For part one, click here.
The pink blossoms are apricots and the white blossoms are plums!
The First Blossoms of 2016, Part II
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Author Archives: Jess
The First Blossoms of 2016, Part I
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:
when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
-Charles Dickens
It is officially that time of the year around here, and I love it. It means that good and warm things are on their way. And, it’s blossom time.
AKA, the time of the year where I will, for better or worse, fill my blog with photos of fruit trees in bloom (see last year’s post here). I can’t help it though, this is all just too beautiful to not share.
Today I’m sharing some photos of the very first little blossoms to show up. These photos were captured on a Thursday evening, an evening that perfectly reflected the Dickens quote at the top, driving around the orchards with Greg. A perfect evening. We drove around, I captured photos, we enjoyed the sun and then watched it begin to set. On an evening like that, I’m as happy as can be.
Here’s to many more evenings like that one, enjoying and capturing what is beautiful.
P.S. Stay tuned for many more blossom photos. I am sharing half of my photos from that evening today, and I’ll post the other half tomorrow. But there will be more, this is just the beginning of blossom time. Also, these are apricot trees!
Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal
As I type this, a bowl of this peanut butter + jam oatmeal sits in front of me for breakfast, as it has for countless days now. Each bite that I take is warm + comforting, especially as I look out the window to the gray morning sky and white ground.
That’s how this oatmeal came to be. A yearning for something warm. I’ve had a smoothie for breakfast almost daily for the last two years, but one cold Saturday morning recently, a smoothie just wasn’t going to do. I thought oatmeal sounded like a good idea, but I wanted it to be extra comforting, extra warm, extra special. Introducing: the breakfast that happily broke my two and a half year smoothie streak.
Let’s talk about it. The peanut butter and jam, it’s not in your face flavor wise, but I’d say that you do have to appreciate those flavors to enjoy this oatmeal. More than anything though, the coming together of the oats, milk, peanut butter and applesauce creates something special. The combination creates the creamiest oats I’ve ever had, no kidding. These creamy oats have a pleasant hint of peanut butter flavor, with a sweet/tartness coming from the jam and some crunchy texture from the toppings. I’d say that no one single flavor sticks out, everything just comes together in all the right ways.
If you plan to make this, here are some more details:
The peanut butter. If you like peanut butter, you will like this oatmeal. If you don’t like peanut butter, you still might like this oatmeal. If you LOVE peanut butter, you might actually want to add more than I suggest. The peanut butter flavor is not overpowering. Use an unsalted peanut butter if possible. If you do use a salted peanut butter, decrease the amount of salt that you add to the oatmeal. I have noted this below the recipe as well.
The jam. I thought that the jam would add sweetness, which it did, but it also adds tartness, an unexpected flavor that I love. Try to use a jam that has lemon juice in it, as that helps to add the right amount of tartness to these oats. I have been loving strawberry and blueberry jam but use what you love.
The applesauce. It acts as the main sweetener, with no other sugar added to these oats. And I will be honest, this is not a sweet dish, but that is how I prefer it. If you like things a little sweeter, you may want to use a sweetened applesauce (I use no sugar added applesauce) or you may want to add some other form of sweetener. Play around, find what you like.
The oats. Use old fashioned or rolled oats. I thought about trying this with steel cut oats because I do love them, but I am just obsessed with the original version made with rolled oats, so why mess with something that works. Like I said above, these are the creamiest oats I’ve ever had so I don’t plan to change it up.
The milk. I have no doubt that these oats would work and be great with any kind of milk. I always use original unsweetened almond milk, but use what you love.
Toppings. I really like to serve this with an extra dollop of jam and something crunchy. The extra jam, just because I love it and you just can’t have too much and the crunchy toppings for texture. I have been doing a sprinkle of hemp seeds but so many different things could work here. Another kind of seed, a variety of chopped nuts or a combination of both. Play around with it, find what toppings make you happy.
A few more notes:
This can be made into a single serving recipe, as that’s how I made and enjoyed it the first few times. I will list that recipe below as well. If you do make the four serving version, keep in mind that it does reheat very well. As I am the only one who will eat this in my house, that’s what I do. I just microwave the leftovers with a splash of almond milk for two minutes. Also, as far as what you bake this oatmeal in, there are options. In the recipe below, I state to cook it and then also bake it in an oven proof pot, like a dutch oven, like I did for the batch you see in the photos. I have done that successfully, and it’s nice to use only one dish. I have also successfully used an eight inch enamel cast iron skillet. If you don’t have something that can go from stove top to oven, just cook the oats in a regular pot on the stove and then transfer to any kind of baking dish for the oven. One thing to note is that you may want to lightly grease the dish that you bake it in to prevent sticking.
I hope that these oats bring you as much happiness, comfort and warmth as they have been bringing me!
Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal
2016-01-26 07:19:09
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt*
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups milk of choice (I always use almond)
- 1 cup applesauce**
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup fruit jam or preserves (I like strawberry and blueberry)***, plus more for serving
- Crunchy toppings (I like hemp seeds and chopped nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the coconut oil (or butter) in an oven proof pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. They are done when they smell toasted. Transfer the oats to a bowl, add salt and set aside.
- Add the water and milk to the pot and bring to a light boil. Once lightly boiling, add the oats, stir, turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until oatmeal has thickened but is still very creamy. Add the applesauce and stir. Add the peanut butter and stir well until everything is combined.
- {If you are not using an oven proof pot, transfer the oatmeal to a baking dish now}.
- Turn off the heat, spoon the jam on top and lightly swirl it into the oatmeal.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until oatmeal is lightly bubbling and lightly browned on top.
- Serve, topped with a dollop of jam and crunchy toppings of choice.
Notes
- * The peanut butter that I use is not salted. If you use peanut butter that is salted, you may want to decrease the amount of salt that you add to this recipe.
- ** I use no sugar added applesauce. Keep in mind that because applesauce is the primary sweetener in this recipe, the type that you use will affect the sweetness of the oatmeal. The no sugar added applesauce makes the oatmeal just right for me, but if you like things a little sweeter, you might want to use a sweetened applesauce.
- *** Try to use a higher quality jam or fruit preserves that is as close to just fruit as possible. I think that the good stuff is worth it and makes a big difference in this recipe.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/
Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal - single serving
2016-02-01 10:05:36
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (or butter)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (I always use almond)
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- Heaping 1 tablespoon fruit jam or preserves (I like strawberry and blueberry), plus more for serving
- Crunchy toppings (I like hemp seeds and chopped nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the coconut oil (or butter) in a small pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. They are done when they smell toasted. Transfer the oats to a bowl, add salt and set aside.
- Add the water and milk to the pot and bring to a light boil. Once lightly boiling, add the oats, stir, turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until oatmeal has thickened but is still very creamy. Add the applesauce and stir. Add the peanut butter and stir well until everything is combined.
- Transfer the oats to a small oven proof bowl or dish.
- Spoon the jam on top and lightly swirl it into the oatmeal.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, or until oatmeal is lightly bubbling and lightly browned on top.
- Serve, topped with a dollop of jam and crunchy toppings of choice.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/
Nourishment Lately 2.17.16
{Slippers and french press coffee, made for me, by Greg, for my birthday. 2.9.16}
Here’s what has been nourishing us lately.
These spiced lentil, sweet potato and kale whole wheat pockets. We tried this recipe a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. We have been trying to make and freeze as much food as possible lately, to take advantage of all the freezer space that we have and to stock up for our busy spring, summer and fall. We made a double batch of these, ate half for dinner/lunch and froze the other half. These pockets were not only incredibly delicious, but so fun to make, too! We tried to stay as organized as possible when making them and it really helped the process go smoothly, as these do take some time + work. We did a little assembly line. I rolled out each piece of dough and passed it off to Greg’s station, where he had the lentil filling in one bowl and the mashed sweet potatoes in another (we didn’t add the extra caramelized onions, for simplicity). He filled, folded and pinched. Only changes we made were leaving out the caramelized onions and adding more spices – just about double what the recipe called for. We also added some feta cheese to a couple of the pockets – they were good both with and without cheese. Also, the dough for this recipe is my new favorite pizza-like dough. It was so soft, fluffy and delicious. We will for sure be making these again, as is, but also using the dough recipe with other fillings.
These homemade chicken cheesesteaks. Or in our case, mushroom cheesesteaks. This is a recipe that we have been making + loving for years and for the last few months, Greg has been requesting it. Finally on the day of the Super Bowl, I made these and we both agreed that it was the best we’ve ever made them. It may have been due to the fact that we made homemade rolls for the first time ever (see below), but now I truly can’t wait to make them again. What I do: I leave out the chicken completely. This time around, I made eight sandwiches and for that I used 2 large green peppers, 2 large yellow onions and 8 portabello mushrooms. I cooked the onions and peppers together first and then I cooked the mushrooms, just because I didn’t want the pan to be too full at once. I made one and a half recipes of the cheese sauce (didn’t want to skimp, because it is the good stuff). For the cheese sauce, try to use a realllly good, realllly sharp white cheddar. Good cheese is worth it here. For the assembly, I went cheese sauce first into the roll, then pepper/onion/mushroom mixture and then topped each sandwich with a little bit of shredded cheddar. This hasn’t always been the case with these, but this time around, with the homemade rolls, these were great leftover warmed in the microwave. Wish we still had some leftover, but they went quickly! 🙂
These easy hoagie rolls. So I’ve already mentioned these above, but I can’t sing enough praises about these rolls, really! I have been intimidated by sub (or hoagie) rolls for the entire time that I’ve been making bread. Greg has really wanted to try them and for some reason, I have been just afraid to do it. Last Sunday, I picked this recipe (after much consideration) and just went for it. They turned out fantastic! I followed the recipe except I used 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour and I used 2 tablespoons of honey and no sugar. It was not hard to do, and it seems that the part that I was most afraid of, the shaping of the rolls, is actually pretty forgiving. My “shaping” of the rolls was a total guess and way less than perfect, but when it came down to it, they all made great sandwiches. These rolls are soft and hearty and will be made again and again in our house!
These one-pot creamy spinach lentils. I made this for dinner last week for the first time and it was definitely nourishing. There were so many reasons we loved this. It was quick and easy to make, it was warm and comforting to eat, it was healthy and it made a lot which was great for leftovers. Greg said that it kind of reminded him of chicken pot pie, but a vegetarian version and without crust. Changes I made – doubled up on the onion, carrot and celery, used veggie broth instead of chicken broth, used dried herbs instead of fresh and added a splash of lemon juice. We will be making this again and again.
I’d love to know what has been nourishing you. Leave links to your favorite recipes in the comments!
Nourishment Lately 2.9.16
{We always get pretty sunsets, this night especially so. 2.3.16}
Hi everyone, I hope that your weekend was wonderful!
Before I get into today’s Nourishment Lately post, I wanted to mention something that my mom brought up to me about this new series. She asked me how she would find a recipe that I linked to in one of these posts that she didn’t save otherwise. She asked, for example, how she would find the baked steel cut oatmeal recipe that I linked to last Monday, if she wanted that recipe in a few weeks, and forgot which post it was in. Great point and great question, mom!
So, I have done a couple of things to make that an easier process. So that in a few weeks, when you are looking for that great oatmeal recipe, you can find it easily, without aimlessly scrolling through post after post!
First, I made a ‘Nourishment Lately’ tab on the top menu. When you look up at the top of this page, you will see NOURISHMENT LATELY listed right after HOME and ABOUT (as seen in the image below).
If you click on that, you will see a running list of each post that I do in this series, with a brief summary of the recipes that were linked to in each (as seen in the image below). That way it is not a complete guessing game as to which post you are looking for.
Second, you can go to my Pinterest page, where I have created a Nourishment Lately board, to which I will pin all of the recipes that I link to in these posts. That way, you can easily scroll through that board, find the photo of the recipe that you are looking for, click on it and there you go!
I hope that this makes things easier for all!
And now, onto this week’s nourishment. This week, I’m focusing on some of my favorite wintertime dinners. The recipes below are ones that are, for me, tried and true and ones that are a really good representation of what we eat for dinner in the winter.
Spiced lentil soup with coconut milk. I just love, love this soup. This recipe has been a winter dinner staple for years, and I have to say that it is one of my all time favorite meals. This soup makes me feel good in so many ways. The ingredients, the flavors, it’s all just so perfect. I make it almost exactly as written, but I don’t use the lemongrass, I usually use kale as the green and I don’t top it with coconut or cilantro. This is in our regular, weekly rotation right now.
This orecchiette with red onions, almonds and green olives. This is a new-found dinner love of mine. We started making this a few months ago and I now look forward to every single time it’s on the weekly menu. It’s so easy to make, so it’s a great weeknight dinner and the flavors are just brilliant! The combo of red onion, green olive and almond is not one that I would have thought of but is now one that I am obsessed with! I just use whatever noodle I have on hand – usually a whole wheat penne or other small noodle. I have made this cheese-less too, for those who are interested. To do that, I leave out the Parmesan and ricotta and instead, top it with a mixture of finely chopped almonds and nutritional yeast. Good both ways!
This broccoli, lemon and parmesan soup. This is another one that I have been making for a long time and love oh so much. Very few ingredients are needed to make this yummy soup, again, making it a great weeknight meal.
This beet gnocchi. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know how much I love this recipe. I did a special post about it here. But truly, this meal is fantastic. And great for wintertime. There is some work + time involved in this recipe so not so great as a weeknight meal, but when I do make this, I make it on the weekend and freeze half of the recipe. It can then be cooked straight from frozen, making that a great weeknight meal. Greg says that this is his favorite meal ever.
This white beans and cabbage. I love this meal. When I first made this recipe years ago, I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it, but had a lot of cabbage to use so I thought I’d give it a try. Greg and I both love this recipe, just as is. And recently, I made a slightly different version – but one that a lot of people may be familiar with – cabbage and noodles. I used whole wheat penne, a head of cabbage, an onion, olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Either way you do it, I love those simple cabbage meals!