over the surface of the marshmallow. Cover the candy with the reserved parchment, and press down lightly.

Allow the marshmallow candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight. Mix together cornstarch and confectioner's sugar in a shallow dish. Using a pizza cutter that has been either oiled--or dipped in hot water, cut the marshmallow candy into strips 1 inch wide, then into 1 inch squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in the cornstarch mixture and store in an airtight container. 

This is where the creativity plays the ace.  

Some of my all-time favorite customized versions of this candy are:  

• Toasted Coconut--coconut extract + toasted coconut sprinkled on top.
• Chocolate--cocoa powder
• Peppermint--Peppermint extract with or without crushed peppermint candy sprinkled on top.  (For visual appeal, as soon the candy is panned up, adding red food coloring then marbling the color with a butter knife throughout the candy. 
• Lemon--lemon extract
• Raspberry--Raspberry extract with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on top.  

Imagination is the limit.  

Colored sugars, sprinkles, etc can also be used.  

Experiment! 

Grandma's Popcorn Balls

 Like Rice Krispy Treats, but not really... 

Ingredients: 
9 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package large marshmallows
6 tablespoon fruit flavored gelatin mix, any flavor

Directions:
Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallow over low heat. stir in gelatin. Pour over popcorn. Toss to coat. When cool enough to handle, lightly butter hand and quickly shape into balls.



Modifications: Depending upon flavor of gelatin used, candy or other complimentary mix-ins can be added.

The BEST Rolled Sugar Cookie EVER!!

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Sifted powder sugar for rolling

 Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on surface sprinkled with powdered sugar to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven or until edges of cookie start to brown. Cool completely. 

Other ideas...  

Add 1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy to dough.  Shape into 1 inch balls, then flatten with the tines of a fork using  cross-hatch pattern--like typically seen on peanut butter cookies.  Cook as directed above.  Note:  you'll need to use parchment paper to line cookie sheets for this. 

Cookie Candy Corn...
Divide cookie dough into three parts--or simply make three batches of dough. 

Using past food colors, color one part yellow and another orange.  The last third, leave uncolored.

In a waxed paper lined loaf pan, press yellow dough into the bottom--distributing dough equally.  Press orange dough on top of yellow dough, then press the uncolored dough on top.  Remove pressed dough from pan, cover and chill for 2-3 hours. 

Once chilled, slice dough 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick then cut each slice into triangles.  Bake as directed. 

Gather up scraps and gently knead into a ball allowing colors to marbleize, but not blend.  Roll into 1 inch balls.  Roll balls in orange sugar crystals.  Bake as directed.

Got any other ideas?  Please share them!

 

Oatmeal "Mush"

My father's family know oatmeal by only one name.  Mush.  That's what Grandma and Grandpa Bade called it.  If they called it by it's true name when I was a kid, I would have never eaten it.  I was a self-avowed oatmeal hater--but I liked mush.  I thought it was a special treat I got to eat when I spent the night with my grandparents.  I didn't know mush was oatmeal--the substance created when a packet was ripped open and hot water was added.  You know, the stuff that coagulates in milk.  The only paste a kid is allowed to eat.  I frustrated my mother something awful when I asked for mush, but when mom pulled out the packet of instant oatmeal--I turned my nose up at it and made faces.  I can still hear the starving children in China  lecture.  It was one I heard so often, I still remember it.  Verbatim.   Instant oatmeal is an acquired taste and I was a late bloomer.  I couldn't stomach it until my teen years when children turn into goats eating anything and everything.  Mush, however, is one of those foods that I've always liked.

Mush was the staple in my grandparents' diet.  Every morning either my grandpa or grandma would get up before dawn and put the oatmeal on to cook.  As it cooked, they would sit down at the table with the Bible and start to read.   They fed their souls before feeding their bodies.

In my attempts to recreate the same texture/flavor of oatmeal that was served at my grandparents, I failed miserably.  The reason?  I was using rolled oats.  Rolled oats are processed so that cooking times are reduced.  After the hull is removed from the grain, the grain is steamed then flattened to varying thinness.  This increases the surface area of the grain allowing for shorter cooking times.  This affects the texture.

My grandparents used whole oat groats or steel cut oats.  Whole groats are the oat kernel left intact.  Steel cut oats is the end product of the groats being cut up by steel blades during processing.

All oats are steamed to neutralize the enzymes inside the grain. This prevents the cereal from going rancid.  No chemicals or other preservatives are needed.  Steaming, cutting and  rolling remain the extent of processing.  The exception would be instant where the rolled oat is cooked then dehydrated.

The easiest method of cooking steel cut oats is by using a crock pot.  The recipe is relatively simple and easily modified to accommodate personal preferences.

For plain oatmeal, melt 2 tablespoons butter in fry pan.  Add 2 cups steel-cut oats to melted butter.  Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until oats are toasted.  Place toasted  oats in crock pot.  Add 8 cups water and 1/2 cup half-n-half.  Set crock to low heat and leave for 8 hours to work it's magic.  At the end of the cooking time, then add salt to taste.  Do not salt before as the oats neutralize the salt during cooking.  Please note that the oatmeal might have a crusty appearance--don't worry, just stir it all in.


Rest assured, the half-n-half and butter are optional if you are wanting to reduce fat/calories.

This is a very versatile recipe.  Dried, canned or fresh fruit may be added with your favorite spices, nuts and sweeteners.  Due to the extended cooking time, some dried fruits might need to be added an hour before the oatmeal is finished cooking otherwise, the fruit might break up.

My current favorite add-ins are dried blueberries, dried cranberries along with 1/2 cup maple syrup.  To the base recipe I added blueberries and the syrup at the beginning of the cook time.  I add the cranberries at the end. 

Of course, adding raisins and cinnamon is good too--especially with a drizzle of a mildly flavored honey.

What are your favorite mix-ins?