Breakfast: Baked Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal

So.
I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  I love that I can organize the interesting things I find and use it to plan for vacations.  I hate that I forget how I've reorganized things when it seems to be getting out of control.  I also hate how much of a master Pinterest is at the art of time suckage.
I can lose myself in pretty food pictures for hours.  I can click and click on home renovations that I don't have the time or the abilities to recreate.  But sometimes, one of my friends pins something that looks delicious, and I don't need to look so hard to find something that I'd like and might be good for me.
Case in point, this recipe.  My friend Lauren pinned it and I thought it looked so good.  I am often on the hunt for new things to make for breakfast that can be made ahead, and that is warm and delicious.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to eat breakfast regularly, and I've become much better about it.  When desperate, I have toast and jam; but I have looked for options that are a little more hot and filling.  About once per week, I do some sort of egg wrap for J and I, and I've frozen pancakes to reheat in the toaster.  I finally decided to make a batch of the baked oatmeal that I'd seen all over but not tried, and when it contained peanut butter, so much the better!
This was perfect and simple.  It also made enough to eat for the whole week.  I portioned it out into reheatable containers and stacked them in a corner of the fridge.  J and I both enjoyed this the first morning and reheated in the microwave with milk as the week progressed.  I definitely need to make more baked oatmeals!
I present to you now Two Peas and Their Pod's Baked Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal:

#15Cheesecakes: Everyday Cheesecake

So.

You know how I entered new territory this year with blog events?  They're way fun, and keep me on track with my cooking.  I've been pleased to be a part of events coordinated by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  She's always organized and a great person to work with!

When Cam posted that she was celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary with a blog party of 15 cheesecakes, I waffled about whether or not to join.  It's not that it didn't sound fun, it's just what was a going to do with a whole cheesecake?  

J and I have dessert or at least a treat most nights after dinner.  With a dessert that serves 12, we'd be eating it forever, and while cheesecake is good, a little goes a long way.  But my mom was coming for the weekend, so that was 2 servings down, and perhaps I could send some home with her too.

Then I got smart.  I got on Pinterest, and searched "small cheesecake".  not mini cheesecake (which definitely has a place too), but a small one that would be all the beauty of cheesecake without all the servings.  

Enter this recipe.  It takes only 1 package of cream cheese, and comes together fast.  It's great alone, but we all talked about how amazing it would be with a fresh raspberry sauce.  Frankly, it's easy enough for everyday...but you could totally serve it to company too.  And even better?  It makes 6 servings.  Just enough for J, mom and me for 2 meals.  

I present to you now from Rita's Recipes, Everyday Cheesecake:

Souper Sunday: Southwestern Bean Chowder

So.

The good thing about February being hellacold is that that there was lots of opportunity to eat great soups.  Just as well that I got a new soup cookbook for Christmas!  I went looking for something interesting one Sunday afternoon as I discovered how many things I didn't have in my pantry.
Perhaps the good thing about a lack of things that I think I have/can get easily is that I'll try things outside of my comfort zone.  This soup is a case in point.  Normally, I wouldn't think of making a meatless soup, nor one with quite as many beans.  But the picture was pretty, and I had everything to make it.
So on a cold afternoon, I set out to make a soup that would warm us and keep us going in a never-ending winter.
I present to you now Juli Meyers of Hinesville, Georgia's Southwestern Bean Chowder:

Son of Magazine Challenge: March Planning

So.
It's a new month, and I've already made one of the recipes from March's Everyday Food.  Just as well.  We're going to Montreal for a bit during March Break.  While we won't be gone for the entire week, we will be gone for most of it.  Last year, I did a gigantic amount of cooking that week to post.  That won't be the case this year.  Frankly, based on my reading, I will be eating myself into oblivion.  When I haven't been heard from in a while, check the raclette restaurants or the Nordic Spa.
March 2007 featured dinners that should come together in minutes.  There are boil and toss pastas, and a speedy chili.  I came up with 6 things that I'd like to try:

• Chicken, Ham & Cheese Rollups
• Omelette
• Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto
• Cheesy Hash Brown Bake
• Sage Pork Chops
• Parmesan Rice

We've already had the chicken rollups.  They were delicious.  Let's hope everything else this month is as good!

The Secret Recipe Club: Easy Garlic Pinwheels

So.
It's time once again for my reveal in the Secret Recipe Club.  Today, the Group A members will all show what yummy recipes we've made from each other's blogs over the past month.  I always love looking with purpose through someone else's blog for something to make.  I have yet to make anything that hasn't been great.
Once again this month, I was assigned an Australian blog.  I swung by Trisha's blog, My Hobbie Lobbie, looking for something fun.  I considered Hokey Pokey, and loved the looks of her cookies, but finally settled on Cheese Straws until the day of truth when I finally went to make the recipe.  I couldn't find the recipe.  I'm sure it's in the Recipe Index somewhere, but I couldn't find it.  So I chose something else that worked equally as well with soup.
Trisha loves garlic.  So do J and myself.  I found her recipe for Easy Garlic Rolls, and I was sold.  They are easy.  Trust me.  You should make them.  Really.
I present to you now My Hobbie Lobbie's Easy Garlic Rolls: