Orange Oat Scones

Orange Oat Scone

The sun may have come out for an hour or two today. But mostly the blue-tinted sky had an ominous look about it. There’s another storm brewing. Last Friday, we had a glorious thunder and lightning storm that filled up our rain barrel in no time flat. The mountains still show patches of white snow among the evergreens, a sure sign that it’s been a chilly week. Just perfect for curling up on the couch with a cat at my side and a mug of tea and an orange oat scone on the coffee table in front of me.

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Maple Walnut Granola

Maple Walnut Granola, unbaked

Part of undertaking a challenge such as October: Unprocessed is getting out of your food comfort zone. I’ve always been comfortable with my routine of buying boxed cereal at the store. Of course I bought organic, and of course it contained only a few wholesome ingredients. But it’s still a processed food and it’s pretty intensely packaged. Five or six cups of cereal inside a plastic bag inside a paper box? Why pay for all that packaging?

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Daring Bakers Challenge: Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
Florentine Cookies with Chocolate Art

I have good news and bad news. Shall we start with the good news? These florentine cookies manage to achieve both chewy and crunchy cookie status in the same bite. And as an added bonus, the dough is basically a big sweet bowl of oatmeal with tons of butter in it. Definitely good news.

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Molasses Oatmeal Bread

Sliced loaf of molasses oatmeal bread

Sometimes good breads come in small packages. This bread was not a high-riser, but it certainly packed a lot of flavor! I may have used pans that were too large for the amount of dough. But looks aren’t everything, and I’ll eat a good slice of bread no matter what shape or size it comes in.

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Stack of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

It has been way too long since I’ve made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. When my friend Susannah announced that she was coming to visit me, I asked her what kind of cookies she’d like to snack on. Oatmeal chocolate chip was her answer, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

These cookies have the perfect amount of chewiness in the center, and the edges are lightly crisped. Absolutely divine!

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Banana Oatmeal Spice Muffins

Banana oatmeal muffins are my go to muffin.  I always have the ingredients on hand and it’s so easy to whip up a batch.  My basic recipe is very forgiving.  I can change it up in any number of ways and the muffins still come out delicious.

This time I’ve made them healthier and added a bit of spice.  Now I don’t feel so guilty when I reach for one to help me get through those last two hours of the workday!

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Maple Apple Muffins

Look at those apple chunks!

I bake muffins every weekend.  Then I stash them in the freezer and eat one each day at work.  This challenges me to make healthy ingredient substitutions, and also to keep trying new flavors!

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