Still Making This Old Favorite, but I've Updated It...

 

Still warm!!

When we found out we were gluten intolerant, the joy went out of cooking for quite a while.  Basically, everything I used to make for my family was wheat based and finding new options was much harder 12 years ago than it is now.  Fast forward 12 years and we're still not fans of most store-bought gluten free options, so we've really upped our baking skills to meet our new reality.  Still, there were a few of our favorites that happened to be naturally gluten-free and they have stayed in the rotation to this day.  One of these keepers is Amish Baked Oatmeal.  I first blogged about this recipe in 2010, and it is still in my rotation, so there is that!

Fresh out of the oven.

Since those first days, however, I've slightly modified the original recipe with the addition of another egg and a teaspoon of cinnamon.  This is the version of the recipe I use these days.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
1/2 cup of milk (I've made it with water when I didn't have milk!)
1/4 cup of butter - melted
2 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (I use 1/8 teaspoon)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8 x 8 pan.

2.  Mix all together in one bowl and then pour into your greased 8 x 8 pan.  

3.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight (remove cover to bake) or leave uncovered and bake immediately for 30 minutes at 350F.  (If you leave the cover on when you bake it, it is too soggy.)

4.  Top with berries or eat plain (we like it straight out of the pan).

Honestly, this is a quick and easy addition to your breakfast or dessert rotation. (It's also really great for those afternoons where you just want something sweet, but don't want to each junk and you don't want to make a big mess.)   The 8 x 8 pan is a nice amount for a couple or for a small family.  Also, this is NOT an expensive treat to make, so if you're on a tight budget, this is definitely something to try.

Never quiet.

Superman and I have always had animals...even before we had kids, we had cats.  We got our first dog when Buttercup was three or four, and since then, we've always had dogs, too.  Throughout the years, we have also had birds, hamsters, rats, a chinchilla, and fish.  They have always added to the chaos and joy in our home and in our lives.

The past few years have been hard where our animals have been concerned, as well.  That was to be expected, if we had ever really thought about it:  the animals you get when your kids are little will be old when your kids leave the nest.   We didn't think about it, though, and the losses of the past few years made the transition to empty nesters even more bittersweet.  We've lost four animals in the past two years. It felt as if we were losing more of our family with each loss.

Beans went first in 2021.  She declined quickly and, while not a nice cat (hey, some just aren't nice), I was sad for her decline...she was only 12 and we had gotten her when she was six weeks old.  Wasn't she beautiful?

Majestic Beans 

Sam-I-Am passed in January of 2022.  He was our last link to our lives in So Cal.  He was born in the carport of our California home and moved with us the next year.  He was just shy of 18 when he died and he lived an amazing life and was cool until the very end.

Sam-I-Am was always irritated by us.

My sewing room cat Clementine disappeared in May 2022.  We suspect strongly she was taken by an owl.  My heart broke with this loss because she was just three years old and was the sweetest cat ever.  She was definitely my cat...this loss was brutal, to be honest.

My little Clementine--sweetest cat ever.

Finally, our beloved Lucy Lou died in July 2022.  She was almost 16 years old and was the most loyal girl ever.  She taught me to love dogs.   Fortunately, she declined quite quickly...she was still going for walks two weeks before she died...but man, this one was hard.  You know they can't live forever, but still...

Miss Lucy Lou

I know a lot of people decide not to get any more pets after the pets they had when their kids were younger pass, but I just couldn't see doing that, despite the fact that we were also dealing with our beloved Honey having terminal bladder cancer.  She has far surpassed her six month prognosis and, at 14 months post diagnosis, is still living her best life. The tumor is still growing, though, albeit slowly and we know her time with us is limited.  Animals are a source of joy and life in a home, in my humble opinion.

Honey - she has big dog energy and the sweetest girl ever.

So, in June, while my heart was still hurting over Clementine's loss and I was grappling with Honey's cancer, we rescued Leo-Leo.  He's a two and half year-old little mutt who was in an abuse situation and is getting braver by the day.

Leo-Leo--tries so hard to be a brave boy.

At the end of summer, we adopted Olive and Georgia, a bonded pair of female cats who are about three years old.  We needed cats...the mice in the yard were waving to me as they went about their day's work.  Really.  My daughter started referring to me as Snow While because there were so many bold critters in our backyard.!!  Anyway, between our combined efforts, Olive and I have mitigated the mouse problem quite effectively and there is peace in the kingdom again.

This is Olive...Georgia is very shy.

Finally, in November, we adopted Miss Emma, another rescue in need of a forever home.  She was a special case and needed a special home and we felt privileged to become her family.  She's a fierce little thing who is going to rule the entire house when she's done.

Miss Emma - a backyard breeder mom dumped in a shelter, this girl is stealing our hearts.

So, there you have it.  If you're keeping count, we have four dogs (including Jack--not pictured), two cats, two birds (with no names), and possibly two fish (we will know in spring how many survived in the little pond).   Housebreaking through a snowy winter has been quite an adventure, but it has been a small inconvenience when contrasted with the happiness these pets bring.  The joy our animals bring to our lives is worth the pain of losing them when their time comes.   Our home is not very quiet and is never boring, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Happy Birthday to Charming!!!

 I don't know how it's possible, but our first born is 32 today!  (Which really doesn't make a lot of sense, as I'm holding somewhere between 35 and 40 myself, soooo...) 

Happy Birthday, Charming!!!

This is from 1994...You were 3. 
Let's not talk about how long you've been running!!!

"Transitions are hard" or "Reflections upon coming out the other side"

As you might be aware, for a few years now, my family has been in transition.  Heck, you might even be bored of the topic, but man, it's a big transition to go from active parenting of younger children to hands-off parenting of adult children.  I've mentioned some of it in my very sporadic blog posts, but I didn't even scratch the surface.  The last of our children left the nest within six months of each other and both of them are now married.  Superman and I became grandparents when Buttercup and her husband had a little boy last summer.  Valiant and his wife live across the country and Charming is across the state.  Family togetherness, at least for now, is a distant memory.

On top of that, Superman and I decided we couldn't say no to an amazing career opportunity for him, so he's traveling again.  When I tell you the nest is empty, the nest is EMPTY.  And yet, Superman and I seem to be busier than ever.  We have grand plans for our empty nest life and are pursuing them with a single-minded focus and we have a renewed energy as we pursue our goals. 

Swedish death cleaning was a huge help to this transition.  I know I posted about the ins and outs of Swedish death cleaning before, but I can't stress enough how good this was for us.  Letting go of the life that "was" makes room for the life that "will be".  We aren't holding on to the past in a way that limits our ability to embrace the future.  It has been so liberating to shed the detritus of those years, only holding on to the things that have true meaning.  Of course, we did hold on to some things, but only things that have meaning to us and that we think might have meaning to our children.  For example, it is lovely to see our grandson in a crib that was used first for my brother, and then for our own children.  It has been so sweet to see him in a playpen that has been in our family for more than 50 years.  (Seriously, buying quality and being resistant to "new and improved" has served us well.)  

It was a lovely trip down memory lane and also a loving farewell when I scanned in all of our analog photos (so many photos in boxes...I thought they'd never end!) and then combined them with all of our digital photos and placed them on a thumb drive for the each of the kids.  This is their history to keep and maintain as they see fit.   I felt lighter and a little buoyant as I shipped off all of their belongings and then gifted them all these photos.  But it also really cemented a thought for me:  Memories are so personal.  All of those baby pictures that bring a smile of remembrance to your face are of a time that the subject of the photo doesn't even remember...those are YOUR memories, not theirs.   You can't really know what is a treasured memory or a treasured belonging for your adult child.  Anyway, I digress...this project is all done and handed off to the next generation and our home is now more reflective of the journey to come rather than looking back at the life that was.

I read a blurb somewhere that said the majority of your parenting will be done to adult children and that is the stage we're in.  I know it sounds as if we've washing our hands of our children, but that is far from the truth...we just truly respect that they are living their lives now and we have confidence in their ability to do just that.  We raised them well and they're all very competent, capable individuals in their own right. Our "job" is done and we've happily handed the reins to them and we are enjoying watching the paths they choose for themselves.  

So, there it is.  We've made it through the empty nest transition and come out the other side.  We feel energized and excited to see what the future holds, and I think this blog is going to come back to life now that I don't have to worry about infringing on teenagers' privacy. (That was a big consideration for me once they were of an age..,I didn't want post things that could potentially make them feel their privacy had been violated.)  Heck, I might even open it up to my adult children to contribute to because, it is, after all, the Nagle5 News and I no longer speak for all of the Nagle5.