[Overnight Oats]

I've mastered Chia pudding - but haven't tried this recipe yet ...

 Overnight Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients

Base Recipe

• ½ cup whole rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
• Pinch sea salt
• ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, optional
• ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk

Variations:

Apple Pie

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
• Diced apple
• Chopped pecans
• Cinnamon Apples, optional

Peach Crisp

• Peach slices
• Granola

PB&J

• Chia Jam, see note
• Peanut butter
• Chopped strawberries
• Raspberries
• Chopped peanuts

Chocolate Banana Bread

• ½ banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• Banana slices
• Chopped walnuts
• Chocolate chips

Instructions

• Make the base recipe: In a Mason jar or other lidded jar, place the oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, salt, and Greek yogurt, if using.
• Add the almond milk and stir until the mixture is well combined and there are no clumps of chia seeds at the bottom of the jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 5 days.
• In the morning, top with your desired toppings and serve with drizzles of maple syrup.
• For apple pie overnight oats, stir the applesauce and cinnamon into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with diced apple, chopped pecans, and cinnamon apples and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.
• For peach crisp overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with peach slices, granola, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.
• For PB&J overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with chia jam, peanut butter, chopped strawberries, raspberries, and chopped peanuts.
• For chocolate banana bread overnight oats, stir the mashed banana, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with banana slices, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.

Notes

Chia Jam Recipe

• 1 pound strawberries
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds

Place the strawberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash the strawberries, keeping a few a little chunky. Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds. Transfer to a jar and let cool, uncovered, at room temperature, then cover and chill in the fridge.

[ Andrea's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies ]

Andrea Billows sent me a copy of this recipe, after seeing my post for "pursuing the BEST chocolate chip recipe".  She says this one, is a hit in her home.  And the pic prove a well-used-recipe with marks all over it lol.  Can't wait to try it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup        butter
1/2 cup        white sugar

1/2 cup        brown sugar

1                  egg, beaten

1 tbsp          water

1/2 tsp         vanilla

3/4 cup        flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp         baking soda

1/2 tsp         salt

1+ 1/2cups  uncooked rolled oats

1+ 1/2cups  chocolate chips

Directions:

- cream butter and sugars together until smooth

- add egg and vanilla and beat

- fold in flour, soda and salt (sifted together) and water.

- fold in oats and chocolate chips.

- drop spoonful on a GREASED baking sheet

- bake at 375F for 10-12 min.

[ MONSTER cookies ]

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt)
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
• Flakey sea salt for sprinkling on top

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In small bowl mix together the oats and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then gently fold in chocolate chips.
• Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. BARELY flatten the top of the cookie with your hand. The dough should be pretty sticky so if you find this method annoying, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that's okay, they will still be delicious!
• Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. 
• Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Makes 16-20 cookies.

[Debbie's Caramel Delights.]

For the last 20 years, we've attended the annual Friends Reunion.  Debbie ALWAYS brings these caramel squares to the Friday night social ... and we line up, hoping to steal more than our share.  She gave me the recipe and I've never made them, but today - on this cozy Saturday afternoon - it was the perfect thing to try.  My own IPhone pic ... I promise I only ate half the missing piece.

Caramel Delights

1st Layer
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp soda
¾ cup butter

1.  Heat oven to 350F.
2.  Cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.
3. Press half mixture into prepared pan (9x13), and bake for 5 minutes.

2nd Layer
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

4. Sprinkle over partially baked base.

3rd Layer
32 caramel candies
1/2cup evaporated milk

5. Melt third layer ingredients in a double boiler.
6. Pour over 2nd layer.
7. Top with remainder of crumb mixture from 1st layer.
8.  Bake an additional 20-25minutes.

* start by preparing the 3rd layer first, as it you can complete the first two while it's melting.  Plus - it takes a while to unwrap all of the caramels *grin*.

[Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (NO four, NO butter)]

Saw this on Pinterest and gave it a go.  Although it can't be put in the kid's nut-free lunch, it's still a real winner!  Yup ... my personal IPhone pic.  They're legit.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup peanut better
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

1. Beat together.
2. In a separate bowl, combine ...

⅔ cup oats (NOT quick oats)
1 tsp baking soda

3.  Add oat mixture to peanut butter mixture.  Stir until combined.

⅔ cup chocolate chips

4. Stir in chocolate chips
5. Bake at 350F for 9-11minutes

* makes 16-20 cookies; recipe easily doubles.

[Gluten-Free Nutella Oat Cookies.]

Um.  These were a mistake ... I should never had made them.  But now I officially have a NEW cookie favourite in the house.  The boys haven't stopped asking for "just one more" since I pulled the last batch out of the oven.

They're crispy on the outside and yummy-chocolatey-chewy on the inside ... mmmm.  I adapted this recipe from one online that called for peanut-butter.  These are "peanut-free" - but not "nut-free".  

And yup.  THIS one is my own IPhone pic of them ... 

Gluten-Free Nutella Oat Cookies (makes about 4dozen)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla

1+1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Nutella

3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free)

2 cups chopped white chocolate (or chocolate chips)

Directions:

- preheat oven to 350F

- cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy.

- add the eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  mix.

- add Nutella, mix.

- add the oats and chocolate chunks, mix until combined.

- bake 12-15minutes, remove and let cool slightly before removing and letting cool on the racks.  Don't peek, or they'll crack with the cool air - pull them out when they're bubbling on the inside ... 

[Tracy's Famous Pancakes.]

Yes.  Her pancakes are famous.  At least to me they are ... her kids rave about them.

Famous Pancakes

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cardomom
2 eggs
1 + 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:

- mix.  cook.  eat.

[ANZAC Cookies]

I make these for Mimmo because there are no eggs in it.  They're crispy/chewy and coconuty.  Mmmm.

ANZAC Cookies

3/4 cup flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 cups coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp golden syrup 
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

- Combine flour, rolled oats, coconut and sugar. Make a well.
- Melt butter and syrup in a small saucepan.
- in a separate bowl add boiling water to baking soda, then pour into butter/syrup mixture. It will foam.
- pour into dry ingredients.
- place tsp sized balls onto a cold, greased cookie tray.
- bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until dark golden brown.
- while still warm, remove to a cooling rack.