Apple Pie Oatmeal

Just a quick note to mention some great news I got today - I don't mind telling you guys, but I have yet to tell too many of my real life friends - I got the highest mark in one of my law subjects out of the entire year! I get an award and everything. It was pretty exciting news. Unfortunantly it doesn't look like I can make the ceremony - which is upsetting. Now - onto the actual food - which is what you're here for.

Finally an oatmeal post. So much for being a healthy living blogger.

Now, if there is one thing I am totally awful at, it is peeling things. Are you guys bad at it as well? I can barely peel a potato, and I have given up completely on sweet potatoes. Apples also take me ages. So if you're like me, peeling the apples for this may take a while. If you're like my roommate Marnie, who is now forever my official apple peeler, this will take you no time at all.

I love apple crumble. It is my all time favourite dessert. I also love pretty much anything with molten chocolate and sticky date pudding. But I fell in love with apple based deserts in Europe, in Salzburg. I remember we were sitting in this crowded resturant, all the locals just arriving as our dessert came out. The room was completely white, but there were flowers everywhere. My parents convinved me to try the apple crumble, which was beautiful. It was piping hot, with ice cold creamy vanilla ice cream. The apples were soft, the crumble crunchy, the perfect mix of sweet and spice.

Now I can't guarantee this oatmeal is that good. But it does try. And for a breakfast, it is hot, creamy, with a delicious apple tang.

Level of Difficulty: Perfectly easy

Average Cost: $

Main Ingredients: Apple and Oatmeal

Occasion: Breakfast. But if you’re like me, I eat breakfast for pretty much every meal.

Serves 1

What you need:

-          1/3 cup oats

-          1/3 cup almond milk

-          2 tbsp water

-          1 tbsp applesauce

-          1 – 2 tbsp maple syrup

-          ½ apple, peeled, cored and diced

-          2 tbsp raisins

-          1 tbsp flaked almonds

What to do:

I am a microwave gal when it comes to oats – its quick, easy and I’m scared to try on the stove. So if you usually cook on a stove, I’m sure you can still try this, but I’m not quite sure how it would work.

Combine oats, milk and water in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 1 min 30 seconds. I like my oatmeal life this – thick, not too watery and still a little dry. If you like really creamy oatmeal, microwave for another minute.

Once the desired consistency is reached, add the applesauce, maple syrup and apple and mix well. If you want softened apples, prior to microwaving the oats place the diced apples with a tablespoon of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and allow to bubble for 10 minutes. This will soften the apples beautifully.

Top the oatmeal with raisins and flaked almonds and apple slices from the remaining apple half if you wish.

WIAW - A typical uni day

I thought I would share a few thoughts I've had over these past few days:

1. Is every guy in Pretty Little Liars incredibly attractive? Why is this show so addictive? I've watched two seasons in about a week. And the girls clothes/hair/nails are always amazing. I would kill to have the patience and ability to make my hair all pretty like that. And what a job those girls have - they pretty much go to work, stare into the eyes of the most gorgeous men, and look scared a lot. I should be an actor not a writer.

2. Why do all the smokers sit next to me on the bus?

3. Why does winter make me want to curl up in a ball in bed and never leave? I didn't participate in WIAW last week because I spent all week eating an awful lot of food, not leaving my bed and not exercising. Both this week and last week I will have not exercised for three days and I will have eaten significantly more than I usually do - not a lot of bad, sugar ladden food, just a lot of food in general. Now I know this is my body adjusting to winter, but I have been feeling really guilty and cranky lately. The guilt is the worst. Do you guys have this problem?

I've decided to try to not worry so much and enjoy myself and if I eat, I am trying to eat good food. Therefore I want to know what do you snack on? Any hints you can give me about adjusting to winter - not wanting to work out because it is cold, and eating significantly more food, especially after dark? Anything at all will be welcome.

But I am going to participate in WIAW this week. I won't hide away, ashamed again. A HUGE thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this party as usual. I'm sorry I never got a chance to participate last week, but I'm back this week.

Thursday is a busy day for me. I have a whole day of uni, and I usually end up with a headache about halfway through and force myself to stay. Especially this week, as I skipped out on uni other days and pretty much lay in bed all week. So breakfast was the usual - oats and honey. It wasn't pretty so there is no picture.

I snacked on some yoghurt throughout the morning until I left for uni at 9.

Lunch was this pasta - whole wheat pasta, leftover mince from beef stroganoff I made the other day, flaked almonds, mushrooms, onion, tomato, sour cream and lemon juice. There was no way to make this look attractive - but it tasted great!

I also snacked on some grilled chicken and baked pumpkin and sweet potato.

Dinner was something I threw in the slow cooker in the morning - slow cooker shredded beef from elly says opa. We made tortillas withwhole wheat tortillas, pork, cheese, carrot, lettuce, tomato, tomato chutney, pineapple, and avocado.

What isn't pictured is the three bowls of cereal I ate that night. Like I said, bad week.

But this is something I keep reminding myself, whenever I have a bad day, or a bad week: It's not forever.

Mum's Chicken Burgers

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

I figured this would be a great day to tell you about a lovely recipe of my Mum's.

Now I know blogworld has gone crazy talking about how much they love their mothers, and as much as I shouldn't need a day to mention why I love my mother, I may as well mention her today. I really do love my Mum (and I will be home in a month from today!).

She is such a strong, independant women, which is what I admire most about people - no matter what happens my Mum will always be able to pick herself up, and everybody else around her and get on with her life. She is also beautiful and brave, though she doesn't think she is either of those things. But mostly, she is the best mother in the world (and I'm not just saying this because I'm biased). Whenever I have a problem, whether I be struggling with some silly moral decision, or whether I am upset with how I look, or having a bad day, or got a bad grade, or spent the week without exercising and am feeling guilty, she is there for me. Even when she doesn't really understand the problem. She always tries to make it better (which often makes me angry) but she is trying to do the right thing. And if I am upset, she reminds me how lucky I am - to have parents like I do.

Thanks Mum, for teaching me the most important things in my life (I know you're reading this). I never say it enough, but thanks. I think I have a pretty decent moral compass, I know a good book when I see one, I know what I should and shouldn't eat, and I know how important love is.

So Mum, this is for you. And it is one of the best things you ever taught me to cook. And one of my favourite meals ever - life wouldn't be complete without chicken burgers every Friday and some movie that only two of us family members like.

These chicken burgers are really easy, very delicious, and can be whipped up in a few minutes. They are hearty and filling when served as a burger, but taste amazing crumbled in a salad the next day. You can't go wrong with them (unless of course you add beetroot, which is wrong).

Level of Difficulty: Easy – so wonderfully easy

Average Cost: $

Main Ingredients: chicken, tomato chutney – chose a really good, strong one

Occasion: Dinner and lunch – would make a lovely light lunch with a salad and no bun

Menu Options: Serve the patties with whatever buns you chose. And whatever trimmings you want – mushrooms, onions, lettuce, cheese, tomato, pineapple, sauce. Though if you chose beetroot I may have to stop being your friend. I really hate beetroot – quick side note: In Australia, beetroot is commonplace on burgers. At school, tuckshop was always healthy except on burger day. And every burger day I had to ask for no beetroot on my burger because it is automatically put on burgers here (much to my disgust).

Makes 6-8 burger patties, depending on size.Nutrition stats are for the burger patties alone and will alter depending on what tomato chutney you use.

What you need:

-          400-500g lean ground chicken / chicken mince

-          2 tbsp tomato chutney (I use Outback Spirit)

-          1 egg

-          3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs (your choice of type)

NOTE: You can mix in other veggies or sauces/salsas if you want. You can add spices – chicken is a staple in the diet of almost every culture so any spices you add will work well. I recommend trying it with a decent chutney first, as the flavour is amazing – delicate tomato and juicy chicken. It truly is so simple, but so tasty.

What to do:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. You can use a spoon to to stir the ingredients together – make sure the chicken is coated in the chutney, egg and breadcrumbs.

Heat some oil in a frypan – just a little, you don’t need a lot.

I use an egg shaper to shape my patties into lovely circular mounds. If you can’t or don’t want to use an egg shaper, just make sure the patties are the same size and thickness of an egg shaper. This also means they will cook fast.

Cook patties for approximately five minutes on each side or until the patties are browned.

Serve with whatever buns and trimmings you chose. And don't forget chips. As if you could.