Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I seem to be on an oatmeal kick lately...which is good considering I have three containers of it on the shelf downstairs!  I have this same problem with cheese.  I always think we may need some once I'm at the store--only to come home and find out I now have an abundance.  Oh well...

We typically buy the huge box of Quaker instant oatmeal packets from Costco.  We go through some oatmeal in this family, especially in the winter.  I have been on a mission to make more homemade meals, however, and I thought why not oatmeal.  After all, we all know that homemade is healthier and tastier, right?  And although instant oatmeal is fast, it's not like cooking it on the stove takes hours.  How hard can making a tasty bowl of homemade oatmeal be?

Well, I quickly found out that good oatmeal is not just water and oats with some sugar sprinkled in--Yuck!  I wanted something that mimicked my 1-minute microwave version.  So, I began searching for oatmeal recipes.  There are a lot of versions out there...crockpot, overnight, homemade instant packets.  I tried one crockpot version, and it was NOT good.  My crockpot tends to overcook things because it is so hot, and I spent days (or so it seemed) scrubbing burned oatmeal off of it.  I was intrigued by the instant packets, but the more I thought about it, it didn't seem cost effective at all.  The amount of time spent making them did not make sense when the amount of savings was mere pennies, at best.  Plus, I didn't feel so good about using all those baggies.

I think I've finally found the answer thanks to Blissful and Domestic.  I have made very minor adjustments to this recipe, including reducing the amount of sugar (only slightly) and cutting the recipe in half to make less.  I think I have a keeper...and it only takes about 15 minutes, of which I can be doing other things, as well (emptying the dishwasher, getting dressed, pestering my kids to get a move on, making lunches...and so on).

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberries

I came across this recipe at OAMM and thought I would give it a try.  My kids are big fans of pancakes and they ask for them often.  This version of the blueberry pancake is made with a healthy boost of oatmeal and only 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour--no white flour!  You can't beat blueberries and oatmeal for a healthy breakfast.

As I was making these babies, I began to think that my kiddos were not going to like them.  They turn out very dark--beware!  Whenever a food looks even slightly burned, my kids turn up their noses.  When I sampled them, I noticed a definite hearty texture.  Texture is a funny thing with kids, too.   However, the taste was very good, and it was too late to turn back, as this is what I was making for breakfast.

As we sat down to breakfast, no negative comments were made (I was shocked).  When my kids tried them, they liked them a lot!  Success!!  These pancakes are quite filling, so you can feel good about feeding them to your kids before sending them off to school.