Joy the Baker

With a deep breath and a big fat smile I welcome you to National I’m a Maniac and Posting On My Blog Everyday for and Entire Month, also known as NoBloPoMo.  

Well…. here we are.  Now what do we do?  Can we just sit and stare at one another for an entire month?  No?  You mean you actually want me to cook things, take pictures and tell you all about them?  Ooooh.  I guess that makes sense.  What’s that?  You want my crazy good Apple Pie recipe?  Ok… we can do that.

What else?  I’m coming to you with an empty bowl and a clean spatula.  What would you like to see come from Joy the Baker in the next month?  Do you have a recipe you want to share?  Do you want me to make more pancakes?  Do you need some sort of tutorial?  Leave a comment announcing your deepest baking desires and we’ll see if I can make all your dreams come true.  It’s going to be just like Disneyland, with shorter lines and fewer mice.  

And now…. oatmeal.

This oatmeal idea comes from Joy the Baker fanatic Elizabeth.  She claims to not have much baking prowess but I thought her oatmeal idea was pretty clever.  See, Elizabeth needs an instant oatmeal concoction that she can throw in a zip lock to take to the office and then microwave in a bowl once at work.  The packaged oatmeal is often packed with sugars and preservatives and barely there dried fruit.  We can do much better than that.

Here’s what you do.  Take down that 18 ounce canister of quick cooking oats from your top shelf.  Take out three cups and throw together a batch of oatmeal cookies.  Into the remaining oats add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries,1/2 cup of chopped almonds and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds.  Throw the lid back on the canister, give it a good shake, and you’re good to go.  

Now every morning before you rush out the door, you can quickly measure out a serving of dried oatmeal mixture, carry it off to work and serve it up nice and warm once you get to the office.   Mix 3/4 cup of quick cookies oats with 1 1/2 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and enjoy.  Healthy breakfast in a flash!

Thanks Elizabeth!  

Now what do you want to see on Joy the Baker?