Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix (13 page)

I
used to buy flavored oatmeal packets until I realized that I could make it less expensively. There are many variations to this recipe. For example, sometimes I use ¾ cup of white sugar, three very ripe sliced bananas, and ½ cup of chopped walnuts (instead of the brown sugar and cinnamon) to make banana nut oatmeal. My kids request oatmeal for breakfast more than anything else.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large microwave-safe bowl and then add enough water to cover the oatmeal.

Cover and microwave on high, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

E
ach summer, I freeze fresh organic strawberries and store them in quart containers. They make a lot of juice that is otherwise wasted. I started to play around with the idea of making a strawberry syrup or a compote for pancakes or waffles or to drizzle over vanilla ice cream. Here is the delicious result.

Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and slice. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Toss and set aside to allow the strawberries to “juice” for about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the cold water together with the cornstarch and stir until the mixture is a smooth consistency.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the strawberry mixture until boiling. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the boiling strawberry mixture. Bring it back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

Serve over pancakes or waffles—and don’t forget the whipped cream!

E
ach night at the dinner table,
my kids ask “Are we having dessert tonight?” and, since we often don’t have dessert, when my answer is “Yes,” I receive many happy cheers! These desserts are the “happy cheer makers”—easy, delicious, and sure to make you glad you finished your peas!

T
his is an insanely delicious berry crisp. I started playing around with berry crisp and cobbler ideas one summer when I was up to my ears (and in all my glory!) with plentiful, beautiful fresh fruit. This combination of ingredients is just … well, divine. To this day, my kids smell this baking and absolutely cannot wait to finish dinner to get to dessert! Serve this warm with vanilla ice cream, and I promise this won’t last long in any house.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix the berries, lemon juice, ¼ cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of flour. Gently toss to coat. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix the oats, the remaining 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, ⅓ cup of sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Using a spoon or a spatula, incorporate the 6 tablespoons of butter until the mixture is crumbly and in small pieces. Add the milk and mix until a thick batter is formed.

Set the bowl aside, covered with a lid or cloth for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour the berry mixture into a greased baking dish. Drop the batter over the berries, smoothing evenly across the pan, allowing some berries to peek through.

Combine the 3 teaspoons of sugar, the cinnamon, and the 1 tablespoon of melted butter together. Mix well and pour over the batter.

Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until the berries are bubbly and the top is golden. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving (with vanilla ice cream!).

I
invented this icing recipe for my
Pumpkin Raisin Bread
. I make the bread and cut it into slices and then squares (1-inch bites). I place a dollop of my cream cheese icing on each square for a divine little finger-food treat. But don't stop there. You can use it to top a carrot cake or any cupcake you can create. This icing is super versatile.

Whip all of the ingredients together with a hand mixer. Spread onto a cake or Pumpkin Raisin Bread and chill.

M
y Gramps made this recipe by accident when he combined his leftover ingredients after a day of pie making. My brother heard “yuck pie” when it was actually called “milk pie,” and the name stuck. This pie is full of childhood memories. My kids love it and so will yours!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, milk, flour, and butter together, using a hand mixer, and place in a prepared piecrust. Cover the pie with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

T
his is a great way to have pies in minutes! And a time-saving way to have pie throughout the year. Combine this filling with my
Quick and Crumbly Pie Crumb Topping
, and whoa! Delicious! When apples are readily available in the fall, you will find me cooking up and storing away my pie filling.

Place the peeled, sliced apples in a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Combine the apple juice and water in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time.

Add the apples to the pot and return the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes or until the apples are tender.

Remove from the heat and allow the apple mixture to completely cool. Spoon into about 6 (32-ounce) containers and freeze.

T
his is our standard birthday and holiday cake. It is beyond delicious, worth the fuss, and oh so chocolatey! Depending upon the occasion, I use a different candy to decorate it. I have used M&Ms, gummy bears, dinosaurs, flowers, sprinkles, or jelly beans. Anything colorful looks festive, and you can’t go wrong with a candy and chocolate combination! Our family cake never loses its magic. Everyone looks forward to blowing out their candles and digging in, making sure that each has a piece or two of candy on their slice—a very important detail!

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix well.

Turn the mixer off, and then add the boiling water and hot coffee and mix on the lowest setting. Mix well and pour immediately into two round 8-inch cake pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray or greased and dusted with flour.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the frosting:

Cream the butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of a standing mixer. Whip until the mixture is light and fluffy.