Yoatmeal (overnight oats)

When I moved to California I lived in Palo Alto. I came across this breakfast spot called Fraiche. My daughter and I walked down there one day and it was a yogurt shop. We both tried a yogurt/oatmeal combination. 

Since I tried it I have seen quite a few posts on Pinterest showing overnight oats. These posts were inspiring. I started working at Quantifind and I do breakfasts twice a week. I tried a yogurt bar and that was successful, so I decided to try overnight oats. It was so popular my co-workers were eating seconds and thirds for days. Since I was feeding a large group I made 1/2 gallon ball jars. The recipe I came up with was 3 equal parts so if you make a smaller portion it's easy 3 equal parts oatmeal yogurt and milk. It's 1:1:1. Make smaller individual jars for quick on the go breakfast and snacks. You could also make a large batch and keep it for days. It's delicious. 

Ingredients

2c rolled oats (not instant)

2c milk or almond, soy milk

2c Greek yogurt (preferably Fage or Greek Gods) or soy/almond for dairy free

1/2gallon jar

I made a few kinds for choices and methods of sweetening

Almond

1/4-1/3c brown sugar

1tbsp almond extract

Honey

1/3c honey

Vanilla

1/4-1/3c brown sugar

1tbsp vanilla extract

Maple

1/3c pure maple

Method

In clean jar pour in oats, cover with milk, 

add yogurt 

and preferred sweetener. 

Put on lid and shake it up. 

You can customize these oats and mix in fruit dried or fresh, nut butters, nuts, seeds, whey, protein powder, spices, granola, flax, wheat germ, chia seeds, whatever you wish. 

Fruit Salad yummy yummy

Fruit salad is so yummy and fresh. There are many recipes out there but they are either fruit in whipped topping or fruit in yogurt. No that's not the perfect fruit salad. I decided to make my own. And with this you can't substitute the brands. I've taken this to a few picnics and bbq's and yea I've been told it's the best fruit salad that they have ever tried. When I make it the little one eats only it for days till she has eatin it all gone. So here you go it's easy and delish..

Ingredients 

1lb strawberries quartered

4.4oz blueberries 

6oz raspberries 

6oz blackberries

2 mangos cut up

3-4 bananas sliced

1c green grapes cut in half

8oz Cool Whip

1c Greek Gods or Brown Cow vanilla yogurt 

1tbsp sugar

*Optional

Orange wedges

Pineapple

1c mini marshmallows 

Method

Wash and prepare fruit. Put all together in a bowl and mix up. 

If you are serving later wait for bananas and marshmallows 

Mix all fruit 

Mix together whipped cream and sugar and yogurt. 

When ready to serve finish with bananas and cream topping, and marshmallows. 

Mix and serve

Boba Tea

When I lived in Seattle I experienced a whole different kind of eating. I had never had bubble tea never even heard of it. But when I finally did it was amazing. I just recently decided to make it on my own. So we went to the Asian market and found the tapioca and some matcha green tea. 

Ingredients 

1/2c boba tapioca pearls

4c boiling water

Brown sugar syrup

1/4c brown sugar

1/4c sugar

1/2c water

Milk tea

1/2c milk

1c fruit

1c ice

1tbsp matcha green tea

1tbsp sugar

Method

Boil water. Add tapioca pearls and cook for 15 min.

 Turn off heat and let sit for 15 min. To make sugar syrup boil water and sugars till dissolved. Cover in sugar syrup and prepare milk tea. 

Use a blender and blend all ingredients for milk tea, pour over tapioca pearls and use a fat straw to enjoy.

Amish Country Cabbage dish

 

When I drove from Minnesota to California I stopped in St. Louis at the arc there is a museum at the bottom. I found these wonderful cookbooks there. One of the few I bought was an Amish cooking cookbook. I have thumbed through many times. But never made anything. Lately I have heard of how great Amish food is so I started to research Amish cooking and dishes. I found many different cabbage and meat recipes. So I decided to make up my own one that fits my family's taste. I came up with one that was very similar to a Jewish dish that I make called Prakas. This meal was so simple but yet so amazing. It's a very hearty meal. My husband had 3 helpings. It's easy to make it vegetarian as well. I'm going to try some recipes in my book. 

I'm glad I was looking the Amish way. 

Ingredients

1lb ground turkey or hamburger

1 onion

1 clove garlic chopped

2tbsp butter 

14oz stewed tomatoes 

8oz tomato sauce

1/2 cabbage chopped

Salt and pepper

1tsp smoked paprika

1tsp brown sugar

1tbsp Worcester sauce

Mashed potatoes

Method

Chop onion and garlic and cabbage

Brown ground meat with salt, pepper paprika and onions, 

Drain grease

Add garlic, butter, cabbage 

Tomatoes, sauce, brown sugar and Worcester sauce 

Stir well, simmer 

and cover turn down heat and cook for about 20 min until cabbage is soft.

Serve over mashed potatoes yum

To make vegetarian omit meat cook same method. Yum!! 

Game Day Cakes !!!Seahawks!!!

On the super bowl I made some fun cakes for my favorite team. You can choose any team and change the colors of the cakes and frosting. But why would you want to do that Seattle is really the best ya know!!

First I made a chocolate football cake. It was really easy. All you have to do is bake a 9x12 rectangle cake ! And Shape it



 For the cake recipe click link

Cut off the corners to shape it like a football. then you frost it and lace it

Then you gotta make team cupcakes. I use a red velvet recipe here but I think it would be better to use a yellow cake or a white one. If you do red velvet whatever colors of the team use that in the batter so half the batter then dye it. I also did that with my frosting which you can use a cream cheese frosting or a basic buttercream. Bake and frost after cooled. Please have fun decorating we did. We made our own football and star chocolates and topped with sprinkles and such.