where's the beef

In this post, there is none. Stop looking you won't find it. That's because I'm linking up with Beth Ann via Dwija for meatless meal ideas for Fridays during Lent. I looked at some of the other links already....and mine are super unimpressive, especially in the food photog region. I'll tell you straight up: one of the images is stolen from AllRecipes.

However, I am nothing if not a bandwagon enthusiast so here goes.

Break of the Fast:

Whatcha need:

an indeterminate amount of butter

a cup of milk (I use whole)

a half cup rolled oats

a snippet of cinnamon

pure maple syrup

frozen peaches

Whatcha do:

Super easy. I operate both a small skillet and small saucepan simultaneously while doing the signature mom hip-hold with Jordan because...have we talked about how clingy she is lately? I'm not permitted to make her breakfast without her supervision.

1. Throw a pad of butter down on both a small skillet and a small saucepan. This will prevent the milk from adhering to the bottom of the saucepan and the syrup to the skillet, thus preventing a slew of curses when cleaning of said kitchen utilities commences.

2. Put your cup of milk into the saucepan. Put your maple syrup in the skillet (I do 1-2 tablespoons but it's up to you.) While the milk comes to a gentle boil, go ahead and start sauteing your frozen peaches in the syrup. Again, the amount is up to you, but for a healthy sized bowl that Jordan and I split for breakfast, I put about 6 peach slices in there.

3. Once the milk starts to boil (gently! not vigorously!) throw the oats in a give 'em a stir. At this point I add just a dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon speaks to me. All the while you're still manning the peaches. In my case that's pushing them from one side of the skillet to the other and trying to seem like I know what's up. Let the oatmeal cook for five minutes with an occasional stir.

4. The oatmeal should be thickish, but easy to stir about. I plop it in a bowl and let it cool while I cut up the peaches. Then I throw those on top and Jordan is the world's happiest toddler.

ok fine, she's at the park here. but this is about the face she makes for this oatmeal.

Luncheon:

I don't have any pics of this, but if you're an avocadophile such as myself then you MUST do the following: get two pieces of whole wheat toast or, who cares? sourdough, potato bread, ciabatta. YOU choose your own fate. It's a free-ish country. Put a bit of mayo - or garlic mayo! it's better! - on each slice, cut up a whole avocado and shlop it right on there, put a handful of rinsed beansprouts (this part is essential to me, they don't have a lot of flavor but I love the crunch) and if you want, a couple slice of tomato. I don't want. No tomatoes on sandwiches. But I'll take 'em as a salad.

Din Din:

not my bowl, not my soup.

You'll think me ridiculous: I'm using this chicken noodle soup recipe except...no chicken! Trust me, I've tried it. The broth is so flavorful you won't know the chicken went all Ferris Bueller and skipped out. This is now Vegetable Noodle soup, and it's m'm m'm goooood. Oh, and it takes like 20 minutes. Let's stick it to Rachel Ray shall we?:

Ingredes:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion
1 cup celery
4 - 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (don't worry, I checked to see if it's ok)
1 - 14.5 oz can vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups whatever noodle you want, I have those ones that look like turtle shells
1 1/2 cups carrot
1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano
salt n' pepa however you like

Deets:
1. In a large pot over medium, melt the butter and saute the onion and celery until tender. Add all other ingredients EXCEPT noodles and I'll tell you why: this soup refrigerates/freezes up real nice, but if you put the noodles in with everything else instead of housing them separately, they'll get all gelatinous and goopy. So, let the soup cook and simmer about fifteen to twenty minutes with an occasional stir while you:

2. Boil a pot of salted water and cook noodles al dente. Spoon however many noodles you want into bowls and pour the soup over. Then store soup separately.

3. Enjoy with some delish bread and butter. I know I do.

There you have it. And these are all easy, or else I wouldn't make them, trust.

PS - totally unrelated: anyone else (with a blog) having a serious uptick in spam comments? I'm getting them all over the place. I'm new here: what do I do? Is there somewhere I can report that crap? I don't want to turn on comment verification. That's obnoxious.