Baked Oatmeal

This is how you can feel good about waking up in the dark and the cold. Turn things around with a cozy breakfast that will make your house smell wonderful. It is best if you stir it together the night before and let it develop in the refrigerator (or at room temperature, if you are brave, and want to save time in the a.m. because you regularly wake up starving) until morning. Also, uncooked, it stores well in the freezer. Plus, once baked, it makes great leftovers. What more can I say?





1/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/23 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c milk
3 c oats

Mix all the ingredients except the oats. Then stir in the oats and transfer to a greased casserole dish. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake it, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until set in the middle. Delicious served hot with milk and fruit. Makes 6 servings.

Long cooked green beans

What to do when you have a surge of overdeveloped or tough green beans come fall? Put them in a pot. I was skeptical, but had nothing to lose. In a similar way to my sauerkraut experiment, quite a transformation occurred. I can't say what this dish would be like with tender little beans at the peak of their season, but it would probably be just swell. I will definitely make this again this time next year.




makes 6 servings:
2 lbs green beans, cut into 1-2in pieces
3 c  canned tomatoes and juice
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 t cayenne
salt
toasted pine nuts

Just start the garlic in a pot with a little oil. Then add the beans, tomato, bay, and cayenne, and salt to taste. Simmer for an hour or until you get the desired tenderness. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and top with a fried egg if you wish.

Millet Pudding

This one is for you Caroline. Here's to getting out of a rut. A nice warm breakfast using a grain you might not have eaten for ten years or ever.

This is a bit time consuming, so make it on a leisurely morning, but make extra and simply relax and reheat the leftovers another morning.

Millet Pudding (makes 4-5 servings):

1c millet

1 c water

1 T butter

4 c milk

1 cinnamon stick

vanilla

honey

salt

xtra butter

1 c cream

raisins

Boil millet, butter, and water. When all the water is absorbed, add milk and cinnamon. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and add vanilla, honey, and salt to taste. Let it cool down a bit and add some more butter, the cream, and a handful of raisins. Serve warm.