Fruit Cereal and Yogurt

Good morning all! Time for some breakfast.

I don't know about you, but sometimes all I can stomach for breakfast is fruit. Not all days of course, there is the occasional day which I can eat an entire buffet. (hehe rhyme). But today I am in the mood for fruit.

Seasonal is a good way to eat your fruits and veggies because you know that it will taste great and that it was probably a bit cheaper than those oranges that were shipped across the continent. And pomegranates are in season, so that fruit's in. Apples were season about a month ago, so their in too!

I love fruit and yogurt, so I mixed some delicious vanilla yogurt with the chopped up apples, and then combined it with a vanilla almond cereal. Then I sprinkled the yummy fruit cereal mix with some gorgeous pomegranate seeds.

Mmhm. It was perfect for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 gala apple, chopped into bite size pieces

1/4 c vanilla almond cereal (or which ever variety you prefer)

1 c vanilla yogurt

1/2 pomegranate, seeded

Apple Gingerbread Sweet Potatoes

This recipe brings warmth to any meal. I bring it forth as a nomination for the category of "yummy creative side dish made in under 30 minutes", in the food Oscars. Do they have those? They should.

The combination of smooth and creamy sweet potatoes, gingerbread tea which can be cooked directly into the potato, honey, tart and crunchy apples, topped with nuts, dried fruit, and sugar, makes for a satisfying side dish.

I might add that I made these potatoes right after class and in-between homework sessions, so they are pretty easy if you have the right ingredients in your pantry. I literally kept throwing matching flavors into this dish because sweet potatoes are a very versatile vegetable. Sweet, but not too much, so you can add a seasonal flare to them like I did here. Crumbled up gingerbread cookies on top would be a nice addition as well.

You can use any type of gingerbread or cinnamon tea to infuse the potatoes that you can find. I bought mine at the grocery store and have had it sitting around for 2 years, and thought, It's about time to put this tea to some use! So I did. When the water with the potatoes in it comes to a boil, I let one of these seasonal tea bags and 3 black peppercorns steep for about 2 minutes, and the potatoes took on a great flavor!

You can use this same trick when making potato salad. Put a few garlic cloves in the water while the potatoes cook, and they will taste like garlic!

Combine some fresh apples into the cooked and mashed potatoes, cinnamon, and honey or brown sugar.

I didn't cook mine for too long because I didn't want the nuts to potentially burn, but you could leave yours in longer if you left the nuts off until a bit later into the cooking process. Maybe your sugar will caramelize more than mine did.

Ingredients:

(For one portion)

1 medium size sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1'' pieces

1 gingerbread tea bag (or chai/cinnamon/etc.)

3 black peppercorns

1/2 medium size apple, chopped (I used an Empire apple)

1 tsp. butter (optional)

1 tsp. honey or brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

a few pinches of large crystal sugar (like turbanado)

a handful of mixed nuts/dried fruit

Directions:

1. Cook peeled and cut potatoes into a pot full of cold water on high. When water comes to a boil, place tea bag and peppercorns into the pot (steep for 2 minutes) and allow the potatoes to cook another 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender enough to be be cut with a fork. Drain.

2. Mash potatoes, cinnamon, honey, and butter in a bowl with a fork until smooth. Stir chopped apples in gently.

3. Spoon mixture into a oven safe dish, and top with mixed nuts/fruit and sugar of choice.

4. Cook on broil for approx. 5 minutes. (You can cook it longer if you want the sugar to melt further, but watch so that it doesn't burn.)

Orchard Fruit

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?

Well here are two pictures of apples...will that do?


Alllrighty then!

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In case you were wondering, I'm currently shooting with a Sony HD video camcorder. Just until I get my new Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens, then I'll be back in business!

But the video camera isn't half bad! Wouldn't you say?

Baby Pun'kins and Mulled Cider

I went to the market today after church and bought these baby pumpkins (affectionately dubbed pun'kins):


Kinda inspired by the adorable pun'kins I taught in Sunday school this morning:)

"Okay Max, it's Jehova and YAH-way, not Jehova and HIGH-way. Nice try though."

So in the spirit of the fall weather and all that it brings (adorable pun'kins of all varieties), I did not hesitate in making my room even more 'fall-ish.'

See?


Okay. Okay. So it probably doesn't look 'fall-ish' at all. But I'm workin' on it! Next project is a fall leaf collage. I'm thinking that once the leaves are nice and colourful, I will find a few pretty ones (not too difficult) and then dry them out in one of my over sized textbooks. (I knew those things would come in handy one day!) Then, once the leaves have fully dried out, you can make a collage with them! On a canvas, on a poster, which ever.

And to go along with this crafty endeavor, a hot glass of mulled cider should do the trick. Here is my recipe:

Julia's Mulled Apple Cider

Hot and spicy, this mulled cider will have you craving more all season long. Bring a thermos-full to work and share it with your friends. Or package up the spice mix in small baggies to give as gifts (for any occasion) with instructions on how to make it.

Ingredients:

Amounts can change depending on how much you are making, but I would suggest making a large batch, and cooling it in the fridge for later; rather than having to make each glass separately.

1 qt apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
20 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
the zest from 1/2 of a lemon, or orange or from 3/4 of a lime
5-6 thin slices of fresh lemon or orange or lime

1 crock pot/slow cooker (if available)

Directions:

1. Place cinnamon, peppercorns and cloves into a saute pan at a low heat, just until you start to smell the aromas. This bring out the essential oils in each.

2. Plug in crock pot and set to a medium heat. I like to use a crock pot because I can heat things and walk away; the stove is not so forgiving.

3. Pour apple cider, spices, and sugar into the crock pot and stir gently.

4. 5 minutes later stir in the zest. Place lid on the crock pot and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. 25 minutes before serving, stir in fruit slices.

5. Pick out the cloves and peppercorns or strain the HOT apple cider in a fine mesh strainer but be very careful if you choose that method.

6. Serve in mugs with the cooked fruit slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish. Would also be nice with whip cream and a caramel drizzle.

Now, excuse me while I go 'mull' over my homework. A task that has not been attempted yet this evening. It's not my fault that I'd rather be making crafts and cider than reading 200 page articles ;)