Pina Colada Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

The kids loved this, maybe because they didn't expect the combination of pineapple and oatmeal.  Even *J*, who normally doesn't like coconut, gobbled it up.  Most of it was eaten for dinner, but the leftovers reheated well the next day for breakfast.

It was definitely sweet.  Next time I will decrease the brown sugar amount.  Using unsweetened coconut, like the original recipe asks for, would help - but I can only find the standard stuff in the blue bag at our grocery store.

Ingredients

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 & 1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup oil [I used melted coconut oil]

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup shredded coconut [I used sweetened]

milk, coconut milk, cream, or yogurt for serving

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

(3) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, pineapple, and coconut.

(4) Combine dry ingredients, oats, sugar, and wet ingredients.  Stir until well mixed.

(5) Pour batter into baking dish.  Bake 25-30 minutes, or until oatmeal is set in the middle.

Kid Participation:

* Measure dry ingredients

* Sift dry ingredients

* Combine wet ingredients

* Stir everything together

Baked Peanut Butter & Apple Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

 

Yet another oatmeal dish to add to the ever-growing list of easy oatmeal dinners.  I wasn't sure how well this would go over, since *J* isn't a peanut butter fan.  But he asked for seconds.

 

I doubled this recipe because there was no way an 8x8" portion would feed all of us.  The new amounts are shown below.

 

I could've added some chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or wheat germ...but I forgot.  There was a strong peanut butter taste, which might been due to my spontaneous addition of PB2.  I didn't mind it, since I love me some peanut butter.  But next time I'll leave out the powder or decrease the amount of peanut butter.  And how many more times can I say "peanut butter" in one post?  Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter.

 

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 & 3/4 cups milk

1 & 3/4 cups water
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed

2 to 3 Tablespoons PB2 [optional]
3 large apples, diced [I peeled them]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

(3) In a medium bowl, whisk eggs.  Add milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract; whisk thoroughly.

(5) Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture; stir to combine.

(6) Add peanut butter; mix.

(7) Add apples; stir. Pour mixture into prepared dish.

(8) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until oatmeal is set.

 

Kid Participation:

* Measure & mix dry ingredients

* Measure & whisk wet ingredients

* Chop apple slices with a very dull knife

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, & Coconut "Lactation" Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

 

This recipe got good reviews from its original baker, and it had plenty of oats involved.  So I figured why not see if it could be converted into a lactation cookie by added the old standbys of flaxseed meal and brewer's yeast.  I'm happy to report that it, indeed, can.  Actually, I can't report on the lactation function yet (you'd think eating six cookies in one sitting would produce immediate results...), but they taste great and are the chewy consistency that I like.  Sometimes the brewer's yeast flavor can be detected in cookies, but not here.

 

I cut the original brown sugar amount by 1/4 cup because I didn't have enough.  With the chocolate chips and coconut, there's already plenty of sweetness being added, so I would try decreasing the white sugar to 3/4 cup, also - maybe even one sugar to 1/2 cup.

 

I got about 36 cookies using approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each.  Next time I will use my smaller 1-tablespoon scoop and get more.  Also, because of a crying baby who didn't want to sleep, half of the dough sat on the counter longer than expected.  The last batch of cookies spread a lot.  I got the best results with the fresher (colder) dough on the silpat, so refrigerating it before scooping is suggested.

 

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons flaxseed meal

3 Tablespoons water

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons brewer's yeast

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup chocolate chips [I used mini-morsels]

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 

Directions

(1) In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal and water.  Set aside to soak.

(2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

(3) In a small bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, salt, and brewer's yeast.

(4) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

(5) Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture; mix thoroughly.

(6) Add flaxseed meal to butter mixture; mix thoroughly.

(7) Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; mix until just combined.

(8) Add oats, chocolate chips, and coconut; mix until evenly distributed.

(9) Using 1-2 tablespoons each, roll dough into balls.  Space balls at least 2" apart on baking sheets.

(10) Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown but middles are still pale.

(11) Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove to cooling racks.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix flaxseed and water

* Measure dry ingredients

* Sift dry ingredients

* Measure wet ingredients

* Operate mixer

* Make dough balls (but not if you care about uniformity in size and whether your kid gets dough all over themselves from the elbows down)

Chocolate Lactation Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

I'm using baby #4 (henceforth referred to as *A*) as an excuse to gorge myself on cookies.  I love lactation cookies because they (1) help my supply a bit, (2) make large batches, (3) are filling, (4) are easy to grab as a snack - or breakfast if I'm desperate, and (5)  they are healthy enough that I don't feel bad engaging in said gorging.

I don't like to throw a bunch of chocolate chips in, like most recipes suggest, because I do gorge myself on them (have I mentioned that already?).  I read somewhere that you're supposed to have two small cookies for each feeding.  But I don't feel like a cookie is truly a cookie unless it has either frosting or chocolate elements.  The cocoa powder in these satisfies that need and, as far as my tiny bit of research says, is better for you than Nestle morsels.  Don't tell me if I'm wrong about that.

The first batch was good, but practice makes perfect and the second batch was better.  I made a few changes that time, but I'm posting the original amounts below.  The updates were: substituting 1/2 cup coconut oil for half of the butter, reducing both sugars to 1/3 cup, and replacing 1 cup of white flour with 1 cup of wheat.  I also tossed in about 1/3 cup mini-morsels that time...

The cookies come out of the oven very soft, cool and firm up quickly, and then are at their best after they've sat overnight.  They re-moisten themselves somewhat, as many cookies with large amounts of oats tend to do.  Using my mini-dough scoop (approximately one tablespoon size), I got four baking sheets worth of cookies, which was over 50 cookies.
 

Ingredients

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup water

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons molasses
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, etc. [I did not use]
4 Tablespoons brewers yeast

 

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Mix water and flaxseed meal until thoroughly wet.  Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, butter and sugars until fluffy.
4) Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses to butter.  Mix well.
5) Add flaxseed meal.  Mix well.
6) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and yeast.
7) Add dry ingredients to wet.  Mix well.
8) Add oats.  Mix well.
9) Fold in chocolate chips.
10) Drop spoonfuls of dough (1 to 2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets.  If desired, flatten slightly.  Cookies will spread a bit.
11) Bake about 12 minutes.  Remove cookies from baking sheets immediately; cool on racks.

Kid Participation:
* Add wet ingredients
* Add dry ingredients
* Scoop dough
* Ask if eating the cookies will help them make milk

Baked Oatmeal with Peaches

Original Recipe HERE

 

This is another addition to the ever-expanding collection of baked oatmeal dishes.  I can't help it: they are always a hit, are easy to make, are relatively healthy, and usually only require ingredients I already have.

 

This can be served naked or with milk, cream, yogurt, or ice cream.  We did a few squirts of whipped cream, naturally...what dinner isn't improved by some Redi-Whip?  I used fresh peaches because they are in season, but I wonder if frozen ones would work as well.  Also, the peaches were the star of the show here; the oatmeal was a wallflower.  Next time I'll substitute cinnamon or nutmeg for the ginger.

 

Ingredients

3 cups quick cooking oats [I used old-fashioned]

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil [I substituted applesauce]

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 ripe peaches, diced (peeling optional)

 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13" glass baking dish.

2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except peaches until well combined.

3) Gently fold in the diced peaches.  Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.

4) Bake 25-30 minutes, or until set in the middle.

 

Kid Participation:

* Measure all ingredients

* Whisk oatmeal mixture

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

 

I'm realizing that I turn to "brinner" meals a lot more than I'd ever intended to, but they're so easy and kid-pleasing that it's hard not to make them a weekly staple.  And then I wonder...why do I feel like I shouldn't rely on them so often?  Food is food, and other than the amounts of sugar and eggs (which can often be modified or substituted), these things are usually pretty healthy.  Bring on another baked oatmeal recipe!

 

This did resemble apple pie in taste and, somewhat, in texture and presentation.  I squirted a little surprise whipped cream on each kid's serving, which solidified the likeness.

 

I used a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji apples, and I doubled the amount of the "filling" because I knew the original amounts wouldn't be enough (altered amounts are shown below).  Sure enough, the four of us (minus Husband) just about finished a 9x13" dish of this stuff.  A little - though not enough for my liking - was left for breakfast the next day.

UPDATE: I made this again, and it was drier than the first time.  I think I accidentally added too many oats, because the oatmeal mostly sat on top of the apples and cooked into a solid layer.  Next time I'll try stirring the apples and oatmeal mixture together and baking that way.

 

Ingredients

* For the apple layer:

5 medium apples

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 to 4 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves [can substitute nutmeg]

* For the oatmeal layer:

2 large eggs

1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cups milk

2-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Peel apples if desired.  Cut apples into 1/2" to 1" cubes. 

(3) In a medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, corn starch, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

(4) Add apples to spice mixture; toss until well-coated.  Spread in an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.

(5) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, apple sauce, vanilla, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

(6) Add milk; whisk again.

(7) Add oats; stir until well-combined.

(8) Pour oat mixture evenly over apples.

(9) Bake oatmeal for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and no longer wet in the center.

 

Kid Participation:

* Whisk spice mixture

* Toss (though not literally) apples with spice mixture

* Whisk oatmeal mixture

* Spoon oatmeal mixture over apples

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

My kids love baked oatmeal dishes (especially when I serve them it with baked pears), and I was looking to whip together something slightly easier and just for a change of pace.  The entire dish would've been eaten in one night if we didn't have to wolf down dinner and leave for gymnastics.

 

Because I needed this to cook faster, I put it in a 9x13" dish and baked covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10-15.  The texture was more oatmeal-y and less firm than my usual recipe, which was fine.  I also didn't have any eggs, so I substituted several tablespoons of egg whites - whether that made a difference, I'll test in future makings.  I suspect it was the greater amount of pumpkin instead.  Also, I'd probably increase the amount of pumpkin pie spice - or at least add cinnamon.

 

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups milk
2-1/2 cups dry old-fashioned oats

 

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8x8" baking dish.
(2) In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth.
(3) Whisk in milk.
(4) Add oats to pumpkin mixture; stir until well combined.  Pour into prepared pan.
(5)  Cover pan with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil; bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk together ingredients
* Measure oats

Apple & Oat Breakfast Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

I think this is a very functional recipe: it is easy to make, tasty and filling, and handy to take one on-the-go.  That said, I wasn't completely sold on the texture...it was overly moist, bordering on soggy (yet no doubt fully baked).  Maybe it was because I used a different type of flour?  Maybe it was all the apple sauce?  Maybe that's just the way it's supposed to be?  I baked some with parchment and some with a silpat, and the parchment ones were a little drier (in a good way).  The recipe yielded about 20 cookies that I stored uncovered for three days, and they never got stale.

I will definitely make them again because everyone in the family liked them - maybe try pears?  However, I might slightly decrease the amount of applesauce and will try substitutes for the oil.  Also, I made them gigantic like the original recipe says, and smaller cookies would be more practical.
 

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour [I used half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour]

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped [I did not use]

2-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

 

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
(2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and walnuts.
(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, and eggs.
(4) Add wet ingredients to dry; stir until thoroughly combined.
(5) Fold in apples.
(6) Scoop 1/4 to 1/2 cups of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Slightly flatten each cookie and shape into a roughly uniform circle shape.
(7) Bake 20-25 minutes (mine took 25), or until tops are firm.  Let cookies set on baking sheet for several minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk dry ingredients
* Whisk wet ingredients
* Stir batter
* Scoop batter onto baking sheets (if you don't care about precision)

Yogurt Banana Oat Muffins

Original Recipe HERE

I've made these twice and find them a filling snack.  The consistency is different than a usual muffin, probably due to the yogurt and oat flour.  I like to split them in half and spread peanut butter or Nutella on them.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup oats [I used old fashioned]

1/2 cup yogurt [I used low fat vanilla]

1/2 cup milk

2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed [I used 3]

1/3 cup oil or applesauce [I used coconut oil]

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cup oat flour [about 2 cups oats]

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins or walnuts [optional; I did not use]

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Make oat flour by grinding approximately 2 cups of oats in a food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency.

(2) In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oats, yogurt, and milk.  Let stand at least 10 minutes (mine was more like 45).

(3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.

(4) In a separate bowl, sift together sugar, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon.

(5) Add bananas, oil or applesauce, and egg to yogurt mixture.  Combine thoroughly.

(6) Add flour mixture to yogurt mixture.  Mix completely.

(7) Add raisins, walnuts, or chocolate chips if desired.

(8) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake 16-20 minutes (mine were done at 18).  Allow to cool several minutes in tin before removing to cooling rack.

Kid Participation:

* Push buttons on food processor

* Add all ingredients to mixing bowls

* Demolish bananas

PB&J Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

 

Are these true cookies?  I'd argue that they're not.  However, they are super easy to make, pretty healthy, and can be passed off as treats to your kids.  A great treat to make on snow days or neverending weekends or times that you think the siblings are going to rip each other to shreds if you don't distract and/or separate them.

 

I accidentally doubled the oats, so I threw in another banana and extra peanut butter.  My proportions weren't exactly what the recipe called for, but they still turned out fine.  I think it would be tough to mess these up.  I got about 25 cookies from that batch, so following the original measurements would yield less than that.

 

Ingredients

2 medium, ripe bananas

1 cup uncooked oats

2 Tablespoons peanut butter [I used creamy]

jelly

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

(2) Mash bananas thoroughly.

(3) Add peanut butter to bananas; stir until well combined.

(4) Add oats; stir until well combined.

(5) Place tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto baking sheet (I used a mini ice cream scoop).  They barely spread, so spacing isn't important.

(6) Make a hollow or indent in the top of each cookie.

(7) Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.

(8) Remove cookies to cooling rack.  Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of jelly onto each.

 

Kid Participation: Just about everything except operating the oven.

 

Baked Oatmeal with Craisins

Original Recipe HERE

 

This meal does not need to include craisins, but since I have several baked oatmeal recipes in rotation, so shall it be dubbed.

 

The only thing I would change for next time, besides the slight adjustments I already made, is to cut down the brown sugar.  It was too sweet to be served for breakfast or brinner; it actually would've been good along with some yogurt, whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream.  The amount listed below is the (assumed) proper amount.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., would surely work in the dish, too.

 

Also, I realized after the fact that I used baking soda instead of baking powder.  It turned out fine.

 

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked oats [I used old-fashioned]
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 to 1 cup craisins [or dried fruit of choice]
1 Tablespoon chopped nuts [optional]
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-½ cups milk [I used skim]
½ cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.  Grease a 2-quart casserole dish or 8x8" baking dish.

(2) In large mixing bowl, combine oats, sugar, fruit, nuts, and baking powder.

(3) In separate bowl, whisk egg.  Add milk, applesauce, and butter.

(4) Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well.

(5) Pour batter into dish.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is set and edges are slightly browned. Serve warm.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix dry ingredients

* Mix wet ingredients

* Spread batter in dish

 

Baked Blueberry & Banana Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

I threw this together on a night when I had no idea what I was making but didn't want to resort to pasta or egg sandwiches yet again.  *N* was eating dinner at a friend's house, so the remaining four of us pretty much polished off the entire dish.  I was shocked to see it disappear before my eyes so quickly - and disappointed, since I was hoping to make the next day's morning routine easier by having breakfast already made.  I will definitely make this again.

I assume that other berries could be substituted.  I have a bag of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in my freezer right now that would be worth a try.  Also, pureeing some (or all) of the bananas and mixing them into the wet ingredients might make for a moister, more uniformly-flavorful dish.

 

Ingredients

3 to 4 medium ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2" rounds

1 to 2 cups blueberries [I used thawed frozen berries]

1/2 cup honey or agave

2-1/2 cups uncooked oats [I used old fashioned] 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional; I did not use]
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ [optional]

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

yogurt for topping [optional; I used fat-free French vanilla]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Arrange banana slices in a single layer in the dish. Sprinkle blueberries over bananas.

(3) Dust 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over fruit.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey.

(4) Cover with foil.  Bake 15 minutes.

(5) Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine oats, nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

(6) In separate bowl, whisk together remaining honey, milk, eggs, and vanilla.

(7) Evenly spread oat mixture over fruit.  Slowly pour milk mixture over oats, distributing as evenly as possible.

(8) Bake oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven, with yogurt if desired.

 

Kid Participation: Eat it and love it.

 

Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

 

We had this as dinner because it was super easy to throw all the ingredients in the stand mixer's bowl, dump the batter in the dish, and toss it in the oven and forget about it until the timer went off.  Notice the verbs used; it was That Kind of Night.  Thank goodness for recipes like this that everyone liked, so at least we ended the day on a positive note.

 

The original recipe called for half a cup of oil, which seemed nasty to me.  Normally I'd substitute apple sauce for the oil, but there already was some.  So I broke out my first ever jar of coconut oil and gave it a whirl.  I was in a rush, so I didn't take the time to fully liquify it, double-boiler style.  I kind of softened it up via the microwave, and as soon as I added it to the cold batter, it solidified again.  So halfway through the baking, I stirred the batter as best I could in the hopes that would distribute it.  Next time I'll have a better technique, but I'll definitely use it again because it gave a slight hint of coconut that added to the final product rather than detracted.

 

The level of sweetness was good, though the amount of brown sugar made me pause a little just because I was serving this as dinner.  Substituting half with honey, or maybe even molasses, could work.  I made bacon and served the oatmeal as-is, but next time I'll made it a more complete meal with yogurt or something.  Or not.  Yeah, probably not.

 

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

2-1/4 cups milk [I used skim]

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt [I forgot this]

1/2 cup wheat flour

4 cups quick cooking oats

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13" baking dish.

(2) In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, applesauce, butter, oil,  pumpkin, milk, syrup and brown sugar until smooth.

(3) Add spice, baking powder, salt, flour and oats. Beat on low until incorporated.

(4) Pour batter into dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through in the center of the dish.

(5) Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, or as is.

 

Kid Participation:

* Dump ingredients into mixing bowl

* Run mixer

Honey Bars

Original Recipe HERE

These were an easy thing to make since I had all the ingredients on hand.  I'm not a fan of dried fruit or nuts in something that looks like a dessert-ish bar; it confuses my taste buds and my brain cannot decide whether it's processing a sweet treat or a healthy snack.  In the cup of dried fruit the recipe calls for, I mixed craisins, golden raisins..and mini chocolate chips.  Next time I'll leave out the raisins (which I only included because my kids like them) and go with more chocolate.  I used pecans for my nut selection and thought they worked fine.  Husband remarked that he could detect the honey flavor, and I could smell it while baking, so the "honey" element doesn't get lost.

I used a 9x9 silicone pan, so my bars were pretty thin.  They baked for 19 minutes (should have been 18, but I was feeding the baby) and were done upon removal from the oven.  I let them cool a few minutes and then cut them into two large slabs.  I removed them from the pan (much easier to do than from a regular metal or glass pan) and put them on the rack to cool more quickly.

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola)

1 cup dried fruit

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup all-purpose white flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 chopped nuts

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 baking pan.

(2) In a large bowl, whisk together salt, flours, nuts, oats, and cinnamon.

(3) Add dried fruit; stir until well-coated.

(4) In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, vanilla, and oil.

(5) In a third bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

(6) Combine dry and wet ingredients until well-mixed.  Fold egg whites into mixture; do not overmix.

(7) Pour batter into pan.  Bake 25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

Kid Participation:

* Whisk together dried ingredients

* Whisk together wet ingredients

* Crack eggs

* Pour batter & smooth in pan

Oatmeal Pancakes

Original Recipe: The Hartford Courant

My mom brought me this recipe and we had it for dinner while she visited.  It was a great way to have slightly healthier pancakes (instead of being straight-up flour-based) and get some oats in me for lactation purposes.  The texture was hearty without being dry or dense.  Definitely a do-over.

Because these have oats, they take a little longer to cook so the inside isn't gummy.  Therefore the pancakes must be small or you'll have crispy edges and an unpleasant raw surprise in the middle.  I doubled the recipe when I made them again, and it took forever to get the entire batter used up.  So word to the wise: only double this if you want to be eating pancakes for breakfast for three straight days.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups oats

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

butter

Directions

(1) Grind oats in a blender [I used a Magic Bullet} until they are fine as flour.

(2) In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

(3) In a separate bowl, mix eggs and buttermilk.

(4) Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture with a few quick strokes (all ingredients should be moistened, but do not overmix).

(5) Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt 1 Tablespoon butter.

(6) Ladle pancake batter in roughly 1/4 cup amounts.  Cook until bubbles stop rising from bottom and top surface looks slightly dried out (3 to 4 minutes).

(7) Flip pancakes.  Cook until center feels lightly set when top is pressed with your fingertips (about 2 minute).

(8) Keep pancakes warm in oven until all are cooked.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk dry ingredients
* Whisk wet ingredients
* Eat their weight in pancakes

Pumpkin Nut Lactation Cookies

Original Recipe HERE (note: the original recipe has lots of information)

These lactation cookies seem to do what they promise.  Whether it's the "active" ingredients like brewer's yeast or just the calories they provide, I don't know...and don't really care.  And they're healthy enough that I don't feel too bad giving them to the kids as treats.  They're excited to have a "cookie" and I earn Mom Points.

The original recipe turned out slightly dense, dry-ish cookies...which was good for the reason that they forced me to drink plenty of water with them, and water helps with lactation.  However, I experimented a bit and realized that adding in a can (15 oz?) of pure pumpkin makes them much moister (so much so, that you should store them uncovered because otherwise they turn what I've decided to call "humid").  And pumpkin is good for you, so I guess I just made them healthier, huh?  I can therefore eat one extra cookie per serving, I think.

I couldn't find "dosing" instructions, so I typically finish an entire batch in less than 72 hours.  But I'm pretty sure that's called "binging," especially because a batch makes about 50 cookies.  To absolve myself of being appalled at such piggy-ness, I substituted honey or agave for the sugars, as well as apple sauce for some of the butter.  Since I gave up chocolate for lent, eliminating the chips didn't affect the final product at all (though being able to add them back in will make me happy).

I've made these several times with the Kitchenaid stand mixer I got for Christmas, and it really makes a difference in how easy the preparation is.  The batter gets pretty thick once the flour is added...and stirring the oats in by hand is tedious and arm-numbing.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter
1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup agave syrup [or honey]
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 Tablespoons brewer's yeast
1 cup flaxseed meal
2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
1 cup chopped nuts of your choice [I used sliced almonds]
2 cups (12oz) chocolate chips or cinnamon chips [optional]
2 to 3 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
(2) In bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
(3) In separate, large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until well combined.
(4) Add almond/peanut butter, apple sauce, agave, vanilla, brewer's yeast, and flax meal until creamy.
(4) Beat eggs into moist mixture.  Add pumpkin; beat.

(5) Gradually beat flour mixture into moist mixture in several stages.

(6) Mix nuts and chips into batter.

(7) Add 2 cups oats, mixing thoroughly.  If dough is very soft, add more oats up to one additional cup.

(8) Place balls of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough eatch) onto baking sheets.  Press each down lightly with fork.

(9) Bake 12 minutes.

Kid Participation:

* Sift dry ingredients

* Add wet ingredients to bowl

* Operate switch on stand mixer

* Flatten unbaked cookies

Apple Crimble

I don't know if this dish is technically a "crisp" or a "crumble."  So for now, I'm dubbing it a "crimble" until I can research further.

I came across a baked apple recipe that was super easy.  I thought I bookmarked it, but when I went back to make it that night, it was nowhere to be found.  Luckily I remembered how to make it, so I did.  It was really good.  But it involved halving apples, scooping out the seeds, and baking in the skin.  It got the pan messy with the juice the apples released, some halves fell apart, and the topping came off in one big piece.  So I tweaked it to be easier to both prepare and eat. 

Below is listed how to make a good-sized crimble for an individual.  The amounts are easily adjusted depending on how many apples you're using and how big you want the servings to be (and if you want to double the topping but keep the apple portion the same...).  This could be tweaked a bit, like using wheat flour instead of white and adding nuts. The type of apple used, and whether it's peeled, is variable as well.

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small apples

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

4 Tablespoons quick-cook [or old-fashioned] oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon [or to taste]

Directions

(1) Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

(2) Peel each apple and cut into 8 slices.  Toss with cinnamon if desired.  Place slices in a 2-cup ramekin.

(3) In bowl big enough to hold all additional ingredients, melt butter in microwave.  Add flour, sugar, oats, and cinnamon [if not already used] and combine well.

(4) Spread topping over apple slices.  Bake 25 minutes, or until topping crisps (but does not brown) and apples are easily pierced with a fork.  Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Kid Participation:

* Arrange apple slices in ramekin

* Mix ingredients into butter

* Spread topping onto apple slices

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

Original Recipe HERE

I had some buttermilk in the fridge for a meal I'd planned to make.  But I didn't save the link in my "This Week" folder, so I couldn't remember for the life of me what the buttermilk's intended purpose was.  So pancakes it was.

These were really good.  I like that they aren't loaded with butter or sugar, and they have plenty of whole wheat flour and oats.  I used fat-free buttermilk, so while I de-healtified them by drowning them in butter and syrup, I didn't feel quite so guilty as I might've.  The texture is really moist on the inside, which I'm assuming is due to letting the oats soak in buttermilk.

The original recipe says it makes 4 individual pancakes, which wouldn't be nearly enough for us.  So I doubled the recipe and got 18 to 20 medium-sized ones.  We kept them in the fridge and finished them up over the next two days (I was too lazy to freeze them, and I welcomed the opportunity to get out of my cereal-every-morning rut).  Some prep work can be done the night before (like mixing the dry ingredients), thus making the creation of a "real" breakfast (instead of just bowls of the aforementioned cereal) seem more do-able.

Ingredients

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, divided

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar

oil

Directions

1) Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk for 10 minutes.

2) Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl.

3) Whisk egg, butter, brown sugar, remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and oat mixture together.  Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

4) Heat skillet over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto skillet and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown (about 1 minute).  Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more.

Notes: The original says you can serve it with sliced bananas, which I'll try.

Kid Participation:

* Measure & whisk dry ingredients.

* Measure & whisk wet ingredients.

Whole Wheat Waffles with Oats

Original Recipe HERE

I love homemade waffles.  They're 200% better than any of the storebought ones.  And the great thing is that I usually have a few leftover ones that go into the freezer and can be enjoyed on subsequent mornings. 

I had planned on making a buttermilk waffle recipe that's an old stand-by in my kitchen.  But I realized that morning that I had no all-purpose flour.  I considered just substituting wheat flour and hoping for the best, but it seemed like too much of a risk.  At least not one I was willing to take while craving waffles and therefore would be really pissed off if I had to go without.  Luckily they turned out well - denser than the average waffle, but (probably due to the oats) not tough or dry.  I got two large (meaning 8 smaller) waffles by doubling the original recipe.  The amounts below are the doubled ones, and a few ingredient tweaks were made - so see the original to compare and make substitutions to suit your preferences.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick cook oats

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon [optional]

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg [optional]

1teaspoon vanilla extract

2 whole eggs

4 Tablespoons apple sauce [or canola oil]

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablepoons milk

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1) Preheat waffle iron.

2) Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.

3) In separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients.  Pour into dry ingredients in several batches; thoroughly combine.

4) Spray waffle iron with non-stick spray.  Ladle batter into waffle iron and follow iron's instructions for cooking.

Notes: Next time I'll mess around with the substitutions and amounts just to compare.

Kid Participation:

* Measure dry ingredients

* Whisk dry ingredients together

* Crack eggs

* Whisk wet ingredients together

* Whisk all ingredients together

Carmelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Gruyere Quiche

Original Recipe HERE

This one looked and tasted fancy.  Too bad *N* wasn't a big fan, but I didn't expect her to be.  It also took some planning ahead, as a few ingredients weren't ones I always have on hand.  And carmelizing the onions, cooking and cooling the crust, and the actual baking weren't things that could be rushed (obviously...).  Better to do those ahead of time of possible, then do the 30-second assembly when it's time to put it in the oven.  But Husband and I thought it was really tasty, and I'll keep it filed away as something to make when company comes or there's a reason I need to impress someone.

Ingredients for the Crust

Cooking spray [or preferred method of greasing a pan]

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons cold, lowfat buttermilk

Ingredients for the Filling

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced thinly into half moons

8 ounces sliced mushrooms [cremini, oyster, shiitake, baby bella, or white]

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves [or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh]

3 large eggs

3 egg whites

1 cup evaporated fat-free milk (not condensed milk)

2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 1 oz)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

* To Prepare Crust

2) Put oats, flour and salt in bowl of  food processor and pulse 3 times to combine.

3) Add butter and pulse about 12 times for a pebbly course texture.

4) Add buttermilk and pulse 3 to 5 times to combine.

5) Form mixture into ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.

6) Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Transfer crust (still on other piece of waxed paper) to pie dish, then remove waxed paper from the top. Press the crust gently into the dish.

7) Bake 9 minutes; let cool.

* To Prepare Filling

8) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick pan over medium-low heat.

9) Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl.

10) Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to pan and heat over medium-high heat.

11) Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their water and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

12) Add onions back to the pan.  Stir in salt, pepper, mustard and thyme.

13) In medium bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites and evaporated milk.

* To Assemble

14) Sprinkle cheese into the pie crust. Top with mushroom-onion mixture.  Pour the egg mixture on top.

15) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 35 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges and serving.

Notes: I'll potentially trying another type of mushroom or cheese to vary the flavor (or just to use what I have on hand).  I think frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained) could be easily added, and you can never go wrong with some cooked, chopped bacon or finely diced ham.

Kid Participation:

* Push buttons on food processor

* Crack 3 eggs

* Whisk eggs and milk

* Sprinkle cheese in crust