oatmeal with trail mix and soft egg

Oh! Almost forgot. There I was, minding my own business, sitting there on my tuffet eating my curds and whey in a chair eating my oatmeal with trail mix and soft egg, which turned out harder than I intended, I'm no good at that, my aim was for runny yolk, when suddenly I started to pick up a distinctly unpleasant odor. I ignored it. The odor persisted. Smelled like something burning. I ignored it again. Persisted. Getting stronger. THEN I JUMPED UP, TURNED ON THE FAN THAT'S AIMED AT THE SMOKE ALARM TO PREEMPT IT SCREAMING AND FRANTICALLY DASHED INTO THE KITCHEN where I found this sitting on top of the burner beginning to smoke. I tossed it in the water that was chilling the remaining eggs, while smoke wafted up around the burner and from the smoldering pot in the sink with the eggs.

So let that be a lesson for you, about ... um ... something.

apple, plum, oatmeal with trail mix pie

The experimental crust of this pie is made with coconut oil in place of butter, shortening, or lard.  I do believe the experiment is successful.  It results in a slightly crunchy crust, at least mine is.  I like it.  

This started out as an ordinary apple pie but then I decided to include plums.  Then instead of using corn starch or flour to thicken, I chose my prepared oatmeal mixture which includes trail mix.  I augmented with more dried fruit, raisins, cherries, cranberries, and pecans.  I added a cup.  Decided that wasn't enough so added another cup.  I included coconut oil in place of butter in the filling.   This made more filling than the pie could contain so I ate it apart from the pie. It was a little bit like the most amazing granola in the history of ever. 

Pie crust 

*  1 + 1/2 cup sifted flour (cold)
*  3 rounded tablespoons coconut oil (cold)
*  1/8 teaspoon salt
*  1 Tablespoon palm sugar, organic sugar, whatever
*  1/4 cup (cold) water

Rub the chilled coconut oil into the flour in the usual way to pea-sized flour-coated nodules.  Add just enough water to bring the mixture together.  This needn't be sweetened.  It can be seasoned however the impulse strikes.  

Pie filling

*  5 or 6 apples, depending on size
*  3 plums
*  1 + 1/2 cup to 2 cups oatmeal combined  with trail mix
*  extra dry fruit as desired
*  1 rounded tablespoon coconut oil

I used organic palm sugar because I had it on hand but it's not necessary.  Any sugar will work, including brown sugar or honey, or none at all if you prefer to keep it to the natural sugar in the fruit. I added very little, just a tablespoon.  

My prepared oatmeal mixture contains a load of cinnamon, various nuts and dried fruit, so I didn't add any more spices.  If I didn't use the oatmeal, then I'd have added spices, namely, cinnamon, allspice, clove or possibly ginger.  I have a tendency to overdo things.  

Pre-bake pie crust for 12 minutes at 400℉.  Heat the pie filling on stove top  to cause apples to shrink and fruit to release liquid which is soaked up by oatmeal. Bake for 25 minutes at 400℉.

granola

* steel cut oatmeal poured into a bowl
* salt
* brown sugar mixed with melted butter and vegetable oil
* corn syrup
* bag of trail mix
* chopped almonds and broken pecans
* coconut
* vanilla extract
* few tablespoons of whole wheat flour to assist clumpage
* few tablespoons water

Mix until slightly clumpy. Press into a lined pan. Bake at 350℉ for thirty minutes. Cool. Break apart. Photograph. Upload photograph. Tag photograph. Copy address of photograph. Enter blog post. Consume granola. Seek addiction therapy.