Warm Breakfast on a Cold Morning

Nothing is more cozy on a cold morning than a piping hot bowl of oat groats. Groats are the whole oat (like a wheat berry), germ and all, and they are considered to be one of the richest sources of protein amongst the whole grains. And since they have not been processed they are more healthy and more filling than a regular bowl of oatmeal. We love their chewy texture and enjoy eating them drizzled with maple syrup.

Just add 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of whole oat groats, a sprinkle of salt and a tab of butter. You can then cook them on the stove top, in the oven or in a buttered crock pot. I have never cooked them on the stove top since you would have to watch them. I don't have the patience in the morning, so I put them in the oven at 350 degrees and cook them for close to 2 hours (take the lid off in the last 30 minutes or so) in a covered casserole dish. I do stir them from time to time to prevent sticking. And if you do not have the time for a leisurely breakfast (like on the weekend), you can always cook your groats overnight in a well buttered crock pot. Just cook on low and assemble the crock right before you go to bed and you will have a warm breakfast waiting for you when you get up. Not such a bad thing on a cold winter morning, huh? The best part of groats is that you can top them any way you like to top your oatmeal- dried or fresh fruit, honey, butter, syrup and salt, jam, toasted nuts, etc.

If you like oatmeal, we hope you will give oat groats a try. We think you will like them as much as we do!

Welcome to my kitchen

I love to eat. And I love to cook. I mean I REALLY love to cook. So much so, that it inspired me to become a farmer. I know, you are thinking what? Why not a chef? I have enjoyed working in professional kitchens, and I have even thought of opening my own restaurant. But at the end of the day, I enjoy feeding my family and friends more than strangers. So, I cook at home and feed my loved ones. Now, why did my love of cooking inspire me to become a farmer? I am an ingredient driven cook. Someone that demands the freshest, most nutritious, delicious ingredients for whatever I make. Sometimes, those ingredients are hard to find or don't exist in our modern grocery stores. So, I have to grow or produce them myself...therefore I became a farmer. Better yet, I became a woman focused on scratch cooking using traditional preparation techniques and only the best ingredients that I can source for my family. This has become an obsession, but like I said- I love to cook. 

I hope to  share this obsession with you and maybe even inspire you to take a little extra time in the kitchen to prepare your family's next meal. A meal made with simple ingredients and not one that came from a box. Maybe you will share cooking this meal with your family, or maybe you will enjoy cooking it alone. However the meal is prepared, I hope you enjoy it and take pleasure knowing that you cooked a meal for your loved ones from scratch. 

Cooking is a creative journey for me. It's a way to express my interests, my vision and show my appreciation for my loved ones. Since so much of what I cook is from scratch and is a unique creation of my own, I rarely follow recipes. However, I do use recipes- but only as a starting point of inspiration. This is how I envision the purpose of my blog- to be used as a starting point for YOUR creative culinary masterpieces! So, I guess this is a warning of sorts to all home cooks: Be prepared to journey outside your comfort zone and expand your food knowledge to become a more confident cook. I know you can do it, now let's get started! Welcome to the Living Recipe.