comforts.

I find oatmeal comforting..

not the pot of slop my chef thinks it is.

I love sending the kids out with warm bellies which the character of "cereal" 

{although fine} 

does not satisfy. 

For them, I add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon...sometimes I dice up an apple saute it first in the butter before adding the water & oats. YUM. 

For me, I try to make it a bit healthier...although I love the indulgent float of butter! 

Sometimes vanilla makes it just a bit nicer. 

That pinch of salt it suggest, take it. It does help. 

Or I might add a splash of Orgeat Syrup. Its the type you add to coffee drinks. 

Orgeat is Almond Flavor & I keep it around because my kids love the warm steamer drinks at Starbucks, this $5.00 bottle lasts me for EVER.

A touch of that or if you have Almond Extract, just a drop will take a bowl of oats to another level. 

a spoon full of olallieberry jam is my favorite. 

But we've eaten it all...til June.

                                        

My anthro latte bowls steaming with porridge, shouldn't that come from a cottage full of kids on their way down the block to school.....

comforts of home.

recipes that work.

Despite the fact that our selves are bursting with hundreds of cookbooks...

I am here to tell you not all recipes are created equal. 

And as strange as it sounds 

I love a recipe that works. 

You know, you make it & its a instant winner. 

comes out just like you saw in the book & looks to die for. 

This is it. 

Ina Garten is a star in this house. I've met several celebrities but I was never as excited or swooned to meet them as I was her. I have no clue why. [insert yes, I am a lame-O]

Barefoot Contessa Easy Sticky Buns

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet ofpuff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly rollaround the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

make this. make friends.

It uses 2 baskets of blackberries...& I use an old enamelware pan I got long ago secondhand. A cast iron pan also works, love those. I've made it so many times its almost memorized, and it calls for buttermilk, which I LOVE. Buttermilk is lowfat, tangy & makes baking moist. 

Serves 8

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet
• 2 containers fresh blackberries (5.6 ounces each)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.

In a 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat remaining tablespoon butter in the oven until melted and skillet is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Pour batter into skillet; scatter blackberries on top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below (to catch any drips), until top is evenly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen; cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Hope you try it. Its delish! 

Got it from:
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Blackberry-Cornmeal Cake - Martha Stewart Recipes 

Recipe to share

I honestly can't remember how long ago I came up with this. 

But is has created a following like nothing else I make.

{ok, maybe Carrot Cake wins over, not sure.}

It went like this...

me : "I think I'll make a cheeseball for Thanksgiving, sounds good."

my chef : "oh, really?...ok." with a sincere nose curl & grimace."

me : "no, not like those Port-o-cheddar things you see in the grocery store! This will be good...."

and so I tinkered. 

I've changed a few things since the first round of cheeseball 

and to me it is a seasonal thing. 

Thanksgiving & Christmas

but I've been given grief on that {Tiffany tried to get me to make it for the lake. Not a summer food to me.}

Here goes:

2 8oz. cream cheese, softened. Important to let these soften on the counter, otherwise it won't mix well!

1/2 C of cranberry chutney (I've gotten this in the past from Trader Joes, they didn't bring it in despite my round of calls begging. SO. It can be substituted with other chutney + cranberries

1/2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 C grated gruyere cheese

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 C chopped green onion {green & white parts}

salt & pepper {just a bit}

Then, 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts. This can be a preference. I like almonds & pecans best but I've used walnuts too. No peanuts or cashews here...

Add all 7 ingredients in a bowl. Do not do in food processor, the green onions get stringy, yuck. I like to make it the day before to let the flavors meld, everyone agrees its better but if your late, oh well. Then with your best kitchen utensils, your hands- mold it in a ball.

Before serving roll it in your chopped nuts. 

Serve with crackers & sliced fuji apples {apples are my favorite!}

This recipe has been tried & tested all over. I can guarantee yummy-ness. 

somehow I've never taken a picture of it done

{I will this year!}

but here is it in the midst 

And just a note to finish the story, one bite & he was smitten.