Breakfast is Served

Time for another recipe.  As you can imagine, our four boys eat a lot.  I mean A LOT!  Keeping them from gnawing on the furniture is quite a challenge...you think I am kidding, but you should see one of their bunk beds.  You would think a beaver slept there.  Anyway, you've probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  And it is for my guys because they have not eaten for about 8-9 hours and they wake up ravenous.  So, breakfast is a must. 

I found out long ago that cereal, though easy to prepare, is not affordable if you are trying to feed four hungry boys.  Also, it typically does not have much protein and so doesn't contribute to them being focused in their school work.  I had to come up with affordable alternatives to satisfy them and survive financially.  We eat cereal 2-3 days a week (when we are in a hurry), but the other 4-5 days, we eat biscuits, every kind of egg, sausage, granola, pancakes, fruit crisp, breakfast quiche, cornbread, baked French toast, fruit, yogurt, etc.

 I make all these things from scratch...why?  Two reasons:  #1 Clark is gluten-free, and #2 if you buy these things already prepared, then you still are paying a lot of money.  So, I suck it up and make it all from scratch.  It tastes better anyway, and then I can adapt the recipes to fit Clark's needs for a gluten-free diet.  Once you get a routine down, it is not so difficult to make things from scratch.

One of the kids' favorite breakfast recipes is something called baked oatmeal.  I haven't seen it anywhere else and believe me, I am always looking for breakfast recipes.  I found it in a Mennonite cookbook that my mother-in-law gave me for my wedding.  It is one of the best cookbooks I have and I have used it weekly for the last almost 18 years of my marriage.  It is held together with a rubber band and has all kinds of food drippings and grease stains on it with some burn marks too from where I forgetfully set it on the oven and torch it at times.

Anyway, I like this recipe because it is like pancakes...you can throw almost anything into it and it still tastes great!  I gather up all the fruit that is not pretty enough to eat as a snack anymore, some nuts, and then toss it all in there.  I actually triple the recipe.

Here's the basic recipe.  I will list the optional ingredients at the end.

Baked Oatmeal
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk   
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups quick oatmeal (I use regular because that is what they sell at Costco--if you want quick, just put regular in a food processor and chop it up a bit.  But I am too lazy to do that.)

Pour into a greased 8X12 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.  Serve with warm milk or yogurt.

Makes 6-8 servings, if most of the consumers eat like birds.  Otherwise, it makes enough for 4.

Optional ingredients: pumpkin (be sure to throw in some ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg), maple syrup, apple sauce, chopped pecans, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, peaches, berries of any type, bananas, or coconut. 

I usually pick just a couple of these optionals and add them to the recipe.

Comments

[Kathryn]

I want to eat breakfast at your house! Although, I might not fit into my jeans in a week. That's awesome that you make such good food FROM SCRATCH every morning - I wish I had or made enough time to do that for me.

[Kathryn]

And I can't wait to try your new recipe!

[Sally Hess]

Okay, you can come eat breakfast here...just show up early or the hyenas will take your share!

[Kathryn]

I'll do that and I'll arm myself with Kelli's brick.

[Gordon]

Hey
Thats not Kelli's brick...........Its a loaf of Kathryns new bread recipe

[Sally Hess]

Gordon, if you keep harassing Kathryn about her cooking, you are going to have to start fighting for scraps with the hyenas here! You've got a good thing going there, better respect your womenfolk!

[Sally Hess]

Kathryn, the brick is a lethal weapon...you should see my toes after tripping over it in the middle of the night--you'll be just fine with it for protection!

[Kathryn]

Well I might need to borrow it if that harasser continues to harrass. . . and he might be loosing a lot of weight if he doesn't keep his mouth shut.

[Alicia]

Kathryn - it's called getting up early - that's how to make breakfast from scratch during the school day.

[Kathryn]

I do get up early - earlier than you - and with enough time to get my uniform on, brush my teeth and go.

[Gordon]

Speaking of BRICKS.....you should try getting Kathryn up in the morning