Overnight Apple Pie Oatmeal

OK, I'm on a major crockpot kick lately. Deal with it. Last night I tested a recipe that would enable us to awaken to the delicious smells of a home-cooked breakfast, READY TO EAT. Yeah, bay-bee! I awoke briefly during the night, smelled the deliciousness, drifted back to sleep and DREAMED about eating it. How weird am I?

3 cups old fashioned oats (uncooked)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
21-oz. can apple pie filling
6 cups water

I spritzed some non-stick cooking spray into the crockpot, then I mixed the first four ingredients (dry stuff). Dumped it all into the crock, then poured in the water and pie filling. Stirred it all up, and popped the lid on. Set the cooker to LOW and let it go overnight, about 8 hours.

In the morning there was some separation, so we stirred it all together before serving. Double delish! This served the four of us amply, with some to spare.

I'm going to try again with all kinds of variations on the pie filling and spices. Peach, berry, cherry ... you name it. Let me know how yours turned out if you try this!

Photo courtesy of my son's Etsy shop. (Thanks, Brent!)

Wordless Wednesday

The Best Gift

How do you show love to those near to you? Words of love and affirmation may do the job adequately, but actions also communicate volumes. Do you quietly make sacrifices on behalf of friends and family? Do you send thoughtful notes or give gifts you know will be cherished? Do you perform acts of service such as doing an unpleasant chore to show you care? Are you affectionate physically? Are you liberal with sincere praise?

We learned early on that our children had distinct preferences in how they wanted to have love communicated to them. Our older child was always making and buying gifts for the family and took great delight in receiving presents. The younger always wanted to give hugs, snuggle, and hold hands; clearly, physical affection meant a great deal to her. Although all the different ways to communicate love are good, I think most people have a primary method to say "I care." For me, the gift of time and a listening ear are priceless. Our hurried society often leaves little time for visiting friends, and I'm as guilty as anyone of being very busy. But a simple phone call to find out how I'm doing or an occasional one-on-one lunch date speak words of love to me. I don't need hours and hours, but a kind ear to hear me sort things out and share what's on my heart is a priceless gift and a rare treat!

What speaks "LOVE" to you? How do you show you care, and how do you like others to demonstrate their love to you?

Hot Diggety!

I've been blogged about! And in a very nice way. :)

http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2009/09/lemon-pound-cake-yumm.html

Apple Harvest Time!

September makes me think of apples, especially when the weather starts cooling down as it has here. Every fall, our extended family gathers for a trip to Missouri apple country to stock up for the winter. We get not only apples but also apple butter; I think my brother-in-law got a whole case of jars last year! When my children were smaller, we'd often team up with other home schoolers and go apple picking at a local orchard. My husband and I would also round up the kids each fall and go to a local apple cider mill to watch the machines in action and feast on apple cider doughnuts. I hope we were making some special memories for our children; I know I certainly look back on those trips with fondness!

When I was a teacher, I got a lot of apple-themed gifts from students. So I eventually decided to decorate my kitchen with an apple motif. My husband is a career teacher, so he still gets apple goodies! We're apple crazy around here. :)

Now I'm in the mood for some yummy apple recipes. Before I became a candle maker, I used to can my own apple butter. Fortunately, my teenaged son still cans his homemade apple sauce. Here are some good looking apple recipes I found. http://www.bestapples.com/recipes/index.shtml

Dairy-Free Fruit Smoothies

I love dairy, but it hates me! So I make dairy-free fruit smoothies to get my fruit servings for the day!

1 cup fruit juice - apple, orange, or your favorite
1 small banana
1 cup frozen mixed fruit (strawberries, peaches, etc.) - I don't actually measure; I just toss in a handful or two.

Whir it all in a blender and enjoy. Simple!

Summer Bounty Pasta

My daughter and I love to experiment with food, especially when presented with a bounty of summer garden crops! Today she cooked whole wheat pasta, chopped up some fresh veggies from our garden, then tossed it all with a little dressing, piling grilled chicken strips on top. Delish meal, and not too stuffy for warm weather eating! Here's what we used.

13 oz. whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente and drained, then rinsed in cold water
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 bell peppers, diced
4-5 small Roma tomatoes, diced
salt to taste
Kraft Cucumber Ranch dressing to taste
boneless, skinless grilled chicken strips on top (1/2 breast per person satisfies us)

Hearty enough to satisfy; light enough to not feel stuffed!