Yogurt Oatmeal Waffles

 

Good Morning — Don’t you love weekend breakfasts?? — mugs of tea, lazing at the table, and waffles, hot from the waffle iron.  Here’s a hearty waffles laced with oatmeal and so moist from plenty of yogurt.

YOGURT OATMEAL WAFFLES
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (whole oats, not quick cook)
1 tab. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1  1/2 cup unflavored yogurt

In mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.  Then mix in the eggs, oil, brown sugar and yogurt.  The batter will be thick and a little lumpy from the oats.

Cook in a waffle iron that has been sprayed with cook spray according to the directions on your iron (mine cooked for 7 minutes).

Serve them up with maple syrup and fruit– breakfast beautiful!!

Muesli (with yogurt & cherries)

Hi friends– The first time I met muesli was on a road trip with our kids years ago when we lived in Spain.  Some friends in Austria offered to let us stay in their apartment while they were away– as long as we would feed their rabbit and feel free to help ourselves to anything.  That’s where we found the muesli– in their kitchen cupboard!  And loved it from the start.

So here’s my current version, sweetened with maple syrup and full of lovely crunch.  With yogurt and summer cherries, it’s perfect!

MUESLI (WITH YOGURT & CHERRIES)
3 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup coconut
2 tab. sesame seeds
3 tab. olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. sea salt*
also– serve with yogurt & fruit (like cherries!)

Stir together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl until the oats are thoroughly coasted.  Spread the muesli evenly onto two baking sheets that have been lined with foil.

Bake the muesli at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, taking it out mid-way to stir it up and spread it back out over the pans.  Let it cool and then heap it onto a bowl of yogurt & fruit!

Blueberry Crisp

 

Hey there– I have a baking buddy named Jenna. She’s the best!  We’ve whipped up muffins and cakes for a mountain retreat, and baked a tableful of eggs and sweets for a brunch with friends,  and last week she just texted and said– let’s get together and bake!

So Saturday mid-day we were in the kitchen trying a couple new baking recipes.  Here’s our first try– Blueberry Crisp–sweet and gooey with that crunchy topping!  I think you’ll like it!!

BLUEBERRY CRISP
4 cups fresh (or frozen & thawed) blueberries*
1 tab. cornstarch
2 tab. sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. lemon juice

topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
a handful of oats to sprinkle on top

In a mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice.  Turn it all into a 9″ deep pie dish.

To make the topping, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Then cut the butter into small cubes and add it in.  Cut it all together with a pastry blender (or two forks).  Break up the topping with your fingers and sprinkle it onto the the blueberries in the baking dish.  Sprinkle of few oats over the top to make it prettier.

Pop it all into the oven at 350 degrees, until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Delicious eaten hot with a big scoop of ice cream!

*I only had 3 cups of fresh berries on hand, so I defrosting a cup of frozen berries and threw them in.

Oaty Coconut Milk Waffles

 

Hello all– I’m ever on the lookout for clever ways to disguise my breakfast oatmeal.  And here’s a good one.  Oaty waffles!  They are a sturdy waffle with  that rich coconut flavor and are just fine slathered with maple syrup or a little nonfat sour cream with jam.  We had them for Sunday lunch with eggs and mugs of tea.  Good old homey meal for two.

OATY COCONUT MILK WAFFLE
3/4 cups quick oats
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tab. brown sugar
1  1/2 cup coconut milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat the waffle iron.

Stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar.  Then whisk in the coconut milk, eggs, canola oil and vanilla.

Cook according the the directions on your waffle iron. We have a stove top Belgian waffle iron that that we’ve been using around here for about 40 years– It took about 4 minutes on each side to brown nicely.

Keep them warm in a low oven until all the waffles are ready.  Oh yumm.

 

Oatmeal Banana Bread

Hello there– Looking for something warm and comfy for chilly winter breakfast?  I think this banana bread will do the trick.  Just pretend it’s your morning bowl of oatmeal with all those oats tucked inside.  I like it sliced and toasted in the toaster oven–  with a mug of steamy tea for breakfast.  I hope you do too.

OATMEAL BANANA BREAD
2 bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
a little more oats to sprinkle on top

Smash the bananas to a pulp in the bottom of a mixing bowl.  Then stir in the sugar, oil and eggs.  Next mix in the oats, flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts.

Scrape the batter into one standard bread pan or two smaller pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle a handful of oatmeal on top.

Pop the bread into a 350 degree oven for 30  to 35 minutes.  Let it cool a few minutes to take it out of the pan and slice it up.  Homey good!

Good Granola

Good morning everyone–When all our kids come down to visit, my very favorite part of the day is breakfast.  Larry makes the coffee while I tuck something into the oven.  The family drifts in by ones or twos– we squeeze around the kitchen table and talk about the day ahead or note who’s on facebook this morning…  This photo is the remains of breakfast after everyone’s moved on the start the day.  I also took a lovable picture of everyone pajama-ed and still a bit bleary-eyed, but promised I wouldn’t put that one on line!  Anyway, I hope you like this granola– fresh and hearty, lots of nutty crunch.  I like it best with thick Greek yogurt and some orange marmalade or “Jessica style” with yogurt and maple syrup.

GOOD GRANOLA
4 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the oatmeal, wheat germ, bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts and pecans in a heat proof bowl.  Then in a saucepan stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla.  Put it over a medium flame and stir until it boils.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats etc. and thoroughly mix it all together.

Spread the granola on two cookie sheets lined with foil.  Bake it all up at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.  Let it cool in the pan and then break it up to store in an airtight container.  Makes a bunch– about 10 cups!

P.S.– You can add in dried fruit– raisins, cranberries, apricots, apples… after it has cooled.