BeeZee

I make this frequently with Trader Joe's multigrain hot cereal mix. It retains a nice texture. I found a "base" recipe which includes 2x volume milk (cow, soy, nut) to oats, chia seeds, and banana + other mix ins. The banana needs to be ripe, I cut it really thin and mix it in so it pretty much dissolves into everything, it acts as a natural sweetener. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a squirt of agave syrup or honey, and cinnamon. Other additions have included cacao nibs, sliced toasted almonds, or additional fruit. I will usually make a large batch of the "base" and freeze portions in reuseable plastic containers (Ciao Bella gelato pint container with screw on lid are great for this). When defrosted I will add fresh fruit or nuts.

if you have pets...pet hair will get in there and clog up the works even worse. We used to pull dust kitties out of ours.

Received the 10" skillet. It's a little smaller across the bottom than the one it was intended to replace, so I still need to get something in a 12" version. The 10" is pretty heavy, I don't know if I want the same style in 12". I will have to use it to see if the weight bothers me. The finish out of the box feels pretty slick, there is a small imperfection on the rim (where it won't matter). I will likely go ahead and clean/season it a bit more.

I had gotten an email about a month ago saying that I might expect a blade in June/July....really annoyed. Have cans of chickpeas and tehina collecting dust. Blender not a solution for everything.

pulled the trigger on the 10" skillet, WalMart deal included the silicone handle cover. Will arrive around Wednesday.

Rivets aren't a deal breaker for me.

I'm considering dipping my toes into carbon steel pans, I use 10" Calphalon hard anodized most frequently and after 20 years the finish is shot (I don't use it "that" frequently, truth be told, or it would have been shot much sooner). It's the best overall size for our 2 person household. I never make eggs, so egg tests are irrelevant. I sear chicken and fish most of the time. Lodge sells them "pre-seasoned" which I am aware is not a guarantee of using it right out of the box, but I don't want to invest too much time with seasoning, so it seems a good start. Anyone have any experience with this product? It is very reasonably priced and is made in U.S.A.

A rare foray into baking...healthy banana date muffins. They are vegan as well. Very little added sugar and oil, no eggs. Very moist.

@cakewalk, I agree...what is the texture like on these? I am looking for tender, not hard/dense. One place I bought from last year had something like sugar cookie which was just wrong.

Chicken mole chili. Leftover cooked chicken, chicken stock, cocoa powder, and dried chile ancho (rehydrated in the stock, then pureed). Black beans, some leftover cooked squash also from the freezer. Sauteed red bell pepper and onion. I actually have an almost empty section of the freezer drawer, I like this.

My dinner last night was a Wawa cheese stuffed hot pretzel. Eaten in my car.

I requested another blade using a different email address about a month back, and got an email (2nd one) saying they may get it to me in June/July. Interestingly, haven't gotten an update on the primary email which I had sent back in December.

technically eaten at lunch time after returning from the gym, but first meal of the day...wheat/multigrain bagel with avocado and a few splats of green (tomatillo) salsa on top. Chased by a sip of red wine from last night's leftovers

Yay, a large space cleared in the freezer...the 8lb turkey breast (bone in), plastic container with leftover stuffing from thanksgiving, as well as a bag of gravy. Of course now I realize I still have a container of leftover cooked turkey from Thanksgiving...looks like turkey in many forms in my future. Tomorrow will be turkey + twice baked potatoes.

@shain, I am on board with the kugel, but can't wrap my head around the pickle...

I removed the ice maker to make more room in the freezer. Not a big user of ice cubes.

Loaded nachos for dinner...turkey (small amt leftover from thanksgiving, shredded and mixed with enchilada sauce) and tortilla chips (topped with salsa, more enchilada sauce, pickled jalapenos, black olive, much cheese melted over). Served with a mix of finely diced seeded tomato, avocado, and scallion mixed together as a relish to spoon on top.

@liuzhou, as I like a nice dark crust on bread, your little loaf looks very appealing to me.

I get the TJ's non-sorbate prunes, they are much firmer and no slime.

I am usually in WF once a week, so if there is a product or category you'd like me to check, ask away. I buy instant soup cups by Dr. McDougall's which are healthy (vegan or vegetarian, reduced sodium) and they are usually a bit cheaper than the supermarket, but you are talking about something that sells for less than $2 so its probably a 10 cent difference. In the produce aisle, the organic fruits and veg are often cheaper, especially the ones sourced locally. Fage yogurt usually cheaper unless supermarket is running a sale.

remnants of clean out the freezer challenge + leftovers...some mushroom/lentil soup, added some cooked swiss chard, tore up leftover cooked turkey and heated the whole lot up. Pretty tasty except for the last drop I got when tilting the container into my mouth, must have had some leftover grit from the swiss chard as well.

Took out a package of cooked swiss chard (late summer vintage) so tomorrow will be swiss chard+shrimp. Also a container of mushroom/lentil soup...that's the bonus round for Sunday and Monday lunch probably. Ironically the action was forced by DH requesting that I make ice cubes and needed room for the tray to sit flat.

Ironically it is ingrained in my brain "hot wok, cold oil, food won't stick" from my time watching Jeff Smith's cooking show on PBS as a young adult.

I'm counting down the days (OK, it's more like 2 weeks) until hubby's son and his wife come for the weekend, can get the 8lb turkey breast out the freezer finally. And the mushroom stuffing that goes with it.

Our local mainstream supermarket has them and I never get tired of pointing out the pack of "chicken paws" to my husband and cracking up.