When it's too hot to cook...

It is a cruel trick that during the season that blueberries are at their peak, it's way too hot to turn on the oven to turn them into a crisp or a pie. Best to pack them off to the freezer to be used later in the fall, leaving a few pints back to sprinkle on cereal or mix into the pancake batter.
If I could come up with a way to make a blueberry dessert on the grill, I would be thrilled. Instead, they end up in my oatmeal at breakfast, and they taste almost like dessert.
Here's how to do it:
     Microwave 1/3 cup of oatmeal with 2/3 cup of 2% milk for two to three minutes in the microwave. Keep an eye on it so that your bowl doesn't runneth over. Cleaning up oatmeal goop is a good way to get your morning off to a bad start.
    Use potholders to take your bowl out of the microwave; it will be hot.
     Next, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries (or thawed blueberries) onto your oatmeal, and add some chopped pecans or walnuts, if you have them. Don't bother with brown sugar or maple syrup unless you have an extreme sweet tooth; the sugar in the milk makes the oatmeal quite sweet, as do the berries. Let the heat of the oatmeal cook your berries for a minute or two, before you dig in. It's like eating blueberry crisp for breakfast, but way more healthy!

Tater Tots: It's what's for dinner.

I am a food snob. Not terribly so, but somewhat. I have never been above making fun of what my co-workers bring for lunch, or talk about cooking for dinner. One particular casserole recipe always made me roll my eyes and feel superior. My friend Kathy calls it “cowboy casserole,” and I used to make fun of her for cooking it. My brother calls it Tater Tot Casserole; he is a big fan. His friend Ben’s dad, who was the epitome of a low life, used to make it for them dinner sometimes when Matt and Ben were kids. The fact that it contains Tater Tots and creamed, condensed soup, and was the culinary signature of a man who ought to have been in jail for child neglect was enough for me to write it off as something that I would NEVER even try.

And then I started cooking for a picky 14-year old boy, who turns his nose up at anything containing onions, spice or anything “weird.” I am used to people loving my cooking. I am not used to people looking like they’re going to throw up all over their plate when they taste what I’ve made for dinner. My brother used to actually do that—throw up all over his plate. At his daycare, they had a rule that everyone had to at least try what was on their plate. But they didn’t make Matt follow that rule.  I have discovered that Matt and Peter’s tastes are similar, so I find myself often wondering, “Would Matt eat this?” when trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I find myself buying mac & cheese, Hamburger Helper, and various other foods that just seem wrong to me.

Tater Tot Casserole has become a staple in the house, though. It’s gluten-free, so my step-daughter can eat it, and the combination of meat, cheese and potatoes is actually pretty delicious. I’ve found that if I chop them finely enough, I can sneak some onion and mushrooms into the ground beef or sausage, while it’s browning, and no one complains.  I’m sure it’s not health food, but it’s not terrible, either. And, no one looks like they’re going to hurl. Success!

It's not as bad as it looks. In fact, it's amazing.

There are some foods that just look disgusting. When I was in college, a friend of mine insisted on eating sausage gravy and biscuits every time we went out for breakfast.  I could barely stand to look at it, and I never, ever entertained the idea of trying it. Lumpy wallpaper paste looked more appetizing.

However, I have been converted. It happened strictly out of politeness.  I was a guest at someone’s home, they proudly served it as a special treat for breakfast, and I have better manners than to turn up my nose at someone else’s cooking.  And now, all I can say is, “Yum!”

My favorite variation involves that scrumptious pairing of pork and apples. While the crumbled sausage is frying, I add some apples slices and shallots, and sauté until everything is caramelized. A little black pepper and thyme go into the mix, and then a sprinkling of flour to make the roux.  Milk or half and half is added to make the gravy, and I let the whole thing simmer while the biscuits bake. I’m a Bisquick girl (or rather, the Aldi version of Bisquick,) while my mom swears by the rolls of refrigerated biscuits from Walmart. A Southern friend of hers tipped her off to the Walmart biscuits, and Mom claims that no one has more authority on the subject of biscuits than a gal from the South.

I love this breakfast when it’s chilly, and I know I have a long day ahead of me. It’s one of those “sticks to your ribs” kind of meals, and feels both decadent and folksy. I've been converted.