More Baked Fruit Oatmeal Breakfast

Five (5!) years ago, I saved yet another recipe page from the Boston Globe, and just now got around to trying and modifying it. The original recipe is detailed at in the Boston Globe Magazine.

I tried it exactly as outlined, but of course changed things up the second time! I like eating apples raw, but prefer to consume many other fruits with a spoon, so I thought it would be nice to keep my raw apples, and heat things up a bit differently for breakfast at home or at work. The first two photos are from the original recipe.

I remember my blackberry crisp fondly, but haven’t made it in a year, so decided to use blackberries with this oatmeal recipe. Here is the modified recipe:

Blend 2 cups oats (not instant) with 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and a few grinds of salt (aka a pinch). Add 1 cup chopped pecans or other nut of your choice. Add 3 cups of berries or other cut up fruit.

In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs, 2 cups milk (I used skim), 1/3 cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon brown sugar. If I make this again with apples in the fall, I’d use 3 cups of apples and 1 full teaspoon of cinnamon.

Add the milk/egg mixture to the oat mixture, stir, and pour into a greased baking dish. I used an 8x8 square dish one time and a round baking dish the other time. The timing of my current oven is not as accurate because the temperature knob does not allow me to set an exact degree in either C or F. I prefer my baked goods gently browned on top and done in the middle, so I kept my eye on the pan after 20 minutes and pushed gently on the top to ensure it was firm when I took it out. I had completely forgotten this post from four years ago, and will re-make the previous version again soon. This version was eggier/custardier, and felt smooth. I'll post a comparison.

Quiet time on purpose

I haven’t posted in a while, due in part to a short hospital scare and an un-vacation. The hospital situation is done and taken care of, but our vacation 2 days later was cancelled. We went on a few day trips instead, and were able to go to a vegetarian yoga retreat for 2 nights. The “stay-cation” idea was not as appealing to me, because I don’t want to eat out every meal in my own neighborhood, which means grocery shopping and cooking. I really tried to not do laundry for a week, but I don’t like looking at full hampers of dirty clothes, and I’d honestly rather just do the laundry instead of watching it pile up.

Jeff has been vegetarian for more than 6 months now, and it was a wonderful experience being somewhere that served only meat-free food. Most places are accommodating when Jeff asks for a dish without the meat, but we were very impressed with the creative foods served with the vegetables as the stars, not just the afterthoughts. It was a cell-phone free (gasp!!) kind of place- in public areas- so no photos of the food. No wifi, either, but our local phones let us check our email anyway…in the room only.

The yoga classes were very good, with the instructor from India teaching in German and accommodating the English speakers with instructions in our native language as well! The grounds were peaceful. There was a babbling brook, a breeze through the trees, happy birds, and the fragrance of lilacs. What a relief to go somewhere that encourages rest, quiet, and self-care. I’m grateful for the opportunity  to spend time a couple of hours away from home in a restorative environment.

Has anyone figured out a way to have a relaxing stay-cation without household chores on your mind?