There are two kinds of people in this world. People that LOVE oatmeal and people that gag at the thought of it. For the longest time, I was squarely in the camp of the oatmeal haters. I just could not get myself to love it, despite the fact that my hubby and my youngest could have the stuff 24/7/365. I kid you not, my daughter is such a creature of habit that she would eat the same breakfast and go to the same restaurant every time if you let her. They both like their oatmeal soaked overnight in a jar, with raisins, almond milk and a dollop of peanut butter. I finally realized that what bothers me about oatmeal is the mushy texture. I decided to give baked oatmeal a chance after seeing a recipe floating around, and I became a huge fan. Baked oatmeal is so much more appealing to me because it has the nice golden top and edges, with the soft center. The mix-ins add different textures too.
Baked oatmeal is life-changing stuff, I tell you! It makes a big batch, so you have leftovers to heat all week long, and it is so versatile! You can switch up the mix-ins a thousand different ways, and it won’t get old. I started off trying to put just apples and raisins, but I couldn’t help myself with all the goodies hanging out in the pantry. I added coconut and almonds for nuttiness, raisins and apples for sweetness, as well as cinnamon for warmth. You could use any milk here, but I prefer the taste of almond milk.
This is a great recipe to use for brunch with friends. I often mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, I transfer to a casserole dish and bake. Not only does this save time in the morning, the extra “marinating” time gives the ingredients time to release more flavor into the oatmeal. And….. baked oatmeal makes a wholesome, healthy and filling breakfast. Now, go forth and make some amazing oatmeal.
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 4½ cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup chopped almonds (optional)
- ½ cup shredded coconut(optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9*13 casserole dish
- In a large bowl, combine all your ingredients. Pour into the greased casserole dish
- Bake for an hour
Weekly reflection:
This morning I was reading a story in Mark that is always so fascinating to me everytime I read it. It is the story of Jesus healing the paralytic, found in Mark 2:1-12. In this story, Jesus was in Capernaum and once the people heard he was in town, they flocked to the house he was in to hear him preach. They gathered until there was no room left, not even outside the house. A group of men came, with four of them carrying their paralytic friend. They were coming, hoping that Jesus would heal their friend. Seeing that there was no room for them to get through to see Jesus, they did something extraordinary. They made an opening in the roof above Jesus and lowered their paralyzed friend on a mat. The bible says that when Jesus saw their faith, he healed the man.
There is so much to be said about these friends. These faith-filled and determined friends who would not give up because of the obstacle that was before him. They saw their friend’s suffering and made it their own. They became the instruments of change for their friend, and that is so amazing to me. I think about this every time I read that passage and pray that God would make me that kind of friend.
Yet today, something else caught my attention. I thought about the paralyzed man, and what kind of friend HE was. You see, for his friends to be willing to jump through those hurdles, they obviously loved this man dearly. He was in a very vulnerable and broken place, yet he made the choice to trust his friends, no matter what the outcome. This was a gutsy move that put him in danger, yet he trusted in his friends and piggybacked on their faith that he would be healed.
This really challenged me today, because I struggle to ask for help. I struggle to be vulnerable and let people stand with me. I do it for others in a heartbeat, yet close off when I’m the one that could use a hand. Yet this man would never have received his healing that day if he had not placed his trust in a few good friends who were willing to tear down a roof for him. My prayer today is that I would not only be the friend that would be willing to stand with others at all cost but that I would also be the friend who receives freely. The friend who lays my heart bare and lets others walk with me in my darkest hours.
Nyambici
Trusting friends…
Mandy
Love that
Polly
Love the oatmeal recipe and I soo love what you said about having good friends.
Wamuyu
Very nice!!