Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross have been writing together as a team for more than a dozen years. Their Desperation Dinners column is nationally syndicated by United Media. Beverly lives with her husband and two children in Miami, and Alicia lives with her husband and two children in Raleigh, N.C. They have three cookbooks, Desperation Dinners!, Desperation Entertaining! and Cheap. Fast. Good!, all published by Workman.
Contact them through their website, www.desperationdinners.com.
Did you hear the one about the shrinking cereal boxes? Unfortunately, it's not a joke. After Kellogg's cut the size (but not the price) of cereal boxes a couple of months ago, we got to thinking about oatmeal. With a new school year starting up and grocery prices still climbing, today's recipe for Ultimate Microwave Oatmeal is a great alternative to cold cereal.
DESPERATION DINNERS
Labor Day, when the workers of the world get to celebrate and rest, usually means a labor-intensive weekend for the cooks in the family -- us! Our husbands love to have folks over to celebrate the long weekend, and invitations flow fast. We're left to feed the hungry hoards.
BREAKFAST ULTIMATE MICROWAVE OATMEAL We prefer the slightly chewy texture of ''old-fashioned'' oats. Quick-cooking oats become mushy. If the oatmeal is still very watery after 1 ½ minutes, continue to microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until almost all of the water is absorbed. Microwaving for longer than 2 ½ minutes nonstop tends to cause the oatmeal to bubble over.
DRESSING GARLIC DIJON VINAIGRETTE 4 cloves already-peeled fresh garlic ¼ cup red-wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
MAIN DISH SHRIMP DIJON PASTA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS 1 pound penne pasta or other short, tubular pasta 1 pound thin, fresh asparagus 2/3 cup Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette, or more to taste (see recipe)
