"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Oatmeal Pie. If you've never had it, you are missing out. It is NOT like eating a bowl of hot breakfast with a crust around it, so don't even go there.

It is a closer relative to the best pecan pie you've ever had. NOT the kind that is 80% sugary gel sandwiched between a crust and some nuts.  Think about the ideal  pecan pie, where everything is perfectly melded together in each bite. Sweet, but not so sweet that your throat burns and you feel a diet coming on.

An ideal Oatmeal Pie is like the perfect oatmeal cookie and the perfect macaroon were in a tornado and they ended up combined in a way only fate could orchestrate;  and they are resting together after the storm in a flaky crust made of their close relatives, butter and coconut oil.

This is a "New-Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie because I based my recipe on one from a cookbook that belonged to my grandmother, but I changed it to make it more conducive to today's health knowledge. (i.e.: ALOT less sugar, more oats and coconut).

We had it last night for our family night treat, but since I was out of natural light by that time, I had to vigilantly guard the last piece so I could get a decent photograph this morning to show.  My boys wanted it for breakfast, for lunch, for snack, etc.  I think I may need to whip up another.

Here it is fresh out of the oven. The house smelled heavenly.

"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust (I used Yesterfood's Coconut Oil Pie Crust #1)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat together eggs, sugars, and butter.  Add oats, coconut and vanilla and mix well. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until no longer liquid in the middle.

Allow to cool at least 1/2 hour before serving. Delicious warm or cold or in-between.

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Saturday Dishes

Three Athletic Gear Money Savers: Plantar Fasciitis Sock, Trail Gaiters, DIY Race Shirts

One thing I like about making my own things, aside from the money saving, is that I can make things just the way I want to. The ability to customize something is really almost priceless. So much of our lives are processed and mass-produced, knowing something you use regularly is made by you, for you, and just the way you want it is empowering.

I realize this post is a bit different than my typical cutesy craft or yummy food, but I started this blog to document what I was making, and this is what I have made recently. Hopefully it will be helpful to somebody. All 3 of these certainly have been helpful to me!



Money Saver # 1: Copycat of the Strassburg Sock

I own one of these. It is amazing. If you have Plantar Fasciitis, I highly recommend it. It stretches your plantar fascia while you sleep, so you don't wake up with horrible foot pain.  They run about $40. 

However, its construction is not complex. My dear husband now wears mine, and I needed a couple of new ones. So, I decided to make a copycat. Is it as good as the original?  Close.  Will it work? You betcha! Is it cheaper? WAY. 

My beautiful sock. These were originally part of my get-up for a Ragnar Relay a couple of years ago. We were the "Ninja Tortoises." :)

You will need:

• 1 *SWEET* knee-length tube sock. Soccer socks would work well, too.
• 1-inch D-ring
• 10.5" length of hook-side-up 3/4" wide Velcro
• 6.5" length of fluffy-side-up 3/4" wide Velcro
• 22" length of 3/4" wide belt webbing

Simple enough, huh?

1. First step is to sew the Velcro onto the webbing. This was hard to photograph because it is all black, so I made this little diagram. You can click on the picture to see it larger if need. 

2. Once the Velcro is all sewn to the webbing, sew the edge of the webbing that doesn't have any Velcro on it to the middle of the toe seam on the sock. 

3. Now, sew the D-ring to the middle front of the top of the sock. Use a whip stitch and don't be stingy on how much thread you use. You want that baby on there tight. 

4. Now put on the sock. Lift your toes a couple of inches off the floor. Pull the webbing through the ring and fold it over, allowing the Velcro to catch.  Go to bed like this, and your heel pain will subside. It may seem weird at first to sleep with  your toes pulled back, but you will get used to it, I promise! And the relief you will experience will make it all worth it!

Money Saver #2: Trail Running Gaiters

Trail running is a growing sport and one of my favorites. A long run seems so much shorter when you are watching for roots and rocks instead of just looking to a stop sign 3 blocks ahead. 

One piece of gear that can make a big difference on the trail is gaiters. My husband had to stop twice during his first marathon on Saturday to dig rocks out of his shoes. Trail running gaiters would have saved him from that issue. Not to mention the protection from sharp plants, rocks, and roots.  

To make these I used an excellent tutorial from Adventure Lisa.  Go check it out to get the basic materials and measurements.

I did change a couple of things for ours. First,  my husband really wanted ours to be made of Neoprene. I am glad, since it will be much more durable than the typical thin stretchy synthetic used. I would worry about a Lycra-type fabric snagging easily. 

The other change I made was to add a piece of elastic to wrap around the bottom of the shoe, in place of the elastic around the base of the gaiter.  This was a personal preference thing. I feel better about the gaiter staying in place with it actually wrapping around the bottom of my shoe than just having elastic around the base. I don't want to be messing with it mid-run.

See how it covers the entire shoe opening and gently hugs my leg at the top?  

And here they are off. My stitches aren't professional, but they are strong.  (Kind of like me as a runner.:))

Money Saver # 3: Custom Running/Race/Team Shirts

So, I mentioned my husband ran his first marathon on Saturday. It wasn't an official race. He decided he wanted to run a marathon a few months ago, so we made a training schedule and worked toward the goal. 

This was my third marathon. My first two were official races, so I knew the significance of having something tangible to remember the event by. I still carry my first marathon finisher's medal on my key-chain. I won't wear my shirt from my second marathon to exercise in because I don't want it to get stinky.  You get it--I decided he needed something. But getting just 2 nice tech shirts with something custom printed on them (and done right so it won't peel off), was harder than it sounds. Most custom printers have minimum order requirements of at least 6--usually more. 

Then I stumbled on nduranc.com. 

I chose the shirt color and sizes (they even had women's cuts), emailed them the text graphic, and I had the shirts within 4 days.  The representative I worked with was quick to respond and clear. And the shirts were $16.95/each.  They are true to size, high quality, and the printing is well-done.  SCORE! 

I will definitely keep this money saver in mind for future running events.  

Oh, yeah. And the name of our marathon is what my husband texted me a couple of weeks before the big day when I asked him what we should call our "race."  Hahaha! 

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Chalkboards!

I saw a super tutorial on DIYfunideas.com last week that inspired me to make a couple of chalkboards for my house. I followed the tutorial completely (so check it out!), and added a couple of extras that I will share.

First I started with a couple of old unattractive framed prints I got at Goodwill for half-off. Notice that the top one has a white mat. That is important to facilitate my decorative addition.

I put masking tape (carefully, straightly) right up next to the frame on top of the glass, covering most of the white mat. It is hard to see in this picture, but it is there.

I disassembled the other frame per the instructions on DIYfunideas.com. However, I would not recommend that course of action unless you are SURE you can get it all put back together safely. Those little staples used in cheap commercial framing are beastly.

Ok--a couple of steps are shown here: Paint the frame gold. Paint the first of 4 coats of chalkboard paint on the glass. I roughed the glass up with sandpaper before I painted it. 

Here are two other frames I did as well. The larger one was the one I took apart that I shouldn't have. The smaller one was an old picture frame that was easily taken apart. My little 3 year old helper wanted to make a chalkboard, too, so the small one is hers.

Once the gold paint is dry, rub petroleum jelly (Vaseline), on any areas you want the gold to come through after the final coat of paint. 

Paint the frame with the top coat color, and use a paper towel to wipe away the areas that had Vaseline. (This is all pretty redundant if you looked at the tutorial I learned this from).

Here's where I added a little extra fun. Carefully remove the masking tape. I ran an Exacto knife along the edges of it to make sure I didn't peel up any paint while removing it.

(Ignore my feet and legs.:)) Here is the chalkboard with the white mat showing through the uncovered glass.

I found this fun vinyl on the clearance rack this week at the grocery store. It is the kind that clings to glass. The white lines are transparent when you remove the vinyl from the paper backing.  I have used it to decorate a few large vases and jars around my house. I thought it would be PERFECT for this.  All you crafters with vinyl cutting machines could use other vinyl and play around with the possibilites on this, I'm sure.

One package gives you 3 sheets of fun. 

Cut the vinyl to frame the chalkboard.  Ta-da!

So, the tall skinny board was a lesson for me. I love how it turned out, but the vinyl was a total cover-up, because while oh-so-carefully reassembling the frame (putting the chalkboard covered glass back into the staple-ridden frame back), I broke the glass. Just a tad, but enough that it would show. So I stuck a sheet of vinyl onto the bottom.  It will be a menu/ list board in my kitchen!

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Funky Junk's Party Junk

Pesto Chicken Dinner

Warmer weather means two things in my kitchen: Popsicles in the freezer and a slow cooker on the counter.  Summer days are hot enough without adding the heat of a baking oven, am I right?  

And if you are like me, Summer days are busy. I like a dinner that is ready when we are worn out from a day of play in the sunny weather.  

This meal will become a go-to solution in your house. I have served it SO many times--to my family and to guests--and it is ALWAYS a hit.  

This is quite possibly the easiest slow-cooker meal EVER! 

*TWO* Ingredients for the chicken: Frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs (strips or whole thighs) and pesto! I love the Classico Traditional Basil Pesto. I've used other pestos, and they work well, too. 

 

I don't do any actual measuring for this meal. I put a layer of frozen chicken on the bottom of the slow-cooker and spread some pesto on top. For a family of 6, I use about 1/3 of a jar on this first layer...

...And add another layer of chicken with about 1/3 more of the jar on top of that. If you are feeding a crowd, use the entire jar and really pack the chicken into the pot. It cooks down quite a bit.

Now to multi-task. Put a layer of aluminum foil on top of the chicken. I use the heavy stuff--you may want two sheets if yours is regular foil. Wash some potatoes and set them right on top of the foil. Give them a good sprinkling with sea salt. Cover your cooker and leave it on low for 6-8 hours.

Six hours later... I have some cooked 'taters and chicken. See how much it cooks down?

Remove potatoes (we're going to have fun with them in a sec) and the foil.  This is what your chicken will look like pre-shredding.

Use two forks to shred the chicken. It will fall apart with beautiful ease. You will be using a straining spoon to serve it up on to plates. All that leftover broth can be saved to make a mean chicken noodle soup or Italian wedding soup. It is a delicious base.

Now, on to the potatoes. This is your seasoning line-up. I really like this McCormick Italian seasoning. I also  really like Tone's Rosemary Garlic seasoning (which has the salt in it).  I have made these potatoes with both of these seasonings to much applause. 

 

Coat a large frying pan with olive oil (canola or avocado oil work, too).  Chop your potatoes into bite-size chunks and throw them in on top of the oil. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt, Italian seasoning, and ground black pepper over the potatoes and toss to coat.  Turn your burner on high and fry those babies up! I usually do a few more sprinkles of salt and seasoning along the way.

Mmm, mmm. This is the #1 way my family likes potatoes. Even beats french fries.

Toss together a green salad and plate it all up. 

PRESTO!  You've made a delicious Pesto Chicken meal!!

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Gluten Free Tuesdays

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Show Me What Ya Got