Almond Joy Oatmeal {Happy Halloween!}

Happy Halloween! This is a busy week for us - Halloween is just the beginning of the "mini-triduum" of Hallowtide: All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. Lots of fun and devotion and proper attention to death are planned. (For more info on how and why Catholics celebrate Halloween, click here!)

(Digital download of this coloring sheet available at Someday Saints Designs)

Almond Joy Oatmeal

A special request for "coconut oatmeal" and an abundance of Halloween candy staring me down all day inspired this recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened, but you could use the sugary coconut!)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Sweetener to taste (I used maple syrup, but honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or stevia would work!)

Put the oats, coconut milk, water and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook until almost done (5-8 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and serve! (For an added boost of protein, and to cool it down quickly for little people, I stir in a dollop of greek yogurt.)

Apple Cinnamon Multigrain Pancakes

I have a friend I met when Anne was just about 2 weeks old - the first time I went to our parish's playgroup. Her younger daughter was 5 weeks old at the time, so those girls have been friends almost from birth, which I think is kind of amazing.



We spend a lot of time together. Like, a lot. And when we're not together, we talk almost every day, at least once. She only lives 6 blocks away, and because her husband also has a very demanding job, we have established a wonderful tradition of coming together for "family dinners" on most of the nights when both husbands have to be away for dinner for whatever reason.


{After she helped me make the apples and batter and then saw me run over to the good light to take a photo, she ran over to her play kitchen, grabbed a pan and said, "Can you take a smile of my dinner?" Aspiring food blogger right here.}

These dinners are complete sanity-savers for me. The girls play, and we usually sip a glass of wine and talk while we cook.



The reason this kind of community is so important to me is that food was not meant to be enjoyed alone. And during those weeks when my husband's work keeps him away during most of my waking hours, elevating my dinner conversation beyond what a 2-year-old is capable of is nothing short of miraculous.



Like the loaves and the fishes, sharing multiplies. It multiplies our gratefulness for the food we have, our ability to see what's right in front of us, our awareness of the presence of the Spirit in our lives.



Community like this is rare in the world we live in. So tonight, after a rough week of surviving, I rolled up my sleeves and made pancakes and said a prayer of thanks from my heart.



Apple Cinnamon Multigrain Pancakes

For the apples:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the pancakes:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup amaranth flour
1/3 cup rye flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add apples, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon, and toss together. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes, until the apples are soft but not falling apart, and the sugar and butter are sticky and caramelized. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, then pour wet into dry and whisk together. Set aside for 10-15 minutes if possible, just to allow the batter to bubble and develop a bit. I think this makes for puffier pancakes.

Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees, or set up a skillet over a medium flame. Not too hot, or the outsides will burn before the insides get done! When the pan is hot, rub butter all over, and then scoop the batter in 1/4- to 1/3-cup servings. (I made some little silver-dollars for the kids, some of whom sometimes scream when I cut their food.) In about a minute, spoon some of the cinnamon-apples onto the top, and then when the underside is golden (2-3 minutes total), flip! Cook another minute or two and repeat until batter is gone. Serve topped with butter and extra apples or maple syrup.

Baked Rhubarb Oatmeal

Long ago, motherhood -- womanhood -- was a community affair. Pregnancy, childbirth, nursing; these things were not so cloaked in mystique and taboos in past generations. There was support, practice, experience that came with being one of many women living in close quarters. Much of that is lost in our society, or at least it can be. Motherhood can be a time of tremendous isolation, since most of us live miles from our families and friends. I am so deeply grateful for the online communities I have found to give support and encouragement, answer crazy questions, and laugh and cry with me. I am grateful to be able to connect with women who completely understand when I talk about erratic sleep schedules, nursing marathons, and the fact that, to my dismay, my house looks nothing like what I see on Pinterest.



Motherhood is still a community, albeit more Jetsons than tribe. This morning I had coffee with my mom via videochat. We showed each other the progress our seedlings have made, watched my daughter wiggle and squeal, and lamented the caprices of late spring (Michigan got snow again!). Later we went to a bakery to spend time with several other moms and babies Anne's age, whom we met through Meetup.com. While we rocked to sleep at naptime this afternoon, I checked the moms' groups I'm a part of on Facebook, commiserating, praying, and sharing what little advice and experience I've gained in five short months. I checked Twitter for updates on a new baby in the NICU, offered encouragement and more prayers. This may look very different than it used to, but it is essentially the same. I'm grateful for all my little tribes of mammas, living the joy and struggle of raising these tiny people together.



This recipe is adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day, a fabulous book full of unusual and inspiring vegetarian dishes. The original recipe calls for bananas and huckleberries (which, incidentally, I've never had!). I was craving rhubarb crisp, but looking for something a little more wholesome and substantial that could be eaten for breakfast, guilt-free. Rhubarb probably won't be at the local markets for another month or so, but I cheated last year and froze some. How wonderful it was to look in the back of my freezer and pull out the gift of spring a few weeks early! This would work with any fruit you have on hand; apples, pears, or berries would be lovely. Let me know what you try!

Baked Rhubarb Oatmeal

4 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups milk
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and arrange a rack in the top third of the oven. Butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish (or equivalent). Mix together the oats, half the walnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl whisk together the milk, honey, egg, vanilla, and butter.

Arrange the rhubarb in the dish and sprinkle the sugar over. Toss the rhubarb a little to evenly distribute the sugar, but not too much; you don't want all the sugar to go to the bottom. Spread the oat mixture evenly over the top. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the top, and thump the pan on the counter gently to evenly distribute the milk through the oats. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden and set. Serve warm.

Maple Olive Oil Granola

This parenting thing, man, it's for real. I was so cavalier about it all through my pregnancy. I've been babysitting since I was, like, eleven years old, I thought, I've got this. Let me just say, I don't think there is anything that could have prepared me for the crazy balancing act of motherhood.



Most recently, I've learned that anything some doctor can think up to write in a book, they can find a study to back it up. Seriously. A great example: Kids should be left to cry vs. Kids shouldn't be left to cry. So you read those two articles (or two books corresponding to the respective parenting strategies), and then for weeks your brain whirrs nonstop, trying to figure out what is best for your baby and your family. You find yourself unable to think or talk about anything but the problem you're currently trying to solve. And then as soon as you think you've got it figured out... they grow out of it. WHAT. I've never been great at improvising or relinquishing control, but this takes "rolling with the punches" to a whole new level.



Things that have helped: Prayer. Google*. Tea and wine and chocolate. Getting outside every day. Hilarious mom friends, in real life and online. And a simple morning routine that involves, in no particular order, coffee, a shower, getting dressed in real clothes, minimal makeup, and a good breakfast. Good breakfasts are not to be missed, and that's what I'd like to share with you today. Homemade granola so delicious it (almost) makes you forget you were up every two hours last night. I like to sprinkle a few tablespoons of granola over a bowl of unsweetened cereal (like this one), top with sliced fruit and douse with whole milk. It's also fantastic with plain whole milk yogurt.

*Google is not always helpful. 

Maple Olive Oil Granola
adapted from Orangette

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup raw pecan halves
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes/chips (the big ones that look like shavings)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup Grade B real maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl and stir to mix. Mix together the maple syrup and olive oil (I measured mine directly into a Pyrex measuring cup and mixed in there) and pour over the oat mixture, stirring to coat. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until evenly golden. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's a ceiling fan in our dining room, which connects to our kitchen. It is Anne's new best friend. I sit her in her little bouncy chair underneath it and she stares contentedly at it, smiling and cooing. Between that set-up and wearing her in the sling, I can get a fair amount of stuff done! As a new mom, it's amazing the tiny things that can make me feel like a rock star. "Not only did I just mix these cookies and get them in the oven, I cleaned up my kitchen before the baby needed me!" Totally worthy of high fives. Timing errands so that the baby goes in the car seat full and sleepy, takes a nap, wakes up happy and isn't hungry until you're back at home? Oh my gosh, that lady deserves some sort of medal.



I have had my eye on this cookbook for a long time, and I got it as a Christmas gift! It is already even better than I thought it would be! To tell you the truth, I really love the recipe that's on the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip bag - it has never failed me. These cookies are a complete departure from those. I love the nutty flavor of the whole-wheat flour, and the crumbly texture it gives the cookies. The kosher salt gives an extra crunch and a little extra sparkle. Adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla and dark instead of light brown sugar lends a sophisticated depth. The cookies really are best straight from the oven, or later that day (as Kim says in the book), so I would suggest you do as I did: bake a pan or two when you make the dough, and then refrigerate the rest of the dough (already formed into balls) to be baked throughout the week as you want them. They are fantastic with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Good to the Grain, by Kim Boyce



3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and toss together with a fork. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars, and mix on low until well-blended, about two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until well-blended. Add the chocolate chips and mix well.

Scoop dough into balls about 3 tablespoons in size, roll slightly between your palms, and place about 3 inches apart on the prepared pan. Bake 16-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time, until cookies are evenly browned. Slide the parchment and cookies onto the counter to cool.

Carrot-Cherry Breakfast Cookies

Good morning!  Happy Monday!  Oh, I know you're not happy it's Monday.  I'm not terribly happy about it either.  The better the weekend, the sadder it is when it ends.  So I brought you a present to make you feel better.  Cookies for breakfast, jam-packed with healthy vegan stuff!  We are starting this week off on the right foot!

What kind of weekend did you have?  Fun?  Responsible and productive?  Both?  I had the apartment to myself, and I had a whole mental list of things that I wanted to get accomplished, including:

• finally switch my closet from summer to winter
• purge said closet of things that either don't fit me or I hate and never wear
• clean all the things!
• take a yoga class
• buy some new winter clothes
• get the plants in from the porch so that they don't die in the frost

Here's what I actually did:

• drank wine while knitting and watching Cars 2
• danced around the house to Adele and Maroon 5 (I've got the moves like Jagger.  Yes I do.)
• cooked for 8 hours straight
• met friends for drinks at a new-to-me bar in my neighborhood
• brought treats with me everywhere I went

Sometimes you just have to scrap your sensible list and do what feels right.  I mean, obviously you'll get back to the list sometime.  And these cookies are great for that.  They are perfect try, try again cookies.  Yummy, soft, spicy, and so healthy.  Hope you love them as much as I do! 

Carrot-Cherry Breakfast Cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons millet, rinsed well
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 heaping cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Position racks in the upper half of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.  Whisk together oil and maple syrup, carrots, cherries and ginger, and add to the dry ingredients, folding to combine.  Let mixture rest for 5 minutes. 

Spoon mixture by heaping tablespoonful onto pans and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.  Allow to cool on pans for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.