Just Make Stuff

Overnight Oatmeal...

I have earlier classes again this semester, so breakfast has to be quick. For the last few weeks I have been making a batch of over-night oatmeal to eat with a sprinkle of granola and almond slices. This recipe gets me four small servings. 

Overnight Oatmeal

• 1/2 cup old fashion oats (I generously fill the measuring cup so it's slightly overful)
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 (5.3 ounce) greek yogurt (I like vanilla bean or coconut from Trader Joe's)
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I actually use vanilla paste)
• pinch of salt

Using a small mixing bowl or other container with a cover, stir all the ingredients together until well-mixed. Store in the fridge overnight and up to five days.

You could use any flavor yogurt, a pinch of cinnamon (or I sprinkled in a little apple pie spice last week). You can eat it with fruit like bananas or berries. You could stir in peanut butter and top it with a few chocolate chips. The options go on and on...

Brown Sugar and Vanilla Applesauce

We make homemade apple sauce almost every weekend in the fall and then pack it in our school lunches throughout the week. After experimenting with different combinations I think we have finally settled on a favorite.

Brown Sugar and Vanilla Applesauce

• 3 pounds of apples (we often use Gala apples)
• 1/2 cup of apple cider (but you could use apple juice, orange juice or even water just a little liquid on the bottom of the pot)
• 1/2 cup of loosely packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Wash the apples, core, and slice them. There is no need to peel them though. Place all the apple slices in a big stock pot with the apple cider. Cook apples until fork tender. Drain the apples and grind them either in a food processor or foley food mill. Add brown sugar and vanilla paste. Grab a spoon and enjoy a little while it's still warm.

Sausage, Potato and Cream Cheese Egg Breakfast Burritos...

There have been a few weekends now that Sean and I have invested some serious time crafting up a big batch of breakfast burritos. Before I share this tortilla wrapped concoction, let me take a minute to explain cream cheese eggs. My dad is a physician who has made hospital rounds on his patients almost everyday of his forty year career. That meant I spent a decent amount of time in local hospitals when he had us for the weekend and we happened to eat a lot of hospital cafeteria food growing up. One hospital in particular actually had a good cafeteria...and my dad took full advantage of it eating there several times a week. One of the things they would make was a cream cheese omelet. Granted I have never duplicated it, but I always add a tiny scoop of whipped cream cheese when I make scrambled eggs. It melts right in and makes the eggs extra creamy. This recipe will make a ton of burritos...the last time we made them we got twenty-one packaged up. 

Sausage, Potato and Cream Cheese Egg Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage; cooked, drained of fat and crumbled
• 10 eggs
• 1/8 cup half and half
• 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
• 6 potatoes; peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion; finely diced
• bacon grease 
• butter
• salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 15-20 flour tortillas

Take a large skillet and melt some bacon fat and butter in it. Add the chopped potatoes and onion to the pan with a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes to evenly brown the potatoes and crisp them up. I usually have to add more bacon fat and butter half way through the cooking process because the potatoes soak it up. Set aside to cool. To make the scrambled eggs add the half and half to the ten eggs cracked into a medium mixing bowl. Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese and the whipped cream cheese broken up into tiny spoonfuls so it will melt into the eggs well. Simply cook over low heat while continuously scraping the pan. Set aside to cool. To assemble the burritos line up all your cooled ingredients including a stack of tortillas. Place a small bit of the potatoes, eggs and sausage then sprinkle with cheese. Start to roll the burritos tightly carefully tucking in the edges as you roll it closed. Wrap each burrito in plastic wrap then tin foil and store in the fridge for several days. Use the microwave to reheat an unwrapped burrito, usually thirty seconds is all it takes.

These can be a little time consuming to cook and put together, but the result is a pile of breakfast-y goodness waiting for you in the fridge all week long. 

Sugar Donut Muffins

These muffins were found at All Recipes years ago now and are a total favorite little breakfast treat. I use only 1/2 of the teaspoon of cinnamon the recipe calls for for the sugar topping.

Sugar Donut Muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

 

For the sugar topping:

 1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

Mix sugar, butter, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in the baking powder and flour until just combined. Fill each mini muffin cup about half full.

Bake until the tops are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

While muffins are baking, prepare the ingredients for the topping. Place melted butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar with the cinnamon. When muffins are slightly cooled dip each one in the melted butter, and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Let cool and serve.