Grab-and-Go Soft Oatmeal Bars

I have written many, many times about how my wonderful husband Paul will spend hours researching his latest and greatest engineering projects, updating his profile on Linkedin, or getting caught up on the wisdom of Dave Ramsey but will not devote more than a minute to preparing and eating a healthy breakfast in the morning before heading off to work. He will choose to go hungry (quick oats just are not quick enough for him) until mid-morning by which time he is so famished and fatigued that he begins to scour the halls of work looking for leftover food from the previous afternoon's business meetings, usually in the form of stale pizza. And then he gets a tummy ache and feels awesome for the rest of the day.

Thus, it has become my job as Paul's loving wife to make breakfast so ridiculously accessible and requiring such little effort or work on his part that the next quickest feeding option would be via an intravenous line. Enter these soft oatmeal bars. Reminiscent of the ones you can purchase from the store (but a lot healthier), these bars are quick and easy to make. Once allowed to cool completely, cut them into the size you desire, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and throw into the freezer for a quick grab-and-go breakfast that even my neanderthalic husband can handle. This recipe is just a basic starting point from which so many variations can be made. Add in some nut butter, try using different nuts and seeds, experiment with various dried fruits, use other sweeteners such as maple syrup and honey...the variations are pretty endless!

These are husband approved although I am not sure how much that counts because anything tastes better than stale pizza. Paul also wanted me to note that these taste delicious frozen. He would know since I doubt he has the patience to allow them the 20 minutes they need to thaw. Or the 30 seconds they would take to microwave.

Soft Baked Oatmeal Bars
adapted from Kath Eats Real Food

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cups milk
1 egg, whisked
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, almonds, blueberries, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add milk, egg, and vanilla then stir to combine. Pour mixture into a nonstick-sprayed 8×8 baking dish then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes our clean.

Cool completely then cut into bars/triangles and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or individually wrap in saran wrap and freeze. Pop in the microwave to reheat.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

My family loves enjoying pastries for breakfast. Cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, quick breads, scones, and muffins all pair beautifully with a gigantic mug of coffee and a crossword puzzle. However, oftentimes I need to serve scrambled eggs or some other protein-rich food on the side otherwise the meal will not sustain us through the morning.

That's why I was stoked to discover this scone recipe. It is a much heavier spin on the breakfast scone since the batter is stuffed full of rolled oats, dark chocolate, and peanut butter. The peanut butter provides a nice protein punch, the dark chocolate brings some extra antioxidants, and the rolled oats guarantee that this breakfast treat sticks-to-your-ribs. It's practically a health food (ha!). I enjoyed that the scones were not too sweet and very hearty. They also satisfied my endless peanut butter craving for the day.

I had to throw a random picture in of my littlest cutie!

My sisters Adrienne and Sophie came for a visit a couple weeks ago and I enticed them to go for a casual 14-mile stroll with me and Baby Emma one morning. We brought these scones with us to enjoy at the halfway point and they provided just the extra boost we needed to finish off the remainder of our jaunt. However, they did not save us from forming blisters on our feet. I think Sophie is still a bit peeved at me for making her walk so far.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
adapted slightly from Baked Elements

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick or instant)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until it becomes pea-size (I like to use my fingertips to just rub the butter into the flour mixture - it's easier!).

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg yolk. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the buttermilk mixture, then add the peanut butter. With a spatula, gently fold the ingredients together until everything begins to come together. Add the chocolate chips and knead into the mix with your hands. Be careful not to overmix.

Turn the dough out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and pat into a disk with an 8-inch diameter. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl and then brush over the entire surface of the disk. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, but do not separate.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until the scones are golden brown (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached). Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then re-slice and separate them. Let cool completely or serve warm. These will keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They also freeze well!

Peanut, Honey, and Banana Steel-Cut Oatmeal

We are beginning to settle into a normal routine with Baby Emma. I would be completely lying if I didn't admit that it has been a bit of an adjustment. There have been times where she is screaming her head off to be fed, while Matthew is begging for something as if his very life depended on it, and I have a pot of sauce/soup/some type of food simultaneously boiling over on the stovetop. Moments like that really stress me out.

The biggest issue so far has been finding time to feed myself! Breakfast is especially difficult. By the time I get Matthew situated and make myself a pot of coffee, Baby Emma is begging for food (as if she was not just fed less than 30 minutes ago). By the time I am done feeding her, Matthew needs to get washed up and dressed for the day. By the time that is finished, Emma is whining because her reflux is bothering her. I pick her up and bounce her around for a bit. After that, she is ready to be fed again. (NOTE: during this whole time, our stupid cat is meowing loudly because he loves to whine about nothing in particular from the hours of 8:00-11:00 AM. Then he passes out for a long afternoon nap - probably from the sheer exhaustion of it all!). By the time I get her down for her morning nap, Matthew is asking for a snack (which is ridiculous because his breakfast consisted of enough food to feed a family of four). I give him a snack and finally get to sit down for a glorious cup of coffee - and by this time it is half past ten!

Quick and easy-to-prepare breakfasts are obviously a must. Oatmeal is one of our standbys. It is cheap, healthy, and Matthew will readily eat it most mornings. He gets sick of cereal really quickly, but enjoys the ever-changing oatmeal variations we make each week. I love steel-cut oats because they have a slightly chewy texture and are not at all mushy when compared to their quick or rolled cousins. The only issue with steel-cut oats is that they take a bit of time to prepare, normally requiring at least 20-30 minutes of boiling time to soften. However, if they are soaked in hot water overnight, their cooking time is drastically reduced and they can be prepared in about 10 minutes flat. And I can totally finish these up with one hand while bouncing baby girl on my hip. Matthew enjoys this version we made this morning with peanuts, honey and banana. I enjoyed it a couple hours after he did (once it was stone cold - at least the coffee was hot) and it was still delicious!

Peanut, Honey, and Banana Steel-Cut Oatmeal
adapted from Cook's Illustrated


3 1/2 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used this white chocolate peanut butter - yum!)
2 bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Bring 3 cups water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat; stir in oats and salt. Cover pan and let stand overnight.

Stir remaining ½ cup water, milk, and honey into oats and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats are softened but still retain some chew and mixture thickens and resembles warm pudding, about 4-6 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in peanut butter and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in bananas, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve!

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

In preparation for the upcoming arrival of our second child, I have been cooking and baking like mad to ensure that we have plenty of sandwich bread and quick meals at our fingertips once the craziness that defines life with a newborn begins again! I far and above prefer homemade sandwich bread to store-bought and have been baking a few loaves of this buttermilk bread in addition to a few others a couple days each week. One of these loaves has been this beautiful, delicious oatmeal bread.

Now, Matthew is a huge carb lover and always begs to have the first slice of bread hot out of the oven (surprisingly, he really does not get that you have to let bread cool to room temperature despite all the lectures I have given him about structural integrity of gluten development!). If I had to choose a single loaf of bread that he liked best, it would be this oatmeal bread. It is mildly chewy, hearty, and slightly sweet and makes the ideal PB&J sandwich for my active little guy. Plus, it is probably one of the easiest homemade breads you can ever make!

The original recipe does call for rolled oats and they do work best. However, I have substitute quick oats before and while they definitely change the texture of the finished bread, the loaf was still delicious and held up well to slicing. You can also switch out the sweetener for whatever type you like - honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, molasses - whatever you have! My personal favorite version is using honey as the sweetener and adding a very finely diced, peeled apple to the dough. Seriously yum!

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
adapted from Nick Magieri's How to Bake

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup warm water (about 110º on an instant read thermometer)
2 1/2 teaspoons dry active or instant yeast
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (brown sugar, honey, etc)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into about 12 pieces, plus more for greasing bowl and pan

Grease a 8 1/2" x 4 1/4" loaf pan with butter and set aside.

Pour boiling water over oats in a bowl. Stir and set aside till cooled to room temperature.  Meanwhile, put warm water in a small bowl and add yeast. Stir and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, brown sugar and salt and stir to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook and add oatmeal, yeast mixture and butter pieces. Knead dough on low for about 5-10 minutes till smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed so the dough is not too sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball on a lightly floured countertop. Place dough in greased bowl, flip a couple times to coat all sides with butter, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise till dough doubles in bulk, about one hour (While making the dough, I like to preheat my oven to 200 degrees, let it warm for 10 minutes, and then shut it off. When the dough is ready to rise, just stick it in the warmed oven and it will rise beautifully and quickly!).

Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Deflate dough with the palm of your hand. Form dough into rectangle, slightly longer than pan length. Using the end closest to you, roll tightly into a cylinder, pressing on the seam with your fingertips as you roll it up. Pinch the seam and ends together after rolling and place the cylinder, seam side down, into prepared pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise till doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic from risen dough and place pan in oven. Immediately decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when tapped and the internal temperature reads 195 degrees. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Slice when cooled to room temperature.

Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Apples

Matthew made a new friend on Halloween Night.  Even though our township had decided that all trick-or-treating festivities be delayed for a couple days due to Hurricane Sandy, we still went ahead and carved our pumpkin, drank mulled cider, and watched the obligatory Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (If you have not seen this classic film, it's a hoot).

Matthew loved the pumpkin carving experience.  From pulling the slimy, seed-studded innards from the pumpkin's core to showing Paul where to put the eyes and mouth, he thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  When we revealed the fruits of our labor to him for the first time, he was in love.  He hugged the pumpkin, kissed the pumpkin, and named the pumpkin "the spooky."  I have no idea where he got the idea to name the gourd that, but "Spooky" it was.  His love of the pumpkin was sealed when we lit a tiny tea candle inside and turned off the lights, enabling the flickering candlelight to highlight Spooky's eyes and jagged mouth.

Matthew was quiet for the rest of the evening, preferring to stare in awe at the lit-up Spooky.  When the tea candle finally burnt out, a request was immediately put in for a new candle to be lit so that Spooky could continue to shine.  When bedtime finally arrived, Matthew put his arms around Spooky and tried to haul him upstairs.  We drew the line there.  No matter how much he loved it, our son was not going to sleep with a rotting pumpkin.

As soon as Matthew got up in the morning, he only wanted to see "Spooky."  He began reading to it, talking to it, even sharing his train cars with it.  The thought that Spooky would soon have to find a new home in the dumpster outside our house was weighing heavily on our hearts.  Matthew would surely be heartbroken to discover that his new-found playmate was gone.  (*This is why Matthew needs a sibling. Thank goodness we are currently five months into perfecting that project).

The day came when Spooky developed a spot of mold on the inside.  It was time to throw him away.  We guiltily did the evil deed over Matthew's nap time and then waited in dread and anguish for the moment he would awaken and find what we had done.  However, to our surprise and relief, Matthew did not even seem to notice.  I guess when it comes to our son's memory, out of sight truly is out of mind.  What a fair weather friend he turned out to be!

When we finally did get the chance to go trick-or-treating, the weather was very fair and a bit gloomy - pretty perfect for a fake Halloween night.  Matthew had a blast trouncing around the neighborhood in his monkey costume.  The most difficult part of the evening was convincing him to get out of each doorway immediately after receiving his piece of candy.  He was in a very social mood - at each house, he wanted to stay and chat.  Instead of crying out "trick or treat!" when each door opened, Matthew would, as if on cue, delve into an confounded soliloquy on Thomas the Train, coffeemakers, and Pooh Bear.  We practically had to drag him away from each doorstep.  He had no interest in the candy.  If he had his way, he would have stayed out all night long.  He was not too happy when we decided to call it quits on Trick-or-Treating because we wanted to catch the end of the Notre Dame game.

The recipe I want to share with you today is another version of baked oatmeal.  This one is very appropriate for the cool fall weather.  It's flavors are reminiscent of apple pie and the combination of both steel-cut and rolled oats make for a delightful texture.  This makes a HUGE batch of oatmeal, but we managed to finish it fairly quickly because we could not stop eating it.  The caramelized apples are simply fantastic.  I imagine caramelized pears would also be amazing!

Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Apples
adapted ever-so-slightly from Annie's Eats

For the Apples:
3 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" thick slices
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Oats:
1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups boiling water
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the steel cut oats and the boiling water.  Cover and set aside for 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are fork-tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and spread into the bottom of a 11x9" baking dish (or another 2-quart baking dish).

Once the steel-cut oats have soaked for 20 minutes, add the rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl and stir to combine.  In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the syrup, milk, applesauce, and vanilla.  Pour into the oat mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in the dried cranberries.

Pour the oat mixture over the apples in the prepared baking dish.  Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before spooning out individual portions.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

I know I've been posting a lot of baked oatmeal recipes, but we just love the stuff so much that I can't help but share some of the different variations we have been enjoying!  Matthew calls it "cake" because he loves it so much.  "Cake" is pretty much his word for anything delicious.  Sometimes, I find myself calling spaghetti or roast chicken "cake" just so I can get him to eat it.

Breakfast is pretty much the only meal of the day where we know Matthew will eat whatever is put in front of him.  He loves all kinds of breakfast foods.  Pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, toast...you name it, he will greedily gobble it down.

And this blueberry baked oatmeal was no exception.  Loaded with fresh lemon zest and two pints of blueberries, this is a breakfast that will turn your teeth blue.  But it will be worth it because it is refreshing, filling, and satisfying.  Add a little more sugar and you could almost serve it for dessert!

Baked Blueberry-Lemon Oatmeal
adapted slightly from Babble

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 8x8 square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, salt, zest, and spice.  In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, and egg.

Spoon half the oat mixture into the baking dish, then half the blueberries.  Add the remaining oat mixture and scatter the remaining blueberries on top, pressing them slightly.  Pour the milk mixture over the whole pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the mixture is light golden brown along the edges and the center has set up.  Serve warm with milk!