Honey Steel Cut Overnight Oats

I was going to name this post something cute , but I just did not have it in me. I had ideas but all typed out they look so lame and then when I said them out loud it was even worse. I am just going to keep it super simple and call it what it is. Though I could have called it the best breakfast/snack/lunch/dinner you will ever have the pleasure of making AND eating. This recipe is so easy and so yummy and I'm pretty sure it's healthy too.

Overnight oats are becoming a bit of an obsession of mine. I have been pinning recipes for months and just failing to commit. I do love oatmeal and I make quick oats all the time because its easy and filling, but I only like my oatmeal with milk so I have to be patient when I'm heating it up. That in itself is a process and because I make my own oatmeal mix I have to put all the stuff together and that's just not the business. I needed something quick so I finally committed and boy aren't I glad I did. So get ready to throw some amazingness in a bowl and have it waiting for you when you wake from your slumber.

Ingredients:

1/2 c milk (I used organic whole milk)
1/2 c steel cut oat
1 c honey greek yogurt*
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp organic honey

* Honestly you can use what ever flavor you prefer to make this work with anything. Honey is what I love and I had it on hand so it worked out for me. I'm not here to stunt your creativity, you do you.

Directions:

• In a medium sized bowl combine you milk, oats, yogurt, brown sugar and honey. Mix them all together and it should look kind of like porridge. 
  
• Place that container in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours or overnight 
• ENJOY!!!

If you prefer you can sort the mixture out into separate containers so you can grab and go in the morning, but I like mine all together. 

You can also heat it up, but its really good cold too and the great thing about how basic this recipe is that you can add whatever toppings you like. I added some bananas, but again you do you. 

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!! 

Get Ready. Get Set. Start Your Starters!

       

      Just in time for the holidays... Okay, so about a month ago I became obsessed with the idea of making my own sourdough bread. You see I really love tuna and I REALLY love sourdough and tuna on sourdough is my absolute fave, whether its grilled, chilled, in a salad, on a bus or in the back of a truck. I am always here for a good tuna sourdough combo, but as my luck would have it, I had no sourdough on hand and walking to the store to hunt some down was not about to be my life. My house is exactly one mile away from both of the nearest stores and it was raining and I wasn't really convinced that missing the Tyler Perry Lifetime movie marathon was worth it (NO SHAME) so I ventured over to Pinterest as most of us do these days and thought I would hunt down a quick sourdough recipe. Little did I know that a good sourdough recipe involves a starter and a decent starter at best is a five day process. Yeesh. The grocery store was looking pretty good, but I am a patient woman and I knew that not only was this sourdough going to be the most delicious sourdough I had ever had, but it was going to be SO FREAKIN COOL to share. If there is one thing you need to know it is that I love to cook for other people. I love to share something that I have created with others, I really hope its not the same with babies cause I'm pretty sure it is illegal to share babies with other people. I dunno, but back to the sourdough at hand. It really is something fun to do if you're at home and waiting out the cold, or in my case the rain. 

Now like I said making a decent starter takes about five days, my first one grew perfectly (McDoogle was his name) but my living room is the perfect temperature. I want to warn you that you must get a jar that is big enough to hold your starter and to let your baby grow. I made the mistake of thinking my little 1/2 L jar would work and it did not! See exhibit A

McDoogle needed room to breathe. This was also day five!

Don't be like me people, start with a large Jar. I picked up a 1 1/2 Liter Weck Jar from Little Green House Grocery, one of my fave local shops but if you aren't in RVA you can order them Here and Here. Its all about that wild yeast you are trying to grow, so it needs room to expand and become sour and delicious and perfect. Be patient and you will be rewarded. 

Day One:

Measure out 3/4 c and 2 tbsp Flour + 1/2 c water
Combine in container
Use a fork to mix it all together and scrape down the sides to make sure you arent missing any flour bits

Your mixture should be tacky- cover loosely with cheese cloth or a lid with enough room to let air in.

Place your starter somewhere, where the temperature remains a constant 70 - 75 degrees. Many people recommend the top of the refrigerator, but I keep mine in the living room. Whichever works for you just know what it needs to be warmer to allow your WILD YEAST to flourish.

Let that sit for 24 hours- so for those of you that work try to start it later in the day I mean its fine if you get to it a bit later...cause I did and everything turned out just fine.

Day Two:

On day two your starter should have a couple bubbles by, now but if not worries you still have time to get that perfect sour baby ready

Take your starter and discard half of the contents (don't freak out like I did because you are "waisting" this allows your starter more room to flourish and keeps that PH in check. I recommend sharing some of your starter towards the end for others to work from)
Measure out 3/4 c and 2 tbsp Flour + 1/2 c water and mix in with your starter
Again use a fork and combine your mixture well and scrape those sides

Place your starter back in its temporary home

Day Three:

Your starter should begin to get a little bit of that stank on it and should be bubbling nicely. It will be double the size and when you stir it the batter should be thick and you can hear the bubble popping. 
Again if it doesn't look like the photo I have do not freak out. It's like a child allow it to grow at its own pace just continue to nurture it. 

Measure out your 3/4 c and 2tbspFlour + 1/2 c water.
Make sure you discard half of the contents before you repeat the steps you used on day one and two.  It just makes it easier to feed the starter right after you have taken away half

Place your starter back in its home and wait 24 hours.

Day Four:
Is the trick day! Especially if you don't track your days responsibly. The starter will have a pungent odor and taste, but be wary my friends it is only day four. Your starter will be full of bubbles ranging from ALL the sizes. When you stir your starter it will feel loose and there will be bubbles galore. 

Discard half of that starter and repeat the steps from day three.

Day Five:

YOUR STARTER IS READY!!! *Belly Bump* You did it!! On this day of all days your starter should be nice and smelly with a good sour taste to it.

If everything smells just so and its taste is up to par your starter is ready to be made into the perfect loaf, roll, or whatever your little mind can dream up.

For those of you that are new to the bread making game my go to recipe is from Emma Christensen at TheKitchn.com
It's way perfect and the steps are fool proof. She even links out to a nice tutorial on how to make you bread into loaves.

Beyond Day Five: Caution this stage is not for the faint of heart.

If today is not the day that you would like to commit to making your starter into a man, then please keep reading. I once read a story about a guy who takes his starter with him wherever he goes, so you can do that, but if you are not into being attached then I suggest these tips and tricks.

If you will be using your starter in the near future continue to discard half of the contents and add your flour and water each day.

If you are unsure of when you will use your starter, but know it won't be anytime soon cover it tightly and place it in the fridge. Don't let your little baby get pushed back to the fridge like that weird chicken dish you forgot about...you know the one that you just KNEW was going to be fantastic but was a little less than exceptional. Don't let that chicken goop become your starter man! Take it out and feed it once a week to keep that baby going. I recommend letting it sit for a minute so your wild yeast can kick itself into gear a bit.

Lastly, if you are going to take a very long break from your starter then you can make it extra thick or dry it out.

Extra Thick: Feed your starter twice the amount of flour (not water) and seal it up and place it in the fridge. This will thicken the batter and give it more to feed from while you are away.

Freeze It: Smear that starter on a Silpat ...or onto wax paper cause that works too. Once it is COMPLETELY dry break it up into flakes and store it in an air tight container. It should last up to 4 months. When you are ready to use it dissolve 1/4 cup of the flakes into 1/2 cup of water and stir in 1 c of flour. Keep feeding your starter until it is active again.


Last minute tips:

Make sure your not using hot water, remember that if you are hot then you're unhappy so the same goes for your mixture.
Use filtered water if you can, tap works fine but the cleaner the better
Use a clear jar. When it comes to cooking make sure all of your materials are clean and ready for use. You don't want any unwanted things in your precious starter.


FAQ's

Q: It's day five and my starter isnt bubbling like its supposed to!! WHAT DO I DO??!?!
A: First chillax, your starter is brand new and needs time to get itself together. Next, double check that it is actually day five cause you might be too excited and still be on day three (been there). Now give it some time to really flourish a good starter could take up to a month. So keep doing what you are doing and you will be rewarded. 

Q: Do I need to add yeast?
A: No silly, your starter is making WILD YEAST so no need to go throwing in that store bought packet.If you don't see activity after several days then put in a pinch the next time you feed your starter. 

Q: When it's ready can I make dinner rolls from my sourdough?
A: OF COURSE!! Simply follow your fave bread making recipe and slice that dough up into half the size of your fist. You can really use the size you want cause I have pretty tiny hands so thats why I did half so it will double to the size of my full fist. You do what feels right, don't let me stifle your creativity. 

Q: Can I use wholegrain flour instead?
A: Of course, follow the same recipe but know that I use all purpose flour since its always on hand. Other flours are a little unpredictable, but like music, wild yeast is all around us. So get crazy and make you some some whole grain sour dough bread (or whatever)

Q: I forgot what day I started my starter...is that bad?
A: Nah! I've done it and will probably continue to do it because life happens. Just get to it as soon as possible and give it some attention. I know how horrible this sounds considering how much emphasis I put on this thing being your baby, but sometimes you forget your baby...am I right? (Note: I do not have children) 

Q: My starter is all watery on top. What have I done?
A: You probably added too much water and not enough flour. I did that once and its no big deal. Just pour off the layer and feed your starter like it was just a regular day. 

Q: My starter is tinged with red stuff
A: ummm yeah some people say scrape it off and keep going, but to me thats like picking off the parts of bread with mold on it. Not cool at all. Discard it and start again to be safe, you never know how far those spores have spread. 


Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I hope your starter turns out super amazing. I know it will!! Feel free to share photos in the comments below :) 

Til next time, 

Ti'Lon

Pork & Peppers

It is officially pretty much winter, or is that too soon? I know it is technically fall but the weather is in full force. If it doesn't snow soon then I am going to pitch the worst fit. I am ready to  march through snow, make cocoa, curl up in my fluffy blankets and thick socks, and bust out my crockpot full time. Yes, the crockpot is a magical invention that can be used year round, but it is so much better in the colder months. It is time to make those homey dishes that stick to your bones, and thanks to one of my lovely former co-workers I have the perfect two...three ingredient recipe for you. 

Cook Time: 8 hours  Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2lb Pork Butt ( I buy mine from a local butcher, but I am sure your favorite grocer has some on hand)
• 1 can (16 oz) Campbells Beef Consume (it'll be hidden in the soups)
• 1/2 Jar Sliced Pepperoncini (you can find these in the pickle aisle)

So yeah that is definitely three ingredients...is it weird I don't count meat as an ingredient? I mean it must be since not everyone eats meat. Hmmm oh well. I recommend if you are feeding a non-stop eating machine to double the recipe and then MAYBE you will have leftovers. I am one person so this recipe feeds me for dinner two nights and lunch the next day. Now this recipe is so easy and so freaking delicious you'll want to make it all the time. In fact I am pulling this one out for dinner tomorrow. It's going to be so cold and after a long day at work I am not even interested in standing at my oven. 

Directions:

• The night before season your pork, I do a little salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic pepper and let it sit over night
• In the morning before you head out the door put all of your ingredients in the crock pot and turn it on low for 8 hours. 

* I only use half the jar of pepperoncini and still get a nice spice off of them. If you really can't handle spice then you should cut out the juice from the peperoncini's and just use the peppers. You will get enough juice from the consumme and cooked pork. 

When you get home your meat will be cooked perfectly and be all ready to serve for dinner, If you should of course let it cook til it is done. Never eat undercooked pork people!

 

Not done, but tempting...still not done!

Finally serve your ridiculously delicious and juicy pork over rice or make a pulled pork sandwich. You can eat it alone and make some sides. Follow your heart man. 

Well I'm gonna finish watching Sleepless in Seattle and avoiding my chair of doom. Enjoy your night/day/life!

Later!

Rosemary Lemonade

I love lemonade. If I go anywhere I am pretty much trying to see what kinds they have and I will try them all in one day if I can. I also have a really big obsession with Rosemary and a pretty decent stock of it always. I am pretty much addicted. This recipe to be honest was not a product of my addiction but simply because I wanted lavender lemonade and didn't have any on hand so I kind of got a bit creative.

The result is a super refreshing mixture of sweetness, acidity and herb flavoring. It's so refreshing and kind of the perfect drink to sip on your back porch as you look out to your pond and watch the seasons change...whoops a bit of daydreaming.

Ingredients:

8 cups water - set one cup to the side

1 1/2 cup lemon juice- or 1 c pre squeezed lemon juice and four lemons 

1 rosemary sprig

3/4 c sugar

Directions: 

So for the lemonade on a quick day I use 1 cup of that lemon juice from the store and four fresh lemons. On a relaxed day I squeeze about 20 lemons which will give you the cup and a half of lemon juice you need. 

In a pot heat 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. once the water is boiling add 1 3/4 c of sugar and as much rosemary as you like to the water and keep stiring til the sugar dissolves. You will be able to smell it :) What I did for the rosemary was I took like one stalk of it, or whatever you call it and pulled off half of the leaves and chopped them up really small, but if you dont want the rosemary bits in your lemonade then you can just leave them big so they are easier to pull out and there is more flavor. 

once the sugar has melted take it off the eye and let it cool. You can put it in the fridge to go faster.

Then you will squeeze your lemons to get 1 1/2 c of lemon juice and combine that with 7 cups of water in a pitcher and set in the fridge to get cold. 

Finally pour in your simple syrup, garnish with lemon and all done! :) Hope you enjoy it and let me know how it goes

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know, I know. I am neither gluten free nor do I have a lactose allergy. I am pretty much blessed with a great immune system (knock on wood), but not everyone is. For example, I have this rather awesome friend and she pretty much can't eat anything, sorry em. I decided to make these cookies because we were having a potluck and I wanted to make sure my dish was something that she could enjoy. Now this was my first time doing anything like this...If you don't count the time I made a gluten free, allergen free, everything free cake from my god brother. It was cars themed and I was way proud of it.

Pretty much a cake boss

The recipe I use had been adapted from this Land O' Lakes gluten free cookie recipe, but again my girl can't have dairy and I wanted to make sure she could enjoy them. So I changed some things and the result was these perfect crispy cookies.

You Will Need:

2 1/4 c Gluten Free Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xantham gum
3/4 c coconut oil -do not melt but you want it softened so its workable. 
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 white sugar
2 large organic eggs
2 tsp gluten free vanilla (no extract only the pure stuff)
1 (12 oz) package of Enjoy Life mini chips or any Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Allergen free chocolate chips

Prep Time: 45 mins      Cook Time: 10-15 minutes 

*You should be able to get all of this stuff at your local grocery store in their organic/gluten-free section. I picked everything up from Kroger including the xantham gum which is from the Bob's Red Mill brand

I have done this recipe a couple different ways but I have found that this method is the best. If you would prefer to experiment a little then go ahead. I am not here to stop you from being free. Remember since you are omitting butter then you are not going to get that fluffy cookie you desire, its going to be more crisp still chewy and delicious but more crisp and the chips won't be melty since there is no milk in them. Also, do not eat the batter I know that they always tell you that because of salmonella but it doesn't taste great. The baking powder gives it this super funny taste that will make you think these cookies are god awful but I promise they are not! Just don't eat it. 

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine your flour(flour blend), baking soda, baking powder, salt and xantham gum. Set aside. 

In a large bowl combine your coconut oil, brown sugar and sugar in a bowl.  beat on low speed until creamy. set aside. 

In a separate bowl beat eggs. I like to do this because it gets some air into those eggs and then you can fold them into the mixture easily without over working your coconut oil. Combine your eggs and vanilla with your coconut oil-sugar mixture until well mixed. Slowly add in your flour mixture until completely mixed. Fold in your chocolate chips. 

Roll the dough in a long cylinder shape and wrap in saran wrap. Let sit in your freezer for 30 minutes or until you feel comfortable working with them. Cut into half inch circles and place about 4 to 5 inches apart. These cookies will spread.

When they are golden brown remove from the oven let cool on the pan for 2 minutes to set and then move to a wire rack to cool for another five minutes. Serve with your fave glass of alternative milk or a glass of wine either is fine ;) 

Good luck making these and for sure let me know how they turn out! Til next time.