Recipe: Amy's Berry Crumble

So this isn't the most appealing food photo I've ever taken, but I had to get in there before it was all gone! I baked this cobbler with frozen blackberries and blueberries this morning and brought it to work. It is a great recipe for breakfast or dessert!

I adapted this Berry Crumble recipe from The Fitnessista

Amy's Berry Crumble
Serves 12 | Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients
Cooking spray or oil
6-8 cups berries, fresh or frozen (8 cups = 2 quarts; if using frozen, use two bags, 12-16 oz. each)
[optional: 1-2 Tbs. cornstarch if using frozen berries]
2 cups oats (old-fashioned, quick oats, steel cut, whatever you have is fine)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, or a combination; or the equivalent artificial sweetener)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter

Instructions
Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly oil a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

If using frozen berries, toss berries with cornstarch so that the juices will thicken as it bakes.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (from oats to nutmeg). Cut butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or knife until mixture resembles small crumbs.

Press half of the oat mixture into the baking dish, top with berries, and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top.

Bake at 375° F for 30 minutes (fresh berries) or 45 minutes (frozen berries), until the oats are toasted and the berries are bubbling around the edges.

Linkage, Volume 162

Strange Mascots
10 College Mascots That Are Really Strange and How They Came To Be
via The Presurfer

School Supplies
Shopping for school supplies should really be called the “Annual State-Sanctioned Snipe Hunt.”
via {NiceGirlNotes}

Jesus Saves
not sure that's what the phrase implies
via This Is Why I'm Broke

Banana Slicer
great reviews, like "Banana slicer...thanks to you, I see greatness on the horizon."
via Neatorama

Hidden Playrooms
blogger Andrea of Happy Chaos converted unused spaces in an older house into hidden playrooms for their children
(side note: great idea to set up a "pre incident plan" with the local firefighters so they know about these nooks where children might be hiding or stuck)
via Miss Cellania

Linkage, Volume 161

All-video linkage today!

The LEGO Story (video link)
animated film celebrating LEGO's 80th birthday
via The Presurfer

How to walk your human (video link)
"Step 4: Once they're comfortable, bring them to a job. Humans need exercise to thrive!"
via Etiquette Hell

First World Problems Rap (video link)
"My fridge doesn't have a touch screen: first world issue/
Killed a spider with  a dollar 'cause I didn't have a tissue."
via Serious Eats

How to Eat a Watermelon (video link)
expert in everything Tom Willett gives an enlightening beginner tutorial
via Miss Cellania

Recipe: Zucchini Corn Fritters

Shamelessly copied from Serious Eats!
I have made these several times each year since the recipe was published in 2009. These fritters make me very happy in late summer! They are crisp on the outside and soft & custardy on the inside.
My variations: I leave out the cilantro and usually use just one kind of onion, I drain them on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and I sprinkle with salt while they are still hot from the oil. I may try baking them in greased muffin tins instead of frying this year! (update: fritters just aren't fritters without having been frittered. I tried baking them, but the result was disappointing.)

Zucchini and Corn Fritters
by Carolyn Cope

Ingredients:
    4 cups shredded zucchini
    1 teaspoon salt
    3 eggs
    2 ears corn
    1 small onion, diced small
    3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
    1/4 cup cilantro, minced
    3/4 cup flour
    A few good grinds of black pepper
    Canola, grapeseed or other neutral oil, for pan-frying
    Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving

Procedures:
    1    Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or with the shredding disc of a food processor. Place the shredded zucchini in a colander in the sink or over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to combine. Let drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

    2    Crack the eggs into a large bowl and scramble lightly. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and add the kernels to the bowl along with the diced onion, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, flour and pepper.

    3    Pick up the shredded zucchini in small handfuls and squeeze out and discard as much liquid as you can. Add the zucchini to the bowl. Mix well to combine.

    4    Pour the oil into a large frying pan to a depth of about 1/4-inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop large, heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the pan to form disc-shaped fritters. Cook in batches without crowding (about 3 or 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan) until golden brown on the underside (about 2 minutes) and then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add a bit more oil between batches if necessary.

    5    Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The fritters should be crisp on the outside and slightly custardy on the inside.

Linkage, Volume 160

Having It All
What My Son's Disabilities Taught Me About 'Having It All'
via swissmiss

Somebodies (video link)
Gotye compiled a remix of remixes
via Neatorama

Placebo: Max Strength
harness the power of the mind!
Nocebo
negative placebo power!
via spellingmistakes on Etsy

guy falling off a treadmill (video link)
title says it all
via {NiceGirlNotes}

Car Seat Cover

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting my brand new nephew! I got crafty last month and sewed a special gift to celebrate his birth into our family. I followed this tutorial from Make it Do to make him a car seat cover.

He used it today for his fist doctor visit, to keep his delicate skin out of the sun outside and to keep the germs and people out at the doctor's office!

The nurse practitioner said I should sell these car seat covers because there would be high demand! I don't have time for that, but it was quite a compliment :)

Linkage, Volume 159

No Girls Allowed
redditor requested a pillow fort and vanilla Coke at a Fairmont Hotel
via Neatorama

Famous Last Words (video link)
comedians Rhett & Link die many deaths
via Neatorama

Neon Shoes
the bright green shoes worn by track and field Olympians are sponsored by Nike
via The Presurfer

Detroit's Dumbest Criminal
counterfeiter caught (on tape!) selling to famous Detroit pawn shop of 'Hardcore Pawn'
via Neatorama

Impeccable Logic
"Well, the fridge broke, so I had to eat everything."
via Miss Cellania