Slow Cooked Apple Oatmeal

I love warm breakfasts. I really like having it ready when I wake up, like this oatmeal. You mix everything together in the slow cooker the night before, turn it on, and have yummy oatmeal ready to eat when you get up the next morning! Magic!

You will need:

• 1 c steel cut oats
• 1 1/2 c milk
• 1 c apple cider
• 1/2 c water
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 3 T maple syrup
• 4 apples, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Then you will…

1. Lightly grease the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix together the oats, milk, cider, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup and apples in the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
4. Serve with chopped nuts and a little extra milk.

Italian Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a very versatile dish. There are variations on meatloaf that can be found on menus across the globe, and there are even recipes going back to ancient Rome! Using a blend of ground turkey and beef makes it a little bit lighter than some versions you might find. You will add in lots of Italian herbs and some cheese to balance it out. Not sure that this one is your style? Check out one of these other versions: Caroline’s meatloaf, vegetable meatloaf, yummy meatloaf, or roasted tomato meatloaf.

You will need:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c breadcrumbs
• 1/2 medium onion, grated
• 1 t dried basil
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/4 t ground pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 c shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
• 1/2 c tomato sauce, plus extra for serving

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil to catch any drips.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper, salt, Worcestershire and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Be careful not to over mix; this will keep the loaf from being too dense and tough.
3. Lightly press the meat mixture into the loaf pan.
4. Top it with the tomato sauce.
5. Place the loaf pan on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until cooked through and delicious.
6. Top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve hot with some warmed tomato sauce.

Rum Cookie Bars

This is a simple recipe for blondie cookie bars. I added some spices and dark rum, which is particularly scrumptious with all of the caramel goodness from the brown sugar. The batter comes together quickly, and it’s based on ingredients you likely have in your pantry right now. What are you waiting for?

You will need:

• 1 c packed brown sugar
• 8 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 t salt, scant
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 2 T dark rum
• 1 c whole wheat flour

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment or tinfoil and lightly grease.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and melted butter until smooth.
3. Mix in the egg, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and rum.
4. Stir in the flour just until mixed together.
5. Spread in the prepared pan.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and set in the middle.
7. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
8. Continue cooling on a wire rack before enjoying with others!

Lemon Chocolate Banana Bread

Here’s another sweet variation on banana bread. It’s got a few interesting twists like lemon zest and dark chocolate. I also used olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil. The result is a banana bread that is a sweet surprise!

You will need:

• 3-4 ripe bananas, lightly mashed
• 1/4 c Greek yogurt (I had vanilla on hand, but plain would work too)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 c olive oil
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 c dark chocolate chips (or coarsely chopped)
• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/8 t salt

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the bananas, yogurt, eggs, olive oil, lemon zest and vanilla.
3. Stir in the chocolate pieces.
4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
5. Add the banana mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden and just set in the middle.
7. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Honey Poppy Banana Bread

This is a light banana bread with a hint of honey. It’s also full of poppyseeds, which is something I really like when I bake sweet breads. Your house will smell awesome when you make this! I challenge you to wait till it has cooled off before cutting a slice.

You will need:

• 3-4 ripe bananas, lightly mashed
• 1/4 c Greek yogurt (I had vanilla on hand, but plain would work too)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/8 t salt
• 1.25 oz poppyseeds

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, honey and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and poppyseeds.
4. Add the banana mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden and just set in the middle.
6. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack.