Baked Oatmeal

Serves 2

1 cup regular oats

2 cups water

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ cups chopped walnuts or pecans

7 dried apple rings (cut into little pieces)

2 Tbs brown sugar

In saucepan mix oats, water, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and bring to a boil.  Cover pan and turn heat to low. Let it simmer about 3 – 5 minutes.

Divide oatmeal into two ovenproof dishes. Top each with nuts, apples and sugar (divide the above amounts between two bowls). Cook in preheated oven at 250° for 5 minutes or put under broiler for 1 minute. (not too close to broiler)

Serve with canned milk.


Notes: This serving size was more than I could eat, but Marilyn and McKay both finished theirs. 
I would like to try adding raisins, but I'm all out so I'll try it next time. 
Marilyn loved this oatmeal so it has been teenager tested and approved.

Floating Island Pudding (Apple)

Here is a copy of my original recipe:

I love the card that it is written on. So 70's!

Here is a more measured and precise recipe that I can really follow:

6 medium apples (cored, peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in bowl. Set aside.

Biscuit dough:

2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil instead of shortening like the original recipe said)
3/4 cup milk (or 2 Tbs dry milk and 3/4 cup water)

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and milk: stir with fork just until dough is mixed. Too much handling makes the dough tough.

Put half of the dough into the bottom of a large casserole dish and spread with fingers. Add apple mixture on top. Put the rest of the dough on top of the apples.

Dough on the bottom

Add apples

Dough on the top

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cut 1/2 Tbs butter into little pieces and place on top of dough. Pour 2 cups hot water (just from the tap) over the whole thing. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: If you like a little more "pudding" you can put it in a deep oven proof dish and add 3 cups hot water.
Some of my family likes more, some like less.

This is good served hot with ice cream or whipped cream on top.

Crepes

From Tibos ”Crepes from around the world” (with only a few adjustments)

Makes about 10 fairly thick 12” crepes

1 ¼  cup wheat flour (best from soft white wheat)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs sugar

1 egg

1 cup water

1 1/3 cup milk

In large mixing bowl, combine all the flour, salt, and sugar and stir to mix well. Add egg, water and milk. Whisk until smooth. (Note: to make from food storage use 1 Tbs dehydrated egg and 1/3 cup milk powder and add to dry ingredients)

Pour 1/3 cup batter onto hot griddle and spread into about a 12 inch circle. I have a spreader made for cooking crepes, but the back of a large spoon would work. You need to work fast here, the dough starts to cook quickly. (It took me a while to get the hang of it.) Cook 15 to 20 seconds and flip over. Add filling to center of crepe, fold in ends and sides and let cook for about 30 seconds, then turn over and let cook for about 20 seconds more to make sure filling is hot.  Serve immediately.

Between cooking each crepe, make sure to rub the griddle with a paper towel with olive oil on it. The griddle must be non stick.  I have a crepe griddle and I love it, but it is kind of a big thing to store if kitchen space is tight.

Note: If I want to make enough for the family before I serve them, I put the cooked crepes on a plate and put them in the oven with the oven light on. My oven light is on the top of the oven and so I put them on the top rack right under the light.  You can also put them in the microwave and shut the door to keep them warm.

I served diced tomatoes and lettuce for topping the crepes at the table.

Filling Ideas for savory crepes:

Salmon filling:

Mix 3 oz cream cheese, 1 can drained salmon, and 1/3 cup chopped cucumber or celery.  This is enough for 4 – 5 crepes

Chicken filling:

Same as salmon, but replace can of salmon with can of chicken.

Eggs, grated cheese and bacon or ham are also good in crepes. I scramble the eggs before I use them in a filling.

Sweet crepes:

After making the savory crepes, I sometimes add a little vanilla to the batter before cooking the dessert crepes.

Follow the same instructions as above, but instead of putting filling in, sprinkle with sugar, or cinnamon and sugar or spread some nutella on the crepe.  Fold the crepe in half or fourths to serve. Marshmallows and chocolate chips would probably be good.  I’ve never tried it, but I bet it would be gooey and yummy. 

Filling them with fruit and whip cream is also delicious. I just cook the crepes and serve with a bowl of fruit and a bowl of cream. Fruit jam would work also. (food storage)

Batter

Salmon filling

Fold over

Ready to turn and warm other side

Cinnamon and Sugar

Cornmeal Mush (or pudding)

This is more like pudding than a typical mush. When I eat this I really miss my dad. It takes me back to the kitchen table in Logandale, the sun is streaming in the windows and dad is moving about the kitchen getting toast and pomegranate jelly to go with the mush. The orange juice drink was generally served with this.

From Grandpa Bert Whitney

Serves about 3

2 cups cold water

½ tsp salt

½ cup cornmeal (I store my cornmeal in the freezer to keep it fresh)

2 egg whites

½ tsp vanilla

Pour water and salt into saucepan. Sprinkle cornmeal a little at a time into water and salt stirring in each addition until smooth. Cook on medium high heat stirring constantly until mush thickens and boils. Turn off the heat and cover, leaving it on the burner to keep it hot.

The consistency is pretty thick after cooking

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Add hot mush a spoonful at a time, mixing after each addition. The hot mush cooks the egg whites as it is stirred in. Stir in the vanilla and serve hot with canned milk and sugar (white or brown).

Add cooked mush to egg whites

Ready to serve

Monkey Bread

This is a family favorite that one of the boys brought home from pre school many years ago. I'm sure the reason it is a favorite is all the butter and sugar. We don't have it too often, but it still gets requested sometimes.

Serves 4 - 5
2 pkgs. refrigerator biscuit dough
2 Tbs butter (melted)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix cinnamon and sugar together and put in a shaker. (like a salt shaker) I just keep one filled with cinnamon and sugar in the cupboard. Open biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into fourths. I do this by laying them in a row on a cutting board and using a pizza cutter to cut them. If you have a child helping you, this is their favorite part. Place half of the biscuit dough in a 9 X 9 baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the dough. Add the rest of the dough and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

Stir the brown sugar into the melted butter and sprinkle this on top of the dough.

Brown sugar added

Bake at 375 for 15 - 18 min.
Remove from oven and turn pan upside down on plate. Serve.

Out of the oven

Ready to serve

Applesauce Oatmeal Pancakes

Makes about 8 pancakes

½ cup whole wheat flour (best if made from soft white wheat)

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup milk (or 1 Tbs. powder milk and ½ C. water)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 large egg whites (or 1 egg)

1 Tbs olive oil

Place ingredients in medium bowl and whisk until well blended.

Heat griddle to 375 degrees (medium). When griddle is hot, pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles appear and edges are puffed. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden.

These are slow cooking pancakes. Don't rush them.

Note: I added 1/2 cup fresh blueberries to batter before cooking. After they were cooked, I put on a little butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They were delicious.

Cinnamon Crispies

From Betty Crocker’s Easy Breakfasts and Brunches

½ cup margarine or butter (1 stick)

2 cups flour

¼  cup sugar

2/3  cup milk

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Sugar

Heat oven to 425°. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Heat margarine until melted; reserve 2 Tbs. Mix remaining margarine, the flour, ¼ cup sugar, the milk, baking powder and salt in large bowl until dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times.

Divide dough into halves. Roll or pat one half of dough into rectangle, 9 x 5 inches. Brush with half of reserved melted margarine. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up tightly, beginning at 5 inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Cut roll into 4 equal pieces with sharp knife. Place cut sides up on cookie sheets; pat each into 6 inch circle. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets with spatula. Cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough, melted margarine and cinnamon-sugar mixture.

This one is not sprinkled with sugar before cooking because my family likes a little vanilla frosting on top instead. 

Granola

From Rebecca Davidson

Rebecca is my neighbor and she gave this recipe to me a couple of years ago.  I usually keep some on hand. I have adjusted a few measurements to suit our tastes, so this is not the exact recipe she gave me, but my adjusted one. This is a big batch and it stays fresh about 3 months in an airtight container. It may last longer, if it didn't get eaten.

Measurements are approximate:

4 C rolled oats

1 ½ C puffed wheat (available at health food store)

1 ½ C puffed brown rice (available at health food store)

2 C puffed millet (available at health food store)

2 C puffed kamut (available at health food store)

1 C sliced raw almonds (or whole)

2 C chopped raw pecans

1 C raw cashew pieces

1 C raw sunflower seeds

3 C unsweetened coconut

½ C flax seed

1 ½ C pumpkin seeds (raw)

Mix in large bowl.

In saucepan, heat:

1 ½ C unrefined, virgin coconut oil (available at health food store)

2 C honey

1 ½ T vanilla

½ t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

2 t salt

Add any combination:

raisins, craisins, dried apricots, dried apples, dried pineapple, etc.

Pour warm mixture over oat mixture and stir until moistened. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Spread mixture evenly on sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes (or until golden), stirring occasionally. I bake for 7 minutes, then stir and put back in for 8 more minutes. Remove and cool. Store in airtight container. Makes about 30 cups.

Cinnamon Rolls

I use the roll dough found here.

Grease your hands with Pam or butter to handle the dough a little easier. Roll out ½ batch of roll dough onto floured surface into a rectangle about 20” X 12”. It should be about ½” thick.

Make filling as follows:

¼ C butter

½ C brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. flour

1/3 C chopped nuts (about ½ cup un chopped)

1/3 C raisins

There are two ways of mixing the filling. If you have a food processer, cut the butter into a few pieces and just put everything in and mix until crumbly. This chops the nuts for you. It also chops the raisins.

To mix by hand, soften the butter, then mix the sugar, cinnamon, and flour in with a fork. Add nuts and raisins.

Spread filling over dough and roll up. Cut off the end then cut into about   1 ¾" slices. I use dental floss to cut or you can use a serrated knife. Put on greased or lined baking sheet and gently press down each roll. Let rise about an hour. I let them rise in the oven with the light on (no heat) and a bowl of hot water in the bottom.  It makes a warm, moist environment for rising. Take out to preheat oven. Bake at 350 ° for 15 - 20 minutes.

Makes 12 rolls.

Frost with vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

Banana Breakfast Cookies

From this...

to this! 

¾ C honey or sugar

¾ C coconut oil (can use shortening or butter)

1 egg

1 C mashed bananas (about 3)

     Or 1 C applesauce

2½ C whole wheat flour

2 C oatmeal

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

½ C chopped nuts

½ C chocolate chips or raisins

½ C raw pumpkin seeds

½ C unsweetened coconut

Mix until blended. Bake on non stick cookie sheet at 350 for 8-12 min. These freeze well.

I have some over ripe bananas on the counter so I'll be making some of these today. I think that these are cute when I leave the chocolate chips out of the batter and put three on top of each one before I bake them.