My Bread Adventure continued: Oatmeal Bread with Molasses

Homemade oatmeal bread with molasses! #bread #homemade via caseygoduti

I am a big oatmeal fan. I was just thrilled when I came across this oatmeal bread recipe. You could add molasses or honey to add extra flavor and color. I decided to try the molasses. My Mother had molasses in her cabinet and she told me she hardly ever used it. So I decided to try it.
It definitely had nice flavor. This recipe made two loaves. If you are going to get good at making bread you have to make lots of bread.
I found this recipe in Fannie Flagg's Cookbook.
When I mentioned I put molasses in it, everyone thought it would taste like molasses but surprise, surprise it didn't.
Have to try the bread with honey.
I actually am not big on carbs in my diet. I try to stick with one carb at one meal a day. So that doesn't leave room for a lot of bread (or it means my bread just lasts a lot longer). There is always plenty to share.
What comes next is the recipe.

The bread was worth the time I spent making it, and everyone enjoyed it.

Other breads to make

Breads: The Italian Loaf

English Muffin Toasting Bread

Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Navajo Stew

Thus is my very first vegetable stew. I found the recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.The part that took the longest was the slicing of the vegetables. I added some extra vegetables to my stew. I had a half of a red onion and half a leek leftover which I also added plus I added extra chipotles in adobe sauce.

Navajo Stew
Inspired by a Southwestern Native American dish, this is a sunny, colorful stew of roasted vegetables in a hot and smoky mole-type sauce.
SERVES 4
TIME: 55 MINUTES
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 15-ounce can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo sauce
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can of butter beans or black beans, drained
flatbread (tortillas, lavash, or pita)
plain yogurt, sour cream, or Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.

While the vegetables roast, purée the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes. A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.
INGREDIENT NOTE You can substitute 1 tablespoon of Cumin Salt for the cumin and salt in the recipe. You may need to add more salt to taste. serving & menu ideas.
This is a filling stew, but Corn on the Cob makes a wonderful side dish, and if you’ve still got room for dessert, consider Warm Plums with Mascarpone.

I have also been busy writing Where are the Professional Managers? I wrote this after seeing an article where it was seemingly pointing out that just employees behave unprofessional. In reality they both are at fault.

I leave you with this quote:
A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation. 
Mark Twain 

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

It has been slow getting back into the swing of things. It is hard to believe that I haven’t written since before Thanksgiving.
 

I downloaded a journal, which I started using. I like the setup because it allows for compartmentalization. It also allows me to put in info about the weather.

For Christmas I took my mother to see Mamma Mia! At the Bushnell thanks to Quinnipac University. It was absolutely excellent. I loved to see the dancers dance and boy can they jump. Everyone cheered and there was a standing ovation.

That same week my Mother volunteered at the Ivoryton Playhouse and saw The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. It was fun with all the kids performing.

The next day I went with my Mother to visit Mark Twain’s house in Hartford. Upon entering the house we were greeted with carolers. In the museum entrance they have a Mark Twain made out of LEGO®, and in another room they had his home made out LEGO®. It was beautiful and full of so much detail work from the wood to the stenciling.

We then went to the Harriet Beecher Stowe house which was right next store. Her life was amazing. Her husband was a professor and she was home raising her kids, but she wanted to make some money on the side so she wrote books. In 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published and she made $10,000. Because of her work there was the underground railroad into Canada.


For the holiday I made a number of recipes. For thanksgiving, I went to my boyfriend’s brother’s home in New York. I brought as a gift a Cider Pumpkin Bread.

And here is the recipe which I found in the 12th Anniversary A.R. Mazzotta

I also made a Cranberry-Orange Brie which I do not have a picture of but is a family favorite.

I made Salmon Dill Dip for the company party. For my brother's birthday on Christmas Eve I made Ultimate Fudge Brownies. They are a cake-like brownie.

This recipe came from The Brownie Experience Cookbook by Lisa Tanner. Here is the recipe.

These brownies were a hit!! 


That is all for now.


Be adventurous in all things!


Cassandra