Warm Up Your Insides - Oatmeal Bake

We spent the holidays with my Dad's side of the family in Arizona this past holiday. While we were there, my stepmoher made this wonderful oatmeal bake that tastes like an oatmeal cookie. It is so delicious and perfect for a cold morning to warm up the insides.

I've made it a couple of times. The first time I made it, I used the original recipe....YUMMY! But the original recipe calls for (IMHO) a lot of sugar. So, I thought I'd try to modify it with less sugar and even tried it with a low calorie substitute...blue agave nectar (which is something I recently discovered at Trader Joes). The subsitution was great and I could hardly tell the difference in taste. Another time I substitued some of the oatmeal with almond meal (also found at TJs) to add a little more protein. I loved it!! My husband liked it! My almost 5 year old didn't like it but my 16 month old devoured it. Of course if you're allergic to nuts, don't add it (well, duh!).

Here's the original recipe with the variations I mentioned and some other additions that would be yummy.

Oatmeal Bake
Ingredients:
½ C canola oil
1 C sugar
2 eggs
3 C quick oats (uncooked)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C milk
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
Whisk/beat thoroughly together the oil, sugar and eggs. Add the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and milk. Mix well. Pour into a lightly greased 8” baking pan/dish. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Scoop into a bowl and pour in warm milk (amount depends on your liking).

Optional Additions: Apples, almonds (or other favorite nut), raisins or other dried fruit, chocolate chips

Variations to the Recipe:
*Substitute one of the cups of oatmeal with 1/2C of almond meal (adds protein to the dish!). Can find almond meal at Trader Joes and Whole Foods.
*Halve the sugar amount…still sweet but not so sugary.
*Substitute half or the entire sugar amount with blue agave nectar (a natural no/low calorie sweetener – can be found at Trader Joes).

Happy New Year & Marriage Article

Happy New Year! Let the resolution lists begin. My list this year:

• Lose the holiday weight
• Eat more wholesome foods
• Get stronger (mind, body & spirit)
• Be a better wife and mother (more patience, understanding and fun)
• Get my house more organized
• Spend less time on the computer
• Get my weekday more scheduled and not so open ended - a schedule with flexibility (oxymoron?)
• Be more "green" (ecofriendly)
• Not putting so much pressure on myself to accomplish all these things.

In addition to writing my 2009 resolutions today, I reflected on my marriage. My husband and I had our 8 year anniversary yesterday and celebrated this evening with a nice dinner out. We came across this timely and relevant article "Dating 101: Seven Things No One Tells You About Marriage." It's a great short article that speaks honestly about the challenges and enlightening truths of marriage. It really spoke to me and I encourage anyone in any type of relationship or committment to read it.

Here's to a fabulous 2009!