Oat-us-meal-us

I'm not ashamed to say that 

I love oatmeal.

It's cheap, healthy and tasty. What's not to love? 

And, since I am kind of a food Nazi when it comes to what the kids eat for breakfast on school days, (cold cereal only on one or two days! horrors!) oatmeal is also one of the perpetual breakfast options around here. Unfortunately, nobody will eat a bowl of oatmeal every. single. morning. Nobody but me anyway. Therefore, I am perpetually looking for easy breakfast options that are an option at 5 in the morning (when Miss Priss crawls out of bed) but don't require me getting up at 4 to prepare them. This recipe is one of my new favorites. I make it the night before and stash it in the fridge. That leaves me with nothing to do the next morning but to turn on the stove and shove it in. Most of the time I even remember to remove the plastic wrap first. Trust me; at 5 in the morning, there is not much more of which I am capable. I have also been known to make it as a snack after school, leaving the leftovers for a re-heat able breakfast. Which, in turn, leaves me in bed later that morning. Serious win-win. Thomas likes to heat it in the microwave but Turner does her re-heating in a dry frying pan because she thinks it is too mushy otherwise. Vive la Difference! 

I found this recipe in an old Reader's Digest I was reading while I waited 2 hours (2 hours!!!) to get the van aligned. I can't attribute the original recipe to anyone beyond that because in my I'm-entitled-because-I-can't believe-I'm-still-here magazine ripping frenzy, I didn't rip out both pages, just the one that would let me know the basic idea. I never completely follow any recipe anyway, so the rest didn't seem to matter. 

One last note: The original recipe called for blueberries but I don't really love them. I have used both the Wal-Mart brand mixed berries (sans strawberries because they were too big) and straight up raspberries. Both were equally good. But use blueberries if you're sick like that. I also haven't actually made this with the walnuts due to the fact that the older I get, the more and more allergic to them I get. And now you have something good to write about in your journal today.

Baked Oatmeal

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats     1/2 c. walnuts, chopped    

1/3-1/2 c. sugar(depending on the tartness of your berries)    

1 t. baking powder     1 1/2 t. cinnamon     scant 1/2 t. salt     2 c. milk     1 egg    

3 T. butter, melted     2 t. vanilla     2 ripe bananas, sliced     1 1/2 c. frozen berries

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in top third of oven.  Butter 8x8-inch baking pan.

2.In a bowl, mix together oats, half the walnuts, sugar, b. powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg, half the butter and vanilla.

3.Arrange bananas in a single layer in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of berries over top.  Cover fruit with rest of oat mixture. Slowly drizzle milk mixture over oats. Scatter remaining berries and walnuts on top. 

4.Bake 35-40 minutes, until top is golden and oats have set. Remove from oven; drizzle remaining melted butter on top. Serve with extra sugar or maple syrup if desired.