Oatmeal: Z is for Zucchini

Z is for Zucchini
I sometimes wonder how some grated zucchini, raisins, cinnamon, and a touch of ground clove will taste mixed together in my morning oatmeal.

Oatmeal: Y is for Yogurt

Y is for Yogurt
Honestly, I only use yogurt when there isn't any milk. It's good in a granola parfait with fruit--not so good mixed into hot oatmeal where it leaves a bad aftertaste.

Y is for Yeast
Nutritional yeast is supposed to taste cheesy. I keep meaning to purchase some to see if my husband will be tricked by it on popcorn--thinking I made cheese popcorn. So, I have never tried it in oatmeal.

Oatmeal: X is for xocolatl - Ancient Aztec for chocolate

X is for Xocolatl
I wrote about chocolate in oatmeal before but I can never stress enough how necessary chocolate is to my well-being. I will be ever grateful to live in a world with Xocolatl.

Oatmeal: W is for Walnuts

W is for Walnuts
Nuts and oatmeal work well mixed together. Walnuts are one of those powerfoods we should all be eating.

Oatmeal: V is for Vanilla

V is for Vanilla
Kashi has vanilla oatmeal. I save myself the money by making my own by adding a few drops of vanilla extract into my oatmeal before heating it. Yum.

Oatmeal: U

U is for You
You come up with something starting with U to mix into oatmeal. Ugli fruit? All I can think of is sqUash. Mashed or pureed squash.

Oatmeal: Tahini

T is for Tahini
Middle Eastern Oatmeal: which proves oatmeal is as versatile as cabbage (according to a paper I wrote in high school, cabbage is often overlooked but highly versatile).

T is for Tea
Some mornings, when my son did not sleep well, I consider replacing my oatmeal water with brewed Constant Comment or a chai tea.

Oatmeal: S is for Soy Sauce

S is for Soy Sauce
Never would I have thought to try steel cut oats with scallions and soy sauce. Initially, it was odd. Then addictive.

S is for Squash
In a pinch, purred squash can fill in for pumpkin.

S is for Sweet Potato
Never tried this but am tempted to try on the rare occasion there is leftover sweet potato in the fridge.

S is for Salt.
Necessary for flavor.

S is for Sugar
Not always necessary for flavor.

S is for Strawberries
Fresh is good, dried are expensive but delicious.

S is for Sunflower Seeds
Like granola without the oil!

Oatmeal: R is for Raisins

R is for Raisins
Raisins in oatmeal are OK. Golden Raisins are good. Golden raisins, sweetener and spices make it great.
Who knew oatmeal was sexy?

Q is for Quinoa

Q is for Quinoa
Quinoa is a seed and oatmeal is a grain but they are friends who enjoy breakfast together. And sometimes eat dessert.

Oatmeal: Pumpkin

P is for Pumpkin
Several bloggers and a semi-family email food newsletter promote pumpkin in oatmeal. I have my own receipe:
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 can pure pumpkin (split the rest into two other containers for later)
1 cup water
salt to taste
sweetener to taste
shakes of cinnamon
shakes of ginger
one shake of cloves
half a shake of nutmeg (I'm anti nutmeg)
microwave on high 2-3 minutes, add a dash of milk
enjoy

P is for Pumpkin Butter
If there is, say, a canned pumpkin shortage, add pumpkin butter to oatmeal.

P is for Peaches
When pumpkin is hard to find.

Oatmeal: Orange Zest

O is for Orange Zest.
My mother-in-law sent me a few steel-cut oatmeal recipes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two: For the Small Slow Cooker. It called for the grated zest of one orange or tangerine and dried fruit. The orange zest gave the oatmeal an added depth that I honestly could not stop eating. It was perfect for a December morning.

Oatmeal: Nuts

N is for Nuts.
Another obvious addition: chopped nuts, any variety and mixture.

N is for Nutella.
I've never tried adding Nutella to my oatmeal, but since Nutella tastes good on almost everything, it must be delicious.

Oatmeal: Milk

M is for Milk.
Obviously. Three choices here: cooked with milk, cooked with water and topped with milk (cereal style) or cooked with milk and topped with milk. More choices: cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or coconut milk.

M is for Molasses
Just don't add too much, it's nasty.

M is for Maple Syrup.
Everyone knows maple syrup goes well in oatmeal.

M is for Macadamia nuts.
Health-wise, these are possibly the worst nuts, taste-wise, one word: yum. Exotic reputation helps.

Oatmeal: Lychee

L is for Lychee.
For an Asian-inspired museli mix sliced lychees, a handful of old-fashioned oatmeal, some dried goji berries, a dash of ground ginger, and chopped peanuts or cashews (or both). Top with soy milk.

Oatmeal: Kiwi

K is for Kiwi.
Make muesli: take some oatmeal, add some sliced kiwi, a touch of honey, enough milk for dry cereal, and handful of chopped dried fruit and chopped nuts. Finish with a dollop of yogurt. Enjoy.

Oatmeal: Jam

J is for Jam.
My son has the VTech Alphabet Train, so at least once a day I hear something similar to: J is for Jam. J ... J ... J. Turn the block over to find the letter ... J.

Jam, jelly, preserves, confiture: it's all fruity sugar. Most flavors work well, except the jalapeno flavored jars we have here in Texas.

Oatmeal: Ice Cream, Irish Cream

I is for Ice Cream.
Ice cream and oatmeal don't seem like they would compliment each other, but they are actually good friends. Witness Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Ice cream can top oatmeal or vice versa. Or, oatmeal can be an ice cream flavor.

I is for Irish Cream.
On Ireland's West Coast, in Killarney, is Crystal Springs Guest House. It's a welcoming bed and breakfast with the traditional Irish breakfast. In addition to blood sausage, guests may order oatmeal topped with brown sugar and Bailey's Irish Cream. Biggest bowl of oatmeal (porridge) I've ever seen. And I ate the whole thing.

Oatmeal: Honey

H is for honey.
All oatmeal needs for a touch of sweetness is honey. My nutritionist told me it's hard to add too much honey. She didn't realize the extent of my sweet tooth. I buy it every month. Local honey is supposed to help with allergies. It doesn't work for me but I still search the grocery store shelves for honey with the yellow local sticker.

Oatmeal: Ground Graham Crackers

G is for ground graham crackers.
A few weeks ago I had lunch at Ruggles Green and ordered the butternut squash side. It was pureed with cream and topped with ground graham crackers. Delicious--the graham crackers add the right amount of vanilla and childhood nostalgia. It would work on oatmeal too.

G is for ground ginger.
Just a touch, fresh ginger wouldn't be as good. Ginger in oatmeal is also good with molasses, cinnamon and a touch of ground clove. That makes it gingerbread oatmeal.

G is for Gingersnaps.
Cookies for breakfast. Not healthy but always fun.

Oatmeal: Figs

F is for Figs.
Why is it about Fig Newtons that make them taste so good? Why shouldn't I mix figs or fig preserves into my oatmeal?

F is for Flax Seed.
Adding ground flax seed to oatmeal increases the health benefits.

Oatmeal: Eggnog

E is for Eggnog.
Eggnog should make a good milk substitute in oatmeal. Granted, I've never had real eggnog and have only added the soy eggnog to oatmeal, but how bad can it be? It's creamy and has cinnamon and nutmeg.

E is for Eggs.
Or rather, Eggs in baked oatmeal.

Oatmeal: Dates

D is for dates.
All I can think of for D are dates.
Dates do not excite me. They don't repulse me either. They are just dates.

Oatmeal: Chocolate

C is for chocolate.
Oatmeal + Chocolate = Happy Morning.
Sometimes, when I make my morning oatmeal, I add a teaspoon of coco powder. If there are squares of unsweetened chocolate or chocolate chips hidden in the pantry, they go in too. No need to discuss the benefits of chocolate and no need to discuss the history: chocolate is good. Period.

C is for cashew butter.
Cashew butter is expensive. I put it in my oatmeal the one time I had some in the house. It was melty and mixed-in well, making a my oatmeal filling, savory, and buttery on my tongue.

C is for coffee.
I have never added brewed or instant coffee to my oatmeal. Now that Starbucks has Via flavors, I might have to try adding instant coffee into my morning oatmeal.

C is for Cinnamon.
Oatmeal with Cinnamon (and sugar) is like BP&J, a classic.

C is for Cinnamon and (ground) clove.
Just a touch of ground clove makes oatmeal and cinnamon into Christmas.

C is for Carob.
Something else I've yet to try, only because I would have to make an effort to get carob chips at Whole Foods.

C is for (grated) carrots.
Another ingredient I've not attempted to mix into my oatmeal. Add carrot, a few raisins, some cinnamon and maybe a dollop of cream cheese (c is for cream cheese!) and I would have carrot cake for breakfast.

C is for cranberries.
Dried or fresh cranberries with sweetener make morning colorful.

C is for cherries.
Dried or fresh. Pitted if fresh.

C is for coffee creamer.
Many, many years ago I lived alone and never bought milk because I never could finish a half gallon. So I got liquid vanilla or hazelnut flavored coffee creamer for my coffee. One day, I added a touch to my oatmeal. It was creamy, delicious, and took no effort. Then discovered soy milk lasts longer than regular milk and comes in flavors too. So I gave up my coffee creamer, which was probably for the best as coffee creamer is one of those food products with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients Michael Pollen says people should avoid ingesting.

C is for coconut.
Tomorrow, I may have to add coconut to my chocolate oatmeal, just to try.

Oatmeal: Banana

B is for Bananas and Blueberries. Sometimes, B is for blackberries, but only when I have a bag of frozen blackberries and it is "eat from the freezer" week.

B is for blueberries.
Dried, fresh, or frozen. If frozen, defrosted slightly to make purple water and therefore purple oatmeal.

B is for banana.
Take a frozen banana, break it in half. Defrost in bowl for 2 minutes. Add a half cup of quick oats, a dash of salt, and a cup of water. Heat 3 minutes on high. Mix well. Enjoy.

B is for Brazil Nuts.
Add two Brazil nuts to oatmeal for a day's worth of selenium.

B is for brown sugar.

Oatmeal: Apple

In my mind, oatmeal is like ice cream. Good on its own, better with mix-ins, best with mix-ins AND toppings.

Being wholesome, mushy, and somewhat time consuming to prepare, oatmeal has a bad reputation. I fell in love with it more than six years ago when I trained for a marathon and found a bowl of oatmeal and a banana to be the best combination of foods for me before a long run. I started looking forward to getting up so I could make my breakfast and add new foods, spices, and milk to my oatmeal. My mix-ins and toppings.

Before I start my list, I should say I like all kinds of oatmeal (rolled, old-fashioned, and quick) because certain mix-ins work best with certain base oatmeal types. I use water, not milk, and I always add a pinch of salt.

Here is my list, in alphabetical order, of what I like in my oatmeal.

A is for Apple.

Diced apple. Good.
Diced apple with cinnamon. Better.
Diced apple with cinnamon and sugar. Perfection. Like pie for breakfast.

A is for Agave Nectar.
This is controversial and expensive. Agave nectar doesn't have a strong flavor (like honey) and lightly sweetens up a bowl of oatmeal. I don't use it everyday, due to the expense. However, it's quick, simple, and I like it.

A is for Apple Butter.
Nutritionally empty(as are apples, according to my husband). Faster than dicing an apple.

A is for Apricots.
Dried apricots. Honestly, I've never had fresh apricots.

A is for Almonds.
A is for Almond Butter.
Chopped almonds in oatmeal are good but the almond butter melts and makes it especially delicious. Some people like crunch, I like melted streaks of nut butter.

A is not for Almond Extract.
Adding almond extract to oatmeal is a bad move. Just avoid.

M.F.K. Fisher: Kasha

What I like about Fisher's thoughts on Kasha (aka Buckwheat groats) is that she says "It can be bought most easily, at least in Western America, from 'health food stores.'" There were already health food stores in 1942?

Well, I didn't have to take off for Whole Foods or Sprouts, I was able to find buckwheat next to the oatmeal under the "organic" label at my HEB, however it was only available in a bag, not in bulk. I followed the directions, but there was overflow and a boiling mess to clean up. It fluffed up nicely though, despite my inattention.

It was indeed nutty, as Fisher said it would be, and I liked it well enough but can't think of what to serve it with to round out a meal. Fisher suggest meat or fowl and combining it with mushrooms. I can't imagine the look on my husband's face if I served him steak and a pile of buckwheat. (I just had progress getting him to agree to quinoa if it is spicy. I've been searching for spicy quinoa recipes for days ... .) I am intrigued with the mushroom idea for my own lunch. Maybe next week. In the meantime, I'll be searching for recipes using buckwheat since I have about three more cups to use up--and a cooked serving is a 1/4 cup.

M.F.K. Fisher: J is for Juvenile Applesauce

In An Alphabet for Gourmets, Fisher takes a different approach than other gastronomic volumes in going through alphabet. It's not "A is for Apple, B is for Borscht" (page 575 in TAOE) but rather "A is for dining Alone, E is for Exquisite, F is for Family, I is for Innocence." Sometimes basic, sometimes deeper, but always with thought-provoking thoughts on her topic and usually with recipes, sometimes crazy ones.

That said, there are not any good recipes in The Art of Eating which begin with J. So I turned to J is for Juvenile where Fisher describes feeding her daughter and discusses her mother's applesauce. So that is why I chose to make applesauce for my son for my J recipe.

It was easy, peel Rome apples, boil, let cool, then puree. I should note that Fisher says applesauce should be lumpy and "never, never, never pureed." I am feeding a 6-month old. I pureed it. I also did not add the pat of butter that made the applesauce prepared by Fisher's mother "the best applesauce I have ever eaten."

For myself, I did add some vanilla and cinnamon. Next time I eat it--which will be soon since I have so much now, including a jar of organic applesauce--I will add brown sugar and cinnamon. The time after that, maybe some lemon zest. If I have lemons.

M.F.K. Fisher: All I could find was Fish in Lime

I is for Fish in Lime. That's three Is. So it works for my alphabet. Fisher does not have many recipes that start with I in The Art of Eating. Instant rice and riz a l'Imperatrice (which seems to be rice pudding and requires 16 eggs, red currant jelly, and a Bauvarian cream mold.) So I found an obscure sentence about baking fish in lime juice on page 225. Almost at the same time, Yumsugar reposted a recipe for Lime Steamed Salmon, which I baked, after digging out my steamer basket and finding it to be tiny.

It was OK. Honestly, it deserved better salmon and more salt than I used. I might try it again, in my tiny steamer basket. It was a nice break from the very brave seafood Jambalaya I made Monday and will be eating until Tuesday. Not that my husband is complaining, it was good, though time consuming, and called for two heads of garlic and some of the fish tastes funny. Also, now that I think of it, I should start questioning the fishmonger and demand better quality.

Grandma's Burnt Sugar Cake: Syrup Experiement #1

Per my mother's request, I am attempting to recreate my grandmother's Burnt Sugar Cake. Today seemed like a good day to start as I have been hiding inside and letting an Arctic Blast attack Texas.

Hiding in my house means that when I discovered I was out of butter for the cake part, I decided to forget about putting on shoes, coat on myself and my 6-month old and going to the store. Instead, I decided to practice the burning sugar syrup part and worry about the cake later. (I can't think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow.)

Grandma's instructions (in the entirety)
Burn in a skillet: 1/2 C. Sugar
Then add: 1/2 C. water
Cook to a syrup, but don't cook too long.

GAAAAAAAAAAA!!! What temperature is the skillet? How long will it take the sugar to burn? Mom said something about a cast iron skillet--do I need one? Don't cook too long? How long is too long?

What I learned today: it doesn't take long for the sugar to burn. It's scary to add water to burning sugar. In fact, I ran across the kitchen when it started to splatter and sputter unkindly at me. According to this blog, I probably stirred it too much and took it off the heat too soon, because I didn't end up with syrup, but with brown simple syrup.

M.F.K. Fisher: Gingerbread

G is for Gingerbread.

In How to Cook a Wolf, Fisher says her mother's recipe for Gingerbread "... is the best recipe for gingerbread ever devised." Reminder, How to Cook a Wolf was published in 1942. Edith's Gingerbread is a basic gingerbread recipe with one exception: boiling water. I've made a few different versions of cakey gingerbread and never seen boiling water. She notes that the batter will seem "much too thin to make a cake." She's right. It seemed very thin and watery. In the book, it says to bake for 20 minutes. When I looked at my cake after that time, it was wiggling and was much more solid after 11 more minutes.

Fisher describes the gingerbread as springy. It is indeed springy. However, I have another recipe which does not contain shortening and has more molasses that I like better. So, I probably would not make this again. However, my husband thinks it was pretty good, but then he seems to like baked goods with shortening (trans fats) in them.

M.F.K. Fisher: F is for Foo Yeung

F is for Foo Yeung.

I keep calling Foo Yeung "Foo Goo," since that's what my grandfather used to call me (no, I don't know why he called me that).

Anyway, it's basically an omelette, however, Fisher states that is is similar to a frittata. It's made up of diced onions, celery, green pepper, and mushrooms and eggs. I think of it as fried rice, without the rice. She does note that other things can be added to her recipe--shrimp, cooked rice, chicken, fried almonds and "minced cooked porkhambeefvealfish."

The main thing I learned making this was that I don't like celery in my eggs. I would not make this again, I would just make fried rice. I love me some fried rice.

Homemade Baby Food: ABC

Honestly, I never expected to be someone who made their own baby food. I never intended to use cloth diapers either. For the diapers, it's just that I read a lot and listened to several podcasts and everyone made it seem so easy. And it is.

As for baby food, it suddenly seemed easy when my mother said she made my baby food. Her moment came when she saw the price for baby food bananas and decided she could mash her own.

So, I got an immersion blender and ice cube trays for Christmas and now have three bags of food in my freezer.

We did start my son off on rice and oatmeal. And we do use the 4 day wait rule for introducing new foods to my son. So we don't have a long list of foods that he has tasted/eaten.

A is for Avocado

Take a ripe avocado. Mash it. Maybe add some breast milk or formula, to make it a little creamier. Done.

Feed to eager baby. Expect stained clothes and bibs. Make yourself guacamole with leftover avocado (which, admittedly, is the whole reason to feed your baby avocado in the first place.)

B is for Banana

Cut banana in half. Mash with fork. Maybe add milk/formula. Done.

Feed to baby. Eat the rest of the banana yourself. Expect stained bib/clothes and very sticky, fibrous diapers. (Thank you, Dad, for the diaper sprayer. I really, really appreciate it.)

C is for Carrots

I should note that we always have a bag of baby carrots around the house. And I should confess that yes, I do know baby carrots are big carrots cut up. And yes, I do know it is cheaper to buy whole carrots and peel and cut them myself. But I just won't do that. I like that the baby carrots are cut up and I like having them around.

Steam baby carrots until tender. Allow to cool. Add a little water (but not water used to steam carrots--nitrates apparently). Blend. Pour into ice cube trays. Freeze. Pop out of trays. Place in bags. Label. Take out one cube at a time to defrost in fridge overnight.

I should also say thank you to the people who gave me some stage 2 baby food. I don't want you to think I am ungrateful, we've opened some of it already. And I'll break into it when introducing meats, since I am intimidated by cooking meat for me, the thought of cooking it for my son terrifies me.

Sources

Wholesomebabyfood: Best reference site about foods, includes recipes. Breaks down feeding by ages and foods and includes nutrition. Includes helpful info on freezing. Well-respected--most linked to from other sites.

Weelicious: A California Mother posts baby/toddler foods daily on her blog. Lists many sources and foods are broken down by ages. Does make me feel guilty for baking with sugar and using white rice. Some ingredients are hard to find without a trip to Whole Foods.

BabyFood101: Big database, lists ages and has recipes. I've not used it too much, yet.

Nurture Baby: Another mother's website/company. Has nutrition info. Seems better for toddlers.

Articles

Chow: Make Your Own Baby Food. A few basic recipes.

Gourmet: Bringing Up Baby. Read now before it disappears.

Seattle Examiner: How to Make Your Own Baby Food.

Book

Top 100 Baby Purees. There are several other books out there, but this one gives cooking times, freezing suggestions, and has pictures. I like pictures in my cookbooks.

M.F.K. Fisher: Date Delight and Hard Sauce

D is for Date Delight, H is for Hard Sauce. (E was for Eggs in Hell, F will be Foo Yeung, and G will be for Gingerbread)

The name Date Delight sounds pleasant and happy in a rather British way. It also sounds like it should be related to Turkish Delight. According to Fisher's commentary, Date Delight "makes a pleasant hot dessert which is definitely a pudding." So, it is related to the British! As in Figgy Pudding, Christmas Pudding, etc. And like Figgy Pudding, it is served with a lemon sauce, what Fisher calls Hard Sauce, which has rum in it.

Among the many things Date Delight called for was crumbs. Crumbs. What kind? Can I use Graham cracker crumbs? But I was saving my Graham cracker crumbs for Magic Bars. So I used my food processor and crumbed some bread. I also only had dried dates on hand and used half the amount called for in the recipe.

It smelled delicious while baking, but came out cakey. Rather like a cinnamon coffee cake, but dotted with dates, which I now prefer to raisins after this experiment.

Fisher says its an expensive dish. Hmmm, I disagree there as I had almost everything on hand but the dates. She also says it should be the main point of a meal and should be served after soup and salad, is a winter thing, and that men like it more than do women. I tried to make it the main point and served it as dessert after salmon, green beans, and a carrot/cheese/rice casserole side dish. I agree with Fisher, it is a winter thing, mainly because of the spices used in baking and it's relationship to puddings. And my husband did say it was good. However, back to that main point of a meal ... after eating it, my husband had ice cream, a Purdy's chocolate, Boy Scout popcorn AND a beer. So for him, it turned out to be more of a side dish.

As for the Hard Sauce. That didn't work out at all. Maybe it was because I didn't properly cream the butter and powdered sugar or maybe those two things cannot be creamed, but I ended up throwing it out. Instead, I turned to a similar recipe in How to Be A Domestic Goddess which mixed powdered sugar and lemon juice, but didn't call for butter or shortening. And I poured in--a little too fast--some Southern Comfort (since I don't have rum).

All I really tasted was the fruity Southern Comfort. Poured on the Date Delight, it reminded me of my Grandmother's neighbor's famous Rum Cake, but with more flavor.

Would I make it again? Possibly. If I had leftover dates. I wouldn't bother with the Hard Sauce.