Baked Oatmeal is for Winter

What could be better than a bowl of baked oatmeal on a cold morning?

I went to a friend's house and she served us some of her yummy baked oatmeal for brunch. She added blueberries that she had picked and froze last summer.  Just simply delicious!  I came home and realized it's so easy and it lasted us all week! Savannah and I have been putting leftovers in bowls, adding milk and microwaving them until warm.   I had a bag of frozen mixed berries I added and loved it!  I think you can throw anything you'd like in the mix- even shredded carrots to give it a "carrot cake" look and taste.

Here's the recipe I used- but there are tons out there and feel free to swap out or switch up as much as you'd like with a simple recipe like this.

Winter Baked Oatmeal

5 cups of oats
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
 1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Options: 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 shredded carrots, chocolate chips, frozen berries, fresh seasonal fruit ( I have enjoyed strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, apples etc).
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix up everything in a bowl and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Any leftovers store nicely in the refrigerator!

Eat Your Veggies!

Who knew a bowl of steamed veggies could taste so good!? I simply washed and threw them into the steamer part of my pot and placed the lid on, testing them once in a while to check their done-ness. I didn't want them overcooked and since carrots take longer, I cut them thinner. I simply added a little butter and salt to my bowl and wham! Tasty! I could make a meal out of it, but my dear hubby might keel over and die a few hours later so this was a side dish for him :)

Steaming the a better way to go for a more nutritious diet than boiling because fewer nutrients are leached away into the water, which is usually discarded. I guess that rules out stir-fry!

Japanese Cabbage Pancake- Okonomiyaki

I had my first okonomiyaki in Taipei, actually. As Faith and I sat at the table, a chef came and turned on the table griddle and mixed a bowl of shredded cabbage and corn in a batter. What I ate, was FANTASTIC! I didn't expect it to taste so good! This week, I attempted to make my own. I found a bottle of Japanese okonomiyaki sauce which is close to Worcestershire sauce but thicker. If you love cabbage, you'll love this and it's SO easy! There are many different recipes online and you can add just about anything! In Taipei, we tried one with noodles and beef. So whatever you have on hand, try adding it to the mix and see how you like it.

Okonomiyaki- makes 4- 4" pancakes
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 egg
1/4 of a cabbage, about 2-3 cups packed (shredded)
1 carrot, about 1/2 cup (grated)
1/2 cup corn
1 green onion (chopped)
okonomiyaki sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
mayonnaise*
green onion (chopped)

Directions:
Mix the flour, water, egg, cabbage, carrot and whatever else you want in a large bowl.
Heat some oil in pan.
Pour a 4th of the mixture into the pan and use a spatula to round the edges.
Cook on medium heat until golden brown on the bottom and then flip, about 5-7 minutes minutes per side.
Decorate with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise and green onion.
* I did a little creation with my mayonnaise by mixing a few tablespoons of mayo, 1/2 tsp. paprika, drop of lemon juice and a dot of ketchup just for a zing. It gave it a pink color which was fun. :)