Rainy Day Baking

I convinced John to buy this obscenely large box of oatmeal at Costco the other day, assuring him that we would use it. It’s bigger than my coffee pot! I never realize how much kitchen real estate Costco shopping takes up until I get the stuff home, and did I mention that I don’t actually eat oatmeal? I will eat it in cookies other foods, but not straight up. So I flipped open my recipe binder and found a recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars that I printed way back in 2009, but never got around to trying. Today seemed like a good day.

I made some slight changes to the original recipe. Here’s how I made them. Heat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup organic butter

The original recipe called for an additional 1/4 cup of sugar. I have found that I can usually cut down on the sugar by up to half when baking without compromising the taste. Next time I make this I may reduce the sugar by more, or experiment with agave nectar. I do not use refined white sugar at all and might try replacing the brown sugar next time as well. I also used real butter instead of margarine.

Add to this bowl and mix well:

• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp almond milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Next, in a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon

I always substitute King Arthur flour for all-purpose flour when I bake, and have always had good results.

Then, in a large measuring cup, I combined:

• 3 cups uncooked oats
• 1 cup raisins

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix. Then add the oats and raisins.

Mix well and press into an ungreased pan. I also discovered that by sticking my hand into a small ziploc bag, I could press the dough into the pan without it sticking to my fingers. I hate getting food stuck all over my hands!

Sticky fingers 😦                                                             Clean fingers 🙂

    

I used a 10 x 15 Pyrex pan and baked for 25 minutes. They smelled wonderful while they were baking.

So I let them cool off for a minute or two before slicing them up. It really did yield 32 smallish bars, like the original recipe stated. The true test would be to see if the kids liked them. Phoebe inhaled 5 of them and Lily nibbled 3, so I guess that’s a thumbs up. And just as with brownies, the crunchier ones around the edges were the best!

Bottom Line: This recipe is a keeper. I definitely see making these again. They meet all my criteria for a “go-to” recipe:

• Most of the ingredients are things I normally keep on hand.
• It came together quickly, with minimal mess.
• There’s plenty of wiggle room for substitutions or add-ins : chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried cherries or cranberries, etc.
• They are versatile and can be served as a quick make-ahead breakfast or packed as a to-go snack.
• All four of us (the carnivore, the vegetarian, the picky eater, and the all day snacker) like them!

Time will tell if they store well and taste as good tomorrow or the next day.

Ok, class, here’s some homework for you. If you want to know more about the virtues of high protein, high fiber, low calorie, cholesterol lowering, humble oatmeal, check out these links:

Health Benefits of Oatmeal

Weigh Loss Benefits of Oatmeal

Ten Reasons to Eat Oatmeal

Enjoy!

~Silvana

Back To School Shopping with the Junior Fashionistas

August is here and anyone with kids knows what that means. School is just around the corner and my mailbox and e-mail are being blown up with the promise of “lowest price ever!” and the threat of “you must shop NOW!” Yes, new school year means new clothes, new shoes, new jackets, new backpacks, new supplies, and help, I’m going to need a new job to afford it all!

I do love shopping for and dressing my daughters, especially after hearing moms of boys bemoaning the lack of options in clothing. And though my girls do love dressing up, (hats and scarves and skirts, oh my!) physically shopping for them- not so much! Since both girls have grown into new sizes, a big shop on a small budget was in order.

Today’s challenge: Get as many school clothes as possible in as few stores as possible, spending no more than $200 and avoiding meltdowns at any and all costs! I had a 20% off entire kids purchase for H&M burning a hole in my pocket. I love their styles and their prices, even for me, so off we went.

I am always fascinated by how different my two girls are. Phoebe loves clothes but hates shopping, and will usually agree to anything I pick out. She’s a girly-girl and loves twirly skirts and anything pink. Lily, on the other hand, has a style all her own and a very keen eye when it comes to shopping. She knows exactly what she likes and doesn’t like. Lots of leopard print and skater/punk styles. Problem is, at not quite 6 years of age, she still gets tired and cranky in stores and wants to be carried. Not happening!

Today we had fun. I knew the clothes in H&M would be very reasonably priced, so I let them pick out most of their own stuff, gently guiding them to the sale racks, and encouraging them to choose matching pieces. Here are a few outfits we tried on:

I love the color of this skirt. It’s also pleated and so twirly!

Super cute and cool plaid pants, and this shirt was only $3! Good find, John-I’ve taught you well!

These denim jeggings were only $5 on clearance and will be perfect for still-warm September and can be worn again in the spring.

Here’s the rundown of what we got altogether:

• 7 pairs of pants
• 10 tops
• 1 dress
• 1 skirt
• 2 packs of socks
• 1 pair of tights
• 2 pairs of footless leggings
• 1 fedora hat

Check out these prices:

Total cost: $195.96! Woohoo! I saved $48.99 with my 20% coupon and got a ton of cute stuff to start the school year. One store, under budget, no meltdowns, even after trying everything on. Mission accomplished.

Savvy shopping is definitely my forte. I can sniff out a bargain a mile away.

Here are some more of my money saving tips for keeping the kids covered:

Shop off-season: During the school year, I will shop end-of-season clearance sales online (free shipping only) and buy bigger sizes for the upcoming year. For example, while shopping for sandals in early June, I found a pair of Sketchers sneakers for Phoebe on clearance for $15, originally $54.99. I grabbed them and stashed them away for fall.

Get techy: Sign up for all those e-mails and save all those coupons! Last year, I got an e-mail from Stride-Rite, advertising Glitzy Pets sneakers for $14.99, which is a steal for Stride-Rite. When I got to the store, the manager was not even aware of the sale. Thanks to my smartphone, I showed him the ad, and he honored the price. I got one pair for each of the girls and they lasted all year!

The clearance rack can be your friend: Next time you’re in Target picking up kitty litter or whatever, take a gander at the clearance rack. I picked up a really cute Harajuku shirt for Lily just the other day!

Buy year-round pieces: I try not to buy my kids really heavy sweaters or sweatshirts for the winter because the schools are always kept so warm. Instead, we stick to t-shirts and short sleeves that can be layered with hoodies or long sleeved layering pieces for versatility and warmth. T-shirts and hoodies can pretty much be worn year round unlike a heavy knit pullover sweater. Even skirts and dresses can be worn well into the cooler months, layered with leggings, heavy tights and boots.

Less is more: Don’t fall into the trap of 2-for sales. Chances are if you buy 2 or more of the same shirt or pants in different colors, just because they were on sale, one will get worn all the time and the other will hang there with the tags on it. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Give and receive hand-me-downs: Whenever Phoebe outgrows something, I save it for Lily, or I give it to friends or family with daughters younger or smaller than my own. Eventually, friends and family reciprocate. I do my best to keep my daughters’ clothes impeccably clean and in good condition, so at least someone else can use them. And as long as the clothes I receive are clean and in good condition, we have no qualms about stretching the wardrobe with “new to me” pieces.

Stockpile gift cards: When birthdays come, instead of spending them right away, save gift cards for a good sale or for when your kids really need something. We used Phoebe’s gift card for Justice today to get these high top sneakers. Combined with a 40% off sale, they only cost me $6.79 out of pocket.

So, today we learned to be fashionable and frugal. Let’s hope 4th grade homework is this simple!

~Silvana