Baked Oatmeal Apples

Mornings are the best. (Who’s with me?) They are the best for a pretty specific reason (IMO), and that’s the peace and quiet they bring (morning lovers will understand). That peace and quiet is largely possible due to routine for me. And it’s really hard to change something about your morning routine. I’ve tried adding in meditation (lasted about 14 days), journalling, and stretching, but none of them stick. What I usually find that adding more in just brings unnecessary stress during those early hours. When it comes to mornings, I’m all for simplifying.

Which is why lately, I’ve been doing my best to make breakfast in batches one or two times a week (things like casseroles, baked oatmeal, and frittatas) so that when I wake up there is one less thing to do as part of my routine. I usually do this on weekends, when there’s no rush to get out of the house.

This breakfast (almost dessert…) is one of my favorites in the fall. Baked apples are filled to the brim with baked oatmeal and warm spices, like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. With a little whipped cream, they even make a sweet dessert later in the day.

Baked Oatmeal Apples

Published October 25, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

6 crisp apples

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped pecans

To serve: plain or vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Using a paring knife, cut the tops off the apples and save for step 5. Using a spoon with sharper edges, such as a melon baller, scoop out the apple core and some of the flesh. Be sure the leave at least a 1/4-inch thick outer wall of apple all the way around. Reserve the flesh you’ve removed from the apples, discard of the seeds and pith.
3. Chop up the reserved apple flesh and place in a medium mixing bowl, along with the melted butter, maple syrup, milk, yogurt, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl: rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, salt, and chopped pecans. Stir until full combined.
5. Arrange apples in a baking dish and scoop oat mixture into the cavity of each apple. Place the apple tops back on, and place baking dish on center wrack in oven. Bake 35-45 minutes, until apples are baked though.
6. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve on plates with yogurt (for breakfast) or whipped cream (for dessert).

Sweet Potato & Kale Breakfast Skillet

Sweet Potato & Kale Breakfast Skillet

Published October 18, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 packed cup kale, chopped small

Salt & pepper

3 eggs

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and cubed sweet potato to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
2. Add chopped kale, and cook for 2 minutes, allowing greens to wilt.
3. Crack the eggs into the pan. Cook for 3-5 more minutes, until egg whites are cooked through and yolks are cooked to your preferences. Top with crumbled goat cheese, and season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve hot.

Vanilla Chai Spice Dried Pears

A big box showed up in our dining room in mid-September with my name on the shipping label. 

It was my birthday but I still scratched my head. This September, I had been so stressed that I mostly avoided the topic of my birthday or gifts with anyone that asked— I certainly didn’t need anything, but I also just couldn’t find a minute to think about it clearly.

I had ordered nothing (though in the same minute that thought entered my mind I also started doubting myself— had I hit “buy now” on that Dehydrator I had been eyeing instead of “add to cart?”). 

When I got halfway through opening the box with a paring knife and found it was a Dehydrator, I doubted myself even further. So much so, that I stopped right there and pulled out my phone to check my order history.

Relief washed over me when I saw I had placed no orders in the last month, but I still had a mystery on my hands. I finished unpacking the appliance before drilling Oliver on who had bought it. It probably took me four tries to get it right, but when I did land on my dad it all made sense. I had given him a non-answer when he had asked about my birthday in general, so he had asked Oliver.

This new dehydrator was about five times nicer than any of the ones I was planning to buy myself! (THANKS DAD!)

So far, my absolute favorite thing to dehydrate has been pears.

This recipe is inspired by one I found in the book, “Dried and True”, a cookbook that takes dehydrating to the next level, moving it from boring old-fashioned recipes to new, inventive, and tantalizing flavors. I made the Dried Vanilla Pears from the book twice before venturing out on my own.

As soon as our first fall day hit, I immediately was dreaming about warmer flavors, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Chai. And that’s how these pears came to be — a day dream, like most of my recipes 😉

In real life, each slice of pear was such a treat, I savored every one. We took them hiking, ate them around the house, and packed them in our bags for outings around town. I always looked forward to those delicious pears. I thought, for about 5 seconds, about sharing them with a few coworkers but greed got the best of me and I kept it to myself. Sharing the recipe is almost as good, right?!

This recipe is good for dehydrating-pros or a newbies like me. Make it while the pears are at their peak! I used Starkrimson Pears one round and Colorado Heirloom Pears another; Starkrimson are especially hardy pears so hold up well to the boiling and dehydrating process.

Vanilla Chai Spice Dried Pears

Published October 16, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 20 slices   |    Active Time: 8-9 hours

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Ingredients:

4 ripe pears (recommend Starkrimson)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

5 slices of fresh ginger - each about the size of a nickel

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/16 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients but the pears in a sauce pan, and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Wash pears and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove seeds and cut of stems as you go.
3. Work with 3-4 pear slices at once: submerge pears in syrup on the stove, simmering slices for 10 minutes. Pears should be softened through but should not fall apart easily.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove slices from syrup and set on a plate to cool for several minutes.
5. When all of the pears are done, spread them out on the wracks of your dehydrator, with at least 1/4-inch of space between each slice.
6. Place wrack in dehydrator and set to 135°F for 8-10 hours, until pears are dried but still chewy.