Poetry In A Pot Of Tea: Homeward Bound

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Baked Oatmeal- Who Knew?

I am trying to eat oatmeal more frequently for breakfast because it is full of heart healthy fiber and is a change of pace from my regular Greek yogurt and berries. College Girl casually asked me if I had thought about making baked oatmeal. I had not, because I had never heard of it! Where have I been? Haha! It seems lots of other people have heard of it and there is a plethora of recipes online for many versions.

A simple search will give you a basic recipe which is easily customizable. Like raisins? Love nuts? Add 'em! Want to decrease the recipe's fat? Replace it with applesauce. Enjoy some spice? Add fresh nutmeg and cinnamon. Here is the recipe we used from www.myrecipes.com:

2 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (we used 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
cooking spray for 8 inch square pan
nuts, raisins, cinnamon as desired

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine milk, applesauce, butter and egg, stir. Pour milk mixture into oat mixture, stir. Pour into greased eight inch pan, bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. You may garnish with more milk, yogurt, berries, or eat as is~ It is a cross between an oatmeal bar and traditional morning oatmeal.

I used one of my favorite Brambly Hedge beakers called Homeward Bound, and took my baked oatmeal outside to eat on the patio. College Girl was already out there sunning her legs.

Looks like Primrose had a great time at the shore and is snuggled in a basket for the trip home. The cup is trimmed in soft mint green.

ROYAL ALBERT HARVEST FESTIVAL PEARS plate

I sprinkled walnuts and fresh raspberries on my baked oatmeal. I savored every bite and returned to the kitchen for a little bit more!

The inside of my Brambly Hedge cup is decorated with drawings of seashells, a feather, and a small flag. I enjoyed looking at the detail in Jill Barklem's artwork every time I took a sip of my Winey Keemun tea.

The nice option with Baked Oatmeal is that you can prepare it in the morning or mix it the night before, store it in the fridge and bake it the next day! I love dishes like this - so convenient. It would make a great lunch bag item in place of cookies, too.

If your family members don't like the soupy 'porridge' consistency of oatmeal, perhaps you could tempt them with Baked Oatmeal! The next time I make it I am going to try an old Amish version.