Make Ahead Fruit Crisp Topping

 The other day, it was cold and snowy, and we all felt like doing some baking.  But after all the gluttonous food of the past months, we wanted something a little healthier.  Enter my favorite fruit crisp.  I make big batches of this adaptable topping and keep it in the freezer.  Use any fruit you like.  I have made it with peaches, pears, apples, berries, cherries, and others, including combinations.

 The topping starts with oats.  Then you add any type of flour you like, all purpose, whole wheat, gluten free, and nut flours all work equally well here.  Don't forget a bit of salt, and some brown sugar.  Don't skip the salt, it needs it.

 Then some fat, butter, coconut oil, shortening, even liquid oils all work.  You want to work it in so you get nice crumbles, but not a large ball of cookie dough.  If you get a big ball, make cookies and start the crisp topping over again.  Trust me.

A small batch of this is as follows, to make a large batch triple or quadruple, just keeping the proportions the same:

1 cup oats
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix well

Mix in 4 T oil or butter till crumbly. (A friend of mine doubles this, I don't find it needed, up to you)  Sprinkle on fruit and bake.

You will notice there are no spices.  You can add them if you want, but if I am making a pear cherry crisp I don't always want cinnamon, so I add the flavorings to the fruit.  I make a huge amount of this, throw it in a container in the freezer and make a quick crisp whenever we need a nice dessert.  You can use the topping straight from the freezer, no need to thaw.

I choose the size crisp I want and fill the dish 2/3 to 3/4 full of raw or canned cut up fruit.  For apples I add pie spice or cinnamon, for berries I add vanilla and nutmeg, use whatever you like.  Also sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar onto the fruit.  If using berries, also sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the flour into the fruit, as they will release a lot of juice and you want to thicken that lovely flavor into a sauce.  A favorite combo of mine is 8 apples peeled cored chopped with 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries 4 T sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp orange extract.  Mix the fruit in the dish, top with crisp topping.  Bake at 400 for 20 to 35 minutes until fruit is cooked and topping is browned and all is bubbly.  Alternatively you can do this in a small crock pot, on low 4-6 hours, or high 2-3 hours.  This recipe is very adaptable.  I have never had a bad version yet.  I hope to hear of some new fruit combinations, please comment with any changes you tried :)

Resolutions

Every year I resolve to do things better, and I usually do fairly well, at least until somewhere around October.  I am determined to make it through the whole year this year.

Last years' resolutions were as follows:
1) Practice yoga weekly
2) Spend time outside with the kiddos every day it is not dangerous to do so.  Was doing well with this until the negative wind chill today
3) Spend more active time with the kids
4) Pay closer attention to my own health
5) Be more intentional with lesson planning and lesson implementation
6) Continue to organize and simplify our home
7) Blog weekly here and in Homeschooling: The Journey!

I have done yoga weekly, for the most part, provided I wasn't too sick to move or crazy with the holidays.  So that I did pretty well.  I have spent a lot more time outside with the kids, but not everyday at all.  I lost interest in that once we started having days that were only a high of 2 degrees last winter and again when the average low hit 88.  Baby steps.  I was doing great healthwise, right up until Halloween and then put on a bit of weight (15 pounds) since then.  Now back to regular activity and healthy eating habits.  I have done great with lesson planning and implementation, though I do give myself some leeway during the crazy seasons.  I have totally sucked at weekly blogging though.  My new resolutions are these:

1. Blog biweekly here and in Homeschooling: The Journey
2. Make playing with the kids a priority
3. Seriously declutter the house, and make it easier to maintain
4. Maintain a regimen of regular exercise including yoga
5. Save enough money for a small vacation and to add in our shower and downstairs bathroom
6. Visit a spa just for me

I want to focus for a while on enjoying my kids and improving my health and well being, mentally and physically.  I love my life, and my home, and especially my family, but I need to learn to take a little time and read, exercise, unwind, and play.  Ironically I am starting the New Year with daily decluttering and cleaning activities to help me feel less overwhelmed with the house.  So far we have replaced all the mini blinds, so they are all clean!!!  We have decluttered the school and play rooms, and moved things all around.  The play room is now full of creative opportunities for the kids.  They can paint, build, and create whenever they want.  I will post pictures soon of the way the room looks now.  We have gotten rid of many holiday decorations, and knick knacks that had no purpose, and didn't make us smile.  My rule now is that if it gives me stress to find a place for it, then it shouldn't be in my home.  Today we cleaned out the kitchen closet where the pots and pans and dishes are, and scrubbed all the pots with steel wool to remove the build up ick on the bottoms.  We also seriously cleaned the stove top to prevent it from happening again.  Tomorrow I am going to tackle all the silverware and utensils.  I am going to declutter, clean and organize them all.  Then I am going to play a new video game with Rich in the evening.  All about balance :)  I have cleaned out several little spots that were making me nuts, and now it just seems easier.  I have also found that being more active and eating well has made a tremendous difference in my mood.  Things seem less overwhelming, and that helps a lot.  Later this month I will post more about our cleaning efforts, which are making a huge difference.  Decluttering the kitchen makes it easier for me to do cooking, and decluttering the kids' rooms has made it easier for them to keep them neat and clean, which makes me less stressed and more able to focus on having fun with them.  It has been joyful around here, with less yelling and more creative endeavors.  I think we all needed a little less everything around us, and now we can focus more on what is important.  :)