Overnights In "Oatober"

Yes, oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Besides the steamy cup with a plethora of add-ins, oatmeal can be savory, used as a flour substitute and giving a boost to your meat loaf. The health benefits of oatmeal make it a perfect addition to other foods to boost nutrition in baked goods and stuffing.  

First a primer on the various kinds of oatmeal:  Oatmeal is available in different varieties such as old-fashioned oats, oat groats, steel-cut oats and oat bran. Some quick-cooking varieties include cooking oats and instant oatmeal. The different types of oat products are a result of the kind of processing they undergo, but all retain most of their fiber and nutrient content.


Some of the most prominent nutritional benefits of oatmeal can be summarized as the following:


1. BOOSTS ENERGY
Oatmeal is a carbohydrate and protein-rich source that provides calories and energy. A 2006 study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found consuming a low-glycemic meal, such as oatmeal, three hours prior to a run gives you better endurance than a high-glycemic meal. Foods such as oatmeal tend to cause a slow rise in glycemic levels, which is ideal for increasing fat-burning during exercise.


2. SUPPORTS WEIGHT LOSS
Oatmeal is an appetite suppressor that can be an integral part of any weight loss diet. Cholecystokinin, a hunger-fighting hormone, is increased with the oatmeal compound beta-glucan. A 2009 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found satiety increased as a result of eating foods containing beta-glucan. 


3. PREVENTS DIABETES
Oatmeal’s low-glycemic index is beneficial when it comes to reducing the risk of diabetes. This helps the stomach empty its contents slowly, which affects blood sugar levels and has a positive effect on our insulin sensitivity. A 2006 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a diet that produces a low-glycemic response is associated with less insulin resistance and a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes than a diet that produces a high-glycemic response.


4. BOOSTS HEART HEALTH
Foods rich in whole oat sources of soluble fiber have been linked to good heart health. Oatmeal contains both calcium and potassium, which are known to reduce blood pressure numbers. A 1999 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found whole-grain consumption was associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease due to its soluble fiber. 


5. REDUCES COLON CANCER
A high-fiber diet can be beneficial when it comes to reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Its soluble fiber and insoluble fiber can help speed up the passage of food and waste, which prevents constipation. This is what promotes good colon health. A 2011 study published in the BMJ found total fiber intake, as well as fiber from whole grains and from cereals, was strongly associated with a reduction in colon cancer. 

I am very fond of oats this time of year because they are cozy, filling and delicious.  Overnight oats are  my favorite because I can prepare ahead of time and have breakfast every day of the week. The best part is you can be creative and add anything your little heart desires. This month, I had a food experience with my favorite flavor this month, S'mores Overnight Oats. This tasty recipe is courtesy of Quaker Oats and you can find the recipe HERE.

S’mores Overnight Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup lowfat milk (I love Fairlife milk, more protein!)

1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon mini marshmallows

1 graham cracker

Preparation:

1. Add oats to your container of choice , pour in milk and layer mini chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham cracker.
2. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy in the morning.

Happy Oatober!


~Crazy

Easy Caramel Apple Crisp for Throwback Thursday! #tbt

Lots of thoughts running through my head this fine Thursday!  As I was browsing the Internet today, there is a trend on Thursdays called "Throwback Thursday" where people post pictures from the past all over social media. Which inspired me to share my "throwback" of the changes in the season. Above is a tree in my yard a few days ago and here was that same tree on  May 7th. 

Fall is obviously here. I love fall. But this picture makes me long for the new life spring brings. As I brush away a few nostalgic tears, I quickly remember all the fabulous reasons I Iove fall. The weather, comfort food, the jeans/boots/sweater wardrobe staple, and just the feeling of being cozy. I get a little more rejuvenated in the fall, more appreciative and with a full heart. 

I also cook more and find myself longing for the warm, flavorful foods of my youth. Today my thoughts are all focused on apple crisp. Last week, I made this yummy goodness for dinner with a friend. It was a perfect ending to our evening and reminded me of my mom making it when I was younger. Honey crisp apples, cinnamon and caramel are flavors I adore!!! 

I decided to make individual servings because I do not need leftovers (even though I really want them). Grab 2 Honeycrisp apples and slice thin. 

Sprinkle cinnamon liberally on the apples. Or not, whatever exites your taste buds. Spray ramekins with olive oil and fill half way with apples. Then top with 1/4 cup of caramel bites. 

Add the rest of the apples to cover the caramel. Mix quick oats with brown sugar, flour and more cinnamon. Cut in softened butter with a fork. 

Place the oatmeal topping on each ramekin. The topping will be more like a granola: a little crunchy and crumbly. (And create a little bit of a mess, because that's how this cook rolls).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with your favorite ice cream. Cool introduced me to this delicious frozen vanilla bean yogurt and I am hooked. 

I thought I would be fancy and add one of the leaves from my tree for presentation. When you devour in, the melting frozen yogurt blends with the apples and caramel layer. Pure Fall Heaven!!!!

~Crazy

Anne's Apple Crisp

2 servings

2 Honey Crisp apples, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 cup caramel bits, divided

1 cup quick oats

1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons of butter

1. Heat over to 350 degrees. 

2. Mix sliced apples with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

3. Grease 2 ramekins and fill half way with apples.

4. Top apples with divided caramel bits and add remaining apples to the ramekins.

5. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar and remaining cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter with a fork.

6. Top ramekins with the oat mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Have You Celebrated Family Meals Month?

Are family meals a lost art? In our world today, with fast-paced lives, busy work schedules and extracurricular activities, drive-thru meals and takeout food have become the norm. What impact does this have on our kids, our families and ourselves? As the trend moves toward simplicity and convenience, let’s not overlook the fact that preparing and eating meals together stimulates communication, creates memories and establishes healthy eating behaviors that have a long-lasting impact.

 

Research shows that when families eat meals together on a regular basis, they have greater unity and closer relationships. Children in families who eat together are better adjusted to the pressures of society. These children are more comfortable and confident in their own skin. The long-term nutritional benefits for individuals who have grown up eating family meals are clear too. The percentage of family members who are overweight, or abuse alcohol or drugs, is significantly lower in families who eat meals together on a regular basis than those who don’t.

 

Historically, traditional family meals were part of an everyday ritual, like brushing teeth. Homemade meals were prepared from scratch, dinner was served at the same time every night, and family members had assigned seats. Lessons and wisdom were shared over the dinner table.  Children grew in their character, learning manners, self-discipline and gratitude.

 

When schedules are busy, and time is at a premium, there is still hope for the family meal. September is National Family Meals Month, which means it’s the perfect time to start making family meals a normal occurrence in your home. Here are a few tips on how to do it and some delicious pictures of the perfect family meal to make this month:

• Pick one or two days a week for everyone to commit to.
• Pick a recipe and side dishes the family can agree on. Choose foods from all food groups, and foods that vary in color, taste and texture, to increase nutritional benefit.
• Choose a recipe that allows for convenience. Slow-cooker meals, casseroles and grilled meats are all good ideas. Check out all Hy-Vee has to offer for fast, easy and healthy meals and try Cool's Mushroom Pizza Recipe below.
• Plan for conversation starters. For example, have everyone go around the table and say one thing they are grateful for, or share an interesting story from their day.
• Keep everyone in touch by turning the television off and having a “no phones at the dinner table” policy.

Cool's Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms:  Serves 4

All You Need:

4 portabella mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. Italian or Balsamic Dressing                                

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

½ lb. Italian Sausage                                                

½ c. Marinara

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil                                                                               

1/3 c. Parmesan, shredded

½ c. Zucchini, diced                                                                        

½ c. Mozzarella, shredded

½ c. Green Peppers, diced

All You Do:

1. Coat the mushrooms in dressing, and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large skillet over medium high heat cook sausage for 3 minutes.  Add in the olive oil, zucchini, green peppers, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook until meat is thoroughly cooked about 7 minutes.  Drain meat, and add in marinara and parmesan cheese.  Stuff each mushroom with ½ c. of meat mixture and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
3. Take the mushrooms out and top with the mozzarella cheese and place back in the oven to melt about 10-15 minutes. 
    

~Crazy

Football Flashback: Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you live in Iowa you know that today starts the interstate rival college football week, ending with the Iowa vs Iowa State game on Saturday at Kinnick stadium.  Even if you don't live in Iowa or are even a football lover, I'm sure you still love "football food."  I classify football food as a dish that feeds a crowd at minimal effort and is perceived well from the audience it's serving.

In honor of this week I have a super easy tailgating recipe that will blow your taste buds!  Buffalo chicken dip!!  Wahoo, rah rah rah, let's hear it for the food!  Whether your team wins or loses you will always feel like a winner after eating this! 

Check out the video if you would like or just follow the recipe below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNjtH2Wlsto&list=UUsmwo9grv25f6hT7CipnI9A

-Cool

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 rotisserie chicken, picked and diced

1 (8oz) cream cheese

1/2 - 3/4 c. Frank's red hot sauce

1/2 c. Ranch or Blue cheese dressing

1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Pepper jack cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

In a medium size crockpot combine the chicken, cream cheese, franks red hot, dressing, cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese and heat in high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Stir when all melted together and top with blue cheese crumbles if you like. Switch crock pot to warm and serve with carrots, celery, tortilla chips.

Crazy's Coconut Birthday Celebration

Not only did Cool have a busy birthday month in August, so did I!  Which I love because then I get to eat delicious cake too!  I dusted off my oven and decided August warrants a little baking on my end for the beautiful woman I know as my mother.

I try not to repeat myself when it comes to desserts because my beautiful mother deserves something new and delicious for her birthday taste buds to experience. I did consult with Cool on ideas for something new and exciting. She shared with me this gem and it is delicious.

What I love about this recipe is that it is easy but tastes decadent. I start out with Duncan Hines White Cake Mix, 3 egg whites and 1/4 cup of canola oil. Blend on medium for about 2 minutes. While it is blending, I greased and lightly floured my 9x13 inch pan and pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees. Once it was blended and my oven was ready, I baked the cake for about 23 minutes (I have a dark cake pan, so make sure to prepare the cake as indicated from the directions listed on the box). 

While the cake is baking, I mix together 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 can of coconut milk. You will use half of the mixture (which is awesome because then you have it ready for another delicious cake in the future. Just freeze the other half for a later baking extravaganza!).

The timer should be going off!  Check the doneness of your cake by inserting a toothpick into multiple parts of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake has finished baking. While the cake is still warm, poke holes with the end of a round cooking utensil.

Check out these stellar hole poking skills.

Again, while the cake is still warm, pour half of the condensed milk and coconut mixture onto the cake. As the cake sits and cools, it will absorb the milk mixture.

While the cake is cooling, take a large container of Cool Whip out of your freezer and bring to room temperature. Now I am a huge fan of coconut, so I mixed a 1 teaspoon of coconut extract into my cool whip. While those flavors meshed, I heated a medium size sauce pan to medium heat and toasted 1 package of coconut flakes. Make sure to continue stirring the flakes so they do not burn and take off the heat once the flakes start to turn a light brown. Those delicate flakes will continue to cook a little bit off of the burner.

When the cake is cooled completely, time to spread on the love. Generously spread the Cool Whip on top of the cake. I love Cool Whip. And no I did not get the light or fat-free kind either.

Because I wanted to do this.

Sprinkle on the toasted coconut. You can also opt to do fresh coconut if you like the flavor better. Whatever you like!  That is the beauty of this recipe. You could make cupcakes or 2-8 inch cakes as well.  For the next cake I bake, I will also top with mini-chocolate chips.

My mother was surprised an excited to blow out the candles on her yummy and decadent white coconut cake, made by yours truly. 

Happiest of Birthdays to You Mom!  I hope all your wishes come true!

Crazy's Coconut Cake

1 - 18.25 ounce package white cake mix

1 - 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 - 16 ounce package thawed frozen whipped topping

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 - 7 ounce package toasted flaked coconut

1.  Prepare and bake white cake mix according to packaged directions.

2.  Remove cake from oven.

3. While still hot, using a utility utensil, poke holes all over the top of the cake.

4. Let cake cool completely.

5. While the cake is cooling, mix coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk together. Use one half of the mixture for the cake. Freeze the other half for future use.

6. Toast coconut by heating a medium size sauce pan to medium heat, constantly stirring until coconut is light brown, about 5 minutes.

7. When cake is cool, generously frost with the whipped topping and coconut.

8. Keep cake refrigerated.

~Crazy

Cha Cha Chili Please!

It was so cold last week and now that daylight savings time has started, I am already ready for bed at 7 pm. Let the hibernation begin! Cold weather always inspires me to make chili and so thankfully I had some leftovers after a busy Sunday to indulge in. Now anyone who knows me knows I do not like beans in my chili. When I was younger, my mom would purée beans and sneak them in. Now that I am an adult, I do the same thing because they are so very healthy for you. I guess it's the texture but when they are puréed, they only add thickness and nutrients. 

I start out with ground mild Italian turkey sausage and over medium heat, cook until almost done with the meat being slightly pink. 

I then add in carrots, onions and celery. (Yes I cheated with short cuts from Hy-Vee, so easy!) I finish cooking the sausage and slightly softening the veggies. 

Usually this is about and additional 5-7 minutes.

 I then add in 2 cups of diced red bell pepper and continuing cooking for 5 minutes. 

Next up is one can of tomato paste and one can of no salt added diced tomatoes. 

Once that is blended and simmering, in goes my flavoring. 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of chili powder. I sometimes like mine a little spicier and will add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. 

Stir under blended, add 1/2 cup of water, pop a lid on and simmer on low for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. 

In the last 30 minutes, add 1 cup of puréed beans. I used canned cannellini beans or white beans with no added sodium. The beans will help thicken the chili too. And there you have it! It was a delicious dinner tonight. 

~Crazy

A Different Halloween Delight

During the fall, everyone tends to go off the deep end when it comes to pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored lattes, cookies, bread and even protein bars. I am "in-likes" with pumpkin, let me share with you why.  My first ever pumpkin cooking experience was for Thanksgiving in 2000. My family hosted Thanksgiving each year and each year we had the same desserts, pumpkin and apple pie. I decided that year to make a delicious homemade pumpkin cheesecake. It was full of calories and yumminess. Unfortunately, not many of my family members agreed because it wasn't traditional. Only 2 people tried my cheesecake that I spent almost 4 hours making. This is why I am not "in-love" with pumpkin. This week, Cool and I had our monthly recipe "Throwdown" with a Halloween theme and pumpkin was the first thing that came to mind, so I thought I would give it another whirl. This time around without slaving 4 hours and also increasing the health of it.

Start off with an 8 oz container of 1/3 less fat cream cheese and blend with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. You can use a stand or hand mixer for this recipe.

Blend until creamy and add 1 cup of canned pumpkin, mix well.

I got a hold of this awesome natural Pumpkin Spice extract from McCormick and added in 1/2 tablespoon. If you have the dried spice, I recommend adding in 1 tablespoon. Mix well.

To add body to the dip as well as nutrients as protein, I added in 1 small container of plain fat-free Siggi's Yogurt. You can also use a fat-free plain Greek Yogurt.

For the final addition, add in 1/2 of a container of light whipped topping. This will add a little more creaminess to the dip and cheesecake texture.

Choose fun things to dip. I really thought the Scooby-Doo! cracker sticks were awesome because they are shaped like bones (I had quite a few people as me if they were dog treats, hilarious). Sliced apples, banana ghosts (banana chunks with raisins for eyes) and pretzels were my other dippers.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8oz) pkg light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• ½ Tbsp pumpkin pie spice extract or 1 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice
• ½  (4 oz) tub light whipped topping
• 1 (5 oz) container of plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. With a handheld mixer and large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Mix in the pumpkin puree and pie spice.
3. Beat in the whip topping and yogurt until mixed thoroughly and the beaters leave ripples in the dip.
4. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
5. Serve with apples, pretzels, vanilla wafers or your favorite dippers.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-dip-recipe.html

~Crazy