Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

I like to wake up and eat hot, nutritious breakfasts. I don't care if its a cold winter day, where the cereal will warm my insides and keep them warm on the walk to school, or if its a hot summer day and my insides will slowly roast for the next couple hours. It just isn't a good start to the day if there isn't a steaming bowl of cereal in front of me.
Almost every single morning for the past 18 years, I have eaten a large bowl of Coco Wheats for breakfast. By now, I don't even really taste the coco wheats--they have just become a part of my morning routine. I bet I could make them blindfolded. I cook them methodically. Put in exactly the same amount of sugar. The same amount of milk. Make sure I get exactly the right amount of lumps. It's has become an art form.
So last night, when my dinner choices consisted of Coco Wheats, Cream of Wheat, and oatmeal, I was okay with this. My cupboards may resemble those of an old woman, but I can't help but love the subtly sweet, easily digestible, creamy wheat and oat cereals. And so I made this pumpkin spice oatmeal again for dinner. And it was wonderful.
This pumpkin spice oatmeal tastes like pumpkin pie. And you get to eat it for breakfast! And its healthy! I love letting the brown sugar melt on top. It makes brown, sugary rivers through the oats and it reminds me a crème brûlée. This oatmeal tricks your mind into thinking you are eating a decadent dessert for breakfast (but your body is happy from all the nutrition). The perfect breakfast for a brisk autumn morning.

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Homemade Apple Cider

I went apple picking the for the first time this fall. I didn't even realize that this is something people did or that it was something you could do until I was invited to tag along to the orchard. Back home, people grow apple trees in their yards, but orchards don't really exist. Instead of cherishing the fresh apples, the apple tree inheritors tend to pawn off the apples on as many people as possible. You said you wanted a couple apples? Here, take a bushel.
I went late in the season so most of the apples were on the ground instead of dangling in the trees. This just means there were more apples to sample. And sample, I did. I must have eaten at least 6 apples and eat part of half a dozen more. Some sweet, some tart, and some sitting exactly in between. Oh, it was apple heaven.
My apple picking methods were as follows: scope out the reddest apple trees, find an apple sitting at the base, pick it up off the ground, dust it off on my shirt, and take a big bite. Sometimes more than one bite. Sometimes I would eat the entire apple while picking as many as I could before another tree would catch my eye. Apple trees are terribly distracting. Especially the ones with the ladders to climb.
All said and done with, I bought 20 pounds of apples. For myself. At this rate, I should be able to keep the doctor away for at least a month. Maybe two.
This is the first time I have attempted to make apple juice (or any juice for that matter). Without a juicer, I wanted to prove that making apple cider would still be simple, easy, and that anyone could do it (yes, that means you). From start to finish, this apple cider takes roughly an hour to make. So, if you happen to have a dozen or two apples lying around and hour to spare, you have no excuses for not making this. Absolutely none.
This homemade apple cider will make your home smell absolutely fantastic, 100% guaranteed. This is the real deal, my friends. It doesn't get fresher or more pure than this. And knowing you took the time to make the juice yourself will make you appreciate the final product all the more. The cider has hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of orange to round out the flavors. I like to call it Autumn In A Cup because that is exactly what this tastes of.

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Savory Sundays: Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

I am a reluctant vegetarian. When I moved to Montreal, it became clear that meat was much more expensive than I was used to. Almost $5 more per pound, to be exact. As I am a poor college student with empty pockets, meat was not going to be on the menu. Not when a block of tofu is $2 and will feed me for days. My fate was sealed. Vegetarian, I became. Not necessarily out of desire, but out of necessity.
Coming from cattle country, meat is cheaper than vegetables. The standard dinner table fare is meat and potatoes. I can say, with great certainty, that well over half the population of my home state has never tried tofu and never will. When I tried tofu for the first time, I can't say my attitude was any better. I held the package with two fingers and at arm's length from my body. But once I tasted it, I came around. Tofu and I have since become the greatest of friends.
But here's the twist. I have an unusual and dysfunctional digestive system. As far as my body is concerned, I might as well have been a vegetarian for years. After a couple months of going tofu, I have lost my ability to eat meat without consequence. And so here I am, stuck between two different realms of food. I am the reluctant vegetarian.
This vegetarian roasted butternut squash and apple soup is a nutritiously delicious. It is a thick puree of roasted vegetables, where the squash and apple take center stage. The flavors of the mushrooms and celery are hidden, which makes this soup easily adaptable. You could add cauliflower or any other vegetable with a subtle flavor to pack in more nutrients. This soup smells sweet and is warm and comforting on a cool, fall day.

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