Maple Bacon Oatmeal Cupcakes.

5 cups Rolled Oats
2 1/2 cups Applesauce
1/3 cup, plus a little extra Maple Syrup
2 1/3 cups Water
4 slices of Bacon
Brown Sugar

Cook the bacon to your preference. Save fat.  (I didn't promise these would be healthy.)  Chop/crumble bacon in to small pieces.  Preheat oven to 325 or so while the bacon cooks.

Combine all ingredients except brown sugar in a large bowl.  Add the bacon fat.

Place liners in cupcake pans.  Divide mixture evenly between cups, top with a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.  Lean toward the lower end for smaller cupcakes, the higher end for larger ones.

Once baked, allow to cool for a bit so they can set up before you remove them from the muffin pans.

Freeze or refrigerate any that aren't devoured immediately.  We've found that the Ziploc XS Round disposable containers are the perfect size to tote these in, so we put them directly into the container once they're cool for grab and go breakfast.


 Recipe yields 24 regular cupcakes, 12 jumbo.

EDIT!  If you're going to eat them as a cupcake, rather than with a fork or spoon, we've found that adding 1 large egg to the mixture helps solidify them without changing them dramatically.

Reboot! New Year, New Blog, New Happy!

Ok, well, February is not exactly the beginning of the year, but there's been a hell of a lot going on and this hippy needs to get back on track.

So, we're starting over.  I will ask that you all (there's probably only like 5 of you anyway) forgive me for the lack of posting and let me get a new start.

Here's what's new.  New start, new reasons to be happy, new health concerns, new friends, new motivation, new opportunities.

Dave and I are trying to learn to eat healthier and be healthier.  What makes me think it'll work this time?  Because Dave is in it with me.  I won't have to work around him or fight against him.  He wants to eat better too, and while it's for slightly different reasons than me, we have a lot of the same goals and plans.

Step 1:  Breakfast.  We both suck at breakfast.  I'm perfectly happy to call a cup of coffee and a donut from Wawa a good breakfast.  Dave doesn't eat breakfast.  Or if he does, he doesn't eat enough.

So we're starting with baked oatmeal, done as cupcakes.  I got this great recipe from my friend Kate, who found it, who knows how she found it.  It doesn't matter.  It's awesome.  And super easy to alter.  We made it a few weeks ago as Apple Cinnamon Raisin, and I made a "no unnecessary sugar" Pumpkin Pie version for a friend.

This morning, I made Maple BACON!  And, yes, it's not like bacon is particularly healthy, but if it gets us actually eating breakfast, for now at least, I'm ok with that.

Step 2: Blog and Blog a lot!  I'm going to use the blog for accountability for myself and for both of us.  I'm going to start sharing recipes again.  And the first recipe I'm sharing, is the Maple Bacon Oatmeal Cupcake Hack!

Step 3:  Baby Steps.  I've said this before and I'll keep saying it, diets sucks.  Lifestyle changes are what sticks, but you have to break it down into chunks you can commit to.  I'll have bacon cupcakes for breakfast this week, that's totally something I can stick to.

I quit.

I quit.  Seriously.  I'm done.  Finished.

And it's a damn fine thing!

I've decided that I'm done letting stupid people and silly fears stop me from being happy.  I will always have OCD, and will always make things a little different for me, but IT WILL NOT STOP ME.

I'm finished letting other people convince me not to do something I know I will enjoy.  It's not YOUR life, it's MINE!  I was talked out of the Tough Mudder last year, I have been convinced to stay home when I would rather go out, I was guilted into missing things I wanted to do.  But you're not here anymore.  AND I'VE MOVED ON!

I went bouldering last night. I invited someone I barely know to join me on a hike (yes, I know for fact this person is not a serial killer).  I'm going to give a talk of sorts at a Girl Scout camp, despite what I think of public speaking.  I started playing my clarinet again, and (SCREW YOU, CONRAD!) I'm playing jazz!

I will work with my OCD, I will work around my OCD, but my OCD will not define me or run my life anymore.  It's my life, not yours.  You make it hard enough, OCD, without me letting you win.

I'm not letting fear of people thinking I'm weird stop me.  The people who love me, love me because I'm weird.  If you can't handle weird, it's not my problem that you're probably boring.

I'm going to be happy.  I've made the decision.   There will be bad days, there will be tough weeks.  That's life.  And I'm not going to let it get the best of me anymore!

Good things are afoot!

So, in the last month or so a lot has happened.  I don't really want to go into all of the gory details, but suffice it to say, it has become time to make a change.

That being said.  My house is cleaner than it's been in longer than I care to admit.  I sold a bunch junk that I was guilt-tripped into taking at a flea market and made a few bucks.

I've been doing yoga again and I've been out hiking twice already this year. I got to take a friend who'd never been there, to Jim Thorpe and to Tuscarora

I'm eating better and more regularly.  I'm packing my lunches and actually cooking breakfast.  I'm making foods I enjoy, and prepping healthy snacks.

I've learned how much my wedding vows meant to me and how much that doesn't matter if you spouse doesn't feel the same.

I've learned that amazing people can be found in unexpected places and that my family and friends are pretty much the most amazing people in the world.

I've found that I'm happy.  Really happy.  I love my freedom and I don't regret where I am.

And I got the chance to remind myself that there really isn't any better place to be that with the people who care about me.