I'm fortunate to have toddlers to feed, who have never gotten a taste for expensive, extruded boxed cereals. Instead, we rotate between toast and peanut butter, eggs, our own version of green smoothies, and jazzed-up oatmeal.
This is our favorite variation: oatmeal with berries.
Our old-fashioned oats (soaked the night before if I remember) are both more nutritious and less expensive than instant oatmeal. We add some frozen berries (not terribly frugal, but a little goes a long way) to the cooking pot, with a little bit of salt, and let it all boil together. Then, when it reaches the desired consistency, we top it with a generous pat of butter. The sweetness of the berries makes additional sweetening unnecessary (although I sometimes add honey to my own if it's been a particularly crazy morning....)
Yum! Real Oatmeal with berries and butter beats expensive "berries and cream" concoctions from an envelope every time!
Posted at Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet
I love oatmeal! The instant ones seem silly to me... I mean Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats don't take all that long to cook. In the time it takes to cook it, I can get my mix-ins ready and get the table set.
ReplyDeleteIf you're in Portland, OR - I've seen the straws at New Seasons (Raliegh Hills). Thanks for the Green Smoothie recipe. The last ones I made (going from the green smoothie girl) were not very tasty (pretty dang gross actually). I'm looking forward to giving it a try again.
ReplyDeleteJackie, I so agree! Cheaper and healthier convinced me!
ReplyDeleteTracey, I'm not in the Portland area, but maybe I'll ask my sister in Corvallis to pick some up next time she is there. I wasn't wildly impressed by the flavor of my last green smoothie girl recipe either, but I love my own variation, and so do the kids! Thank you for stopping by!
This sounds awesome..I think that my kids will love your berry oatmeal!
ReplyDeleteSandra, I hope it's a huge success!
ReplyDeleteOnce a person has had real, home cooked oatmeal, I don't think those packages hold a candle to the real thing.
ReplyDeleteI have really loved reading this new blog and am going to try out this berry-oatmeal combo! we like to sweeten ours with honey too....mmmmm
Mmm, sweetening with honey may be one of my favorite activities... enjoy!
ReplyDelete