Spiced Carrot Oatmeal

I normally wouldn't post a recipe I wasn't totally in love with, but as it happens, my kids (ages 1 and 3) loved it. They kept spooning more out of my bowl into theirs. I ended up having to eat the dregs from the pot. I thought it was a little spice heavy and slightly sweet, so if you're not making it for kids, you may want to 1/2 the spices and sweetener.

Ingredients:

1 C liquid (I did 1/2 milk, 1/2 water)
3-4 T carrot juice
1/2 a small carrot, finely shredded
3 T sweetener (I did 2 T brown sugar, 1 T agave nectar)
1/2 t salt
large pinch ginger
large pinch nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 C rolled oats

note: you can use either carrot juice or shredded carrot if you just have/want one. I like to have both so the kids can't pick out the orange specs, plus I love carrot juice.

Mix all the ingredients except the oats in a saucepan. Make sure it tastes right for you before you add the oats. Bring to a boil. Add oats (whatever variety you like) and cook accordingly. For rolled oats, that's about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with a dash of milk.

Easy Inexpensive Gardening Tips

Before I get to the crux of this post, I need to say that I tried to make a faux banana creme brulee oatmeal, and it tasted awful. Just in case you didn't know, an older banana (even small brown spots) should never be cooked for even a few minutes. It feels stringy and disgusting.


So, I started a garden this year. I wanted to share my three favorite successful ideas that I gleaned from other blogs or internet searches. I wish I could take credit, but I just didn't think of these things.

No. 1 Favorite Find - Newspaper Seed Planters!

These are free if you already get the paper, or you can use newspaper quality junkmail (like the grocery store ads we get). Also, they biodegrade, which means you can dig a hole and plunk the whole thing right in the ground, newspaper and all. Another thing I like is that I can tell when the plant needs to transplant: the roots start poking through the bottom of the newpaper. Google "newpaper seed planters" for instructions; there are several different varieties of ways. The only downside is it's not horribly attractive once the newpaper starts to look crisp and you do need some kind of drainage catcher. This is what my patio table has looked like for two months now:



No. 2 Favorite Find - Second Generation Green Onions


Whenever you use green onions, or really any onion, check the roots. Many times their are still one or two viable roots. For green onions, simply cut the white part within a 1/2" or less of the roots, and plant it so the top is covered by 1/4"-1/2" of dirt. In two to three months, you end up with green onions (like the ones to the right here). I'm curious to see exactly how many generations of green onion I can get. For regular onions, plant the root part that you cut off when you prep the onion. You can cut it in a bit of a cone (with the base being the roots) if that's easier. As far as I know (but I'm no expert), the tops of almost any edible onion are edible. I could be wrong, but at this point I simply don't know. If I die from eating an onion top, I'll let you know. :)


Favorite Find No. 3 - Recyclable Pots


These are milk jug planters. I found this idea online, but I can't remember where. You can use milk jugs, pop bottles, whatever. Poke/Cut holes in the bottom, and cut the tops off. They won't last more than a few seasons, but you should still be able to send them to the recycling center after you're done as long as their clean. Perhaps they aren't the prettiest, but I'm hoping to get colored masking tape to put along the top to see if I can make it look like ribbon and maybe paint come acrylic flowers. Or make contact paper stickers to put on. I'm using these for carrots, since my yard has really rocky soil (i.e. not carrot friendly).


For a tip on groing a great basil bush, see this blog page: http://mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Garden%20tips. Pruning has helped revive some of my most defeated Basil plants. A thought on gardening: Plants have survived millenia without people taking care of them. They're a lot stronger than we sometimes think, and often weaken an otherwise strong plant by overpampering.


I hope you enjoy the ideas! Sorry that it's a bit late in the season to share. But, for those of us in SoCal, use the ideas in the fall, when our real growing season starts. Here are a few pictures that mean a lot to me: the oregano I brought back from the almost dead; my first blue shelling pea flower; my first bush bean "fruit." Enjoy!

Plain Old Oatmeal, But Oh So Good!

So, here's Recipe #1, Plain old Oatmeal:

2 Cups Liquid (I do 1 C. milk and 1 C. water)
1 Cup Oats
3 T. Brown Sugar (or equivalent Sweetener)
1/4 - 1/2 t. Salt (or to taste)
optional 1/2 t. vanilla


Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 5 min. for quick oats (longer for steelcut or other varieties).
Serve warm with a dash of milk and any berry, banana, or other soft fruit.

I know, it sounds very difficult. ;)

Sweeteners

Before I go posting any recipes or delicious pictures (or at least I hope delicious pictures) of oatmeal, I feel the need to wander into the world of sweeteners. I know there are multiple kinds of sweeteners out there, and I hope my recipes will be adaptable to most any of them.

In my kitchen, I have: granulated (white) sugar, brown sugar, pasteurized honey, agave nectar, and liquid stevia. I am going to give a brief run down on my feelings for each of these sweeteners in regards to oatmeal.

Granulated (white) sugar ~ I doubt I will ever use this in oatmeal. I feel like it tastes too empty for the robust texture of a good oatmeal. However, when in a pinch, it will work.

Brown Sugar ~ There's light and dark. I don't have a real preference yet. Brown sugar is my favorite for oatmeal at the moment, because it adds some depth that compliments the oats taste and texture.

Honey ~ Currently I only have pasteurized clover honey, but I hope to get some raw honey to experiment with. Different honeys have different tastes, so when in doubt leave the sweetener for last, pull out a small portion, and taste test. I also love honey for oatmeal, but the foretaste is too strong for certain recipes. In general, I will write it when I use honey, but don't hold me to that.

Agave Nectar ~ A great alternative to honey. The flavor isn't as heavy; great for lighter tasting oatmeal. I often combine this with stevia or honey because it's more expensive. Some people like it for the lower glycemic index; some don't because of the high fructose levels.

Stevia ~ You can get it in powder or liquid form. I have it in liquid form. You can find it in most health food stores with herbal supplements. It is not necessarily a supplement; it just isn't FDA approved to be sold as a regular food/sweetener. It also has a lower glycemic index. The only thing about stevia is that some people say it has a bitter aftertaste. For me it isn't necessarily bitter; more like my mouth feels a little dry. I use it to sweeten baking without adding more sugar that necessary. In things like oatmeal (or yogurt), I use it in combination with more rounded sweeteners (like brown sugar, honey, or sometimes agave nectar), as the aftertaste of those sweeteners helps mask the stevia aftertaste.