Peach Almond Baked Oatmeal

I do my grocery shopping on Monday mornings. Have for years. In fact, the people at Fry's would probably put out an All Points Bulletin on me if I didn't show up there on a Monday morning. It's a routine I enjoy, planning meals over the weekend, proudly stowing my canvas bags in the cart, choosing which wholesome foods will fill our mouths and bellies this week. But my Monday shopping means, of course, that when Sunday rolls around, our refrigerator looks about as empty as the fridge at one of those extended stay hotels (only not as clean): 

I'm telling you, by Sunday, it's all condiments. And maybe one or two other essentials, like that Starbucks iced coffee front and center. Otherwise, I think I just saw a tumbleweed blow through this refrigerator.

I pride myself on trying to use up the food we buy, but when the Sunday breakfast choices are stale bread or one bowl of cereal cobbled together from three separate boxes, I need a better plan. Something I can put together using non-perishables, like perhaps rolled oats, nuts, and canned fruit. Something like a baked peach almond oatmeal, perhaps?

Don't mind if I do! 

This baked oatmeal, with its heavy use of non-perishables, has saved my Sunday breakfast-making hide more than once. And it just so happens to be my absolute favorite baked oatmeal ever. This probably has to do with the fact that it calls for almond extract to add flavor. I don't know how they make almond extract, but I have to assume leprechauns and incantations are involved, because that stuff is MAGIC. Add it to crunchy sliced almonds, sweet peaches, cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats, and you have the Oatmeal to End All Oatmeals.

Now that peaches are in season, you could of course also use fresh peaches in this recipe with even more delicious results, but for my purposes, the lonely yellow can in the back of the pantry does just fine, too. As always with baked oatmeal, I bake it the night before, refrigerate, and reheat individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk in the morning.

See? No one has to be the wiser about the barren wasteland in the fridge. Now if I could just figure out what to make for lunch...

Peach Almond Baked Oatmeal

(Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

2 c. old-fashioned oats

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped almonds

3 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or cow's milk)

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 c. sliced peaches, divided (or 1 15-oz can sliced peaches in light syrup, drained)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Scatter about half the peach slices around the bottom of the dish.

3. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and 2/3 of the almonds. Pour evenly over peaches.

4. In the same bowl, whisk together melted butter, almond milk, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour evenly over the oat mixture, giving the dish a few thwacks on the countertop to evenly distribute, if necessary. (Just don't thwack too hard!) 

5. Arrange remaining peach slices on top and sprinkle with remaining almonds.

6. Bake about 40 minutes until the top is golden and set. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves 6.

Simple Broccoli Quiche

It's been a little while since I last posted, and I'll tell you why. Of course, there's the usual busyness of life with family, school, church, and housework (not to mention keeping up with new Mad Men episodes!), which is enough to keep me from blogging, but last week there was something else that needed my attention:

My sanity. 

See, the week before last, all three of my kids had gotten sick--in the space of 24 hours, every single one of them was called home by the school nurse--and then of course I got it, too. Your basic someone-please-put-me-out-of-my-misery stomach flu. I got into bed at 7 PM that night and lay there for two or three hours just trying to pray myself out of it before I eventually fell asleep. Then, even once we all recovered, everybody was still in a funk. I'm fine overlooking cranky behavior when my kids are ill. I get it. It comes with the kid-sickness territory. But when the crankiness goes on for interminable days after the illness has dissipated, it's hard to take. I vented my frustration to my husband one morning after dealing with some pretty extreme attitude problems, and he reminded me that it had been quite awhile since I had taken a personal retreat...or, as he likes to call it, an Emergency Vacation.

Ever since my firstborn was a toddler, I've tried to get away about once a year for a couple of days of quiet, prayer, and generally doing what I want, not what I have to. It's wonderful tradition that always leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to get back to my real life. So when my husband brought it up, I didn't need much encouragement before I jumped up, grabbed my laptop, and started making plans. Within a couple of hours, I had booked two nights doing something I've always wanted to try: a farm stay. If you haven't heard of farm stays, they're pretty much exactly what they sound like: (drum roll please.....) staying on a farm. In this case, I checked out farmstayus.com and located a small family farm outside Prescott, AZ, two hours from my home, that has a condo-sized cabin available for rent. A few days later I found myself sipping my morning coffee on a porch overlooking a beautiful valley with the sounds of chickens clucking in the background. Three Sparrows Farm was absolute bliss. 

The porch.

If you've ever had a hankering to get away from it all (but still be within driving distance of civilization), you couldn't do much better than this place. A 2-acre property set on a hillside, 3 Sparrows has chickens, goats, and a donkey, all of which you are welcomed to feed, pet, and/or hold. (Except the donkey. Feeding and petting, yes. Holding, good luck.) 

Week-old baby goats. Gaaaaahh, the cuteness!

After two days of peace and quiet, including a hike up Thumb Butte and walking around downtown Prescott, I was totally pleased with my experience and definitely came home better equipped to deal with whatever life might throw at me. (Check out the farm and info about the farm stay at 3sparrowsfarm.com)

So, speaking of real life, let's get to the other reason for this post: Broccoli Quiche. Because what's the first things a mom has to do when she gets back from a trip? (I mean, after laundry?) Make dinner, of course! Quiche is one of my favorite go-to easy dinners, as I've mentioned here and here. Coming home from my getaway, broccoli quiche was a simple way to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss. Served with roasted potatoes, it's a satisfying but not overpowering brunch for dinner. Or just brunch for brunch. In any case, tasty, packed with veggies, and great for take-to-work leftovers. 

Now that my 2015 Emergency Vacation is done, any recommendations for next year?

 Broccoli Quiche
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust
2 Tbsp. butter
3 c. broccoli, chopped into florets
1/2 medium-large onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and broccoli is bright green. Spoon vegetables into prepared pie crust and sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar.

3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, then mix in milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.

4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until eggs are set in the center. (Check quiche frequently throughout baking time, as it is notoriously finicky about how long it takes to set.) Cool at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 4-5 as a main dish.

Ham-Asparagus and Cheese Strata

Can you believe it's almost Easter? I feel like I'm still cleaning up from Christmas and like I still need to get my husband a Valentine's Day gift. Just the other day I emailed someone saying "Hope your new year is off to a good start!" I clearly need to get with the times. It's 97 degrees outside and going to be April in two days. (Speaking of which, anybody got any good April Fool's pranks?) Pretty soon it'll be 2025 and I'll be going, wait, I thought I was still in my twenties! Or at least my thirties!

As the seasons seem to roll by faster and faster and time slips through my fingers like so much crumbly pie dough, I am comforted by the rituals of holidays. And when I say "rituals," I mean food. As of this moment, my family has literally zero official plans for Easter, which is weird since we are very active Catholics and celebrate Easter as probably the most important holiday of the year. But even though we haven't pinned down our plans, there are certain things I know will happen. Like ham. Ham will happen. After Easter eggs, ham seems to be the quintessential Easter food for Americans. According to About.com, the reason for this is that meat used to be slaughtered in the fall, and before refrigeration, pork was cured--a process that takes several months. It was around Easter that the hams were finally finished being cured and ready for consumption. And here I thought it had something to do with usurped pagan rituals. The things you learn, right? 

Like most Americans, I have come to expect a ham to be the centerpiece of an Easter dinner, typically followed by weeks of leftovers in the form of ham soups, ham macaroni and cheese, and anything else ham can decently be included in. But before the Easter dinner, Easter brunch is another opportunity to enjoy this traditional Easter food. This ham-asparagus and cheese strata took center stage in our Easter brunch last year and I am still thinking about it. (Then again, I practically think it's still 2014, so maybe don't read too much into that...) Really, though, this dish was highly memorable. Its delightful rainbow of pastels was perfect for Easter, and I got a bigger kick than I probably should have out of the sunny-side up eggs nestled around its top. I loved the taste of the salty ham with the milder asparagus and piquant bite of Gruyere cheese. Plus, working vegetables directly into a breakfast casserole always gets my approval. 

So as I'm trying to decide what to make for Easter breakfast, or brunch, or whatever we end up doing this Sunday, this one is at the top of my short list. Ham will happen.

Ham-Asparagus and Cheese Strata

(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:

8 oz. asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

5 cups bread cubes (preferably French bread)

2 c. shredded Gruyere or white cheddar cheese

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 c. diced cooked ham

10 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

olive oil, to taste

salt and cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add asparagus and cook for 5 minutes or until bright green. Remove and set aside.

2. In a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish spread half the bread cubes. Top with the cheese, green onion, and half the ham and asparagus. Top with remaining bread.

3. In a bowl whisk together 4 of the eggs and the milk. Evenly pour over the layers in the dish. With the back of a flat spatula, press the bread down into the egg mixture. To with remaining ham and asparagus. If making ahead of time, stop here, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. 

4. Bake uncovered in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and with the back of a wooden spoon, press 6 indentations into the top of the strata. Pour a whole egg into each indentation. Return to oven for 20-25 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.

5. Drizzle top of strata with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Easy as Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

In the continual effort to eat healthier, I'm always on the hunt for ways to work in more fruits and vegetables into our family's daily diet. Try as I might, the one meal that seems to elude me in this quest is breakfast. I'm happy to put berries on a waffle or possibly whip up a smoothie, but my imagination for fruit at breakfast seems to end right about there. So when I realized that baked oatmeal with fruit was a thing, I was pretty stoked. For awhile now I've been making this baked apple-cinnamon oatmeal with great approval from both my kids and my husband. It's basically as easy as baked oatmeal can get--mix all the ingredients in a baking dish and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes. You don't even need a mixing bowl. Fool-proof! Since I don't generally have 45 minutes to wait for oatmeal to come out of the oven on any given morning (who am I kidding, I barely have an extra 45 seconds on school days) I like to make it the night before and reheat individual portions in the microwave. So let's review: easy, unprocessed, filling, and full of fruit? I'll take that any day! 

Easy as Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

(Adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 2/3 c. old-fashioned oats

4 c. milk

1/3 c. brown sugar

generous 1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

2 apples, peeled and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a 2-quart baking dish, melt butter in the microwave. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

Raspberry Almond Overnight French Toast

Well, the Christmas season has come and gone, though you might not know it at our house. At least, not immediately outside our house. It's not that we haven't taken down our lights or have left some tacky blowup snowman out front. It's that our 8-foot tall live Christmas tree is sitting directly outside of our front door because we don't have a truck and it's too big to haul away in our Mazda 5. Nothing says class like a Sasquatch-sized withering Christmas tree smack dab in front of your house halfway into January, right? I would almost rather have an 8-foot tall actual Sasquatch out there. At least that would be less cliche. Our kind neighbors have offered to take it to the Christmas tree recycling center (yes, that's a thing) when they take theirs (which is NOT sitting in front of their house) one of these days soon. Yay for helpful neighbors! 

At any rate, our Christmas 2014 was a pleasant and mostly peaceful one and in some ways I wasn't ready for it to be over. (Just ready for the tree to be gone.) For me, holidays are marked by the foods I cook/our family eats, many of which have become traditions. For several years now I've done an overnight French toast for Christmas morning--usually a banana-pecan one--but this year I wanted to try something new. I ended up settling on this scrumptious, colorful cinnamon-spiced raspberry almond French toast. The original recipe calls for a whole cup of brown sugar, which I get, cause yeah, it's Christmas and all, but as much as I love sugar, I also love cutting it out where it won't really be missed. So I scaled it way back to just over a half cup and nobody thought it wasn't sweet enough. (Plus, who are we kidding, it's gonna get bathed in maple syrup anyway....I mean, it is Christmas after all.) 

So while the Christmas season may be over, I think I have found a new favorite overnight French toast--cinnamon-y with bursts of tart raspberries and the crunch of almonds to contrast with the soft texture of the bread. Now I think I may need to start a Valentine's Day breakfast tradition just so I can make it again...

Raspberry Almond French Toast
(Adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

12 slices cinnamon bread, cubed
5 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c.  + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
heaping 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 c. raspberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

1. Place bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish (you will get about two layers of bread). In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle almonds over egg mixture. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with raspberries and bake another 10 minutes. Slice and serve with your favorite maple syrup.

Serves 6-8. 

Whole-Grain Blueberry Orange Muffins

I've been making muffins for a looong time now, and through my many experiments with flavors from plum poppyseed to pumpkin banana, blueberry muffins remain the gold standard in my mind's eye of All That Is Muffin. This may be because they were the only kind of muffin I recall my mom making when I was growing up, and I have memories of unabashedly devouring the batter from the mixing bowl like a piranha stripping a cow carcass. Since then, I've run the gamut of blueberry muffin recipes (and their batter, if we're being honest). You've got your cake-like blueberry muffins, with white flour, a mountain of sugar, and streusel for days. Then there are the blueberry health bombs that that are so dense you could knock someone senseless with one. And somewhere in between are the blueberry muffins I usually make, which are healthy and adequately tasty, but nothing I've put on the blog because they're a wee bit boring. 

So my blueberry muffin world was rather rocked when I tried this recipe from Real Simple. These have got to be the most unique blueberry muffin recipe I've ever tried. I'll tell you why. No, it's not the fact that blueberry combined with orange is slightly unusual. There's......shhhh.....a secret ingredient. Well, at least I thought it was unexpected enough and blends seamlessly enough into the texture of the muffin that heck, sure, let's call it a secret ingredient. Pecans! Not pecans loaded with sugar as a crumb topping, but pecans ground in the food processor along with whole wheat flour and oats for a robust (but not crunchy) texture that makes you go, "What's so deliciously different about these?" Add to that the bright sweetness of orange flavor combined with the more mellow sweetness of blueberries and you have a very intriguing mix. My kids devoured them for breakfast, then asked if they could have them packed in their lunches, then asked if they could have them for snack when they got home. And if I weren't saving them for my kids, I probably would have eaten them three times in one day, too. 

So if you find yourself jaded in a world of dime-a-dozen blueberry muffin recipes, perhaps these can broaden your breakfast horizons like they did mine.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Orange Muffins

(Slightly adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. white whole wheat flour

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 c. pecans

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. plain yogurt

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. grated orange zest

1/4 c. orange juice

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. blueberries, frozen or fresh

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a food processor, process the flour, oats, pecans, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until finely ground.

3. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, brown sugar, butter, orange zest, orange juice, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries. The batter will appear dry, but don't worry, the finished product won't be!

4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake 23-25 minutes. 

Baked Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal

Are you pumpkin-ed out yet? It seems like our national obsession with large orange vegetables gets more intense every year. This October Trader Joe's was offering over 60 pumpkin products--everything from pumpkin coffee to pumpkin ravioli (tried them both and they were both tasty!) I've seen pumpkin spice Hershey kisses and pumpkin M & Ms and have heard tell of pumpkin spice Doritos (!). And so far this season I myself have made pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cornbread, with plans to make pumpkin butter and pumpkin ice cream pie this afternoon. Looking at that list, I feel like I need a Pumpkin Intervention. 

But I JUST CAN'T STOP! Living in the desert, making seasonal foods is just about my only connection to feeling like the fall season is actually happening. Here in the Phoenix suburbs, we don't get changing leaves, we don't get sweater weather, we don't get harvest time. You know how some adults spend Christmastime going through rituals and traditions  to "recapture the magic" of Christmas when they were a kid? Well, I have this fairy-tale notion of autumn just like that (even though I didn't experience it as a kid). It's as though if I surround myself with seasonal produce I will magically feel the feelings of fall. And what, you may ask, are the feelings of fall? I suppose it's the typical fantasy of snuggling up in chilly weather, crunching leaves underfoot, and storing up for winter. There's a poem by Donald Hall called "Kicking the Leaves" I used to read every October that epitomizes this romantic notion of fall. Part of it goes:

"I remember Octobers walking to school in Connecticut,

wearing corduroy knockers that swished
with a sound like leaves; and a Sunday buying
a cup of cider at a roadside stand
on a dirt road in New Hampshire; and kicking the leaves."

Now, doesn't that just sound like the archetype of fall? (Ignore the next line where he says "knowing my father would die when the leaves were gone.") That's the fantasy I'm trying to achieve when I cook and bake with pumpkin. And what could be more warm and nourishing on a blustery autumn day than a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal? I've heard of this trend of people eating oatmeal cold, but to me that sounds like a total anathema, like eating ice cream hot. Please, if you eat this oatmeal cold, don't tell me, so that in my mind, in my delightful fantasy of fall where people get cider at roadside stands and wear corduroy knockers (whatever those are), I will picture you eating this oatmeal steaming out of the oven, warming you inside and out.

Baked Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal

(Adapted from Budget Bytes)

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (or about 2 c. homemade)

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. milk

2 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 square baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in milk. Add oats.

3. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, removing foil after the first 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8 and reheats beautifully in the microwave with a little added milk.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Muffins

Whoa, it's been a busy couple of weeks! The fall semester has started, which means I am knee deep in Medical Nutrition Therapy (loving it so far), last week was my birthday (cake recipe forthcoming), and this weekend we hosted a big surprise birthday bash for my sister-in-law's 30th! (I was going to write a post about all the party food and games, but again, things got so busy that I didn't even take many pictures, and what's a food blog post without pictures?) One thing I DO have pictures of, though, are these tasty nut butter oatmeal muffins.

Up until recently, I had never purchased almond butter, mostly because it's hard to justify spending as much on one jar as I would on a pizza to feed my whole family AND because I already love peanut butter so much that experimenting with other nut butters hardly seemed necessary. Why mess with a good thing? And wouldn't it make the peanut butter feel bad? Then a few weeks ago, Maranatha almond butter was on sale for a mere 5 bucks, which is bargain basement for almond butter, so I splurged. 

Assuming one uses almond butter in all the same ways as peanut butter (you know, as shaving cream, leather cleaner, hair moisturizer...seriously, these are actual ways people claim to use peanut butter), I figured I'd go a traditional route by giving it a whirl in these oatmeal muffins. Aaaaand success! These were simple to whip up, reasonably healthy, and as an established fan of oatmeal muffins, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the almond taste paired with the quasi-nuttiness of oats. It was like being in a Peanut Butter Parallel Universe.

(Sorry, peanut butter. We can still be friends. I promise I'll still slather you on ice cream eat you in heart-healthy portions.)

You could, of course, use peanut butter instead of almond in this recipe. Either would be delicious.

P.S.: Days after making and eating these muffins, I received a call from the grocery store saying this particular brand of almond butter had been recalled for salmonella. Awesome. Is that why it was so cheap? Still gonna buy it again.

P.P.S.: None of us got salmonella. And neither will you from looking at the pictures. Just be sure to buy non-bacterially infected almond butter. Or peanut butter. Either will work. :)

Almond Butter Oatmeal Muffins
(Adapted from The Cooking Actress)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour (white whole wheat is especially good because of its lighter texture)
1 c. quick or rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
1/2 c. almond or peanut butter
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. milk

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together honey, almond or peanut butter, yogurt, egg, vanilla, and milk.

4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until combined. Divide evenly into prepared muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full.

5. Bake 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes about 12 muffins.

Easy Blueberry Jam

As a parent of young children, I can no longer think about the concept of jam without the image of Dr. Gru from Despicable Me 2 popping into my head, maintaining in that Boris Karloff/drunken Slav accent of his that he is no longer a villain and is on the straight and narrow: 

"I am developing a line of delicious jams and jellies!" 

If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about, because you have seen this movie approximately 8,000 times and know all its ins and outs, including how the Minions become purple and evil. If you're not, or haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil how the Minions turn evil, but I will tell you that Gru is giving the law-abiding life his level best by abandoning projects like stealing the moon for tamer pastimes like creating fruity spreads--and more power to him. I have a feeling he and the Minions would put out some pretty tasty stuff. 

Since we're talking jams and jellies and tasty stuff, allow me to introduce you to this ridiculously easy blueberry jam, which does not require an army of Minions. Have you ever heard of a jam that 1.) doesn't call for pectin and 2.) takes 20 minutes start to finish? Right, me neither. Most jams and jellies involve a real commitment in the kitchen. This jam, on the other hand, can be slapped together in the time it takes to watch a New Girl episode (or a Ninjago, if we're going to stick with the kids' entertainment theme). It may or may not end up being cheaper than store-bought blueberry jam, but if you hit the grocery store/farmers' market/berry patch on the right week, it just might. Even if it doesn't, though, making your own blueberry jam is a fun way to give yourself and your family a homemade, delicious breakfast treat on toast or muffins, or even to give a friend or neighbor as a thoughtful little gift. Without canning, this jam will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. It could also make a lovely cake filling or an unusual "J" in a PBJ. I know I'll definitely be making it again!

Easy Blueberry Jam

(From Fine Cooking)

Ingredients:

4 c. fresh blueberries

1 c. white sugar

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

Directions:

1. Place the berries and 2 Tbsp. water in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher, stir and mash the berries until they are bubbling around the edges of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, about 1 minute.

2. Add the lemon juice, increase heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 218 degrees on a candy thermometer, 8-10 minutes. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can do the "cold plate test": place a small amount of jam on a spoon on a plate in the freezer. Check the consistency after a couple of minutes. If it has jelled to your liking, it is done.) Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.

3. Transfer to a heatproof, airtight container and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Basic Mini Frittatas

If I'm being honest, I have to admit I've been stuck in a breakfast rut for years. Not that I mind. Toast, whole grain muffins and quick breads, and cereal have been my trusted morning companions for years. So even if they are same-old, same-old day after day, I just really, really like carbs, so my bread-based breakfasts suit me pretty well. If I had a personal Breakfast Food Pyramid, it would look like this:

As you can see, eggs are not high on this list. (Well, technically, they are high, but in the upside-down-backwards kind of high, like how you want to score low, not high in golf.) Still, there is the occasional morning when something other than straight-up carbs appeals to me, or when I need to make something portable to take to a brunch, or when I give in to my husband's pleas to make these muffin-sized frittatas. Because they really are a wonderful, satisfyingly savory way to make eggs. As with most egg dishes, these frittatas are unfailingly modifiable, so you can pretty much throw in any savory ingredient and wind up with something pleasing. Additionally, they're embarrassingly easy to slap together and reheat beautifully (30 seconds in the microwave) for a convenient protein-y breakfast. I've made them for everything from bridal showers to Easter brunch to a quick dinner for the babysitter to feed my kids. Not that they're going to supplant my grain-focused morning meal, but they certainly are easy, tasty, and healthy enough to make a semi-regular appearance.  

Basic Mini Frittatas
(Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Optional add-ins:

2 tsp. dried parsley (I always add this, regardless of other add-ins, as it gives such nice color!)
1/2 c. chopped cooked meat--ham, salami, bacon, chorizo, etc.
1/2 c. cheese--feta, Parmesan, shredded cheddar, etc.
1/2 c. cooked chopped vegetables--sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and generously grease a regular-sized muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, pepper, and salt to blend well. Stir in any and all optional add-ins. Using a measuring cup to scoop, fill in muffin cups almost to the top.

3. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until frittatas are set in the center and begin to brown on top. Carefully loosen frittatas from muffin cups and serve immediately or refrigerate for later reheating.

Makes about 10 mini frittatas.

Zucchini Bread

In one of my favorite books about food, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver writes about her experience with "Zucchini Wars." You may be picturing galloping hoards hurling green, oblong grenades at each other, but in fact, Zucchini Wars are the annual challenge in the South (where Kingsolver lives on her farm) to rid oneself of excess zucchinis in July. Zucchini seems to be one of those plants that has taken to the old adage "bloom where you are planted" like gangbusters, thriving in any condition to yield a bumper crop year after year. Kingsolver contemplates the concept of an automobile engine that runs on zucchini, and--my favorite line in the chapter--recalls Garrison Keillor's quote that "July is the only time of year when country people lock our cars in the church parking lot, so people won't put squash on the front seat. I used to think that was a joke." 

Presumably, this pursuit of using up all your over-abundant zucchini explains the origins of zucchini bread. I can think of no other reason why someone would look at this:

and think of this:

For a long time, I was skeptical of zucchini bread (and reasonably so, I'd say). I wouldn't jump at the chance to eat asparagus bread or bok choy bread--at least not as a sweet breakfast--so what makes zucchini bread any different?

Frankly, I don't really know. Except that people don't seem to have major harvests of asparagus or bok choy to get off their hands, so those haven't taken off in the form of quick breads (yet). But if you add sugar and other yummy ingredients to just about anything, it seems to work as a breakfast treat. 

Here in Arizona, we definitely don't have Zucchini Wars, but I occasionally end up with a zucchini or two I somehow didn't use as planned. Enter this recipe. It does the trick of using up my zucchini without me resorting to a clandestine Zucchini Drop in someone's car while they innocently worship at church. (Though I do live just a quarter mile from my church...wonder what else I could conveniently offload...) Once I finally tried zucchini bread, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it--the zucchini adds a colorful little crunch you don't usually find in a quick bread. And since the other ingredients are standard muffin-y things like brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon, you still feel like you're eating something light and sweet, not a dinner-time side dish. 

And now I'm off to develop my soon-to-be famous Asparagus Bread recipe...

Zucchini Bread
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated zucchini

Directions:

1. Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.

3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, applesauce, oil, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Stir in zucchini until completely incorporated. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves.