Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal, a love for brunch.

I want to talk about brunch.

I know it's Wednesday night. Not prime brunch discussion time, but I believe brunch is an important topic and can be discussed at anytime. Especially Wednesday night, you have just lost your glow from your past Sunday brunch and are approaching the point where you can start eagerly anticipating Saturday brunch.

This is what hump day means to me.

What do you need for brunch? An array of options. All yummy. That can touch on your plate. And all should taste good with some amount of maple syrup on it. 

There should be eggs, meat, carbs, coffee, butter, syrup, juice and alcohol. Always. 

There should also be either oatmeal or grits. Always. Sweet oatmeal or cheesy savory grits. This post is about the oatmeal. Maybe next week we can discuss grits.

I like oatmeal. I actually love Quaker Instant Oatmeal, especially the cinnamon & spice flavor. I was raised on it, and my mom and nana always taught me to eat it out of a huge plate, and to start at the edges, eat in large circles from the outside to the inside so I wouldn't burn my mouth.

Now I am grown up. Sort of. I do now, however, make oatmeal from oats and stuff and flavor it myself, rather then out of the little paper pack. I like lots of flavor, so this recipe gave me lots of joy. 

This oatmeal reminds me of eating a pumpkin pie with no crust. So yum. Lots of health. Toasted spices. Pumpkin puree. Oats. Milk. 

Pair it with...

And a lovely friend...

And at our house someone's always doing this during brunch...

And you get....

Yup. That's brunch. This photo is by said Lovely Friend (www.beewaterhouse.tumblr.com)

Countdown to Saturday.

Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal

From the New York Times Cookbook

You'll Need...

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more on top

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

4 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

3/4 tsp salt

Stuff you might like on top, apple sauce, apples, syrup, honey...

Toast the allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large saucepan until they smell lovely, probably about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin and mix together. Add the milk and raise the heat till it comes to nice simmer. Add the oats and let it all simmer over a medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the oats are tender but not mush. 

Remove from heat and add the salt. Serve topped with cinnamon and other things you love. 

Fall=Jacket Weather + Pumpkin (and other stuff...)

I love Autumn in New York. It's my favorite time of year. Even though it only lasts a few weeks, its the perfect weather, perfect food, perfect sense of excitement! Today was the first day that I walked out of my apartment and had to run back in because it was in fact JACKET WEATHER! Jacket weather for me a special season unto itself. 

I have composed a list of recipes and cooking adventures that I hope to (no, WILL!) accomplish in the next few weeks, while the weather is perfect. You might notice a theme to this list, lots of bacon, and pumpkin. I heart bacon. Chako hearts bacon. We could live on bacon in this household. I am also going through an affair with figs and fig jam...getting hungry just writing about it!!

FALL HAPPY FOODS!!

Breads

1. Marlene's Pumpkin Bread. This is the one recipe I remember my mother making every year. I am determined to make it on my own and have it be as good as hers.

2. Pistachio-Honey Rolls Stuffed with Blue Cheese. Is there an explanation needed?

3. Cheese straws! For my holiday parties!

4. Ciabatta Bread. For cheese...and fig jam!

Soups

1. Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

2. Butternut Squash & Cider Soup

These sound like comfort in a bowl!

Other Yums

1. Steamed Spinach with Balsamic Butter. A new twist on a constant side in our apartment.

2. Oli's Sweet Potatoes. Oli is my cousin in Puerto Rico and she is the most amazing cook in the WORLD.  Her sweet potatoes are incredible and I look forward to them every year for PR Thanksgiving. This year I'm going to help her cook everything and try and photograph her work for the blog.

3. Oli's Pork. Same as above.

4. Potatoes Gratin. I've never made. I have like seven recipes for gratin, so I am finally going to make one, or maybe all!

5. Gnocchi. Homemade gnocchi. Oh yes.

6. Pumpkin, Sage, Chestnut and Bacon Risotta. Could just be called Fall Risotto.

7. PICKLES! I'm going to pickle! Bread and butter pickles. 

8. Jams! This is my big personal challenge. I want to master the art of jams and candies so that I can make little Jam gifts baskets for everyone for Christmas. The practice starts now!

9. Salted Caramels. Goes with the above gifts.

10. Custards. Any kind. I just want to say I made custard.

So thats my list! I can't promise I won't add other items to the list, or lose one or two, but I do promise lots of fall cooking is approaching! Share your favorite fall foods!