Fix-It and Forget-It

January is National Oatmeal Month. For everything you need to know about this very healthy whole grain, check out the Whole Grains Council website. You’ll find information on health benefits, cooking tips and recipes, historical/cultural facts, and much, much more. Continue Reading...

I know this sounds high and mighty, but it’s not. I was just now driving home from having breakfast with my mom, and I was trying to figure out why she was so happy about our time together.

She thanked me when I got to her place. She thanked me when we sat down in the restaurant. She thanked me on the way home. She thanked me when I left her as she joined a group of friends who were doing a service project together. And that’s not nearly all of the thank yous she expressed this morning.

We didn’t talk about big stuff while we ate. She’s aged pretty much, so cutting up a waffle is kind of a big undertaking for her. It takes enough concentration that she can’t really converse much while that’s underway.

The food was good, but that wasn’t the source of the gratitude she kept trying to convey.
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Think oatmeal is kind of boring? Maybe it’s one of those breakfast options you feel obligated to eat because it’s good for you? That’s what we thought until we discovered this recipe for Apple Oatmeal. Chock full of real honey, cinnamon, apples, and walnuts (not just apple-flavoring included in some of those instant oatmeal packs), this oatmeal makes our everyday breakfast seem almost special.

Yes, you can make oatmeal in the slow cooker! And now is a great time of year to try it. Here’s why:

1. The trees are bursting with apples, and apples add a sweet crunch to the hearty oatmeal.
2. Oatmeal warms us up from the inside out on a cool morning.
3. The oatmeal and the protein-rich nuts really fill us up and keep us from looking for a mid-morning snack.
4. It provides a welcome alternative to our cold cereal-with-skim-milk morning routine. (Or whatever your breakfast routine may be.)
5. This healthy breakfast just might help us start shedding a few pounds before those holiday reunions with family and friends.

Make it now and reheat individual portions later (we stir in a little milk or water, if the oatmeal seems too stiff) or let it cook overnight. It’s one more great way to simplify our busy mornings. Now if only someone would set the table and start the coffee.
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Our local farmers market is flooded with peaches right now and we couldn’t be happier! A lot of Lancaster locals—including us—are scrambling to can all the peaches we can get our hands on while they’re still in season.

Of course we don’t can all the peaches—we slice them and add them to our favorite cobblers and pies. Quick Yummy Peaches is one of our new-found favorite recipes.

So what puts the “quick” in Quick Yummy Peaches made in the slow cooker? Well it’s simply a breeze to put together. Plus we find that this peach dessert disappears in the blink of an eye once it’s on the table!

We made this on a rainy afternoon and we loved the way our kitchen filled with the warm scent of cinnamon and oats baking.
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When we’re stumped about what to serve for dessert, we always turn to the tried-and-true cobbler. We usually have the ingredients on hand, it’s easy to prepare and almost everyone we know smiles at the sight of the tasty dish. Just Peachy emphasizes what we like best in a satisfying cobber: hearty oats and sweet fruity flavor. Now isn’t that pleasant, delightful and, well, just peachy?
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