Sarah the chef

Sarah has been able to make herself a simple bowl of oatmeal for breakfast for awhile now.  She simply measures the oats and the water into a bowl and cooks it in the microwave.  She usually adds brown sugar once it's done.

She had really hoped to have waffles for breakfast this morning, but I forgot to mix up batter last night. Oops.  She asked if pancakes were a possibility.  But I was in the middle of changing a diaper and warming a bottle and would soon be feeding a baby.  I knew that there was no way I could do something as hands-on as pancakes.  I asked her if she would just make herself a bowl of oatmeal this morning, and we could do pancakes or waffles another time.  

Sarah asked if baked oatmeal would be possible.  I knew I couldn't make it for the same reason I couldn't make pancakes--diaper, bottle, feeding--but I stopped to think for a moment before I said no. The recipe itself is pretty simple.  And I have it memorized, so I could talk her through it.  I turned the oven on to preheat, and told Sarah to grab a bowl.  She could make the oatmeal herself.

And she did.  I told her what to do, step by step, but she did it all.  All I did was take it out of the oven once it was done baking.  

It was good.  Tasted just like baked oatmeal.  ;) 

You can see her oatmeal behind her on the stovetop. 

I've posted the oatmeal recipe before I think,  but I'll go ahead and share it again, because I've changed it from the original anyway.

Baked oatmeal:

1.5 cups old-fashioned oats

0.25 cup brown sugar

hefty shake of ground cinnamon

freshly grated nutmeg to taste (Sarah skipped this step, so feel free to do so as well)

0.75 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

0.5 cup milk (or vanilla almond milk, which is what we use)

0.25 cups melted butter (sometimes I use melted coconut oil instead)

1 egg

If using regular milk rather than vanilla-flavored milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the "dry" ingredients.  In a separate bowl or container, combine the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla (the "wet team").  Mix the two thorough and put the mixture in an 8x8 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes (it's usually closer to 25 in my oven).  Serves 6 (theoretically).  

To serve, you may add milk to your bowl if you like.  Nelson and Sarah tend to do this.  Natalie and I prefer it without. So try it both ways to see which works for you.  

Enjoy!  :) 

P.s. Pardon any typos--I'm on the iPad, sitting outside in the sunshine.  So it's totally worth any mistakes that show up!