In the kitchen: the very best oatmeal.

Cold and snowy (yes, it's snowing!) mornings call for hot breakfasts, ideally with baked goods. There's something special about a cozy kitchen turning out warm and comforting dishes to start the day. This isn't easy to do during the week, or in my case, weekends, because my blankets, pillows, and an extra 10 minutes in bed usually win. However, even when I've given in to the snooze button on the alarm, I still have time to make oatmeal and satisfy my craving for a toasty breakfast.

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When I was little, my mom would make us oatmeal before school. While that doesn't sound particularly like an exciting breakfast, the way she made it was just the best. Keep in mind, this was during the early 90s, before everyone became obsessed with steel-cut oats and those silly brown paper packets with flavored instant "oatmeal" were everywhere. In our kitchen, though, regular old fashioned rolled oats did the trick. And now, as I've grown up (and admittedly, have joined the steel-cut oat obsessed...this is one of my favorite recipes), I still find that there aren't many better breakfasts around than my mom's recipe. This takes me right back to my kitchen in MN...where we'll be in just a few days! To say I can't wait is maybe the biggest understatement of the week.

Brown sugar oatmeal, for two. 
-------------------------
1 3/4 C. milk 
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt 
1 C. old fashioned oats 
Pinch of salt 
Toppings: pecans, raisins, cinnamon, heavy cream...really, anything you want. 

Combine milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.

Add oats, stir to combine. Cook the oats for 3-5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover the saucepan, and let the oats steep for an additional 3 minutes.

Top with pecans, raisins, a pinch of cinnamon, and a spoonful of heavy cream. Enjoy with a giant mug of coffee, and savor the slow and hearty start to the day.

Leaves and snow.

WI font yard. 

MN back yard. 

Both make me want to stay inside and cook soups. 

Strawberries + 30 Rock.

Because of this lovely shift of weather from the 60 degrees we had the day before...

yesterday, I made this! 

Finding a pint of strawberries for 99 cents is super exciting even in summertime, so to find such a deal in the middle of snow and blustery wind was even better. They weren't the sweetest berries, but that didn't really matter for the jam because I just adjusted the amount of sugar as they cooked. 

The other day, Andrew stumbled across this recipe and since we struck gold on the strawberries, we figured it'd be the perfect afternoon to make the tarts. I halved the amounts, which allowed us each to have one for dessert last night and one for breakfast this morning. I have to say they were much better for breakfast. The crust I made was a bit different from Michael Symon's, so it was less flaky than the photo (and the Toaster Strudels of our childhood), but it still tasted great with coffee! 

The strawberry jam was definitely the best part...it just about made me forget that it's the last of January and we're in the dead of winter. Not really, but it did help!

Tonight, we're going to be toasting to the series finale of 30 Rock - hard to believe this show is ending and we won't have Liz or Tracy or Jenna to make us laugh. One of my favorites, and a 30 Rock classic, is "The Rural Juror" from season 1. The absolute best is when Tracy and Jack are exploring the possibility of selling Tracy Jordan's Meat Machine in Ukraine (and mention two places where our family is actually from!!!). Even though the show is ending, meat will ALWAYS be the new bread. 

М'ясо: новий хліб! 

Tracy's photo via 30 Rock's FB Page. 

In the lane, snow is glistening...

Winter has finally come to Shorewood. After more than 280 days without measurable snow (a record, apparently), we have powdery trees and fluffy sidewalks. The lake was particularly beautiful - driving by it on the way back from work, the sky, snow, and water were all this silvery color. Here are just a few shots around our neighborhood, taken this afternoon.