My Favorite Things...160...It's Snow Time!

We have well over a foot of snow today in Sterling Forest...It's really quite picturesque.  I left the camera at the office, so I'll focus on adding all sorts of little goodies to the blog and website, (like the new projects area link on the left...CHECK IT OUT!).  Cheryl (who lives nearby) is in her studio making a bunch of quilts for us to go to the magazines by early January.  (In addition to the Christmas long-arming projects she's promised her customers.)  I should have some new sneak peek quilt pics for you very soon...

It looks like Paton has the flu, so I'll share with you a delicious oatmeal concoction made for him today to cheer him up (the picture is from the last time I made it)...It's caramely, nutty and oh-so-satisfying on a cold winter's morning.  I am not a huge banana fan, but this recipe IMHO, makes bananas taste as good as they get.

I've named it "Mama Bear Porridge"...

With only two of us for breakfast most of the time, it's really easy for us to have overly ripe bananas in the house (if you start with brown ones, they'll melt in your mouth after you cook them).  Being a frugal beagle, I hate to waste food...that's what prompted this recipe.  We still have no oven (that's 2 years, 8 months & counting gals!), so banana bread was out of the question.  Our "kitchen" set-up here is not much different than my NYC apt.  It's small, but I've become accustomed...

"Mama Bear Porridge"

Allow one brown banana per person, peel one side, cut into penny shapes while still in the peel, and set aside. 

Boil the water for your oatmeal...following the recipe on the drum for the amount of people you are making oatmeal for.  I use Old Fashioned Quaker Oats.  It takes about 5-7 minutes to cook, and has more texture than quick oats...I also add a little extra oatmeal, because we like it thick, & we like to add a good amount of milk to our oatmeal, just before we eat it.

Once the water has come to a full boil, I add the oatmeal & I doctor it up...
To the basic recipe, I add a tsp of honey per person, a couple of shakes of cinnamon & approximately 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract per serving as well. 

While the oatmeal is cooking, you make the topping:

In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, add a tsp of butter for each person.
Get the butter hot and bubbly, but don't let it burn.
Add a scant handful of broken walnut pieces per person.

Now add a pinch of salt.
Swirl the nuts around in the pan for a minute or so, just until they start to brown, & you can smell that toasted-nutty flavor...
Pick the walnut pieces out of the pan (leaving as much of the butter in the pan as possible) and set aside in a small bowl.

Add your banana penny's into the buttery pan. Allow to melt down a bit, as you swirl them around in the pan, (the banana shouldn't stick).  Continue to cook until the bananas are all melted and caramelized, it won't take too long.  Remember to check your oatmeal...once it's done, just put a lid on it and turn off the burner. 

To each bowl, add  your oatmeal, then the bananas, nuts, your milk or cream around the edge of your bowl, an extra shake of cinnamon, and a swirl of maple syrup, to top it all off!

"Mama Bear Porridge" It's just "scrumpty", if I do say so myself.

Here's a hint:  this tastes even better if you eat it with an antique silver spool that you bought at a flea market.  Mine cost me about $2.00 at the Port de Vanves in Paris.  It one of my "frugal luxuries".

Back in two shakes...H2

PS  I'm writing my first FREE "click & print" online pattern NOW, so check back soon.

Comments

[barbara]

And you cook too? Sounds wonderful. What time shall I be there for breakfast?

[peggyann]

oooh that sounds so good, thanks for the recipe just may have to try it. soon. and the NYC windows are fab. BTW, I just re-read your Feb 08 piece on blogging. I'm almost to my 1 yr mark of blogging, stash-building and finally doing more sewing than blog cruising. But I will have to check out your recommendations. and your fabrics!

[peggyann]

oops I meant to say the Feb 08 piece in McCalls Quilting