Spelt Berry Oatmeal Apple Hot Cereal

I had fun making another spelt berry hot cereal. Here and here are 2 other ones I made a couple years ago that were really good too. It is fun to have different textures in your hot cereal. It also adds some added nutrition combining the grains. The grated apples added a nice natural sweetness too. It is a nice complete breakfast with the apple added.  This would be easy to make the night before and have ready for the next morning. You can store leftovers in an airtight container and eat cold or hot for a breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:
1/2 C spelt berries
3 1/2 C water
1 T coconut oil
1 1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal
3/4 C almond milk
2 big apples grated (I used pink lady)
1/4 tsp almond extract (You could also use vanilla)
1 tsp cinnamon (I used a zester and grated a cinnamon stick)
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg (or powder if you don't have the fresh ) 
sweetener added to taste (I added a small amount of honey)
* 2 T ground flax could be added when you add the oatmeal* optional
* You could also top it off with fresh fruit or chopped nuts.
 
Directions: Serves 5- 6
1. Pour spelt and water in medium saucepan and let it boil on med high a couple minutes. Turn down the heat and let it simmer about 15 min. The spelt will be tender but still have some firmness to it.
2. Stir in the oatmeal on medium low heat. Gradually add the almond milk. Let it all cook together about 7 min.
3. Pour in the grated apple, extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let cook on low 2 min.
4. Pour into bowls. You can add a little almond milk on top too. Store leftovers in air tight container. 

Enjoy Today and Buckwheat Groats Cereal

Out my front door

We live in a beautiful world!

Where ever you live I hope you are enjoying today! I love being outside this time of year. It fills me up and energizes me. I went on a walk with my daughter last night as the sun was setting and it felt so good. These are views out my front door that I got last Sunday. The camera never captures it fully. I know you have beauty outside your front door as well enjoy it. Nature has a way of filling me up and bringing me peace.

It has been a happy week. My youngest daughter graduated from high school. The opening procession music always gets to me. It makes me think about the child graduating, and I always feel a great love for them. I am excited for this daughter.  She has a lot of great plans, and I know this will be a rewarding time of her life. I love her so much and want the best for her and to see her succeed. Its just that part of turning to the next chapter of life that gets my emotions going, yet when I turn the page I always enjoy the next chapter too. 


I also took care of my 2 sweet grandsons for a week last week with the help of my husband and children. I would lose more weight if I did it more often. I went to bed tired at night, yet filled with love for them. There laughter is so fun to hear. The world would be a sad place without children.  It's a wonderful life!

Buckwheat Groats Cereal

I love to talk to people in the store. I learn so much from them when I do. My children sometimes make fun of me for doing it. :) Oh well. This recipe is a result of someone sharing with me in the store. She said she loves to eat buckwheat this way for breakfast. I was reading more about buckwheat after I talked to her and was excited to learn more of the benefits of eating it regularly. Buckwheat one of the closest plant sources to being a complete protein. It also contains a high proportion of all eight amino acids, which our bodies can't produce by themselves, yet are important to keep our bodies in shape. Here is another great resource on buckwheat!

Ingredients:  2 servings

1/2  Buckwheat groats
1 C unsweetened almond milk or milk of your choice
1 tsp honey
favorite fresh or frozen fruit topping.
Cinnamon if desired

Directions:

1. Pour milk and buckwheat together stir in honey. Let soak overnight in the fridge.

2. Pour desired amount into a bowl and add fruit of your choosing. Sprinkle on cinnamon
if desired. Enjoy some Buckwheat today!

Steel Cut Oats

I tried something new today. I bought steel cut oats yesterday. I had been wanting to try them and had never taken the time to buy them. I really enjoyed them for my breakfast this morning. I liked the chewiness of them. I love to eat different textures. It is part of the whole eating experience for me. I felt very satisfied after eating them. They really filled me up fast. I added dried blueberries to it, but I decided I really liked the more natural flavor without the berries. It was less sweet and more natural tasting.

Steel-cut oats come in varying sizes. They are pinhead, coarse and medium and fine. They do take a longer time to cook. They have a nice nutty and chewy flavor. They offer 5 to 7 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving. One serving adds 4 to 5 grams of fiber.  It also adds about 10 % of the iron you will need in a day. Steel cut oats are raw where as regular oatmeal is steamed as they process it.  

You could make them the night before and reheat them in the morning. You could also soak them the night before. If you make a large batch you could store them in the fridge in an air tight container and reheat when you want them.

This time I made them in the pressure cooker. They were done in 8 min. I quick released the steam and they were ready to go. The moisture would have been absorbed more if I had let the steam release on its own. (I got anxious)

Ingredients:
2/3 C steel cut oats
2 C water or milk or a combination of both
1 T honey
1 T coconut oil
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste preference 
You could add your favorite fruit topping if desired. 

1. Pressure cooker method: Place all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and turn to high pressure for 8 min. Let the steam release on its own if you have time. The moisture will absorb better.


2. stove top method: Toast the oats in  coconut oil let them turn light golden colored. Pour in the liquid and honey. Let it come to a boil and them turn down to low to let it simmer. (You may add some additional liquid if needed) It is done when the moisture has absorbed. They will still be chewy but tender.  It will take about 30 to 35 min to cook. Soaking them cuts down on your cooking time.

3. You could make them ahead the night before or start soaking the oats the night before.      

   

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal for a quick and healthy breakfast.

It is one of my sweet daughters birthday today. I am so grateful for her and the laughter and love that she brings into my life.  It is so wonderful to have family. My life revolves around them.  

I am teaching a class about cooked cereal tomorrow so, I have it on my mind. I made this over the weekend. It tasted wonderful. The great thing about this recipe is you can make it ahead, and have it all made for a quick breakfast, which my husband and I have enjoyed.. It kept me satisfied all morning.  If you plan ahead it is easier to eat healthy meals.  It could also make a great snack, lunch or dinner.  

Ingredients:

2 C Old fashioned oatmeal

1/4 C flax seeds ground
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger (I used fresh)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (Iused fresh)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (I love the smell)
1/4 tsp cardamom *optional
1/2 tsp sea salt w/ iodoine
2 1/2 C milk
1/4 to 1/3 C honey
1 egg
1/4 C coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C dried  fruit and nuts if desired (I preferred without the nuts)

Directions:

*Heat oven to 350 Grease ramekins it made 8

1. In a bowl mix together, oats, flax seeds, baking powder spices and salt.

2. In a different bowl mix milk, honey, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla until all combined.

3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in the fruit and nuts. (You could let it sit in the fridge over night to soften before you cook it.)

4. Pour into 7-8 ramekins or 2 qt baking dish. Bake 25-35 min. It should turn a nice golden brown. Serve warm with milk and fresh fruit.

*. Store leftovers in the fridge covered with plastic. Heat up when ready to serve. You could also do chocolate chips. It could be eaten warn or cold. I also thought about putting fresh fruit in it next time. Like some chopped up apples. You could stir in a little pumpkin or peanut butter to add some extra flavor too.  There are a lot of possibilities.    

Spelt Berry Cereal with Berries

You can read about spelt here.. It has been a wonderful grain I have enjoyed very much. In lots of ways. It is a great alternative to wheat, it has a a lower gluten content too. A friend was recently telling me how much her family enjoyed it as a cereal. It would be similar to how people eat wheat berries. It was a fun breakfast. (The blueberries were frozen in this picture it was nice to mix them in and it cools down the cereal.

Ingredients:
2 C water
1 C spelt
1 T coconut oil
1 tsp pumpkin spice * optional
* Toppings: Blueberries or fruit of your choosing, coconut, almond milk, honey, etc... *

Directions:
Pressure cooking method:
1. Pour spelt, water, oil and spice into the pressure cooking.

2. Set the pressure cooker on to high pressure. Set timer for 25 min.

3. Put on lid and let it cook. Let the pressure release on its on. You can leave it on warm and serve whenever you want to.

4. Top with your favorite toppings.

Stove top method: Add an extra cup of water

1.Pour 3 cups of water into medium saucepan heat till comes to a boil.

2. Pour cup of spelt in boiling water and add spices and oil. Let it come to a boil again.

3. Put the lid on turn it to low. Let it cook another 40-60 min or until soft and they start to split. Drain off water.

4. Then serve and put on your favorite topping.

*Store left over berries in the fridge. Spelt berries could also be thrown in with other dishes like salads, soups, chili, casseroles and ? They will add some extra nutrition and fiber to your dish.

Muesli Scandinavian Cereal

I hope that you had a nice weekend. I had a nice one spending it with family actives. One of the wonderful things I did was go to an L.D.S. worldwide broadcast for women with a couple of my daughters. It was a wonderful evening. I love being a Mom. I also enjoyed spending time cooking in the kitchen with my 3rd daughter. She is living away at college, so I told her I would help her make some meals she could put in the freezer, and have for quick meals. We had a fun time cooking together. Spending time in the kitchen with my children, and husband brings me delight. I have many cherished memories, and I look forward in continuing to make new memories as well.

One of the things I made that I shared with her was this Muesli. This is a Scandinavian cereal that can be served with milk or yogurt for a wonderful breakfast or snack. It is a great way to start off your day with whole grains, protein, and calcium from your dairy. You can also enjoy omega-3s when you add in flaxseeds. It is similar to granola but a little different. It it more like a healthy dried cereal. :) It is another great breakfast for your family.

This is Muesli served with peaches and milk.

These are the buckwheat flakes. I have a flaker that I hook on to my Bosh that turns the grains into flakes. It is a lot of fun. It is wonderful way to make oat groats into oatmeal. Oat groats have a longer shelf life thatn oatmeal.
This is what it looks like before the milk and fruit was added. I thought it tasted really good plain as well.


Ingredients:
4 C old fashioned Oatmeal
1 1/4 C Buckwheat flakes or rye, or wheat flakes
1 C chopped nuts (I used almonds this time)
1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 C raisins or dried fruit *Optional
1/4 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg or 1/4 tsp dried * optional
1/4 tsp cardamom * optional
1/2 ground flaxseed

Directions: preheat oven to 350

1. You can grease cookie sheet with cooking spray. It is works either way. Spread the oats and flakes all over the baking sheet. It took 2 pans. Bake for 10 min.

2. Take the cookie sheets out of the oven and stir in the nuts and coconut. Return back to the oven. Let bake another 8 min approx. Turn off the oven.

3. Take cookie sheet out of the oven. Stir in dried fruit.

4. In a small saucepan on the stove heat up the honey, spices, and vanilla. till all mixed together and warm.

5. Then drizzle over the cereal and stir to coat the cereal. Stir in the flax seed. Then return to warm oven. Let sit in the oven until it is completely cool. (When you cook flax seed you lose some of the beneficial omega 3. So add it after the cooking process. When the oven is just warm.)

Buckwheat, Oatmeal and Amaranth Hot Cereal

I have enjoyed this mixture as hot cereal a couple times. Lauri suggested that she puts coconut oil in her hot cereal. She said it gives and extra creamy texture, and I agree. I really like what the coconut oil adds to the cereal. I also like the extra bonus, the oil it helps it to not boil over. :) The combination of all the grains is wonderful. Think of all the nutrition you are starting your day off with. All combined in just one bowl. =)


Ingredients:
3 C hot water
2/3 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/3 C amaranth
1/3 C buckwheat
1 1/2 T coconut oil
*I have used quinoa as one of the grains too.
sweeten to your preference
top with cut up fruit, nuts, coconut etc...

Directions:

1. Put a medium saucepan on the stove. Then pour in all the ingredients. (It adds to the nutrition to let the grain soak for 15 min or more. It is not necessary though.) Then turn to medium heat, and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally. Let cook until all the water is absorbed and, completely softened.

2. Pour into bowl, add sweetener, and desired topping. Have a great weekend!

Toasted Quinoa Cereal with Almond Milk

I love eating quinoa Cereal for breakfast. When I eat it leaves me with a satisfied full feeling. It seems to give me added energy in the morning too. The toasted quinoa gives it a nice texture and wonderful flavor. You can get creative and add your favorite fruit on top.

Ingredients

1 C washed quinoa
2 T coconut oil
1 C almond milk
1 C water
2 T honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
top with fruit of choice
top with unsweetened shredded coconut *optional

Directions  Serves 4

1. Pour washed quinoa and oil into a sauce pan. Turn on to medium heat and stir and toast the quinoa until a light golden. 

2. Pour in the milk, water and honey and cinnamon. Stir until all combined. Bring mixture to a low boil. Turn down the heat and cook on low about 20-30 min. The mixture will be thick and the quinoa will be cooked. 

3. Take off the heat and serve. Top with some additional almond milk and fruit of your choice.