Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats

My obsession with apples this season continues!

This apple oatmeal was super easy to make (only 5 minutes of hands-on time) -- and steel cut oats are incredbily good for you, a great whole grain that's full of fiber and perfect for starting your morning. If you don't have steel cut, regular oats work great too -- just make sure you follow the instructions on the package.

Servings: Two

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 individual portion of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 an apple

Step-by-Step:

1. Heat water on the stove until it starts to bubble/boil.
2. Add oats -- lower heat and let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir, then let cook for 5 more minutes until water level has lowered significantly.
4. Stir again -- when there is barely any water left in the pot -- turn off the heat.
5. Stir in the applesauce and cinnamon. (If you have no applesauce, chop up some apple and mix it in the oatmeal with the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.)
6. Top with apple slices.

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Totally make-beforeable (I made that up,) this dish is perfect for evenings where you know your morning will be crazy, but still want something tasty and nutritious. Simply put it in some tuppleware in your fridge, and grab it on the go. Enjoy :)

xoxo n

Honey Apple Parfaits

This weekend I couldn't keep myself from making another vat of my homemade applesauce. Quite honestly, Austin wasn't complaining. I left the slow cooker on, bubbling with apple juices -- and headed straight to the thrift store for an afternoon with friends. I don't thrift often, but when I do (stay thirsty my friends?) I always find the greatest things. I ran across two great martini glasses --  and being who I am -- I immediately thought of how wonderful they would show off a parfait.

I used my applesauce for this -- but feel free to used store-bought (go unsweetened! you'll never turn back!) to make a quick, filling, and simple breakfast. I served mine with orange slices. Again, Austin wasn't complaining. Yum!

Servings: 1 (ingredient amounts below are for each individual parfait -- If you have company, just repeat!)

What You'll Need:

• 1 Individual Greek Yogurt (whatever flavor you have -- I used honey -- but I find that most yogurt flavors pair beautifully with applesauce -- think Mango Apple or Pineapple Apple, for instance.)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup granola (I used Special K's Low Fat Granola in 'Touch of Honey')

The Step-by-Step

1. I won't insult you guys with the step-by-step :) Just layer the three ingredients until you reach the top of the glass. Top with more granola.

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This doesn't keep very long -- so unfortunately, you can't really make it the night before or in advance. The moisture from the granola and the applesauce will make the granola soggy with time -- so I recommend this for weekend breakfasts when you're not in a rush -- and you can pair this with a steaming cup of coffee and a morning paper :)

xoxo n

AppleFest! Spiced Applesauce

So -- after writing the last post..... I caught the case of apple-blog-mania.
I'd like to call it: AppleFest 2013, actually.

In the next month, I will be sharing wonderful recipes that have inspired me, everywhere from the cafeteria at work, to old cookbooks, to even my own imagination in the kitchen on a random Thursday. Look out for:

• Israeli CousCous with Cranberries & Apples
• Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats
• Personal Apple Pies
• Sweet Potato & Roasted Apple Soup

To start off, I decided to venture into making my own applesauce! First of all, its not only delcious, but it's so "school lunch" -- remember those sweet days? Plus, applesauce is so versatile -- in the past couple of days, I've eaten it plain, mixed it into some smoothies, or even topped it on some oatmeal! Not only that, but with my recipe, nothing artificial is added -- and if you're like me -- you'll be hooked on the purity of this recipe and taste, and never want to buy store applesauce again!

Servings: 4-8 (1 cup or half cup)

What You'll Need:

• 8 small apples (preferably pink or light red)
• A Slow Cooker! (can find them for $15 -- best thing you can buy for yourself)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2tbsp Cinnamon
• Optional: Pumpkin Pie Spice (sold this time of year, its cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc. bottled together in one)

Step by Step:

1. Cut the apples into slices and make sure to cut the peels off.
2. Put the apple slices into the slow cooker and add water and just a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Stir, cover, and turn the slow cooker to "Low." Let cook 6-8 hours while you sleep, you busy world-changer!
4. When the time is up, turn the slow cooker off and use a wooden spoon to mash the apples until the sauce is chunky. Add the remaining cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice and stir.
5. Let sit for 30 minutes, stir, then put the dish into the fridge. Let cool before serving.

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Who's excited for AppleFest? Instagram me at @natalieneilson with the hastag #THAppleFest to show me how you are engaging in the apple bounty this fall! Can't wait to hear from you guys!

xoxo n

Writer's Note: For those wondering "Where's the Sugar??" -- Many of the recipes I found online for applesauce required you to add sugar (sometimes up to a cup!) I decided to go against adding sugar, since apples are naturally sweet -- and I decided if I tasted my applesauce and it wasn't sweet enough, I would direct you readers to another sugar-adding recipe. However, my natural applesauce was just sweet enough :)

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

I had the pleasure of spending Labor Day weekend at my father's house outside Philadelphia. The trees were nice and plush, and nights were still warm, reminding you that summer was almost over but God is doing you a favor -- so you should sip wine outside long after the sun goes down and thank Him for the life he's given you.

Baking has been a way I show thanks (and love) to those around me. That weekend, my stepsister Gillian hosted a party for her high school friends. I naturally became the sneak chaperone -- someone old enough to keep an eye on things objectively, but young enough to not be a buzzkill (hurrah! I've reached the sweet spot.) As part of the party prep, I accompanied my dad to Wal-Mart to buy snacks en masse -- but moreover, as I was looking for an excuse (ahem, hungry audience) to bake delicious treats -- I decided to whip up these Oreo cupcakes (lightened up a bit.) With the help of my baby sister, Christina, these were a smash hit -- and I don't think the teens cared or knew that they were reduced-fat! HOLLA! Big sister for the win!

Do I spy a little helper?

Servings: about 24 cupcakes

What you'll need:

• Any Vanilla cake mix (I used Pillsbury French Vanilla)
• Eggs (required by cake mix)
• Water (required by cake mix)
• Plain Unsweetened Applesauce (the same amount that the cake mix is asking for, for oil!)
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 8 oreos for chopping
• 1 tub of Vanilla Frosting
• 12 oreos for blending
• Oven/Cupcake Pan
• Optional: Blender/Cupcake Papers

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to the degree asked for on the cake mix box, and place cupcake papers into the cupcake pan (if you don't have papers, no worries -- just spray each cupcake hole with cooking spray -- make sure you get the sides of the holes too!)
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the cake mix with the required water and eggs (can do egg whites if you want! so maybe if its asking for 3 eggs, put 2 egg whites and 1 full egg.)
3. Instead of oil, mix in applesauce and mini chips! (more on the applesauce later)
4. With a knife, roughly chop 8 Oreos into pieces, and add the pieces into the batter. Stir well.
5. Pour the batter into the cupcake papers (only 2/3 of the way -- don't fill each paper to the top) and bake for the time it says on the box.
6. While baking, roughly chop 12 more Oreos. Place the Oreo pieces into a blender. 
7. Pulse until the Oreo's are a fine powder -- (it'll look like dirt!) If you don't have a blender, put the chopped Oreo's in a Ziploc bag, seal it, put it in another Ziploc bag, put it on the floor, and jump on it. Go to town!
8. Pour the Oreo "powder" into a bowl, and scoop the frosting right on top. Stir together until well combined.
9. With a spoon, scoop the Oreo frosting into a Ziploc bag.
10. When the cupcakes have finished baking, let them cool for an hour.
11. After the cupcakes have cooled, hold Ziploc and squeeze all the frosting towards a bottom corner with your hands. With a scissors, snip the corner off (not too far up!)
12. With the corner snipped off, you can squeeze the Oreo frosting onto the cupcakes (I used a circular motion for the picture above.)
13. Party!

What a teenage dream.
xoxo n

Wait.... Applesauce?

Did you know Applesauce is a substitute for oil in baking? 

Did you know that when Applesauce is baked, you can't taste it? 

Did you know that oil is fat -- and apples are not? 

Did you know that apples are already sweet naturally, so you don't need to buy sweetened applesauce? Now you know!

Shoutout to my friend Katy for getting this right on Instagram! :)