Hawaiian Oatmeal Review

Cooking

I was searching recipes and I came across a tropical delight. Hawaiian Oatmeal found at: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/hawaiian-oatmeal-recipe/ Sounds tropical…I was hooked on the word Hawaiian.

I have made this recipe three times already. It is a keeper. A nice twist from plain outmeal. A bit of crunch, flavor in every bite, and the fruit is a sweet and nutritional bonus packing in an extra food group.

The only thing I changed on this recipe was the quantity. I cut the recipe down to one serving size which is a half cup of oats. This recipe is for four servings and since I was not making breakfast for all I just cooked enough for me.

Since our orange tree is loaded with oranges right now, I decided to give the recipe another go around with oranges instead of pineapple. This version was also very good and as we have oranges in the back yard, very practical as well. I’ll name this version Californian Oatmeal.

Californian Oatmeal

Ok, so I’m really hooked on oatmeal… Here is another of my creations. I call it Going Bananas! Oatmeal. I used the same recipe idea but used bananas instead. I did not add any bananas to the pot when cooking the oatmeal. I just topped it with half of a banana cut into slices. Sprinkled with the brown sugar, chopped almonds, and coconut as with the other recipes. I liked this version. Which did I like best… depends on my mood.

Going Bananas! Oatmeal

Oh, I couldn’t help myself….introducing Mad About Mangoes Oatmeal.

Mad About Mangoes Oatmeal

So kick-off your shoes, go to barefeetinthekitchen.com and give this recipe a try. The website also has a ton of other yummy looking dishes that are now on my to try list. As always, Happy Cooking!

Looking at the Neighborhood Through a Lens

life

I asked my son if he’d like to go on a walk with our cameras. A picture taking adventure. I think what we found in our own neighborhood surprised us both.

We hadn’t gone far when we spotted a woodpecker. Then around the bend and another. Not a big surprise to me. My husband and I had seen three woodpeckers in the same spot when on a walk the other day. I was looking for them. This is obviously their new hangout.

Then a ladybug! I love ladybugs. This was the first one I have seen this season.

Someone was leaving painted rocks around the neighborhood before Easter. My son and I spotted a few interesting ones.

We saw red-tailed hawks flying. A baby hawk was crying in the tree.

We had a nice walk. It took much longer than a normal walk as we were constantly stopping to take photos or point out things of interest. Finally a beautiful, warm, sunny day with no rain in sight. Good to be out in the fresh air ‘stopping to smell the roses’ as the saying goes. The neighborhood looks different when looked at in a new perspective.

DIY Pot Lid Pot-Holders

Cooking

While I love my pots, I do not like the fact that the lid handles get hot. I have felt the heat more times than I care to remember. A potholder seems a bit big. I just want to grab the lid and carry on. What to do?

I did not see any patterns for pot lid protectors so I made my own to custom fit my lid handles. I cut-out one long rectangle of fabric and folded it right sides together and one piece Insul-Bright insulation and placed it on top of the fabric. I sewed it together leaving space to turn. Then I turned the fabric and top-stitched all around.

Cut 1 piece of material on fold
cut 1 piece of Insul-Bright and place on top of folded fabric (right sides of fabric together)
Sew from folded edge down and across bottom stop to leave opening start across bottom and back up to fold (sewing on 3 sides only). Cut corners.
Turn and pin opening shut.
topstitch around all four sides.
Fit around pan lid to find where to place snaps. Sew on Snaps. I used 2 snaps per pot holder.

At first, I thought I would use a velcro closure, however, I did not have velcro on hand. Also, washing things with velcro can be a pain. I rummaged through my sewing box and found some tiny sew-on snaps. Bingo! This was just the ticket. I then fitted the pot-holders to the handle to see where the snaps should be sewn. Voila! My pot lid pot-holders were complete.

Do I like these? YES! Do they work? YES! Are they washable? Yes! How I like to use them is to snap them on the handle of the lid and then cook. I can grab the lid at any time without getting burned. After I am finished I have the choice of either storing them in the pot holder drawer or snapping them back on the clean lid so it is ready to go for next time.

So, the moral of my story…if you can not find what you want…MAKE IT. As always…Happy crafting!

Gluten-Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Cooking

Another gluten-free recipe review. This recipe for Carrot Zucchini muffins from flippindelicious.com was a keeper. I like this recipe because it was very moist (not dry or crumbly) and did not need to be washed down with a beverage like some gluten-free recipes I have tried. The zucchini is obviously the source of moisture in this muffin. They also had a good flavor.

Getting started
Mixing together ingredients.
Ready to eat.

I followed this recipe per the ingredients. However, since these are muffins, I did not use the whipped cream chesse on top. In my opinion, they did not need a topping, so I just left it off. Do be careful of the cook time. The recipe calls for 30-35 minutes. This (at least for my oven) would be too long. I would check these muffins at 20 minutes.

To find the recipe, visit: https://flippindelicious.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/57/print?ajax=true

DIY Easter Egg Diorama Scene

Projects

Here is a favorite Easter craft of mine. I made my first paper mache Easter egg diorama scene when I was in elementary school. I then made them with my kids when they were in elementary school. I just love these eggs! Not only are they bright and cheery, but they also have their own little world inside of them. I filled mine with Easter grass and little chicks.

Supplies:

  • a small balloon
  • string or yarn (it will be thrown out so nothing fancy)
  • newspaper
  • scissors
  • masking tape
  • x-acto knife
  • glue (Elmer’s school glue)
  • old disposable container (a large yogurt container would work well)
  • a plastic spoon (to stir glue mixture)
  • white copy paper (a couple sheets or so)
  • tissue paper in various colors
  • ribbon
  • Easter grass
  • Chicks or small animals to put inside

To make one….

  • Blow-up one small balloon and tie a string around the tied-off end. Tape this string on the edge of a table and let the balloon fall over the edge.
  • Under the balloon (on the floor) lay out newspaper to collect the mess that will occur.
  • In a disposable container, pour glue and mix with water to make a thin paste. (Add water a bit at a time so it doesn’t get too thin.)
  • Cut strips of tissue paper in various colors, sizes.
  • Cut strips of white copy paper. (Some people use newspaper…I think the colors are better over white.)
  • Dip a strip of tissue paper in glue mixture. Run it between the sides of two fingers to squeegee off the glue. The strips should not be dripping in glue.
  • Stick this strip onto the balloon and rub in place.
  • Repeat until egg is covered.
  • Dip the white paper in glue and repeat in same method. (This layer will make the egg stronger.)
  • Dip the tissue paper in glue and repeat in same method for the third and final layer.
  • Clean-up and let the egg hang to dry over-night.
  • Next day….draw an oval for the opening and cut with an x-acto knife. The balloon should be deflated and can be pulled out at this point. Where the tied-off part of the balloon was should be a small hole. Fold a ribbon in half and tie a knot in at the end of the ribbon and thread through to make a hanger.
  • Wad up tiny bits of tissue paper and dip in glue/water mixture and push into place around opening.

Voila!

Now be creative and make a little scene inside the egg. Stuff some grass in and add animals, etc…

Happy Creating and Happy Easter!

Spring has Arrived and the Bluebirds are Back!

gardening

Ah what a glorious day it is! The kids and I just got back from a walk and my son noticed a bluebird on the birdhouse. Looks like another family is moving in. My husband confirmed this is indeed the case, as the birdhouse door was ajar and a nest was inside. As not to disturb the nest, but to keep the door shut, he made a quick fix with some twine. I can not wait to meet the next generation of bluebirds!

The flowers are also thriving in the yard. Such beautiful colors right now. My favorite time of year for our front yard plants as everything is blooming, budding, and brilliant.

The orange and lemon trees are full of fruit. That means plenty of orange juice and fresh lemon pies! I picked 25 oranges and it does not look like I touched the tree!

Happy Spring!

Gluten-Free Biscuit Review

Cooking

I gave gluten-free biscuits another try. These were indeed pretty good. They were delicate and could crumble if not careful but were not dry or grainy. A thumbs-up from the family. I liked them so well I have made them twice.

What did I change to the recipe? I did not use the brown rice flour mix as suggested in the recipe because I did not have all the ingredients on hand. I just used plain brown rice flour instead. The only other thing I changed was that I used Rice Milk instead of coconut milk.

The recipe for these Yankee Doodle Biscuits can be found at: https://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/flaky-biscuits-recipe-dairy-free-egg-free-wheat-gluten-free

As always, Happy Baking!

Goldie and Giving Back

life

Goldie Hawn has always been one of my favorite actresses. Funny, carefree, with a definite “hippy” vibe. What’s not to love? But there is more to this actress/producer/mother/grandmother than meets the eye.

Goldie Hawn created The Goldie Hawn Foundation and MIND UP to help children practice mindfulness. Classrooms can adopt the program (which was created by Hawn and specialists in the field) to teach children how their brains work, to focus, to be mindful, and to understand the power of gratitude and empathy. The focused breathing exercises help the children to focus and to manage their emotions and stress. The idea is to give the children the resources they need to create their own happiness and to become happy adults who are in a good place in their lives. This can also be practiced at home.

This program totally makes sense to me. Why not start children in a practice such as this from an early age? Or at any age for that matter. People can learn to control their anxiety and stress through meditation and breathing exercises making for a healthier individual. I love this approach! And I love that Goldie is using her voice to help our children. A true star!

To learn more read Goldie’s book 10 Mindful Minutes and go to https://mindup.org/ to read further about the MIND UP program.

Gluten-Free Brownie Review

Cooking

Last year my family tried making gluten-free recipes for a while. I must say most were a miss. The baked goods tended to turn out dry, crumbly, or in some way not as appealing as our regular recipes. Since there is a shortage of flour in my area right now, I thought I would re-visit the gluten-free options as I still have some other types of flour in my pantry.

I searched for dessert recipes using brown rice flour, as this is one of the types I had on hand. I came across a recipe for ‘Fabulously Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies’. The recipe received good reviews, I had all the ingredients, so I gave them a try. They were really very good. Not dry or crumbly! I did not tell the family that they were gluten-free until afterwards. They all liked them! Hurray!

Did I follow the recipe exactly? Well….pretty much. I used tapioca flour instead of tapioca starch. Is there a difference? Not sure…but that is what I had and it seemed to work. I used the 1 cup of chocolate chips as suggested would work. I also used less vanilla extract. The recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of vanilla! That seemed excessive. Maybe a typo? In any case, I only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Here is the link to the recipe for Fabulously Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies: https://www.adayinthekitchen.com/chocolate-brownies/

As always, Happy Baking!

P.S.—I think Chickpea Whipped Cream might be a very good topping to these brownies! (see my earlier post for the recipe)

Preventing Pastry Mats From Slipping

Cooking

No need to chase that pastry mat all over the counter when rolling out pastry dough. Baking tip of the day: Take a paper towel, fold to size to fit under mat, dampen it under water, squeeze out any excess water, lay flat on counter, place pastry mat on top and roll dough as normal. The paper towel can be used to clean up afterwards. The damp paper towel keeps the pastry mat from slipping and makes rolling out dough much more enjoyable.

I have also rolled out dough inbetween two sheets of floured waxed paper. Again, this will slip like crazy. Solution: Wipe the surface of counter with a damp cloth and put waxed paper directly on the dampened surface, sprinkle with flour, place dough, sprinkle with flour, if desired…place another sheet of waxed paper on top, and roll immediately, before the surface dries. The waxed paper will stay put.

As always, Happy Baking!