Weekend Oats

It isn't exactly a lovely day in the neighborhood.
Cold, wet, drizzly.

 

A perfect morning for making steel cut oats.  Steel cut is my favorite kind of oatmeal, but it takes a long time to cook. Perfect for a Saturday morning when you are voluntarily up before the sun!

Prepare oats according to package directions. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter.

The result is creamy, chewy pumpkin pie in a bowl.

Delicious with a glass of apple cider.

Tips:

• I use water and milk when cooking my oats to make them extra creamy
• I cook them longer than the package directions, or they come out very very chewy.
• One serving is huge! I have never been able to finish a whole bowl of this.
• You can substitute any kind of oats you like. I got the inspiration for these oats from an oat bran recipe from Peas and Thank You. Super creamy!

I'm off to go put on my boots and raincoat. Jerry and I have a cross country meet to time!

Funky with a Side of 'Kraut

I'm in an exercise funk.
Well, to be more precise, I am pretty sure I am injured.
I went for a short run last week and had the same foot and knee pain I had in the half marathon.
My foot was throbbing by the time we were done with our short hike on Saturday.

The only activity I have managed this week is the elliptical and some stretching.
I'm going to attempt a short run this weekend, and then I may have to call a doctor about my foot :(

I'm keeping my spirits high by eating pumpkin.
Pumpkin oatmeal, to be exact.

I just follow the directions for making the oatmeal and 1/3 cup pumpkin per serving.
These bowls were oat bran made with milk and a tablespoon of agave for sweetness.
Mine was topped with almond butter, Jerry's with cinnamon sugar.

Jerry has been begging me for a meal that involved sauerkraut.
While I like sauerkraut, it is not something I grew up eating.
For a recipe, I deferred to a friend at work who loves sauerkraut.
When I mentioned I was looking for a kielbasa free-recipe*, she told me she makes a pork chops/applesauce dish and adds some sauerkraut.

Sounded like the dish Jerry had been dreaming of.

I mixed together one large sliced apple, a bag of homemade sauerkraut (made by my in-laws), a sliced onion, a clove of crushed garlic, lots of black pepper, and 1/2 tsp of ground mustard.
It all went into a casserole dish with some boneless pork chops nestled in.
I added a splash of beer to keep it moist, covered it, and baked it at 350.

The dish tasted good, but it certainly wasn't photogenic.

This plate is begging for a green vegetable

I ate this with lots of spicy brown mustard. I really loved the apple, but I overcooked the pork. I forgot to start the oven timer and am not really sure how long this cooked.

Jerry was very happy with this meal and cleaned his plate.
Thanks for the recipe, Kristin!

Jerry and I split a Wolaver's Pumpkin Ale with dinner.

This one was very drinkable, with slight hints of pumpkin and nutmeg. I tend to like the spicier, more full bodied pumpkin ales, but I would drink this one again.

The Pumpkin Beer Review should be up Saturday or Sunday, so stay tuned.
TGIF!


*I have nothing against kielbasa, it is delicious. I was just looking for a slightly healthier alternative.