Oatmeal with Apples, Raisins and Walnuts

People have been eating oatmeal for centuries, as it’s an inexpensive but healthy meal. It does not matter if it is the instant variety, old-fashioned oats or steel cut oats. It all has heart healthy high fiber and lowers your cholesterol levels. McDonald’s doesn’t have the market on making oatmeal. You can make this recipe at home very healthy and inexpensively.

According to Quaker Oats Health Institute; “Emerging research suggests that eating oats may help control appetite. The soluble fiber in oats absorbs a considerable amount of water, significantly slowing down the digestive process. The result: we feel full longer.

• The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes eat grains, beans, and starchy vegetables. Among the grains, your best choices are whole grains, such as oatmeal. Research suggests that the soluble fiber, such as is found in oatmeal, may help smooth out blood glucose levels.
• Since the late 1970’s, 18 studies have examined the relationship between dietary fiber and blood pressure. In the majority of studies on oats and blood pressure, blood pressure was significantly reduced. Reductions seem to be in response to the increase in fiber intake that came from eating oatmeal. More studies are currently underway to further assess the impact of eating oats on helping to lower blood pressure.”

Anyways, who says an oatmeal breakfast has to be boring? Not I; therefore, add some raisins, apple chunks, walnuts, stevia and top with my cinnamon sauce and you have a delicious stick to your ribs breakfast that satisfies your hunger, is vitamin packed and tastes great. If you are a diabetic simply, make the cinnamon sauce topping sugar-free using stevia in the raw.

Ingredients to make Oatmeal with Apples:

• 2 Packages of instant oatmeal; option Bob Red Mills Gluten Free Oatmeal
• 1 Fuji, Gala or Pink Lady organic apple; diced
• Handful of raisins
• Few walnuts; chopped
• Stevia for taste
• CinnamonSauce Topping

Instructions to make Oatmeal with Apples:

1. Heat the water in the teakettle or saucepan.
2. Take a bowl and pour 2 packages of instant oatmeal into it, add a touch of stevia, enough hot water to cover and stir.
3. Place in the microwave and set for 1 minute, it’s just enough time for the oats to cook, remove, and add apples, walnuts and cinnamon sauce topping. (if to thick add additional water)
4. Return to microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
5. Remove from microwave and enjoy!

If making Old Fashioned or Steel Cut Oats, the stove top method is the best. Instructions will be on the Bob Red Mills package.

Apple Cinnamon Dog Biscuits: Homemade, Healthy and Delicious

 Do you buy or make your dog biscuits? I have done both, the dollar store dog biscuits are great to have on hand,  however, this healthy and delicious, easy to make recipe for apple cinnamon dog biscuits made with fresh organic apples and homemade apple juice is a healthy treat and will have your dog begging for more.

 

Ingredients to make Apple Cinnamon Dog Biscuits:

• 4 Cups wheat flour
• ½  Cup Cornmeal
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; or preferred choice
• 1 Tsp of Cinnamon
• 1 Apple; grated or chopped into pieces
• 1 1/3  Cup apple juice or water
• Baking dish sprayed with a non stick spray

Instructions to make Apple Cinnamon Dog Biscuits:

1.     Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, egg, oil and cinnamon.

3.     Add the chopped up apple, apple juice or water; mix until it starts to form a dough ball. Pour out onto floured counter top or cutting board. Knead the dough until it looks like bread dough.

4.     Spread the biscuit dough onto a baking dish until it is ¼ -½ inch thick. For smaller dogs such as Hope, score the biscuit dough horizontally then vertically to make 1-inch squares. If you puppy is a large breed such as Po, you may prefer to make them a 2-inch x 2-inch square.  Reminder you are not cutting all the way through just scoring the dough.

5.     Place the pan of biscuits in the preheated oven for an hour. The cinnamon is going to smell like heaven while the biscuits are baking, and they will look good enough to eat.

6. Let the biscuits cool completely and you will see how well your dog likes them. Our dogs Hope and Po liked them really well.
7. Break the biscuits apart and store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

The homemade apple cinnamon dog biscuits smelled so good while baking, I actually thought about eating them. Try making your dog some of these dog biscuits soon.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe

It is apple time once again and as in the last few years, the neighbor is not using any of them, therefore, the taking is all mine. 

I have picked and juiced, took a truck load of apples to our daughter to juice, given some to the church's soup kitchen and given apples to family and friends.

Now having fresh un-sprayed apples at my disposal means baking some too, and apple crisp is a family favorite.

Ready for the oven

Yep you guessed it, this is how much I love my family that have a gluten intolerance, it is gluten-free apple crisp with freshly picked and sliced apples ready to hit the oven. I think I will wait until tomorrow to bake it or it might be gone before I get to the fall family get together. 

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Apple Crisp:  

•  9-inch x 13-inch baking dish 
• 10-12 large apples; sliced thin
• 1-cup of white sugar
• dusting of apple pie spice

topping:

• 1-cup butter, slightly melted
• 2-cups of brown sugar
• 2-cups of all purpose gluten-free flour
•  cinnamon, optional

Hot out of the oven!

Instructions to make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit.
2. Taking the 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish evenly spread out the apple slices. 
3. Cover the apples with the white sugar and sprinkle with apple pie spice.
4. Combine, butter, sugar and gluten-free flour until you  have a moist yet crumbly mixture.
5. Spread evenly over the apples and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
6. Bake 1 hour in a 325 degree oven.

Apple Honey: Oh so Delicious

Hand picked apples for apple juice

This recipe is a result of my daughter having an abundance of pears leading her to look up how to make pear honey. The recipe she found was different than this one as it has pineapple juice and more sugar.

Well thinking how she found pear honey as her pear trees were loaded this year, got my mind whirling as I have access to an abundance of apples next door.

I thought it was worth a shot trying my hand at apple honey and oh is it delicious.

Ingredients for apple honey:

• 12 cups fresh apple juice
• 6 cups of sugar, stevia in the raw or combination of both
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Yield 6-7 jelly jars

  

  apple honey at full boil

Instructions how to make apple honey:

1. Bring the apple juice to a boil, when it is a roaring boil, stir in the sugar and continue to boil until it is the consistency of honey. When you think it is getting close, dish some out to cool.
2. After cooling is complete, it will show you if you are ready to jar up or continue cooking.
3. Using hot sterilized jars fill the jars with a little headspace.
4. Wipe the top of the jar with a wet paper towel, put on a hot lid and screw the ring down.

If you do not want to make a large batch just use the rule of thumb, 2 parts juice to 1 part sugar. For peach honey, simply replace the apple juice with peach juice. If your family likes honey made by bees, they will love apple or peach honey as it is oh so delicious.