Oatmeal Three Ways

In the past few days,  I've used a lot of oatmeal.
Here are some great recipes  I thought I'd share,
and they use oats in three different forms - steel cut,
old fashioned and quick.

First -                  
           Overnight Steel Cut Oats

The common complaint with steel cut oats is they take too
long to cook.  They do take longer than regular oatmeal, but
they are so good.  I am thrilled to find an over night method
that makes it a breeze to have yummy oats in the morning.
You soak them overnight on the stove and in the morning all
you do is heat them up and eat. Easy!!  I call my oats
"loaded oatmeal" because I add a lot of things to it - like wheat germ,
flaxseed mill, chopped walnuts and some kind of fruit.  I add these
in the morning after I heat it up.  This morning I had this bowl of
peaches and cream oats.  It was delicious.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

1 T. butter or oil

1 cup steel cut oats

3 cups water

1/4 t. salt

1 cup milk (optional)

Heat 1 T. butter in saucepan over medium heat.

Add oats and toast in pan for about 3 minutes.

Pour in the water  and add salt.  Stir.

Bring to rolling boil.  Turn off heat and cover pan.

Leave on stove and Go to bed!

The next morning, uncover pan and bring oats

to a simmer.  If you want creamy oats, add milk

before reheating.

This makes 3 - 5 servings.  Refrigerate

leftovers and reheat on stove or

in microwave. 

Second -

              Crispy Pecan Granola

This is for those who like their cereal cold.

I discovered this  recipe right before Christmas and it made
nice gifts to give to friends.  I love this with Craisins, but you could
add any dried fruit you like or leave it plain and add fresh fruit.
Great with  yogurt or milk.

Crispy Pecan Granola

6 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups pecan halves, roughly chopped

4 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 T. vegetable oil

2 T. vanilla

dried fruit

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven

and heat oven to 300 degrees.  Spray 2 rimmed

baking sheets.  In large bowl, mix oats, pecans, 

cinnamon an salt.  In small saucepan, combine

brown sugar and 1/2 cup water.  Simmer until

sugar is melted.  Stir in oil and vanilla.  Pour over

oat mixture.  Mix well.  Divide mixture between sheets

and spread in even layer.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Switch positions of pans.  Bake another 10 - 15 min.

Cool completely in pans, then add dried fruit.

Note:  Granola may not seem crisp enough

when you take it out of the oven, but it will

crisp as it cools.

Third-

Grandma Wray's Oatmeal Cookies

This is for those who like their oatmeal in cookie form!
This is the best recipe for oatmeal cookies that I have ever had.
I am never tempted to try other recipes, because I just don't think
it could get any better. This recipe makes a large amount of
cookies.  I guess if you have six kids ( like mom did) you go
through a lot of cookies.  You could half the recipe or just
make them all and put some in the freezer.  Of course, you
could also give some to your friends and neighbors.  They
would love you for it!

Grandma Wray's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup shortening

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

2 t. vanilla

4 eggs

3 cups plain flour

2 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

6 cups instant oatmeal

Raisins or chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.

Stir in vanilla, then eggs one at a time,

beating after each addition.  Add flour,

salt and soda to creamed mixture.  Stir

in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls

2 " apart on well greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or

until lightly browned on edges. Do not

over cook.   Let sit on cookie sheet

for a couple minutes before cooling on racks.

And for those non- raisin eaters out there ( I know a few),
you can add chocolate chips instead of raisins.

Enjoy your oats!!


* Goal #23 - Try 50 new recipes.