The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Wandering around my local farmer’s market, arms laden with treasures bound for my kitchen, I spotted them: plump, fresh blueberries. I hastily rearranged everything I was carrying to make room for a couple of pints, knowing there were scones in my immediate future.

Scones are one of those things that look a lot more complicated and fussy than they really are. They come together in just a few minutes and with a minimum amount of effort — all the better for impressing everyone the next time you have to whip something up for a bake sale, quick brunch, or afternoon tea. Just barely sweet, they’re perfect with a little butter or clotted cream and jam or – my preference with these monster blueberry scones – a dollop of lemon or lime curd. You can shape them into triangles as you see pictured here, cut them out like biscuits or even just drop them onto your cookie sheet in approximately quarter-cup dollops – no matter which option you choose, you’ll have a wonderfully light and fluffy baked treat in no time.

Many scone recipes call for a full cup of heavy cream, but I like to lighten mine a bit by using half heavy cream and half milk. I also like to use half whole wheat flour (for the added nutritional benefits) and half all-purpose flour (to achieve the expected texture). However, if all you’ve got is heavy cream and regular all-purpose flour, feel free to indulge.

We love to hear from you! Do you have a favorite type of scone? And what’s your favorite way to top them?

Monster Blueberry Scones
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk (skim works fine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
coarse sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor or in a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk, cream and blueberries. Stir gently just until the dough is combined, taking care not to break the berries.

For monster scones, pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the prepared cookie sheet. For daintier scones, divide the dough into two parts and form two 4″-5″ circles.

Brush the scones with a little milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut the circle(s) into 8 wedges with a knife and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least two inches apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet.

Yield: 8 monster scones or 16 smaller scones
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After a week of coffee-and-granola-bar breakfasts, I’m dreaming of spending Sunday morning languishing in bed for as long as possible, only heading to the kitchen when hunger calls to prepare these amazing Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes. We discovered this recipe one weekend after debating the nutritional merits of pancakes and trying to justify a high-calorie, carb-heavy (but uber-yummy) breakfast that would leave us hungry again within a matter of hours. So, I searched online for ways to improve upon pancakes beyond simply switching to whole-wheat flour.

Happily, this wonderfully nutty, nicely textured recipe from Epicurious was one of the first recipes I came across, and it includes both oats and wheat flour. Know what that means? These pancakes will not only satisfy my occasional pancake craving, they’ll hold me over until lunchtime while helping manage my cholesterol levels–a pretty sweet deal!

We usually top these with bananas and either a drizzle of syrup or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. They’re wonderful either way, and this weekend I’m going try slathering some peanut butter under the bananas for an extra protein boost. I’ll bet these would also be great with blueberries or strawberries, too – I can’t wait to experiment on another relaxing Sunday morning!

Don’t fret if you don’t have buttermilk on hand or are reluctant to buy a big container you’ll never finish -  just make your own!

Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
(adapted slightly from Epicurious)
3/4 cup oats (regular or quick-cooking)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk, divided (or make your own)
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
sliced bananas

Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk (30 minutes for regular / 10 minutes for quick-cooking).

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir egg, butter, brown sugar, remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Heat a griddle or large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

Yield: 8-10 pancakes

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Breakfast: the most important, and often most unappreciated, meal of the day. I’m usually the first to bring out the old excuse that I “don’t have time” to cook myself a decent breakfast during the week. Too much going on, too many hits applied to the snooze button, too many people to get out the door, whatever. All empty excuses. Because what you see pictured above is a more than decent breakfast, and it only takes 15 minutes to make. Slow-cooked does not always mean time-consuming and labor-intensive, and trust me when I say that this is oatmeal is light years better than the instant, add-water-and-nuke variety that comes in a rip-open packet.

Even if you don’t have an extra 15 minutes during your weekday mornings, I know you have at least that much time over the weekend – the perfect opportunity to make a double batch! Though best freshly made, this oatmeal keeps fine in the fridge (we portion ours out into individual “grab and go” servings), making it just as easy as anything else you could choose for breakfast. It’s also versatile for those of us who get bored easily. You can switch up the fruits, the sweetener, the flavorings and the nuts to suit your mood or, if you’re me, what’s in your kitchen.

No more excuses for skipping breakfast when there’s such an easy, filling solution that also packs a great one-two punch of fiber and protein. Join us in the comments section and share your favorite ways to customize your bowl of oatmeal!

Spiced Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, dried mixed berries, etc.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup low-fat milk, divided
1 cup pecans or almonds, toasted and roughly chopped, divided

Combine oats, water, fruit and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes, until oats are tender. Remove oats from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Once spooned into serving bowls, top each with 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup nuts. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon if desired and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com