Study Break Tapioca Pudding

I haven't been posting much lately. To quote my friend and classmate, the CLS program is "mental boot camp." I've been getting used to a new schedule, and I've been studying constantly. It's utterly exhausting, but I'm loving it. It seems like a lot of the regular blogs I read have been posting less often, too. I guess it's a busy time!

I have been feeding myself, but it's been super-quick standbys and I haven't created anything new.

Tonight, I don't really have a breather, but I decided to make one. With that, came tapioca pudding. This is the recipe on the box, but modified a bit. I like that you don't have to temper the egg, and it gives me a reason to stand still without doing anything. Did I pull up a stool to the stove and zone out for a few minutes while stirring? Yes. :o) Then I enjoyed some pudding.

Tapioca Pudding

3 1/2 T. Minute Tapioca (I used Kraft)
1/4 c. sugar (The recipe called for 1/3, but I'm slowly trying to cut sugar and get used to eating less-sweet treats.)
dash of salt
2 1/2 c. milk (I used regular milk, because I'm out of dairy-free stuff. If you try it dairy free, let me know how it works out.)
1 egg, beaten well.
1 t. vanilla

Combine the milk, tapioca, sugar, salt, and egg in a pan. Let it sit for 5 minutes on low heat. Then, heat it up on medium heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, until it boils steadily. Take it off of the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let it cool. Stir in a dash of cinnamon. It will thicken as it cools, and you can eat it warm or cold.

Back to the books. Enjoy!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

I love the weekends. It means I get to wake up late, lounge around in my pjs, and have time to fix a decent breakfast that can be savored. Big contrast from a weekday, which consists of too many pushes of the snooze button, dragging myself out of bed, and grabbing something quick to eat on my way out the door. Eating dry cereal from a baggie and drinking coffee while driving is not exactly the breakfast of champions, but it works. I need to become a morning person...

Anyway. Back to this delicious breakfast. Baked oatmeal is like regular microwave oatmeal's fun older sister. It's got a little more to it, both taste and texture-wise. The form is different. When you take it out of the pan, it's got some shape, but you couldn't just grab it and eat it like a granola bar. (Can you tell the gears are already turning to try and make it happen?)

Serve it topped with warm milk, fresh berries & cream, straight up, or however else you like it. You can also add fruit & nuts to the batter if it floats your boat. I'm thinking slivered almonds would be awesome.

Baked Oatmeal

1 c. GF oats
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
cinnamon (to taste)
3/4 t. baking powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/3 c. water (or milk)
1 egg
2 T. oil (or melted butter)
1/2 t. vanilla
ground flaxseeds (optional)


Beat the egg, then stir in the water, sugar, vanilla, and oil. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the oats mixture to the egg mixture, and stir it all together. Sprinkle flaxseed meal over the top, if desired. Pour it into a 6 to 8-inch pan or individual ramekins. Bake at 350 until the edges start to brown and the middle is set. This is 10-15 minutes for the pan, 5-10 for the ramekins.

Makes 1-2 servings.

Hope ya'll have a good weekend!

Cookie ice cream sandwich

I felt like I needed something a little indulgent this evening after a long day in the lab. It's fun and exactly what I want to be doing, but learning this much so quickly is a tad exhausting.

These really hit the spot.

Make some!

Oven-baked french fries

Someone came home with McDonald's and the smell of greasy french fried potato goodness was mouthwatering. I had to have french fries.

I personally love the thick-cut steak fries with the skins still on. Oh, yum.

Of course, they're easy to make. Just clean a potato, then cut it into strips. (If I'm in a hurry I like to stick them in the microwave for a minute so they'll cook quicker.)

Then, line a cookie sheet with tin foil for easy cleanup. Spray cooking spray liberally on the pan, place the fries on the sheet, and spray a little more. They will stick badly without some kind of lubrication.

Put them into a hot oven, about 400-450 degrees, for about 10-15 minutes or until they're... well, french fries. Sprinkle them with salt, let them cool, and don't feel bad for a minute that you don't get to eat McDonald's fries.