Anna Maria Locke

Hot Cross Bun oatmeal: part 1 in a Series

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[that is supposed to be an icing cross, not a mountain waterfall]

I admit that I am completely addicted to oatmeal. I don't know why I haven't ever posted about this before. 
Whenever I actually have time to make breakfast at home, nothing else sounds good enough in the mornings (unless it is hot out, when I pursue my love affair with cereal, but that is a story for another day).

I've decided to start posting a series of my favorite oatmeal recipes whenever I do have a rare amazing moment to have stovetop oatmeal for breakfast, in the hopes of convincing the world that oatmeal is amazing and full of wonder. If you don't realize that you are also an oatmeal fan, I hope to bring you to the light. 

Starting with the Easter-appropriate Hot Cross Bun Oats! Lightly zesty, studded with dried berries, and drizzled with powdered sugar frosting. Oh, yes.

The best part about oatmeal is that you can take your favorite dessert recipe and easily convert it into a healthy form that is even more satisfying.
Please do not ever use "instant" oats. The "old-fashioned" kind only take 4 more minutes to cook, and are so much thicker and chewier! If you have a health food section of your grocery store with bulk bins, you can get organic thick rolled oats for very, very, cheap.  Okay enough blabbing, I didn't realize I cared this much about the topic. 

Hot Cross Bun Oatmeal
(serves 1...)
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup milk
-dash of salt
-raisins or currants and other dried fruit you have around
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-dash of coriander
-dash of nutmeg
-orange and lemon zest (just a little bit.)
-vanilla
-1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Heat water, milk, dried fruit, and dash of salt in a small pot on the stove.
When it is boiling (WATCH THE MILK), stir in the oats.
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, and citrus zest.
Cook until oats are done and liquids are absorbed (~5-8 mins)
Stir in the vanilla and remove from heat.
Mix the powdered sugar with a couple drops of milk or water to make icing
Top the oatmeal with an artful drizzle of sugar, as well as some butter and more milk if you like.

Delicious!

On another note, I can't believe it's Sunday night.  I don't know where my weekend went !! I think all this sunshine and warm weather is wiping me out, because I've been feeling very lethargic and lazy. Or maybe just thinking about diving in to the craziness of another busy week is making me tired.
I need to snap out of it!



the view of the garden fairy

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Oh my gosh it feels like summer here and the flowers everywhere have exploded just in this past week!
I am sooooo happy.
How can you not be happy when it is sunny and dry 78 degrees out?

Plus, it's April, which is birthday season for me and several of my girlfriends!*!*!!
24 days until I am 23!

Life is proceeding at breakneck pace as usual, but I have still managed to find time for relaxing outdoor coffee breaks and happy hour pitchers of Bud Light on the patio.  Keeping it classy.
[Even though every single person with a motorcycle (aka a lot of people evidently) is out on the streets revving their engines so you can barely hold a conversation. (seriously?)]

This weekend I am going to get a grip on life (ha!), start working on my two seminar papers (eek!) and definitely hold a flower photoshoot on campus. Is there a market out there for flower portraiture? Because it is calling me.

I hope you have a beautiful Easter weekend!

p.s. photo editing how-to post coming soon

Maple Harvest Festival

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Yesterday was cool and crisp but sunny, perfect weather for a Maple Harvest Festival!
Ben and I drove over the mountains and through the woods to Shaver's Creek Environmental Center (run by PSU, basically a nature center on steroids...or a multimillion $$ budget...) to their annual festival.
Apparently Shaver's Creek doesn't actually tap enough trees to make their own marketable syrup, but they served plenty of "local" Pennsylvania syrup on amazing pancakes for everyone.  Sugar overload!!!


different grades of sap and syrup


It takes A LOT of sap to boil down into one gallon of syrup.


Shaver's Creek also has a raptor center where they keep about a dozen permanently injured birds. These little (scared) screech owls were being walked through the crowds. SO CUTE! I am not a huge bird fan but I love raptors and ESPECIALLY OWLS.

 Here is an adorable great horned owl
(that is making Ellie's grumpy face! hahaha)

 Bald eagles will always remind me of college, since they flock to the Mississippi River during the winter to fish.  (and I made a viewing center poster of eagle facts during my Fish and Wildlife Service internship. Eagle PRO!) They are no longer on the endangered species list thanks to the efforts of the FWS!

Did I mention there was the obligatory kettle corn stand at the festival? That stuff is so addicting. After lounging around shoving it into our faces enjoying a modest serving this afternoon Ben and I had to google how to make homemade kettle corn. It looks deceptively easy...future kitchen adventure for sure.