Behold your bevy of blue & green gifts, Cyndi!
Filed under Miscellaneous Thoughts
That shot of me sharing an oliebollen at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam from my last post was so popular, I thought I’d treat you to more from the series. These were taken by The Complete Package with his new pocket camera. Turns out it has a really cool rapid-capture sports mode that captured our little friend perfectly. So without further ado, I give you The Oliebollen Bird.
If you want to have some fun, use your down arrow to scroll through them quickly. It’s like a poor man’s version of a home movie. For even more fun, once you get to the bottom, use your up arrow key to scroll back through them backwards and see the bird fly in reverse. If you listen closely, you can hear the bird say “Paul is dead.” And if you’re too young to get that joke, do me a favor and keep it to yourself {wink}.
Filed under Miscellaneous Thoughts, Travel Tales
This is Claudia. She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. Hi, Claudia.
I love to travel. Love, love, love it. And three weeks is a long time to be away from home, even for us. It’s a long time to be away from our kids. It’s a long time to be away from our sweet old smushy faced dog. But you know what? It’s a great gig if you can get it. Our three weeks away started with a business trip to The Netherlands for The Complete Package. The dates for his week-long business meetings came up sort of suddenly, but we were totally up for the challenge. And since his company was paying for his round-trip flights and hotel accommodations, we weren’t about to pass up this opportunity. I mean, he’s already going to Europe, right? So why not?
First up, business meetings in Den Haag (The Hague). If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may remember that we were here last November as a first leg to our infamous German Christmas Markets Adventure. Boy, that was a great trip. This year, we found ourselves back in The Hague for a week and back at the Hilton Den Haag. If you’re visiting The Netherlands, I highly recommend it.
The Hague Hilton - what a lovely place to stay
I know I said this last year, but I L-O-V-E this hotel. The building is fantastic. The location is superb. The rooms are spacious. The bathrooms are luxurious. And the staff is friendly and helpful and engaging. It really is a dream hotel. And their beds are to die for. If I lived here, I’d rarely get out of this bed.
Big, fluffy king-size beds - the stuff dreams are made of
Just like last year, I planned to spend my days sightseeing and shopping while TCP slaved over a hot laptop, working (as usual, he would say). There are endless streets filled with countless shops, cafes, museums and interesting architecture in The Hague. There is just so much to discover here.
Sorry to hear about your demise but I love your view, Mr. DeWitt.
The Peace Palace - no photos inside, but it's a jaw-dropping type of gorgeous
The Royal Palace of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, right by the hotel
The Rizzerdaal (Hall of Knights) and its gorgeous gilded fountain
Restaurants on the shore of the North Sea at Schevenigen
The historic Kurhaus Hotel on Scheveningen's North Sea shore
As you can see, it’s beautiful here. And of the European cities we’ve visited, The Hague is the one I feel most at home in. I love it here. It’s a tranquil, historic, lovely place and the people are every bit as lovely.
And that brings me to Claudia. Dear Claudia. Last year, after I posted photos of our trip to The Netherlands and declared my undying love of oliebollen – (Dutch donuts), Claudia left a comment on my blog inviting me to spend a day with her in Rotterdam the next time I returned. What a fabulous invitation! This year as we planned our trip, I remembered Claudia’s offer and sent her an e-mail. True to her word, Claudia offered to take a day off and show me Rotterdam. Tuesday was a good day for her, and as luck would have it, TCP’s company scheduled late meetings and team activities on Tuesday. Perfect. And just like that, the stars aligned and I had a date to tour Rotterdam with Claudia. I can’t say this enough: I love my readers! So, let’s get back to this face.
This is Claudia smiling. Claudia has a very nice smile.
On Tuesday morning, I could hardly control my excitement. We’d exchanged photos prior to the trip so I’d know who to look for and she’d know not to let the wrong stranger get into her car. As soon as she pulled up, she jumped out of the car with a big smile on her face. What a great and accurate first impression. Claudia always has a smile on her face, and I love that about her. She whisked me away for a day in Rotterdam, and we spent the entire day smiling and laughing.
The real Claudia - always laughing. This is how I always think of her.
Our day started at a beautiful little cafe for coffee. Do you know what I love about Dutch cafes? They serve their coffee with little speculaas cookies. They’re spicy shortbread cookies usually shaped like windmills, and they are perfect for coffee dunking. You should know this in case you visit. Nobody does little gingerbread-style cookies like the Dutch. Seriously. Fuhgeddaboudit.
The best part of waking up is speculaas and a coffee cup!
The only thing that beats a good cup of coffee in a lovely cafe is a good cup of coffee with a new friend in a lovely cafe that overlooks a quaint harbor full of boats. This was our view from the cafe window. Nice, huh?
My local Starbucks does NOT offer a view like this. Not even close.
I'm in love with this boat. Think it will fit in my carry-on?
After coffee, we set out on foot to explore Rotterdam. Our walk took us along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas past the Maastunnel. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when this marvel was built. Opened in 1942, it is a deep tunnel used by pedestrians and cyclists to cross the river. And when I say it’s deep under ground, I’m not joking. I got a touch of vertigo just looking at the escalator that leads to the tunnel.
Maastunnel Entry Mural - depicting commuters in 1942
Steep escalator - I'm woozy & this girl is texting AND holding a bike
The tunnel is 20 meters (approx 65 feet) below sea level.
Our next stop was the Euromast tower to take in the sweeping panoramic views of Rotterdam. Sadly, the observation platform was closed when we were there, but we were able to visit the restaurant instead, and the 360-degree views of Rotterdam were spectacular. Unfortunately, most of those photos came out gray due to the rain. No worries, though. The rain cleared as the day progressed.
The Euromast on a rainy morning is just as tall.
Lovely park view from the Euromast tower
Same house & gardens seen from the Euromast, from ground level
So we’ve taken the steep escalator down into the Maastunnel, and we’ve ascended to the heavens in the Eurotmast to see Rotterdam from the clouds. What’s next? The scariest part of the day (for me, anyway). Tackling Claudia’s promise to introduce me to a traditional Dutch treat – raw herring. You heard me. Raw. Herring. To help calm my nerves, we ordered white wine with our lunch. So here’s how it went down:
She took me to this lovely little shop where it was obvious they took great pride in their fresh seafood. It really was a delightful shop, and I was starting to feel a little better about what what going to happen here.
The plethora of fresh seafood dazzled me and lured me in.
She knows I'm nervous about the herring. She suspects I want to run.
I've just promised that I won't run or throw up on the table. Maybe.
First up, the dreaded much-hearalded raw herring in sandwich (broodjes) form, followed by a plate of fried fish (cod, I think) which was fabulous.
Raw herring sandwich. Makes the fried fish & wine look better, doesn't it?
Claudia loves herring so much she strokes it & whispers sweet nothings to it.
I’m just kidding about the heavy fish petting and sweet nothings. Actually, I think she was just wiping something off of it, but I got a good chuckle over the idea of her enjoying that fish a little too much. Cutting off about one inch of herring, Claudia handed over the fork and I was faced with my first raw herring.
If I haven’t mentioned it before, I get a little weak in the knees at the prospect of eating herring. I can trace it directly back to a bad experience involving my dad, a dish of pickled herring in a dill & sour cream sauce, and a German restaurant in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I tried one bite and almost threw up on the table. I was horrified. It was awful (the fish AND the experience). Check a map. Fort Smith, Arkansas is land locked. It is nowhere near a source of fresh herring.
I vowed to never let herring cross my lips again, and yet here I was with Claudia – smiling and laughing and drinking wine and staring down a piece of RAW herring on a fork. So I tried it, and you know what? I didn’t throw up. I didn’t even gag a little. More than that, I found it interesting in texture and flavor. Why, I’d even go so far as to proclaim that it was okay! Would I eat one again? Maybe not. But maybe I would. Especially if Claudia was there urging me to trust her. Because I do trust her. And I did enjoy trying all of it.
Oh, I forgot mention she also ordered a cocktail of the teeniest but tastiest local shrimp (garnaal). Mmmm… now these I would definitely eat again. I think I’d eat them from a jar. I think I’d eat them in a car. I think I’d follow them with jam. I love these garnaal, Sam-I-Am!
Don't let their size fool you. These tiny shrimp are packed with flavor.
Now here’s where my blogging photography gets sloppy. After our wine and seafood lunch, we walked to a fabulous museum and took in a plethora of local Dutch paintings, sculpture, pottery & glass, and even furniture and home accessories. It was all lovely, as was our coffee break in the museum cafe. But it seems I took very few photos inside the museum, so we’ll just have to skip to our ride through the harbor and across the river.
Our sweet ride - a water taxi through Rotterdam
A view of Rotterdam from our water taxi ride
Sailboats, fishing boats, tug boats - so many beautiful boats
The grand old building that now houses the Hotel New York
The former headquarters of the Holland America Line
Thank you for a wonderful day, Claudia.
After tea, we walked back across a nearby expansion bridge just as the sun was setting over Rotterdam. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.
The sun sets over Rotterdam, but a new friendship dawns
And speaking of oliebollen, Claudia informed me just before we arrived that oliebollen, those awe-inspiring Dutch donuts I fell in love with last November, are a seasonal holiday treat. As such, oliebollen stands do not open until early November. I think she could sense the utter devastation in my response to her e-mail. I was heartbroken, since I had informed her that my favorite oliebollen stand would be the first stop once we got checked in at the hotel. Not one to be deterred, Claudia knew that we would be spending one last night in Amsterdam at the end of our vacation. When we left The Netherlands for other destinations in Europe, she contacted the local tourism bureau to inquire if any oliebollen stands would open early enough for our night in Amsterdam. Wow. Most people would say, “maybe next time.” Claudia e-mailed to tell me about stands opening early. Now that is a true friend.
And so, I’ll end this first chapter of our travels with one final treat from The Netherlands. Okay, two. First, The Complete Package enjoyed his favorite Dutch side dish – frites with mayonnaise. Don’t knock the mayonnaise until you’ve tried it. This ain’t no Hellman’s, baby. This is the good stuff.
Pomme frites with mayonnaise - TCP's ever-lovin' favorite
And just when I thought all was lost, look what I found at Schipol Airport:
That's right, baby! The oliebollerie is open for business!
And hot ones were coming out of the fryer as we walked up
But they're not done until they're coated in powdered sugar
I met someone who loves oliebollen like I do. I shall call her Claudia.
Yep. That's exactly how I picture Claudia's response.
Up next, The Complete Package and I live one of his travel fantasies – a week in Istanbul, Turkey. It was ancient. It was exotic. It was fabulous. And you will not want to miss those photos, so stay tuned!
Special thanks to our friends Kaki & Donny for taking such good care of Ziggy while we were away. And thanks to our other friends Pat & Carl who were willing to take Zigman if needed. Your care of our sweet boy is what allows us to travel worry-free, and for that we are forever grateful. Truly.
Filed under Travel Tales
If you’re not familiar with Thai food, you’re probably scratching your head wondering who this Tom Yum guy is and how he got so lucky as to be born with the last name Yum. What a great last name that would be! Or am I the only foodie here who thinks so? In this case, it’s not a guy, it’s a soup. A delicious, satisfying, belly warming Thai soup that’s not only good, but good for you. And did I mention that it’s exceptionally tasty? Well it is. And as if it couldn’t get any better, it’s also easy to make. Oh, and one last bonus – this soup is excellent if you have a cold or the flu. It will warm your tummy, open your sinuses, and cure what ails you better than any canned chicken noodle soup. Promise.
Authentic recipes for Tom Yum soup call for some exotic ingredients, but don’t let that throw you. This version substitutes more common ingredients you can use instead, so you won’t have to make excuses not to make this and you won’t have to scour the planet for those hard-to-find ingredients. So you HAVE to make it. Why? Because I said so! Okay, how about because it’s delicious.
This recipe makes two large bowls if you’re serving it as a main dish, or 4 smaller bowls if you’re serving it before a main course.
Here’s what you’ll need:
12 ounces of good quality chicken broth
12 ounces of water
2 tablespoons of Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon of lemon grass paste (produce aisle)
2 fresh limes, juiced
2 thinly sliced pieces of lime rind (1″ x 1/2″ each)
1 pound of fresh, raw shrimp (heads off, shells on)
1/4 cup of smoked pork tenderloin, julienned
1/4 cup green scallion tops, roughly chopped
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced (or straw mushrooms)
1 teaspoon of Asian hot chili paste, or to taste
1 teaspoon of Sriracha hot chili sauce, or to taste
1 pinch of dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
Salt, to taste
1 single-serve package of soba noodles (optional)
fresh cilantro & lime wedges for garnish
Start by peeling your shrimp; keep the shells for the broth and set the peeled shrimp aside. In a saucepan, combine the chicken broth and water. Add the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, lemongrass paste (or a few short pieces of lemongrass if you can find it), the juice of 2 limes, the slices of lime peel, and the shrimp shells. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Using a strainer and a heat-proof bowl, strain the mixture into the bowl. Dump the chunks and shells into the trash or compost bin, and pour the strained broth back into the saucepan. Return the broth to the stove and turn the heat to medium.
To your strained broth, add the pork tenderloin, scallions, the remaining tablespoon of fresh ginger, and the mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peeled shrimp. Now here’s where your personal preference comes into play. I like my Tom Yum soup hot. Spicy hot. Nose running and lips burning hot. So I add one teaspoon of ground chili pepper paste, one teaspoon of Sriracha sauce, and a good pinch of dried red pepper flakes (the kind you’d sprinkle on pizza). In fact, if you look at that photo of the soup, you’ll see a red ring around the edge of the bowl. That’s from all the chili sauce I put in my soup. When I say this soup will warm your tummy and open your sinuses, I mean it. I’m not playing when it comes to heat. If you like it hot, go for it. Just remember that the chilies will bloom a little once they heat up, so don’t go too crazy at first. Add a little and wait. Then taste and add a little more and wait, and keep tweaking until you have your perfect level of heat. If you’re not a fan of hot and spicy, just add a small pinch of red pepper flakes for flavor and leave it at that. Finally, sample your soup and add salt to taste.
Ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro (optional if you’re not a cilantro fan, but I love it). You can also place a lime wedge on the side of each bowl for those who want to add more zip. And that’s it! Hot, brothy, shrimpy, fabulous Tom Yum Goong soup in about 30 minutes. Prepare to be amazed at how easy this is to make, and how much flavor is packed into each bowl. It’s perfect for sick days, rainy days, or “I just need a bowl of soup” days. Tom Yum is my new favorite “makes me feel better” soup for any kind of day.
Note: if you don’t like shrimp, you can easily substitute thinly sliced chicken breast, smoked pork tenderloin, fish, crab or tofu. You can also throw in more of your favorite Asian veggies like baby bok choy and bean sprouts. I like to throw in a small package of soba noodles, which I don’t think is traditional, but it’s… well, it’s noodles! Trust me – it’s all good. Mmmm, mmmm good. Sop it up with a roll good. To the last drop good. You get the picture.
This recipe was adapted from The Thai Kitchen’s version of Tom Yum Soup.
Filed under Food & Recipes
Update: Congratulations to Cyndi (comment #1), winner of the Blue & Green Giveaway! This contest is closed. Thank you to all who participated! -NB
I love blue and green (my favorite colors).
And I love finding super cute stuff for really great prices.
And I love sharing these treasures with friends.
So… because I love blue and green, and because I love cute kitchen stuff, and because I think one of you deserves a special treat, I’m opening up a giveaway for the following items:
Two super cute Crate & Barrel kitchen towels
Two sets of four Chantal 1/2-cup ramekins
Two coordinating honeycomb-patterned silicone hot pads/mats
So to recap, that’s:
Two (2) Crate & Barrel cotton kitchen towels in super cute patterns
Eight (8) Chantal oven & microwave-safe 1/2 cup ramekins in green, and
Two (2) cute honeycomb-patterned silicone mats for handling hot ramekins
You know you want this blue & green kitchen dream!
Please read all the rules:
1. Leave a comment on this blog to participate. One entry per person, please.
2. Use a legitimate e-mail address so I can contact you. It will not be shared.
3. You must be a resident of the U.S. with a mailing address (no P.O. boxes).
4. This giveaway closes at 6:00pm Central Time on Friday, November 4th.
5. The Complete Package will randomly draw one winner from all entries.
6. The winner will be notified by e-mail. If they do not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn. (Please don’t make me do that!)
7. Once I have a confirmed winner, I will post an announcement on the blog.
The disclaimer portion of this post: All prizes were purchased by me (aka NanaBread) with my own cash money. No portion of this giveaway was donated or sponsored in any way. I’m just a girl, standing in front of a pile of cute kitchen stuff, asking you to love it. And if you’re the first to name that convoluted movie quote reference, I’ll give you a second entry. Good luck to all who enter!
Filed under Miscellaneous Thoughts, Things I Love
Thank you dear readers for your patience and support while I took a little time off from blogging. The Complete Package and I took three weeks off to explore Europe on what could easily be classified as the “trip of a lifetime.” Wondering where we went? Okay, I’ll tell you anyway {wink}.
First, we went here:
The Peace Palace - Den Haag (The Hague), Netherlands
The Hall of Knights - Den Haag (The Hague), Netherlands
Inside the Hall of Knights - Den Haag (The Hague), Netherlands
Then we went here:
The Hagia Sophia - Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Blue Mosque - Istanbul, Turkey
Shopping at the ancient Spice Market - Istanbul, Turkey
And finally, we went here:
St. Nicholas Church, Bridge Tower & Castle - Prague, Czech Republic
Senate Building & Gardens - Prague, Czech Republic
A Sunset Walk below Prague Castle - Prague, Czech Republic
Prague was gorgeous. There is something lovely and ancient around every corner. I don’t think I’ve seen a better collection of fabulously ornate churches since Paris, and I’m not sure some of Prague’s aren’t better. Take the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle, for instance. Holy cow (pun intended). Words can hardly describe it, so I’ll be sharing more photos later. Lots of photos.
Speaking of photos, we took over 7,000 of them in our three weeks away. I’ll need some time to go through them all, but once I do I’ll be posting separate stories for each of the cities we visited and I’ll also be sharing my day with Claudia in Rotterdam.
Which brings me to one last point I want to share. Blogging gives me the opportunity to share some of the craziness that floats randomly through my brain, and I love that you not only allow me to do it, you seem to enjoy reading along. But my favorite thing about blogging, hands down, is the friends I’ve made along the way. You, my dear readers, are why I keep writing. I love your input, your comments and your support. So thank you for sticking with me, for allowing me to take a few weeks off to enjoy some very special time with TCP, and for coming back again and again. I love you more than chocolate. And you know how much I love chocolate.
So stay tuned, kids! I’m going through photos and trying to wrap my head around the past three weeks. Once I do, we’ll be off to the races with tons of photos and stories to share. It’s good to be back!
Filed under Travel Tales
Don't panic! It's only temporary, I promise.
Hey, kids! I’m taking October off for a little “me” time. I’ll be spending some quality time with The Complete Package and recharging my batteries. I hope you’ll join me back here on November 1st, when I plan to dazzle you with my well-rested, recharged intellect. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. But I will be back; more enthusiastic to talk your ear off than ever. If it helps, I’m more than willing to bribe you with the promise of a sweet giveaway when I return.
See you back here in a few weeks!
-NanaBread (Jeanne)
Filed under Technical Stuff
October is around the corner, kids. Right around the corner. Practically peeking out at us. And because fall is my favorite season and because I’m a nut for all things Halloween, I thought I’d share a few things on my ‘to do’ list this year.
A new twist on candied apples from Parents Magazine 2010
Dracula Mice? Oh yeah. I'm in!
These are the most delicious spiders you'll ever eat.
What would Halloween be without a few creepy treats?
I want my Mummy!
Who could resist these adorable Halloween treats?
Filed under Food & Recipes
I am locked in a perpetual search for new main dish recipes. This weekend, I decided to take on Chicken Marsala from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. There’s a lot of good stuff in that cookbook, and I’m a big fan of their work. I’m also a big fan of mushrooms stewed in wine, so it was a no-brainer. This recipe makes 4 servings. Here’s how it all went down.
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
3 ounces of pancetta, finely minced
8 ounces of button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 1/2 cups of sweet Marsala wine (see note below)
1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into 3 pieces
2 tablespoons of minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Spaghetti, linguine or other pasta, cooked
Start by pre-heating your oven to 300F. You’ll want to keep your chicken cutlets warm while you’re making the sauce.
To prepare the chicken, slice each breast in half horizontally to make two thinner cutlets. If one end is thicker, pound the thick end to make chicken cutlet uniformly thin. Once the chicken is halved and pounded, season each cutlet with salt and pepper and dredge it in flour to coat. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and cook the chicken until golden brown on each side. Place the cooked cutlets in an oven-proof pan, cover lightly with foil and place them in the hot oven to stay warm.
Using the same oil that is already in the skillet, cook the pancetta and sliced mushrooms until they are a deep, gorgeous brown and the pancetta is crispy. Note: I did not mince my pancetta, and I came to regret it. The larger pieces really distracted from the desired texture of the sauce. Don’t be like me. Mince your pancetta into tiny little tidbits. You’ll thank me for it later.
When the pancetta and mushrooms are a gorgeous golden brown, make a well in the center and throw in the garlic and tomato paste. Brown for a few seconds, or until you really start to smell the garlic. Stir together with the mushrooms and pancetta and add the Marsala wine (as soon as you read the following note).
NOTE ON SWEET MARSALA VERSUS DRY MARSALA WINE: The ATK Cookbook clearly says to use sweet Marsala wine. The little Italian man at the liquor store said to use dry Marsala wine. I bought both, thinking I might blend the two. Instead, I convinced myself to use the sweet Marsala, as stated in the cookbook. Big mistake, in my opinion. The final sauce was… well, too sweet. Not at all like the savory Marsala sauce I order in restaurants. Next time, I’m sticking with the little Italian man and using the dry Marsala. As he so wisely stated, “You use the sweet Marsala for tiramisu; you use the dry for marsala in sauces for meat.” Lesson learned? Never argue with an authentic Italian when you’re making Italian food. That seems so clear to me now.
Okay, so once you’ve decided to skip the sweet for the dry Marsala, pour the wine into the pan with the mushrooms. Keeping the heat at medium-high, allow the sauce to cook down until it is reduced by at least half and the wine takes on a syrupy texture. This will take a few minutes, so stir it occasionally and keep an eye on it. Once it’s reduced, add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and add the cold butter, one piece at a time, whisking it in before adding the next piece. Add the minced parsley and stir it in; add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over the cooked pasta of your choice. I also recommend a nice salad and a warm, crusty baguette. And if you have a lovely bottle of Italian red on hand, well that’s just frosting on the cupcake.
Final Thoughts: this recipe is worth making, with a few minor adjustments. I feel strongly that dry Marsala is the better choice here. And because I like the smooth texture of a Marsala sauce that really showcases the mushrooms, I think I will fry the pancetta and remove it from the pan next time so it will flavor the mushrooms, but not be incorporated in the final sauce. I’m looking forward to trying this again with the dry Marsala, possibly on a grilled sirloin. If you love mushrooms in wine, this one is worthy of a shot at your dinner table. Mangia!
NanaBread's Chicken Marsala courtesy of America's Test Kitchen
Filed under Food & Recipes
It’s fall, y’all. And fall brings the promise of cooler weather, and that means we can finally dust off our favorite cold weather foods. Foods like chili and stew and all things pumpkin. I like pumpkin. I like it a lot. So when I dropped in on my friend Anne’s blog, From My Sweet Heart and saw that she had posted a recipe for baked wild blueberry oatmeal with maple cream, I got excited. Hot breakfast? Heck yes! Her oatmeal was gorgeous. She claimed the recipe was really adaptable and challenged readers to come up with their own versions. So what did I choose? Pumpkin, of course. So here is my version of Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, adapted from Anne’s lovely recipe. Just in time for breakfast, and just in time for fall. Thank you Anne, for your gorgeous inspiration.
Here’s what you’ll need:
2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup of chopped almonds or pecans
1/2 cup of jumbo mixed raisins (optional)
2/3 cup of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 good pinch of pumpkin or apple pie spice
1 1/4 cups of milk
3/4 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Pre-heat your oven to 350F and grab a non-stick skillet.
Toasting the raw nuts & oatmeal gives them more depth of flavor.
Sun-Maid Mixed Jumbo Raisins are all that & a bag of chips.
Lightly spray an 8″x8″ square baking pan (I used a large glass loaf pan); pour in the oatmeal mixture. I set my baking dish into a 13″x9″ pan lined with foil, just in case it bubbled over while baking but it didn’t. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes (shallow pan = 30 minutes; loaf pan = 45 minutes).
Straight out of the oven, with Anne's Maple Cream lying in wait.
Combine the cream & maple syrup in a saucepan; heat over low until warm.
I have to be honest. I toyed with the idea of making a cream cheese glaze for this so it tasted more like pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. If I had, I would have combined 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and beat it until there were no more lumps. Then I would have added a splash of vanilla extract and enough heavy cream or milk to thin it until it was pourable. I would have then drizzled a spoonful (or two) of the cream cheese glaze over the top of each serving. Just because I didn’t do it doesn’t mean you can’t. It would totally rock. I mean, everything is better with cream cheese frosting, am I right?
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Maple Cream - good morning!
Filed under Food & Recipes
Inside NanaBread's Head 