Monday, October 29, 2007

Baby Its Cold Outside

This morning when I woke up, there was frost on the ground. I don't mean a little frost, I mean real frost. The current temperature outside is 27 degrees! So, for the first time this season, I started my morning by lighting the woodstove. It's so hard to get up in a cold house. (The thermostat said it was 60 degrees inside.)

Despite the extra work, I'm glad the cold weather is here. I like the feeling of slowing down and settling in for the winter. I like perusing projects that I've wanted to start or finish but haven't had time for. The wood stove draws everyone to the living room and I like that as well.

This morning we enjoyed steel cut oats, already hot and waiting for us, in the slow cooker. What a welcome sight it was! If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it on cold mornings. The ratio I use is from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes. It calls for 1 1/4 cups steel cut oats and 4 cups of water. Everyone adds their own soymilk in the morning to cool it down a bit. It does take a little longer to eat than a muffin or quick bread that you can take in the car but sometimes we need to force ourselves to slow down.

However, instead of slowing down today, I'm going to be extremely busy. There is a laundry list of errands to be run and things that must get completed before the day ends.

9 comments:

Chile said...

I'm ready for cooler weather! We're still hitting 90 during the day and only getting down to the high 50s at night. I won't envy you later when you're really freezing, but right now I'd enjoy the wood stove (if I had one...)

Bundle up, Katie!

Sheree' said...

I dream for cooler weather, what a white Christmas would mean to me. 90 degree weather has to stop. I want to cuddle in a quilt and eat warm soups. I love steel cut oats and cooking them in the slow cooker is the best way to go. I add raisins or other dried fruit before cooking. Yum! Enjoy fall for me.

Ruthie said...

Katie ~

I know the feeling, kinda. :) It's getting icy here in the morning, and has been a bit snowy.

But unlike you, I dread the winter. It's so hard to get around on a bike or on foot when there's a foot of snow on the ground and the sidewalk underneath that is icy. And the heater makes my skin and hair dry out and my nose bleed and my lips crack. Bah.

That goodness for crafts.

Ruthie

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm envious--what I wouldn't give for a wood-burning stove or a functional fireplace! What fun.

I need to focus on decelerating my life some. It seems like I'm on warp speed most of the time lately.

Barbara said...

I love winter here in Portland. Cool, light breeze, and rain. You can walk or bike where ever you need or take the great public transit. I've already started making soups and stews.

I've never lived though, in a place with a working fireplace.

Barbara

Krista said...

I have a question about your steel cut oats.

I have tried other recipes and they all end up like mush. Is that what they are supposed to be like, and I am just expecting too much? I am planning to try your recipe tonight.

I love the idea of having of cereal waiting for us in the morning, but so far, each time I have tried I have been disappointed.

Thanks!

Chile said...

Hey, Krista, here's how I do my oats. I can't stand soft slimy rolled oats...

I mix 1/3 cup steel cut oats and 1/3 cup rolled oats in a saucepan. Then I pour 2 cups of water over them and leave them to sit, covered, overnight. In the morning, I cook them for just 5 minutes. Put the lid back on and let it sit 10 minutes. They come out cooked but with some texture and bite left to them. The soaking reduces the cooking time, too, so you're saving energy.

Katie said...

Hi Krista,
I find that the steel cut oats done this way still have a slightly crunchy texture. Crunchy isn't the best description but they still make a little pop in your mouth and require you to use your teeth for them to yield. I've never had them comeout like mush. I wonder if that just means I go to bed too late and get up way too early?? If I cook regular oatmeal in the slow cooker, I get mush.

Chile's way works nicely too.

Krista said...

Chile-
Thanks for the tip! I will try that tonight.

Katie-
It could be that I am letting them cook too long. I posted a picture of them on my blog here. Is that what yours look like? They are probably going to be made in to muffins, but I would really like to figure out what I did wrong!