Baked Oatmeal- Who Knew?

I am trying to eat oatmeal more frequently for breakfast because it is full of heart healthy fiber and is a change of pace from my regular Greek yogurt and berries. College Girl casually asked me if I had thought about making baked oatmeal. I had not, because I had never heard of it! Where have I been? Haha! It seems lots of other people have heard of it and there is a plethora of recipes online for many versions.

A simple search will give you a basic recipe which is easily customizable. Like raisins? Love nuts? Add 'em! Want to decrease the recipe's fat? Replace it with applesauce. Enjoy some spice? Add fresh nutmeg and cinnamon. Here is the recipe we used from www.myrecipes.com:

• 2 cups uncooked oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (we used 1/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• cooking spray for 8 inch square pan
• nuts, raisins, cinnamon as desired

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine milk, applesauce, butter and egg, stir. Pour milk mixture into oat mixture, stir. Pour into greased eight inch pan, bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. You may garnish with more milk, yogurt, berries, or eat as is~ It is a cross between an oatmeal bar and traditional morning oatmeal.

 
  I used one of my favorite Brambly Hedge beakers called Homeward Bound, and took my baked oatmeal outside to eat on the patio. College Girl was already out there sunning her legs.

Looks like Primrose had a great time at the shore and is snuggled in a basket for the trip home. The cup is trimmed in soft mint green. 

ROYAL ALBERT HARVEST FESTIVAL PEARS plate

 I sprinkled walnuts and fresh raspberries on my baked oatmeal. I savored every bite and returned to the kitchen for a little bit more! 

The inside of my Brambly Hedge cup is decorated with drawings of seashells, a feather, and a small flag. I enjoyed looking at the detail in Jill Barklem's artwork every time I took a sip of my Winey Keemun tea.

The nice option with Baked Oatmeal is that you can prepare it in the morning or mix it the night before, store it in the fridge and bake it the next day! I love dishes like this - so convenient. It would make a great lunch bag item in place of cookies, too.

 If your family members don't like the soupy 'porridge' consistency of oatmeal, perhaps you could tempt them with Baked Oatmeal! The next time I make it I am going to try an old Amish version.

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As Lovely As A Tree~

photo from frostmagazine

 Veteran's Day brings thoughts of my Dad and father-in-law and their military service to our country. They served honorably and with pride. Both shared stories of their time aboard ships: my Dad was a cook in the Navy, and my father-in-law visited tiny islands in the Pacific on a PT boat. They returned with a deepened love and respect for America. God bless all our servicemen and women for their sacrifice, as well as the sacrifice of their families. Thinking about veterans, I Googled information about Joyce Kilmer, who wrote one of the most famous and familiar poems about trees.

                             

Joyce Kilmer (December 1886 – July 1918) was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees", which was published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his Catholic religious faith, Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and editor.  Several critics suggested that his style was too traditional. However, at the time of his deployment to Europe during World War I,  Kilmer was considered the leading American Roman Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation. He enlisted in the New York National Guard and was deployed to France with the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous "Fighting 69th") in 1917. He was killed at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31, leaving a wife and children.

Joyce was not fortunate enough to return home from battle, but left this simple poem for us to enjoy and remember him by~
 

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

I would love to have a teacup and saucer with a tree on it like this one from Royal Albert. Isn't it pretty? It is called Greenwood.

 I love the green trim and handle! The scene the cup depicts is so serene and lovely. I can imagine Mr. Kilmer gazing out his window and seeing a tree like this, while jotting down his famous lines.

  

Happy teatime! I think I will take my cup outside, sit under a tree, and think of my Dad~

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Pink and Yellow~

I made a card last night using a color I do not usually gravitate toward, since I wanted to push myself a bit out of my comfort zone. I used yellow!  It's not that I don't like it exactly, it is just that it is a color that does not look good on me and can oftentimes be too overpowering. I tend to like 'clean' colors as opposed to 'dusty', and jewel tones as opposed to warm tones. I do appreciate, however, yellow mixed with pink, navy or with black and white. 

•  diamonds and dots embossing folder, Cuttlebug
•  Distress Ink, Straw
•  Prima clear stamps, item #551056
•  yellow ribbon, foam dots, blank card
•  Me and My Big Ideas black stripe paper
•  Ranger Archival black ink

 I think I will make another card and use a bit of pink this time instead of black. The two look lovely together. I spotted this appealing color combo in this cute bird feeder~

Annies Annuals

 You can purchase this adorable bird feeder at Annies Annuals.  I have never seen a feeder quite like this. Fun! Speaking of pink and yellow, Casey's Cupcakes is featuring a Raspberry Lemonade cupcake for the month of June. See them on the top shelf, left side?

 I think a Raspberry Lemonade cupcake would be delicious with tea sipped from this stunning teacup, don't you?

The set features a cheerful lemon yellow base color on the outside of the cup and saucer with large bright pink and burgundy cabbage roses around the inside of the cup. A small mimic of the pattern is in the center of the saucer. The cup style is the wide, attractive Avon. It is available at Ruby Lane.

A while ago I shared a couple of my tiny Madame Alexander dolls with you. This little sweetie, called "It's Raining" fits in perfectly with today's color theme, yellow. She is ready for a summer downpour, like the one I experienced when we traveled to Albuquerque two summers ago! Suddenly, we were bombarded by hail and thunder. No worries, this blue-eyed cutie even has matching rain booties and the perfect hat to keep her curly pigtails dry.

Well, I am off to water my pink Hydrangeas and get dinner started. Hope your day was sunny and rosy! 

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