I’m trying to cut costs as much as I can (given that MY meds are $1800 a month and Amandya’s are another 700… cutting costs seems like a dandy idea… thank you federal government for making it soooooooooooo much cheaper for me to do insurance) and still start to eat more healthily while not spending all my time working to cook a reasonably healthy meal.
Healthy has started to become more and more important the last few weeks… I have started to realize that I need to start taking all of this more seriously. I won’t say I’m going gluten free… I’ve seen that, if I don’t have to, I aint gonna… but if I can get some simple breakfast into my day and try to bring my blood work under more control, while keeping myself (bless the meds that are supposed to help…) from catching anything now that my immune system is going to be even more messed up while I try to battle the RA that just won’t listen.
I found this way to make slow cooker greek yogurt (I love greek yogurt, but at $7 a container, I’ve been.. well… not so much…). I make this yogurt and strain it through coffee filters and for the cost of a gallon of milk and a smallish container of cheap active culture yogurt… I can make a gallon for half the price of a quart…. not bad. AND I can mix in my own frozen berries to make it yummy.
This morning I found a recipe for baked Amish Oatmeal (below) that is “resting” in the fridge for a few hours…
Amish Baked Oatmeal
By Aurora on April 14, 2005
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Servings: 6
About This Recipe
“This recipe came from an old Amish cookbook of mine. It tastes like an oatmeal cookie. It stores well in the refrigerator and can be reheated in the microwave and served with milk. This has to sit overnight, so plan accordingly. It is well worth the wait, however!”
Ingredients
-
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 cups oatmeal ( regular or quick)
Directions
- Melt butter.
- Grease 1 1/2 quart baking dish and drop in eggs and beat well.
- Add brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, no lumps.
- Whisk in butter and both measures of milk, then add oats.
- Stir well, and refrigerate overnight.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-45 min, or until set in the middle.
- Serve hot with warm milk poured over.
— I added a cup of dried cranberries and another half cup of milk to this recipe to see if I can add something different…
And I went to pick up more milk for mashed potatoes… we picked up a package of NOT quick oats (and two Jicamas… yum.. 98 cents a pound… not bad) to make this crock pot method to baked oatmeal… after the saurkraut comes out of the crock pot today this goes in… I will see which I like better…
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com is an awesome blog that I have started haunting to find simple meals that can be cooked all day and get done at the end of the day (or all night for yummy breakfast…)
CrockPot Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Day 331.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I think I’m in denial.
If you’re looking for tried-and-true CrockPot Holiday (any holiday!) Dishes, here’s a list.
Today, however, I’m posting about baked oatmeal. I started making baked oatmeal when my first was about a year old and I was working out of the house. The mornings were never long enough, and I wanted her to have something hearty (and healthy) for breakfast. I’d make a pan on the weekend and cut off squares each morning for her to eat in the car.
It worked really well.
Baked oatmeal can be uber-healthy, or packed with sugar. I’ve cut the sugar and butter in half since I first started making it. If you think your family will meet this with resistance, start with a full cup of brown sugar (no need to double the butter in the crockpot, there’s plenty of moisture) and then cut it back each time. You can sneak in nuts (ground or whole), extra grains, fresh and dried fruit, and protein powder.
The Ingredients.
–3 cups rolled (not instant) oats (if gluten free, make sure they are certified)
–1/2 cup brown sugar
–2 tsp cinnamon
–2 tsp baking powder
–1 tsp salt
–2 T flax meal (optional)
–1 cup milk
–2 eggs
–2 tsp vanilla
–1/4 cup butter, melted
–3/4 cup dried fruit
updated 11/29: if you are going to use steel-cut oats, you’ll need more liquid. I don’t know how much though, so if you figure it out, let me know! 🙂
The Directions.
I used a 4 quart round crockpot. You’re baking this, but no need to vent the lid of the crock; keep all the moisture in.
I really wanted this to take 6 hours on low so I could see if it could be done overnight. It took 4 3/4 on low for me—-so unless you hardly sleep, do this in the day time so you can keep an eye on it.
Mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot. I dumped in all the dry stuff, then added the melted butter and milk. Stir well with a spoon—make sure the baking powder gets dispersed evenly.
Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours, checking every so often. This is done when the edges are brown and are beginning to crust, and the center is set. An inserted knife should come out clean.
Let it sit in the cooling crockpot for at least an hour before attempting to cut. The longer you let it sit, the more set and brownie-like the pieces will be.
The Verdict.
I made this on Sunday evening and it’s already all gone. The kids hadn’t had it in a while and had a bunch for breakfast each day and wanted it for dessert last night. The flavor is like a great big oatmeal cookie. I like mine heated with my morning coffee, and Adam likes to crumble his on top of yogurt.
A Figment Of Fitness 