It's clear that something needs to be done about the breakfast situation around here.
We usually have boring cereal during the week (corn flakes, rice krispies, Cheerios), with some kind of sugary cereal on Saturdays (they love to pick out The Saturday Cereal at the store). But because breakfast cereal is, essentially, a bowlful of empty calories, they're hungry again and begging for snacks within an hour of finishing. I can't afford to feed them all day every day, but if they're genuinely hungry I can't just say no.
I'm trying to make breakfast a bit more substantial, hoping to get them through to 10:00 before they're begging for a snack. Oatmeal and sausage this morning, eggs and toast tomorrow. I'd love some more suggestions!
If you haven't ever made oatmeal on your stove top, you really should try it. It's easy and doesn't take much longer than instant. You can buy old fashioned oats for much cheaper in the bulk foods section than buying a bucket of something off the cereal aisle shelf.
I add flax meal (so good for you!) and brown sugar, but you could do whatever you want. Leave it plain and add your own strawberry jam or other favorite fruit preserve. Or smash a few bananas into the pan with maple syrup and a few sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg. Today we had brown sugar and some chopped up breakfast sausage mixed in. Yummmmm.
Oatmeal done on the stove top also freezes very well. When Jonah was a baby, I'd make a big batch and freeze it in Jonah-sized portions.
Stove Top Oatmeal with flax and brown sugar
3 cups liquid (I usually do 1 cup milk and 2 cups water)
2 cups old fashioned oats (not the quick cooking kind)
3 Tablespoons flax meal
5 Tablespoons brown sugar
Bring liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add oats and stir. Keep stirring occasionally until oats are almost done, about 5 minutes. Add flax meal and brown sugar and stir until flax is well incorporated. Serve hot.
Variations:
* Smashed bananas with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar
* Strawberry jam, or your other favorite preserves
* Maple syrup and brown sugar with a few shakes of cinnamon
* Honey and peaches
3 comments:
We eat lots of oatmeal here too. :) I'll have to try the flax idea out, seeing as I hide it in lots of other things too! Lunch is where I fail. I have a hard time feeling motivated to bother with it for myself . . . much less for the rest of the gang.
Ugh. Lunch. Ask Ashley, I dread lunchtime every day. We used to have leftovers from the night before, but the older the children get, the fewer leftovers we have. And I haven't adjusted my plans to account for it. Sooooo... yeah. Lunchtime.
On a happy note, yesterday's oatmeal and sausage kept the children full all morning. They didn't mention food until it was almost time for lunch!
I've heard of people doing oatmeal in the crockpot and starting it the night before so it is toasty hot and ready for everyone in the morning. I don't have a recipe, but you could prob google one. I'd do it around here, but I think it makes 4+ servings and there's not enough people at this house to eat it all in the am. Might be a timesaver?
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