Oat Drop Biscuits, v2.0

Posted on by Dan

Another week (can you believe it?), another shot at oat-filled goodness.

Oat Drop Biscuits, v.2

These pack a much higher nutrition content and are lower in fat (read: no butter). Recipe is as follows:

Stir together:
1 cup oat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Add and mix until the consistency of cornmeal:
1/4 cup canola oil

In separate small bowl, mix together and let sit for 5 minutes:
1/4 cup currants
1/3 cup finely chopped dates
1/2 cup plain kefir

Add all together and gently mix into a dense, but somewhat sticky dough. Shape into 3″ disks (about 1/2″ thick), and bake at preheated 375º oven for 20 minutes. Makes 8-10.

OK, you’re probably thinking that this is not a recipe for biscuits, but nice-smelling hockey pucks. I will admit they have a bit of a tooth, and they start to blur the lines between cookie and biscuit (I’m calling them cookuits). But did you see that list of ingredients? No refined sugar, plenty of oats, extra good-for-you additions, not to mention the chestnut flour gives these a rich, nutty taste.

And besides, who eats cookuits without something to drink. Tea? Or, like I did this afternoon…

Oranges

…a tall, refreshing glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Heart-Healthy Snack

To your health!

Oat Drop Biscuits

Posted on by Dan

We’ve been trying to include more oats into our daily diet. Sometimes, especially during the week, there isn’t quite enough time to have a bowl of oatmeal (don’t talk to me about that instant crap) for breakfast. So, I’ve started to do some testing in the kitchen for other suitable, but quicker delivery methods. A friend armed me with several recipes she had come across (thank you, again), including one for a drop biscuit. So, I’m starting this testing period with a modified drop biscuit.

Oat Drop Biscuit in Oven

The results were, to say the least, quite tasty. A cup of tea, a dab of jam, and we were ready to settle in for the night.

Oat Drop Biscuit and Tea

Recipe for Oatmeal Currant Drop Biscuit

Preheat oven to 475º

In separate small bowl, soak with 4 Tbsp boiling water:
2 Tbsp chopped dates
1/3 cup currants (or more, if you want)

Add to above ingredients (after soaking for a few minutes):
2/3 cup unsweetened kefir
1 cup rolled oats

Mix together and let sit while you prepare the following:

Sift together:
1 cup whole wheat flout
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine above dry ingredients with 1 stick butter (chilled and cubed) until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add wet ingredients and gently mix until a wet sticky dough forms (don’t over mix!). Drop by tablespoon on to buttered baking sheet (I actually just grease the spot I’m dropping the biscuit) and pat/form into puck-shaped disk. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. Makes about 12-15 biscuits.

Try to save some for breakfast the next day :).

6 Comments

Up a Notch

Posted on by Dan

It’s a new year, complete with resolutions and renewed resolve for cultivating our creative outlets. And, I’ve taken steps in providing better photos for sharing some of the results. A better camera does not make a better photographer, but it does help in providing more tools and control for capturing images in an interesting way. What’s exciting is that I can dust off the old lenses I had for my first SLR, a Pentax K1000 that I bought 17 years ago. And, I’m happy to report the ol’ lenses work just fine with the new Pentax digital SLR (a brilliant decision on their part). The following photographs were taken with a completely manual 50mm lens. There is something satisfying about meshing old and new technology and coming up with good results.

Kalanchoe

This Kalanchoe, a new year’s gift (thank you!), was just waiting to show off a little.

Quilt - detail

This is one of Virginia’s quilts she made a number of years ago (yes, she does other non-knitting activities).

Sock #32 (52 Sock Challenge)

And, since you are so used to seeing socks on the blog, I didn’t want to disappoint.

Sock #32 (52 Sock Challenge) - detail

Virginia knit these using Trekking XXL (Turtlegirl, you might remember swapping this yarn with her), and modified a cable sock pattern by Nancy Bush.

1 Comment

The Final Push

Posted on by Dan

It is conceivable that Virginia will eventually slow in her sock-making exercises. She will, at least, be taking a wee break from it once she finishes up one or two more custom orders. This holiday season was no exception with sock orders (as you may have noticed from previous sock-filled posts), as feet, these cold wintery days, are demanding warm, cozy coverings. Here are the latest (and my apologies for the variety of lighting techniques used in the photos — I blame the winter hours, and lack of proper daylight):

Sock #24 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #25 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #26 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #27 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #28 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #29 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #30 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #31 (52 Sock Challenge)

And, since this is likely the last post in 2008, may your new year celebrations be safe, peaceful and full of good cheer.

4 Comments

Northshore Escape

Posted on by Dan

We both have a special place in our hearts for Lake Superior, and keep telling ourselves we need to make the trip to visit more often. We finally booked a cabin right on the lake and immediately started to figure out how we could rearrange our lives in order to move to said cabin permanently.

The view from our living/dining room was unbeatable.

North Shore

Of course, no trip up north would be complete without an outside trek. We made it to Split Rock Lighthouse (both because it was on the way to a yarn shop in Tofte, and because it’s connected to my job).

View from Split Rock

We also stopped at Gooseberry Falls, and were greeted by some extremely friendly deer (I could’ve reached out and petted them… they were happily munching on some seeds from one of the state park bird feeders).

Deer

The real reason, however, for our trip was this…

Cabinside Crafting

If you haven’t had the chance lately to get away, to disconnect from the day-to-day for awhile, and spend some quality time just absorbing and being absorbed by the beauty that is our natural world — do it.

North Shore

3 Comments