Hey, y’all! I’m back from Texas. It was glorious, thanks for asking. September is the month when all 3 of my brother’s kids have their birthdays (well, one is in very late August), so I try to make it home for at least one of the big birthday celebrations. The excitement that little kids have for birthdays is infectious. Their eyes get so bright at the mention of their special birthday meal and even more for their special birthday dessert. My mom plans the entire meal with careful thought over what each kid enjoys most. This birthday celebration, we had smoked brisket and beef sausage, potato salad, three bean salad, baked beans, butter rolls, and a vanilla-chocolate swirled sheet cake topped with the richest chocolate frosting. We gladly enjoyed the leftover barbecue all weekend, but after too many split biscuits stuffed with chopped brisket, I’m reaching for the oat jar this morning. I go through 2 quarts of rolled oats each week. Is that normal for 2 people? I make a weekly batch of granola for breakfast: I go back and forth between a healthy recipe made with apple sauce and oil (Three Many Cooks is my standby), and a rich, buttery recipe with lots of citrus zest. On cold mornings, I make a warm bowl of oatmeal with dried plums, lemon zest and a swirl of plain yogurt (thanks for the flavor inspiration, Heidi). I also grind oats in my coffee grinder to use as flour in pancakes or biscotti. I make mini granola bites for Mr. Dessert For Two to take with him out to the field (Two Peas has a great recipe). When and if there’s leftover oats in the mason jar, I make these boozy oatmeal cookies. Since I made it through another busy week and managed to feed myself plenty of healthy whole grains, I deserve a few shots of rum, right?
