Roasted Peach Lemonade and MY BIRTHDAY!

To be honest with you I usually dread my birthday like I dread paying my bills.  For some reason though this year was a good birthday!  Maybe it is because it is my last birthday in my twenties, or maybe it is just preparing me for the big 30.  Shutter, shutter...oh boy, doesn't that sound old?  I can't quite put my finger on why this birthday was so good...so many things went right though, and so many people made me happy.  I am just going to go ahead and list my reasons that my 29th birthday was a winner:

1.  Everyone was nice to me.  Even people I didn't know wished me a happy birthday...including 2 handsome men who happened to overhear someone else wishing me a happy birthday. : )

2.  Facebook is not all evil.  Every few minutes a new notification would pop up on my screen saying someone else had wished me a happy birthday...it kept me smiling all day long!  Plus, this year I decided to respond to all my happy birthday greetings by saying thank you in a different language...which provided extra hours of amusement and education for me...seriously I learned a ton of new ways to say thank you and pronouncing them was very entertaining.

3.  I ate good food.  I made a bunch of cinnamon and Mexican chocolate scones and brought them to work...they were good, and more importantly people ate them all up!  Then I was treated to lunch by my sister and ate with a bunch of awesome people.  Then I got taken out to dinner.  It was good. : )

4.  My niece gave me a card she picked out with my Mom, and bought me Mary Poppins on DVD...one of my all time favorite movies!!!!   My Mom said she was very picky about my card and when my Mom read this one out loud she was sure it was the one for me!  Awwww...she is the best!

5.  All day long I felt loved and received emails, calls, texts, Facebook messages, and more calls...even though 1/2 those calls were work related I still appreciated them. : )

6.  At midnight I went online and looked at tickets to a cousin's upcoming wedding...for the last few weeks they have been pricey, not at good times, and lots of stops on the way....however this time they were $100 cheaper, perfect times, and direct flights!!!  YEAH....Bought my ticket!!!!  Happy Birthday to me!

7.  My Mom bought me some pretty sweet gifts this year.  A really swanky wristlet purse wallet thing, some really cute glass birds...they aren't crazy birds, but cool Anthropologie like birds, an awesome teal sweatshirt, a really cute tray thing, and more!  Good job Mom!

8.  Everyone who knows me knows that I detest gift cards as presents...only because they seem so impersonal.  However, this time my 2 little sisters and Marine brother all chipped in and bought me a way too generous gift card.  On top of the card there was a stack of sticky notes that read like this:

1.From Mimi, Gunnar, and Karmel

2.THIS IS NOT A GIFT CARD

3.THIS is a lens for your camera

Haha...awesome...now since I still haven't bought my camera...fyi I returned my Sony NEX since it took horrible up close macro shots and made food look no bueno...I am just going to use the money to actually buy my camera instead. : )  THANKS YOU GUYS!  You are the best!

9. Everyone I love was able to call or contact me in some way, including my brother who is at training camp...he has restricted phone rights and was somehow able to text me during the last minutes of my birthday!  Unexpected but awesome!

10.  My Godson and his adorable sister even called and left me the cutest message telling me "Happy Birthday Auntie Dags"....aww...best message ever!

Now last year on my birthday I posted a recipe for roasted peaches with mascarpone ice cream...This year I am going to stick with that theme and share with you a recipe for this delicious roasted peach lemonade I just made.

I had so much fun making it I decided to try roasting other fruits and adding them to lemonade....winner idea!  Well, I really only roasted mangos, but decided that you could probably go ahead and follow this basic concept for any flavored lemonade...roasted strawberry, apple, plum, nectarine, pineapple...oh boy!

1. Roast the fruit of your choice 

2.  skin and puree said fruit

3.  Add to your favorite lemonade recipe

4.  Serve over ice with a fancy garnish

5.  Or freeze into Popsicles, or process in ice cream maker : )

I imagine if you don't want to use cane sugar you could always swap it out with agave, honey, or maple syrup.  Of course it would taste different, but still delicious.

  

fuzzy pictures from the camera phone : (


Roasted Peach Lemonade

Step 1:  Make the Lemonade

In medium saucepan boil the following until sugar is dissolved.  Allow to cool a few minutes.

1 cup sugar

1 cup h20

In large pitcher mix the above with the below:

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 cups cold water

If too sweet for your taste add more water.

Step 2:  Roast the peaches

4 medium -large peaches

1 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice and pit the peaches.  Place in pan skin side down.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Roast in oven 20-25 minutes until skin comes off of the fruit easily.  Remove skins and place in food processor.  Add about 1 cup of the prepared lemonade and puree until smooth.  Add to rest of lemonade and stir to combine.  Chill, and stir again before stirring.  Please note - the peach puree will separate and settle as it sits in the fridge.  No worries just whisk away! : )  Serve over ice.  Some people found the lemonade too thick - I didn't, but if you do please dilute with more water, vodka, or rum. : )

Survivor and a re-post/revamped Kitchen Sink Cookies

During these last few months I have been working with the local parishes to run a monthly event for Young Adults called "Theology on Tap".  For those of you unfamiliar with this program, it is where Catholic Young Adults meet in a bar and listen to a talk pertaining to our Faith.  So far it has been going really well, and the response has been awesome!

This last week we were fortunate enough to have a really awesome priest come and speak to us.  Father Norbert is a gifted orator, and really knows how to reach people.  Since our theme for the summer is "Reality TV" this topic he spoke about was Survivor.

Father said that just like winning the show Survivor in order to Survive this life you need to form alliances.  You form these alliances by finding similarities with people and forming bonds.  He also said that it is important to not only form alliances with people who are just like you because that will not make the best team.  If you are all hunters but nobody is a cook how will you eat?  He also stressed the importance of  teamwork.  If one player is injured the rest of the team pulls together and picks up the slack.  It is vital that the team works together as one body to move in the best way and win!  Just like a three legged race, you need to learn how to work together in order to move in the most efficient way!  It is also important that you are all working towards the same goal, because if not you will fall apart.  This goal should be heaven, and the food that we eat to sustain us and get us there is the Eucharist.  Boo yah!  Great talk Father Norbert!

Now the reason I am bringing this talk up is because it reminded me of these cookies.  There are many elements to this cookie, they are all different, but they all work together and produce the best tasting cookie ever.  Maybe you are the coconut, maybe you are the chocolate chips, maybe you are the raisins...I hope you are able to find your missing ingredients and become the best cookie possible!

Kitchen Sink Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup ground old fashioned oats (grind in food processor)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds (optional to toast them, which is way better)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add oats, chips, coconut, raisins, and walnuts, and stir until well blended.
4. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons or with a 1 ounce ice-cream scoop about 2 inches apart. Press tops down with the bottom of a glass to flatten cookies evenly. Bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes until slightly golden. Cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and finish cooling completely on wire rack.

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Survived the road trip and a guest post about homemade Tomato sauce!

Dear Readers, Friends, and Countrymen -

I have lots of pending posts coming up with some new fabulous recipes...so stay tuned!  After my last post about road trip snacks I assume it was fairly obvious that I went on a road trip and have now returned.

The last day and a half has been a whirlwind of insanity, and I am pretty sure I am going to go ahead and swear to never take a road trip again!  In a quick summary of events this is what went down:

1)  Drove 20 hours in a car with 5 people, including one little girl with extremely smelly feet

2)  Listened to The Hunger Games book on tape...if I hear "she said"..."he responded"..."she asked" one more time I think I am going to enter the Hunger Games myself and show them whats what.

3)  Ate Greek Food in a convent with nuns and the family of my sister's boyfriend...and they were on high alert for a bobcat on the loose...who knew there were bobcats in Alabama.  P.S. I changed my mind about Alabama - it really is quite lovely!

4)  Had to search far and wide for an emergency tarp for the truck bed because it started raining.  Asked a lady at the grocery store if they had tarps, she asked what a tarp was...really.  One hour later tarp was acquired, hit the road.  It stopped raining.  Go figure.  P.S .  Alabama has a thing against tarps, they don't sell them.

5)  Stopped to get gas in Louisiana, saw a mini van full of Buddhist Monk kids with shaved heads and orange togas walk around the gas station...wasn't sure if they were meditating or planning a robbery...we booked it out of there just in case.

6)  Arrived home at 7:00am, napped for an hour. Then decided to go to work in a complete state of deliriousness...yes, everything I say sounds funny to me, and my sister is sitting next to me giggling as if she ate a plate of special brownies...don't get high, just go on road trips.

7)  Decided to start our "detox from vacation junk food" by making a smoothie...it tasted like soap...so we fed it to the sink instead.

8)  To top it all off we ordered bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches from Panera...got to work and realized they forgot to put the eggs in them...so we had a bacon and cheese sandwich...great, just great...knew I should have stayed in bed.

9)  As an added bonus they decided to paint today inside the office, so now our state of insanity has hit an all time high.

10)  Ate a bag of leftover yogurt covered pretzels for lunch...yes, this is what the day after a vacation should feel like.

photo from Kirsten O'Leary

Oh, and the main point of this post is to let you all know that this week I have a guest post and recipe for simple tomato sauce up at my friend Maggie's blog: Ten Thousand Places.  Maggie has been blogging for more years than me, and blogs about everything wonderful under the sun from Literature, fashion, movies, poetry, food, and faith.  She also makes delicious jam and you can buy it from her shop Jams by Mags.  If you are returning from Vacation like me, and really don't want to be home I highly recommend buying some of her jam to cheer you up!

Thanks for letting me do a guest post Maggie, and welcome to any of her readers!

Eat your heart out and don't road trip,  : )

Dags

Road Tripping Food and Tips

"Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer."  ~Author Unknown

Is it just me or does travelling on long road trips make you insanely hungry too?  For some reason in my pea sized mind I feel like when you are in the car calories and grams of fat don't exist.  Suddenly it is okay to eat all the trail mix in the world...and French fries, they are expected and approved for road trip diets.

Epic fail.  Maybe that is why every time I arrive at my destination I feel like complete and utter crap.  In the more recent years I really have been trying to pack more healthy nutritious snacks to accompany me on our journeys.

I decided that it was high time I compiled a list of my favorite munchies for road trips just in time for road trip season.

1.  Popcorn

This effortless light snack is perfect for those hands that just want to keep snacking.  Don't skimp on the prep of this, make the real stuff and toss it with some melted butter and kosher salt.  Trust me, so much better for you then a bag of over salted, over processed potato chips.  Making it from scratch is so simple!  You can pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into a brown paper bag, roll the bag shut, and microwave for 3 - 3/12 minutes until popping stops.  Season accordingly!

2.  Apples and Peanut Butter

"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly."  ~Author Unknown

Slice up your apples, toss them in some lemon juice.  I like to keep mine in the cooler so the apples are crispy.  Also, use crisp apples not mushy ones like Macintosh...my favorite are pink ladies.  Reach for the natural un sugared peanut butter, in a low easy to scoop out container.

3.  Trail Mix

We like two versions of trail mix in our cars.

My Mom's version : Mini pretzels, raisins, and peanut M&Ms.

My Version (stolen from my Friend Shnabs) :  Toasted walnuts and pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.  (warning:  if you are traveling during these hot summer months there is a good chance the chocolate chips will melt...no worries, just an excuse to eat more...or you can store it in a cooler.)

4.  Hummus and Veggies

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have a hard time cramming all these necessary veggies down my throat.  Don't get me wrong, I love veggies, but sometimes I feel like I am eating the earth and that no matter how fast I eat I can't get enough of them into my system.  Darn you veggies.  If you cover the veggies in a dip they are so much more appealing.

This time around I made black bean hummus.  So simple and delicious!  Will post this recipe soon!

5.  Rice Chips

These chips are a new favorite with us.  They are crispy, salty, and tasty!  They also come in other flavors like pico da gaio and lime....yum!

6.  Granola Bites:

This is a fun excuse to eat granola in the car without the mess.  I used a basic granola bar recipe and smashed them into greased muffin tins.  Baked them for 10 minutes, then let them cool completely before removing them from the pan.  I will also post this recipe soon!

7.  Cookies!!!

Cookies are always a good idea!  Typically I make something with chocolate, but with the summer temps being so high this time I opted for my applesauce oatmeal raisin cookie.  Yummy, not too crumbly, not to melty, perfectly chewy.

8.  Granola Bars

My personal favorite bars of choice are Kashi Honey Almond Flax chewy bars.  I also like Lara Bars.  If you want to make those from scratch see this post.

Besides snacking these are some Road trip rules I like to follow 

in order to have the best trip ever :

1)  Stop every 2 hours no matter what.  Chances are someone has to go to the bathroom, and if they don't it is a good idea to stop and stretch your legs.

2)  Do jumping jacks.  Whenever you do stop try to run around the car or do some jumping jacks.  After sitting in the car for so many hours you are bound to be restless and getting the blood pumping always helps!  Also, this majorly embarrasses the people you are traveling with, which is an added bonus.  

3)  If your road trip is over 12 hours do travel with at least 3 people in the car.  That way 2 people will be awake at all times while the other one rests.  This rule is especially important in my book if you are traveling through the night.  Be vigilant, and stay awake!

4)  Books on Tape make the trip so much more tolerable!  You have a few options when it comes to finding books on tape....or cd...or ipod. 

 -  Rent them from your local Library

-  Rent them from the Cracker Barrel Restaurants.  They charge you a high price up front, but when you return them you get most of the money back.

-  Download them from ITUNES or audiobooks onto your phone or ipod.

5)  Bring a pillow and a blanket...get rest whenever you can!!!!

6)  Music is key.  Hopefully you can all agree on at least a few common songs, if not this can be a problem...rap music for a long road trip is completely terrible!

7)  Pay attention to your Car's gas levels.  Coming from someone who has run out of gas before, trust me this one is important!

A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank.  ~Author Unknown

8)  Don't spend most of the trip watching movies or on talking on your phone!  Pay attention and watch the countryside pass you by.  It is amazing how different the land can look in just a matter of hours!

I hope you all enjoy my little tips for road tripping!  Have a safe and fun road tripping season!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Toasted Coconut Brownie Bites

I recently took it upon myself to start a new ministry for the Catholic churches in our area.  After living here for 3 years and attending numerous Young Adult groups at the local churches that never really lasted very long, I decided to stop complaining and just take over.

Maybe it is because I am the 2nd oldest of 7 children, or maybe it is because I just like being in charge, but for some reason I like taking over...just ask anyone who knows me...I am bossy, I am the planner, I am the delegating one, and I am the "making it happen" person.  The thing that agitates me about most groups and organizations is that it always seems like more time is spent talking about how to make things work, and not enough time spent actually just making them work.  Less talk, more play.  I also really like working this way because I have lots of ideas, and if I have too much time to think about them it just gets crazy and confusing for everyone!

Adding this extra responsibility to my life has really pushed me over the edge with running out of time to get everything done each day.  As a result these brownies were invented.
Thus begins the story of how this idea came about:

You know when you promise to make brownies for something and then you forget until about 30 minutes before that something is about to happen?  Yeah, this happens to me...all the time.  This post is your solution.

I introduce to you the concept of using your muffin tin for more then muffins and cupcakes!

True story, I made brownies and packaged them in less then 25 minutes..and most importantly, they tasted scrumptious!

In order to have the best tasting brownies you need to know 3 things:

1)  Do not over mix, this will make your brownies more cakey then chewy.

2)  Do not overbake

3)  Do test the batter before baking.

In other news I am contemplating going watch the midnight feature of Brave tonight...but really, should one ever go see the midnight feature of a cartoon movie?  Upon further contemplation...I think not.

Toasted Coconut Brownie Bites


based on the Baked Brownie

adapted slightly by me

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder

11 ounces dark or semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chips

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, or instant coffee

1½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray muffin tins with non stick spray of choice, or brush with melted butter.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour  2TBS of the batter into each prepared tin and sprinkle the toasted coconut on top. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool for about 5-10 minutes, and then using a spoon carefully scoop each bite out of the tins.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Make these brownie bites of goodness, listen to this sweet song, and Eat your heart out.

Dagny

Buckwheat Yogurt Waffles

Waffles truly are a thing of beauty.  Look at all those lovely nooks and crannies...they exist solely for the purpose of being slathered with butter and maple syrup.  Is this waffle speaking to you?  Listen, it will lead you on a journey to happiness...I kid you not.

Every time I make a waffle I think of my 21st birthday.  I realize most people have memories of alcohol on their 21st birthdays, but not me...I have waffle memories. : )  I was surprised by 2 of my friends with a basket of breakfast things on the morn of my 21st birthday...talk about the perfect gift for me!  Inside of that basket lay a sweet little waffle maker.  Little did I know that so many memories would stem from that  appliance.

One time we decided to set up a rogue waffle making operation outside of our school chapel.  After we ate our waffles we started snagging random people exiting after the end of Mass and offered to make them a waffle right then and there.  It was actually quite funny, and a prime example of many of the unique and creative adventures my friends and I embarked upon.  If you want to make people happy plug in a waffle iron in a random location...say your desk at work...and make them waffles.  Oh snap...I just had a brilliant documentary idea...a day in the life of a waffle maker.  One person travels the world making strangers waffles and changing the world.  Boom...New York Times Bestseller list here I come!

Now I understand that the word "buckwheat" might scare you away from this recipe.  Please trust me, and believe in the power of the buckwheat...and no, it is not a kid from the "Little Rascals."  Hold up, just had another brilliant idea...if I ever have my own kids I am naming them after my favorite grains..."Kamut", "Millet", "Quinoa", "Spelt."  How awesome would that be?  Of course knowing my luck they would all end up ironically being gluten intolerant and that would just be cruel.

In other news I recently discovered that you can watch the entire series of Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman on YouTube.  Don't judge.  Never underestimate the effect that really cheesy old shows with terrible acting can have on you... really...it warms the soul.

Make these waffles.  Watch Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

BUCKWHEAT YOGURT WAFFLES

1 cup Buckwheat flour (or your favorite whole grain flour...i.e. whole wheat, kamut, etc...)

1 cup all purpose flour

2 TBSP Brown sugar (or raw sugar, coconut sugar)

1 TBSP Baking Powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 large eggs, separated

1 cup plain Greek Yogurt, or sour cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1.  Preheat waffle iron.  In large bowl sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2.  In medium bowl whisk together the yolks, yogurt, milk, and butter.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry an mix just until combined.

3.  In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter.  DO NOT OVER MIX...this will deflate the egg whites and yield a flat boring waffle...no bueno.

4.  Ladle about 3/4 cup of batter onto waffle iron.  Bake until waffle is golden brown.

5.  Serve with warm maple syrup and fresh ricotta cheese for best  results.

This kid just ate the waffles and look at her positive reaction...if you eat these waffles you too can be this cute. : )

Oatmeal Cake with broiled Caramel Coconut Topping

I don't know why this cake makes me think of old people, but it does.

I love old people.  I am pretty sure I will be a really cool old person.  In college people used say I reminded them of their grandmas...I can see how this might sound like a bad thing, but honestly I took it as a compliment.

Old people rock.  They are so wise, and they move so slowly...which means they only do things that really matter.  Every time I see an old person I instantly want to hold the door for them, or help them into their cars.  Many a time at the grocery store I offer to empty their carts for them, and they usually respond with a smile, but insist they can do it on their own.  Pretty sure it is a pride thing, and I am okay with that...all I am saying is that when I am old I will be willing to let everyone wait on me hand and foot!  Consider yourself warned!

Now speaking of old people, let's talk about my Mom.  Ha ha...just kidding Mom, you aren't old, really you aren't. : )  If you really looked old then why do people keep thinking we are sisters...and yes, this hurts my confidence and makes me feel older then I am...especially since there is a 27 years age difference between us...but I really can't hold it against you...but secretly I do.

Now that I find my days very busy with work, and recently taking on a new responsibility...which I will tell you about at another time...my Mom now has to take on more of the cooking/baking then she usually does.  Before when my time was more available she would ask me often to make cookies, or something for her various activities and functions she had to attend.  Now that I don't have the time to bake on command, she is baking more and more.  So proud of her!!!

One of her recent creations was this lovely oatmeal cake.  It is simple, and delicious. The original recipe called for a lot more sugar, so we scaled it back thinking it would be too sweet, so glad we did.

On an unrelated note, I feel inclined to talk about another movie.  I know this movie has been out for a while, but I have yet to sing its praises on here...yep, you guessed it, Hunger Games.  I realize this is a trendy movie, and for that reason I really didn't want to watch it, but I did, and I loved it.

As soon as the movie was over I went home and read the first book.  Then I read the second book, and am waiting to get the third one..well I almost finished the second book, I can't bring myself to finish the 2nd one and left one chapter unread for now.  You know when you just don't want to finish a book because you don't want the story to end?  I don't want it to end.

I really can't tell you why I like these books so much.  The writing is simple, nothing too exceptional.  The plot is interesting, but not completely unheard of.  The characters are strong, but don't have super powers.  I really can't put my finger on it, but I am hooked...and can't wait for the 2nd movie to be released!!!!  So if you are looking for some super light summer reading, look no further my friend. : )

Watch Hunger Games, Read Hunger Games, and make this cake!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Oatmeal Cake

adapted from the Penzey Spice Catalog

Cake:

1 cup oats

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan, and set aside.

In medium bowl combine the oats and the boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes.  In a separate mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add the oats/water mix and mix until combined.  Add the eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined.  

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Gradually add to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until brown and knife comes out clean.  Remove from oven.

Preheat the broiler in your oven.  In a bowl combine all the topping ingredients and mix well....this mixture will be thick.  Spread evenly onto the warm cake.  Place the cake back in the oven, 2" from the broiler.  Broil until browned lightly, about 2-4 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

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