Can I get a collective “Haaaaallelujah“!?
Go central Iowa!! After weeks of down pours, the coast is finally clear! At least for foreseeable future, anyways. 
Sun, sun and more sun. This is going to be a good week, I can feel it!
I kicked it off with a fab breakfast, featuring a new recipe, Peanut Butter & Jelly Oats!
In the mix:
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 banana (1/2 sliced in while cooking, 1/2 on top)
- cinnamon, vanilla extract
- almond butter
- homemade strawberry jam!
I hit up twitter and facebook last week to see if anyone had a good, low or no-sugar jam recipe, and some helpful soul directed to me this recipe. Look at that ruby red lusciousness!
Ummmm…best thing ever. EVER! If you would have walked in my house around 9pm last night, you may or may not have found me hunched in front of the open fridge eating this by the, ahem, spoonful. It’s just so fresh and bright tasting!
Combined with warm oats and melty almond butter, it was a b-fast to remember. 
I brought a huge Veggie Salad and strawberries for a nice, summery lunch today.
In the mix:
- Baby spinach
- Broccoli slaw
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Roma tomato
- Green onion
- Goat cheese
I love adding broccoli slaw to salads, because it’s got such a great crunch. Half the fun of eating salads is the crunchiness, imo.
Adding a few dallops of goat cheese will help keep me full, and, well, who ever needed an excuse to put goat cheese on anything?!
Strawberries are still criminally cheap at the grocery store, so I made sure to stock up this weekend.
Jewels!
In other news…Judy’s Baked Beans got me in the paper!!!
You know, Judy’s Baked Beans, aka my favorite food on earth!? Well, the local paper contacted me about recipes people could make for the 4th, and these baked beans were the very first thing I thought of.
My Mom’s been making these for my family for YEARS, and I recently started whipping them up too. They’re absolutely unforgettable, and now all the people in Des Moines (and you too!) will be able to make them, whee!
Thanks to The Register for featuring my recipe. Baked beans for all!
In other news, can we please talk about the Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that were on page 2?? O…M…G…
Time to get this week started – have a great day!
~~~~~
What’s your must have 4th of July dish?
In addition to the beans, I require a nice, crispy brat and an ice cold brew!
That is so cool! Congrats girl!
Congrats on being featured in the paper! Corn and watermelon are my two favorite fourth of July foods
My must-have 4th of July dish is an ice cream sundae.
I’m so thrilled to see that forecast for DSM! I’m flying back this week, and I’m so glad to see that it will be a) not raining and b) much more bearable than the weather here in DC!!
Oh, and congrats!
coooooool!! you look great!! and i looooove baked beans, so i’m gonna have to give this a try. i require cold beer, potato salad, and a nice hot dog
What a wonderful opportunity for you to be recognized in the paper!
Great recipe from my favorite blogger!
Congrats of the feature! There must be baked beans, hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon, potato salad and ice tea for our 4th of July!
We’re going to need the recipe for those cookie sandwiches!
Congrats on being featured in the paper!!
Nice! Congrats…
Btw u make me hungry each time i check your blog. Lol
That’s so exciting that you were in the paper!
I will have to try that jam recipe – looks yummy!
Wow!! Congrats…how awesome!!!
The 4th must consist of a huge variety of grilled yumminess, fruit salad, and a cold drink!
Congrats on being in the paper! On July 4, I have to have pound cake with fresh berries and whipped cream!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kristin and Joe Hoffner, Joe H.. Joe H. said: RT @iowagirleats: Extra! Extra! Read All About It – IGE in the Paper! http://tinyurl.com/2959u8d [...]
Front page! That’s so awesome! I feel like Americans get so much more pumped up than Candians do for our Canada Day. It seems so much more laid back here.
oh, ALSO – i used your 2 step cookie making process, and look how they turned out!!! eeeeeee
http://livingoneday.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/cookies-galore/
Congratulations on being in the paper! How fun!
Lunch looks sooooo delicious as usual! Just love your salads!
Congrats Kristen! That is sooo cool! Ok, that oatmeal though looks so tasty… I’m not one to mix jam and oatmeal but mmmmm-mm! My eyes are salivating over here.
Congrats on being in the paper!! That is such a cute picture of you in there. I looove Fourth of July food – brats, chips, watermelon, beans…. YUM.
The salad you packed today looks pretty delish. I don’t recall ever eating broccoli slaw. I don’t like goat cheese very much, so I would probably use feta instead.
Watermelon is a must! Hunni and I demolish one buy ourselves all day long
YES lets talk about those ice cream sandwiches puhlease! this 4th of july might just need to include those. i have to say everyyyy fourth must come with a side of CORN ON THE COB!
yum. and kristin, that is such a fabulous write up and photo of you!
Totally making your recipe for my 4th of July cookout!!!!
Congratulations!! 4th of July is all about sweet corn. Thank goodness we have plenty here in Iowa! I’ll be making that recipe for a potluck we’re going to this weekend. Thanks!
I think i missed something. Is Judy’s beans your mother’s receipe?
Once you have homemade jam, nothing compares!
Wow girl you are all over Iowa! You must be famous in your hometown. If I ever visit, I’m telling everyone i know you!
Hopefully it will get me extra perks.
Have a fab Monday!
Front Page, how amazing!! Cograts!! My must have 4th of July dish is grilled chicken with mango bbq sauce and an ice cold glass of “spiked” lemonade.
Front Page, how amazing!! Congrats!! My must have 4th of July dish is grilled chicken with mango bbq sauce and an ice cold glass of “spiked” lemonade.
Delicious salad, just awesome!
That’s so exciting! This is so cliche but it just wouldn’t be right if the 4th passed without some sweet corn and some meat off the grill
P.S. what’s that about a stripper in the top left corner? lol!
Congrats! I saw the newspaper article at work before I read this post and I sat there looking at the picture for a good minute or two trying to figure out where I recognized you from…
Pickle wraps and strawberry pretzel dessert are my favorite 4th of July dishes. I think I”ll have to try these Judy’s Baked Beans this year, yum!
What an awesome article!! Love love love it!!!! Congrats
That’s so neat you were in the paper! What’s next – TV? : )
I’m back in Central IA & opened up the DM Register and was shocked to see YOU!! What a neat article — and I too saw the toffee cookie ice cream sammies… they looked incredible!
Congratulations on getting in the paper!!!
congrats kristin! i love the 4th of july and i’m counting down the days until i get a nice juicy brat with an ear of sweet corn. it will be perfection.
yay! Congrats!
[...] Next up: Iowa Girl’s Baked Bean Recipe. [...]
I just came across your recipe for Baked Beans, which I can’t wait to try, but also the Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches!!! Would you be able to post the recipe for the Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, or if you have already, direct me to which post it’s in?
Thanks!
The ice cream sandwiches actually wasn’t my recipe – it was just in the paper next to the beans! So sorry!
[...] Extra charred beer brats, just the way Dad likes ‘em, Judy’s Baked Beans, [...]