Best of the Month February 2014

A look back at my most popular posts from February.

February is such a short month.  I know it only a few days shorter than most months but it seems to fly by.  I have been posting only on Mondays and Fridays with Great Idea Thursdays on Wednesdays.  This schedule works for me and I don't feel burnt out as often.  By the end of last year and the beginning of this year I spent days where I didn't even feel like opening my computer much less blogging or dealing with social media.  I'm slowly getting back to being excited about blogging again (after all this should be fun, it's a hobby, I don't make money from my blog it shouldn't feel like work).

So with only 2 original posts per week I don't have as many posts to sort through at the end of the month and this ends up as more of a monthly recap than a 'best of' but I still like to look back and see how all my posts did last month and from previous months.  So I will continue with these and I hope you, my readers, enjoy.

Baked Potato Salad

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A potato salad side dish made with baked red potatoes, celery, and dill.  131 views and 46 +1s.

Cheesy Chicken Garlic Penne 

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A pasta dish made with chicken, garlic, and cheese in a white wine sauce.  124 views and 23 +1s.

Barbecue Brisket Sandwiches

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Tender smoked brisket tossed in barbecue sauce on a soft onion bun. 122 views and 39 +1s.

Seared Ahi Salad

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Strips of seared tuna atop a green salad tossed in an Asian vinaigrette.  118 views and 42 +1s.

Homemade Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

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A great cold weather breakfast of  warm, creamy oatmeal sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup.  91 views and 12 +1s.

Linked to:  Random Recipe Roundup, Much Ado About Monday, Two Cup Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Brag About It, Whimsy Wednesday, Eat Create Party, Freedom Friday, Best of the Weekend, Show Stopper, Saturday Night Fever


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Homemade Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Warm and creamy oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup and brown sugar is a great winter time breakfast.

I've never been much of a breakfast eater.  I know it's the most important meal of the day but I rarely feel like eating before 10 or 11am.  

When I was growing up we always had plenty of cereal because everyone else in the family ate cereal every morning.  I like some cereals but not at 6 or 7 in the morning when you had to be up for school.  I also liked to sleep until the last minute so I didn't have time to eat before being hustled out the door.  My usual breakfasts consisted of granola bars or instant shakes that didn't require any prep and I could down in a rush.  

Weekends were a different story.  While my parents didn't let us sleep all day, we still got to sleep in a bit more.  My usual weekend breakfast was maple brown sugar instant oatmeal, occasionally with hot cocoa.  Both were easy just add hot water and I think my mom was happy I was eating so they were always on hand.

Now that I'm all grown up my weekly breakfasts are still granola bars but I like to make a more substantial breakfast on weekends when my husband and I can eat  together.  With it being winter something warm and creamy is always nice so I decided to make oatmeal from scratch.

Homemade Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled 5 grain cereal (or rolled oats)
2 1/2 cups milk
pinch of salt
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

Combine rolled grains and milk in a large sauce pan, over medium high heat, with a pinch of salt.

Stir occasionally and allow to come to a boil.  Once boiling stir continually for about 10-15 minutes until thick and creamy to your liking. 

Remove from heat and add brown sugar and maple syrup to your liking and serve immediately.

Makes 2-4 servings

Enjoy.

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