Kicking Off the New Year (Oatmeal Style)

Well howdy!  My name is Mary Rose, and if you have stumbled across this blog while surfing the vast world wide interwebs I hope that you enjoy my little venture into the world of food blogging.

If you didn't come across this blog by accident, and are here because you have seen me talking about this theoretical food blog on Facebook, I'd like you to note that we have gone from theoretical to full-blown REALITY.  See the title up at the top of this page?  I named this blog on a whim while sitting at my desk yesterday, stressing myself out about how I promised myself I would start the food blog I've toyed with for months.  Let me explain...

I'm a procrastinator.  I get things done, but in reality it can take me an extraordinarily long amount of time to actually DO THEM.  Now, I've gone and really done it by doing what I said I was going to do, because now I have to FOLLOW THROUGH.  Planning is easy.  Execution of a plan is exhausting. 

It would be rather funny to start a food blog without featuring any recipes from the word go.  But that is more "sad humor" than actual humor, so I'm going to start with a recipe I fell in love with a couple months ago and I've been making nearly weekly ever since.  You can find the original recipe HERE, the blog I found it on is one of my personal favorites.  The blogger inspired me to make my own vanilla, which I did in early December and then gave the finished products to dear friends as a Christmas gift. 

The thing I love about this recipe is its FLEXIBILITY.  I can double it (which I did this morning) and then eat oatmeal all week long at work.  And this oatmeal is almost better as leftovers, I shit you not (hey, I curse, be prepared for torrential swearing in posts to come).  I have fallen in love with adding chopped fresh apples and omitting the nutmeg in lieu of a HUGE tablespoon of cinnamon.  I love cinnamon.  I can't get enough.  The version below has no apples, it is a good old fashioned Maple & Brown Sugar edition.

Baked Oatmeal (a variation of Maple Baked Oatmeal from Foodie with Family)

• 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) of butter
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (do not substitute quick or instant or steel cut oats)
• 1/2-3/4 cup raw or maple sugar preferably (You can substitute granulated or brown sugar if necessary.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (you can substitute Golden Syrup if you prefer it.)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 3/4 teaspoon ground vanilla) 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, unwrap the butter and place it in an 8-inch x 8-inch or 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan. 

Place the pan on the center rack of the oven and let the butter melt as the oven heats. (As soon as the butter is melted remove the pan from the oven or the butter may scorch.)

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

Whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract (note: the bottle above is the vanilla that I made for Christmas, and it is DELIGHTFUL) in a separate bowl, pour over the dry ingredients and mix together with a sturdy spoon until everything is evenly combined and wet. Scrape into the pan with the melted butter and stir until most of the butter is incorporated, but there are little pockets of melted butter still visible at the corners.

 Before baking

 After baking

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Serve hot with a splash or a good glug of heavy cream.  

Both these kids go ape-shit for baked oatmeal, apples or no apples.  The texture is more cake than porridge.  My whole family had this for Christmas morning breakfast, and my dad (who is a perpetual grump and never very impressed with most things) even said he liked it.  This is Wade-approved, which means you should make a batch of this, like, yesterday.

Coming up on future posts: guest recipes, my new favorite make-ahead item, and a delicious soup my whole family enjoys.  Stay tuned!!!