Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

In the last year I have discovered baked oatmeal.  It has become a favorite in our house ever since.  It is more filling and satisfying in a whole new way.  When I found The Oatmeal Artist: Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal, it sounded right up our alley.  We love pumpkin anything and why not add it to oatmeal.

Personally this recipe was not sweet enough for my taste or the kids.  This could easily be increased by switching out half the syrup for brown sugar.  Sweetness is always a to taste thing, so try it with the original recipe and add a bit of sprinkled sugar on top if needed.  The texture is spot on combining soft oatmeal without being gooey with a bit of spice and flavor.

I find making baked oatmeal for breakfast or a take a dish brunch works well.  Most people won’t bring the same dish, no toppings are needed when you do a baked oatmeal, and if it cools down it is ok.  My favorite baked oatmeal is my Berry Baked Oatmeal.

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbs maple syrup or brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients until smooth.  Add in the dry mixture.

Spread into a lightly greased 9 x 9″ baking dish.

You can sprinkle or stir in any of the following:

chocolate chips, coconut, dried fruit, nuts, or pumpkin seeds.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until set.

Enjoy!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Gobble-Up Strata

Flipping through some cooking magazines at grandma’s house this recipe for gobble-up strata struck my attention.  It is an article on ways to use up leftovers after Thanksgiving.  Well it is no are we close to Thanksgiving and my Grandma and me wants to know who has leftover stuffing or dressing?  It is always the first thing to disappear at our meal and we usually make double dishes.

I figures I could make this whenever and it sounded pretty good.  Mr.Picky is not a huge fan of strata but I served it when company was around so I knew he would eat it no matter what.  Knowing that I would never have leftover stuffing I prepared some with the purpose of this recipe alone.  I also used some rotisserie chicken that I had pulled apart and frozen previously.  The peppers and onions give it great color, it reminds me of Christmas.

The strata turned out great and was very filling.  Mr.Picky said it would be even better with a bit of turkey gravy over the top, I must agree that it would make it even better.

• 3-4 cups leftover stuffing or dressing
• 2 cups cubed and cooked chicken or turkey
• 4 green onions,chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

 

Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.

Layer stuffing, then chicken, followed by the green onions and peppers.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and mayonnaise and pour evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 60-65 minutes.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

I Jumped The Gun!

After a goodbye post I am here to say I jumped the gun.  You all have to put up and read my posts for a few more months.  I will continue as usual until june.  So stay tuned for some great recipes until then.

I do recommend always keeping your recipes in a recipe box and not counting on the internet.  My site will be saved for forever use to check back for great recipes and information thanks to help from a friend.  Happy cooking and a bright sunny day here in the pacific northwest doesn’t come often so get out and enjoy it.

Ta-Ta for Now!

I am afraid that this is goodbye for now.  After I year, 300 posts, and 35,000 views Mr.Picky blog will be shutting down.  It is time to renew my web server and I have barely broke even.  I will continue to hold on to the domain name and might pick up at some point later down the road.  So don’t lose all hope and write all your favorite recipes down as you will not be able to look them up.  The site will be up for a few weeks with no new posts so everyone has a chance to write their favorite recipes.

My purpose one year ago was to try to find a supplemental income while staying home and tending to my children.  The labor and writing have become more of a chore than fun at this point.  My daughter is now in school which comes with a whole new level of involvement.  We have our new house to work on and a very funny puppy that thinks he needs every bit of attention.

Writing has never been a strong trait of mine but I did enjoy sharing my recipes and stories.  I hope that if you got anything at all out of my blog you enjoyed a new recipe and maybe a laugh.  Continue cooking and trying new recipes.  Mr.Picky is not as picky as he used to be, so if you have a picky eater in your life continue to try new things.

To my family and friends that have supported my blog and recipes, thank you.  Don’t forget if you need ideas for dinner give me a call and I will tell you what I am cooking.

Sweet Potato Casserole

My Grandmother started making this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe at least 5 years ago for Thanksgiving.  It has turned into such a favorite the pan is almost licked clean.  My daughter will usually eat as much as I will give and then a second helping.  We no longer prepare the sweet potatoes any other way for the holidays.

I find myself making it throughout the year as dessert for my kids.  I have yet to get Mr.Picky to like sweet potatoes of any kind.  We were headed to my family’s for dinner where I was preparing a somewhat Thanksgiving flavored dinner.  I had extra sweet potatoes to use up and thought this would be the perfect side dish to the meal.  Although we serve it as a side it has enough sugar and butter to be a dessert, this is probably why it is the best.

In my pictures I made the recipe just as my Grandmother wrote the recipe.  When I got to her and said how come mine doesn’t look like yours?  She stated that she had increased the flour amount in the topping which makes it more of a crumb and better.  I have revised the recipe to the correct flour amount so if your picture looks different it is ok.

• 6 large sweet potatoes or yams- peel after steaming and mash well
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

• 5 Tbs melted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 Tbs flour
• 1/4-1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

After steaming the sweet potatoes until tender, remove the peel and mash well.  Add in the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Continue to mash until well combined and almost completely smooth.

Spread potatoes in a 9×13″ glass baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients and spread over the sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until topping is caramelized and potatoes are heated through.

style=”display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-3737982169142034″
data-ad-slot=”4657754308″>
//

Spanish Rice

I don’t remember even eating Spanish Rice as a child.  Mr.Picky loves spanish and mexican rice out of a box but I refuse to make the sodium filled rice.  I have come up with a recipe similar to the Mexican rice but had no recipe for the Spanish rice until now.

After doing some research and came up with this recipe after combining what sounded good to me.  It turned out great.  In fact is was the base layer to a skillet/casserole recipe I was making.  Be sure to check back for that recipe.

This Spanish rice is not spicy due to the little ones.  Extra heat could be added with come cayenne pepper to the mix or maybe add a diced jalapeño.  It was flavorful without too much salt and the perfect heat for the kids.

• 1 cup water
• 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp or 1 cube chicken bullion
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin

In a skillet heat olive oil over medium/ high heat.

Saute onion, pepper, and rice.  Stirring constantly so the rice does not burn, cook until most of the rice has toasted and the vegetables soften.

Add the rice mixture to a medium pot along with the remaining ingredients.

Bring the mixture up to a boil, cover and reduce heat to the lowest it will go.

Cook covered for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.  Fluff with a fork when done.

style=”display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-3737982169142034″
data-ad-slot=”4657754308″>
//

Curried Pork

Some of my favorite cookbooks are Cooking Light Annual Recipes, this recipe struck my eye out of the 2004 edition.  As a child my mother cooked a lot with curry and to be honest it burned me out on it.  Mr.Picky likes it so I thought I should give it a try and cook a curry dish.

This dish was great and easy.  Allow yourself at least an hour to cook though.  The only thing I would do differently is add some more spice for a fuller flavor.  I have adjusted the recipe to what I would do next time.  We served our curried pork over white rice with seasoned roasted cauliflower.

• 1 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with cooking spray or olive oil saute onions and peppers over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Add in mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes.

Place vegetables in a 11 x 7″ baking dish that has been lightly greased.

Combine flour, curry powder,salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Add pork and toss to coat.

In the same pan you used for vegetables, spray again with oil.  Over medium high heat add pork mixture and cook about 5 minutes until pork has browned on each side.

Pour pork mixture over vegetables in baking dish.  Now pour the can of tomatoes over the whole dish.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.

Serve over rice.

 

Peanut Butter Candy

Growing up my mom made peanut butter candy all the time.  It was simple to throw together anytime a sweet craving hit you.  We would find bowls of it in the kitchen and walk by and snag a bite or two.

I haven’t thought about this recipe in a long time.  Looking through the good old recipe box I found the recipe.  We had my nieces over to play and I thought it would be fun to make.  This no cook recipe is great to do with kids.  Although it takes a lot of muscle to mix it.  The kids loved it and had plenty to take home to share.  I can’t wait for Mr.Picky to get home and try it because his favorite candy is peanut butter cups.

The texture of this candy is almost like a chewy caramel but more dense.  It has a wonderful peanut butter flavor.  If you are feeling extra naughty you can cover it with melted chocolate like we did.  Sometimes my mom would just roll it into balls and then into chocolate chips.  Or if you are feeling fancy roll it into balls and dip it into melted chocolate.

• 1/3 cup karo syrup
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Stir together karo syrup and peanut butter until well combined.

In a separate bowl sift together dry milk and powdered sugar so there are no lumps.

Combine the two together.  This is a slow process of mixing slowly and sometimes works best with your hands.  Eventually you can knead the candy on the counter to get it smooth.

Shape into a roll on wax paper.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, or spread with melted chocolate.  Then slice and serve.

Store at room temperature but away from heat so you chocolate does not melt.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Brisket

I don’t care for beef to often but my exception to the rule is when I get to eat Corned Beef Brisket.  I usually prepare it a few times a year.  Using the same method as I usually do I kicked it up to another level this time.  We don’t eat corned beef as most do, we save ours and prepare reuben sandwiches or corned beef sandwiches until it is gone, sometimes we make it into corned beef hash.

With the few added ingredients my corned beef had a whole new level of flavor.  It was so good, Mr.Picky and the kids had a hard time keeping their fingers back as I was slicing it.

Be warned corned beef stinks when it is cooking.  In fact Mr.Picky walked in the door and asked if the dog pooped in the house.  But the smell is nothing like the flavor.  I can tell that is smells like corned beef and not something produced by the dog.  In fact I don’t think they smell anything alike but it is a strong odor.  My mother in-law can not cook it in her house because Mr.Picky’s father the Pickiest father in-law can not take the smell.  So maybe if preparing for guest light some good candles or put the slow cooker in the garage.

• 3-4 lb. corned beef brisket (juices included but fat trimmed off completely)
• 2 cups Guinness stout beer
• 2 whole cloves
• package of pickling seasoning (all corned beef comes with this spice packet)
• 1/2 tsp pepper or 5 peppercorns
• water to cover

Place brisket with juices from the package in the slow cooker.  Slice and peel the fat layer off and discard.

Add the seasoning package that the corned beef comes with, the cloves, and peppercorns.

Pour in the Guinness stout and then enough water to cover the corned beef completely.

Turn slow cooker to high and cook for about 8 hours.

Remove the brisket and discard the juices cooked in.

Slice brisket on an angle against the grain.

Serve as desired.
//

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

Here is another quick bread recipe.  I found Zucchini Pineapple Bread II Recipe – Allrecipes.com.  It was a different from the normal Grandma’s Zucchini Bread recipe but I am not sure it was better.  I love trying new things and thought the added pineapple sounded interesting.

I substituted out some oil and didn’t not add the pecan’s due to Mr.Picky.  This was a very moist zucchini bread and it was enjoyed.  Next time I will leave out the raisins and add the pecans, I think the flavors would work better.  Also make sure you really drain the pineapple well so there is not to much liquid in the batter.

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 cups zucchini,grated
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained.

Mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla,oil, applesauce, and zucchini.

Sift together the flour,baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add this mixture to the wet ingredients.

Stir in nuts, raisins, and pineapple.

Pour into 2 9x5x3″ pans that have been lightly greased.

Bake in a preheated oven for 325 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

(If doing mini loaves reduce cooking time by about 20 minutes or so)

//