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I called to chat with my sweet sister last weekend in her corner of the world; Pasadena, CA. During our conversation, she commented she had logged onto my blog to catch up on what I had been sharing and noticed I had not blogged for a while. Which was true. Sad, but true.
I love blogging. Sometimes I think I was put on this earth to blog...lol. I have seen some changes in my life in the last couple of months that have absorbed every little piece of time and energy that I seem to have. (That's sad too, because I feel like I am a pretty energetic sort of gal!) One big change...I returned to work.
It was time. Inquiring folks have asked me for months and months (since Rick's passing) "So what are you doing now?" I couldn't say, "Oh, I'm blogging". Not everyone knows what blogging is and if you do know what blogging is, you know that you don't actually make money blogging! (I still hold onto the hope for that one great blog to go viral and the whole world will then know who I am and will want me to be their nutri-girl blogger!)
Another really big change...I have started dating. I know. What??! Relax. It has been a wonderful thing. It was not even my intention at the time. My guy is a fellow widower. We have similar stories of loss and heartache. A friend had reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in getting together with him sometime, to which I agreed. I am always, always, ready to support those who have walked in my shoes. What could be the harm?
Our plan was to meet for a drink. Our plan turned into a couple drinks, dinner AND a movie! It was a great experience and...(as Zach would say), we have been connected at the hip ever since. In my heart, I believe that we are not put on this earth to make the journey alone. I feel blessed to have this new friend in my life. I shall write more about my New Guy later. That's enough for now. You have been officially introduced to the idea and also know where I have been these last couple of months!
For now, I have a recipe to share! As you probably know, it has been a dreadfully long, cold winter here in Ohio. My cooking has been all about warmth and comfort. This morning I headed to the kitchen, turned the oven on (for warmth!) and threw together this delish baked oatmeal. I have been experimenting with some gluten-free recipes, so had the gluten-free oatmeal on hand and some fresh organic berries from the store. Holy crap...this is like a happy, happy marriage between a warm fruit crisp, baked oatmeal and nutritious goodness! Happy Sunday folks...Butter Girl is back!
Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal with Berries
2 1/4 cups gluten free oatmeal
1/4 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans..whatever you have on hand will do)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. organic cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 cup organic milk
2 organic eggs
3 Tbsp. unsalted organic butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mixed berries (I used organic blueberries, blackberries and raspberries...yum!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Generously butter an 8 inch baking dish. (I like to use a glass pie dish so the servings will be in wedges. Baking in glassware is so much healthier for you and also allows you to peek at the bottom of the dish and check for browning.)
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, syrup, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Add the egg/milk mixture to the oats. Stir until combined and all ingredients are moistened.
5. Arrange the berries in the bottom of the prepared dish.
Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal with Berries
2 1/4 cups gluten free oatmeal
1/4 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans..whatever you have on hand will do)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. organic cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 cup organic milk
2 organic eggs
3 Tbsp. unsalted organic butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mixed berries (I used organic blueberries, blackberries and raspberries...yum!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Generously butter an 8 inch baking dish. (I like to use a glass pie dish so the servings will be in wedges. Baking in glassware is so much healthier for you and also allows you to peek at the bottom of the dish and check for browning.)
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, syrup, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Add the egg/milk mixture to the oats. Stir until combined and all ingredients are moistened.
5. Arrange the berries in the bottom of the prepared dish.
6. Gently cover the berries with the oat mixture.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes prior to cutting. (The oats maintain a better wedge, if you allow them to cool for a bit, but if you can't wait...no prob, I understand!)
8. I put mine in a bowl and served it like we did at the café, with a splash of milk. Yum!
Sounds delish! :)
ReplyDeleteYea Baby Sister! You are BACK. This sounds Delicious. Going to make this weekend.
ReplyDelete