How to Cook Steel Cut Oats Wednesday, Oct 21 2009 

Homemaking and Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 2:31 pm

goldilocks

There are a zillion good reasons to cook your family steel cut oats for breakfast!  A few:  Steel cut oats are less processed than regular oatmeal.  They are hearty, filling, and delicious.  They are super good for you.  And if you buy them in bulk, they are cheap!  (If you buy them in the little can at the grocery store, they are like gold.)

Here’s how I do it.

1.  The night before, soak 2 c. steel cut oats in 2 quarts water and 2 T. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.  This breaks down the phytic acid (an anti-nutrient found in grains and legumes), making the nutrients more easily absorbed and the oats easier to digest.  It also cuts the cooking time by a bit.  This step isn’t essential, so if you forget to soak the oats it’s not the end of the world.  I try to do this though.

2.  In the morning…drain oats into a strainer and rinse very well to get rid of any sour taste from the vinegar or lemon juice.  Put them in a pot with 6 cups water.

If you did not soak the oats, use 8 cups water.

3.  Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until oatmeal is thick and oats are tender.  You’ll want to stir it quite a bit at the end, to prevent sticking.

Let it cool a little.  Serve with raisins, honey, butter, milk, nuts, fruit, or whatever you like with oatmeal.  Yummy!!!

(I also like to add 2 chopped apples at the beginning.  Then when the oatmeal is done, I stir in some cinnamon and honey.  That’s the kids’ favorite!)

 

Cooking, A Lost Art Friday, Aug 7 2009 

Creativity and Culture and Links and Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 6:25 pm

Al Mohler has a very interesting article on the loss of cooking in Western culture.  Also worth checking out is this NY Times article by Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma).  It’s long, but has some great insights into the importance of cooking and why it’s fallen from fashion in our culture.  You can also listen to an NPR interview with Pollan here.

What do you think?  Were you raised in a cooking family or taught to cook as you grew up?  How has that affected the way you do or don’t cook today?  Do you think the notion of cooking is overrated in these articles, or is it something we should try to do more of?

These articles coincide with the release of the movie Julie and Julia, which is about Julia Child.  It’s at our local theater–I want to go!  Here’s the trailer.

 

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Friday, Feb 27 2009 

Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 10:06 pm

This makes a BIG batch for my hungry husband and children.  You can adjust according to your needs.  Basically I use 1 part oats to 2 parts water.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal

6 cups water

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal or rolled oats

Bring water to boil.  Add oatmeal.  Cook on medium heat until desired thickness, about 10-15 minutes.  Stir often, especially near the end as it gets very thick and burns easily.  Cool a little and serve.

Some ideas for different flavors:

Maple pecan…Pure maple syrup and pecans

Blueberry…put a handful of frozen blueberries in the bottom of the bowl before adding warm oatmeal

Apple cinnamon…Add a couple chopped apples to cook with oats…add honey and cinnamon to taste when oatmeal is done.

Honey raisin…Raisins in the bottom of the bowl with a drizzle of honey on top

Bananas and syrup…My kids love oatmeal with cane syrup and bananas on top!

For dairy free kids, try Rice Dream rice milk, found on the cereal aisle.  (Avoid soy milk.  Soy disrupts thyroid function.)

YUM!!!

 

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Friday, Feb 27 2009 

Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 8:58 pm

After the oatmeal cookie recipe, I thought I’d post a few recipes for family-friendly food that’s more nutritious than the traditional packaged/processed version.  These aren’t at the top of the nutritional ladder, but they are a long way from the bottom.  Here’s how we like to make pizza.  Sorry, no picture.  My computer is down and I don’t have access to my photos on this one.

I begin with my bread machine recipe for 1 large loaf of whole wheat bread:

1 3/4 c. water

1 t. salt (or more for pizza dough, if you like a salty crust)

1 T. olive oil

1 T. honey

4 2/3 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. yeast

Mix on “dough” setting till complete, through first rise.  This takes 1 1/2 hours on my machine.

Remove from bread machine.  Divide dough into 2 equal portions and pat them out in greased large pizza pans.  (I got  deep dish pizza pans at Tuesday Morning several years ago.)  Spread with pizza or spaghetti sauce of your choice, however much you desire, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese–again, as much or as little as you like.  Add whatever toppings you want.  Combinations are obviously endless.  I like to use Hormel’s nitrite free deli meats (I think they are called Natural Choice…), available at Wal-Mart.  They sell a sandwich pepperoni in large slices–I just chop them up into bite size pieces.

Personally, sprinkle the dough/sauce with half my cheese, add toppings, and then sprinkle with more cheese.  It just seems to work better that way.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Bars Monday, Feb 16 2009 

Recipes Stephanie 4:37 pm

grandma-and-children-baking1

Recently I was looking for a good all-around cookie…somewhat nutritious, makes a lot, fast and easy, not crumbly…And this recipe fit the bill.  Plus, they are man-pleasin’!  I adapted it from one I found online and I’ve been really pleased with the results.

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Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Bars

1 1/2 c. coconut oil OR 3 sticks butter  (Billy and I like the taste of the coconut oil better, but butter works fine too)

3 c. brown sugar (if you are really going for healthful sweets, I’m sure rapadura or sucanat would work just as well)

3 c. whole wheat flour

3 eggs

1 T. vanilla

1 T. cinnamon

1 1/2 t. soda

1 t. salt

3 c. old fashioned oatmeal

2 c. raisins

Cream oil or butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in oats and raisins until well mixed.  Mixture will be very stiff.  Turn mixture into greased jelly roll pan and pat evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool, cut into bars.

 

Completely Natural Jello Wednesday, Jul 23 2008 

Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 12:24 am

Yep, that’s right. You can make your own jello with no added sugar, artificial colors, or fake flavors.

32 oz. 100% fruit juice (Welch’s White Grape Cherry makes the most “like-real-jello” jello, in look and taste)

6 packets unflavored Knox gelatin

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Heat half the juice in a saucepan till boiling. As it heats, pour the rest into a bowl and stir in the gelatin.

Pour hot juice over juice/gelatin mixture and stir till gelatin completely dissolves.

Chill till set. See, it’s not much harder than making regular jello! And while not perfect, it’s a lot better for you and your little ones than regular jello.

We also like to add fruit, like banana slices or unsweetened fruit cocktail before we chill the jello. You can add whatever you like.

 

What’s for Supper? Friday, Jul 18 2008 

Question of the Week and Recipes Stephanie 1:12 pm

I’ve had a great request for this week’s question.  Tell us what you make for supper!  It’s easy to get in a cooking rut, and sometimes a recipe from someone else is just the thing to inspire.

We’ve been enjoying chicken salad on these hot days.

Chicken breast, boiled (or whole chicken, cooked and deboned)

Hard boiled eggs, chopped

Sweet pickle, chopped

Mayonaise

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients to taste.  I make mine so it’s moist but not soupy.  Billy also likes chopped apple in his.  I’ve had chicken salad with halved grapes–yummy!

We also enjoy meatloaf.  This recipe is eeeeaasy.  And it passes the husband test–my husband, anyway.

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 1 cup 2% milk OR 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce–I put in a lot more!

• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• 2 T. or so minced garlic

• Generous shake onion powder

• Handful dry oatmeal–about 1/2 c.

• 1/2 cup ketchup or barbecue sauce

I also add a good shake of dried parsley. Mix everything together except the ketchup. Put into a big loaf pan or shape into a loaf in a baking dish, pour ketchup or bbq all over the top. Bake at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours or till it’s no longer pink in the middle.

 

Make Your Own Play Doh Thursday, Jul 10 2008 

Fun With Kids and Recipes and Simple Craft Stephanie 1:11 pm

The kids and I have enjoyed making our own play doh lately. It only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes, and it keeps them busy for hours. They add food coloring and glitter so they can each personalize their own little bit. Here’s a good recipe. It takes boiling water but doesn’t actually require cooking.

The first time I made it, it was perfect. The other day it was raining and it came out a bit sticky (I guess from the humidity in the air), so I added flour a tablespoon at a time till it felt right.

1 c. flour
1 c. boiling water
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. salt
1 tbsp. oil

Mix and knead together.

 

Peanut Butter Granola Sunday, Jul 6 2008 

Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 12:19 am

Billy and Kelly both suggested that I post this granola recipe. It’s a nice alternative to regular cereal, and better for you too. It also makes a yummy snack!

1 large carton old fashioned oatmeal (not quick oats, it’s about 10 or 11 cups)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups honey
1 jar (2 cups) Smucker’s old fashioned peanut butter
Peanuts–I just put in however many I want. I get the big container at Sam’s.

Stir and stir and stir till all the dry ingredients are moist. You don’t want any powdery stuff in the bottom of the bowl. Put in a couple oiled cookie sheets and toast at 325 for about 30 minutes, or till lightly browned. Let cool, break into chunks.

We usually keep it plain, but I like to negate any healthful benefits by adding chocolate chips after it’s toasted. Raisins are good too–and good for you. It’s kinda expensive to make, but it makes a lot and it’s very filling so it lasts a long time. Enjoy!

 

Healthful Homemade “Ice Cream” Tuesday, Jun 17 2008 

Nutrition and Recipes Stephanie 6:18 pm

This raw vegan “ice cream” has got to be the best kept secret of the vegan world. It makes my carnivorous husband nervous when I use the term vegan (“vegans are weird”), so I’ll clarify that I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but I do have a child with dairy and sugar sensitivities, so recipes like this one are a boon. Everyone in my family loves animal products of all kinds, but they also love this creamy, good-for-you treat. I have to credit my sis who first told me about it.

So you’re wondering how to make it, right? (BTW, the picture really does not do it justice. It was snapped in haste.)

Peel and freeze a bunch of very ripe bananas. I freeze them on a cookie sheet so they don’t stick together and then tranfer them to a ziploc bag.

When you’re ready to make the “ice cream,” chunk a couple frozen bananas up and blend in the blender with a little water or rice milk or whatever liquid you have on hand. Just pulse it slowly till it’s nice and creamy, and I promise you, it will have the exact consistency of soft serve ice cream. You can eat it plain…Add a little vanilla…a glob of nut butter…a few frozen strawberries (as pictured)…a spoonful of carob powder…Lots of possibilities. Soooo yummy.

I was amazed at how good it was. You don’t have to be a health food nut to enjoy this.