Taste of Home Tuesday: Blueberry & Raspberry Baked Oatmeal

Justin and I have always eaten breakfast, but finding time in the morning to make something can be difficult.  This summer when blueberries were in season I tried this blueberry oatmeal.  I really enjoyed it.  It was not overly sweet like some breakfasts and was nice and quick for those busy mornings.

Blueberry & Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
makes 6 servings
nutritional value will vary depending on the fruit and ingredients you use

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar free)
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. 
Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. 
Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Taste of HomeTuesday: Quick Potato Corn Chowder

I needed a quick meal one evening and loved how fast and easy this was.  I halved the recipe for just Justin and I.  I'm guessing one could freeze the leftovers for a week or so and it would still be good.  I'm sure we will be enjoying it several more times this fall and winter. 

Picture by Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup 2% milk, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook and stir onion in oil over medium heat until tender. Add broth and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in the corn, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk flour and remaining milk until smooth. Stir into soup; return to a boil. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

How to Make Sense of Suffering

I follow Ann Voskamp's blog on a daily basis.  She writes about joy; finding joy in everything, giving thanks to God in everything.  A couple of days ago she posted this video of David Platt speaking on making sense of suffering.  (David Platt is the author of the book Radical.)  It is most excellent and I wanted to share.  Enjoy.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/10/how-to-make-sense-of-suffering-video/

Fall Decorations

I've been working on making some new fall decorations instead of buying this year.  Mom and I went to the Hillsboro Arts and Craft Show in September.  I bought the little pumpkins in the second picture from one of the booths there.  Many of the things were made out of painted or distressed wood.  Since we started remodeling we have an abundance of wood scraps.  It has been fun to have something to use them for.

The first two signs I used stencils and painted.  They both bled under the stencil more then I liked.

I used vinyl for the letters on the blocks.  I like how they turned out better than the paint.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Homemade Brownie Mix

I found this brownie mix on Pinterest several months back and decided to try them out on my kids at school.  Kids are always honest about whether something is yummy or not.:)  I doubled the batch so there would be enough and added some chocolate chips.  I watched them closely as they baked since one person had commented that the brownies turned out dry.  I took mine out of the oven a little bit early to assure that they were gooey.  Gooey they were!!  They were so yummy though!  Everyone of the kids LOVED them and asked for seconds.  I made some more the next night for a cake walk at school.  I left them in the oven a little bit longer so they weren't quite as gooey, but they were still moist with a great flavor.

One person commented that they would be really cute stored in a mason jar and/or used as a present.  I love this brownie mix and am excited not to have to buy a mix from the store again!      

Ingredients:
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
Mix all these ingredients together with a whisk and dump them into a zipper bag. On the bag, add the following instructions:

Add: 2 Eggs, 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil, 1 teaspoon Vanilla. Bake in an 8 x 8 pan @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

These should stay fresh in your pantry for at least 6 months.  To extend the freshness, store in your freezer for up to a year.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Crunchy Herbed Chicken Breasts

Justin and I went out for sushi for his birthday last month.  Some of the shrimp was breaded with panko bread crumbs and was very crunchy.  I have found several recipes since using the panko bread crumbs and was excited to try this one.  The chicken was not as crunchy as I was excepting it to be, but it had a very yummy flavor.  I also liked the fact that it was fairly quick and easy to make.  Enjoy!

Picture by Taste of Home

Ingredients

2/3 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)

Olive oil-flavored cooking spray

Directions

In a shallow bowl, mix the first nine ingredients. Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. Dip both sides of chicken in the flour, eggs, then crumb mixture, patting to help coating adhere.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Spritz tops with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Yield: 6 servings.