Baked Pumpkin Oats

In an attempt to become more versatile (and, yes, in order to meet my weekly quota of blogging that I established for 2013), I will try to post some recipes in order to fill the days in which I have nothing learned or witty to say.

My hubby and I subsist on a grocery budget of $300. Often less. This is without couponing (who has the time!?), and without any bargain hunting. We shop at Aldi. Although it is mildly inconvenient (bring your own bags... or forage for boxes like I do), and sometimes the greatest stressor to my Monday (bag your own groceries... don't go in with a meal plan), it has saved us literally thousands of dollars since getting married, and I'm honestly not entirely sure how non-couponing, Aldi-scorner, grocery-shopping individuals have made it all these years. Walmart is ridiculously expensive, and Target... well, Target is where I'll shop when I'm independently wealthy. (Married to a someday-pastor = not likely to happen.)

But today, as I cuddle up with a mug of my new, favorite breakfast desert, I don't even want to become wealthy... All this yumminess can be found at your near, dear (and possibly ghetto) Aldi store.

Here's what you'll need from your faithful Aldi's store:

Steel cut oats. My fav. If you don't like texture to your oatmeal, you can safely leave these out and double the oatmeal requirement... But goopy oatmeal is one of the reasons I don't like to eat it. This adds a nice nuttiness and coarseness to the blend.



I like to buy my pumpkin from cans marked "100% Pure Pumpkin." You can purchase the "pumpkin pie filling" crap, but then you're getting a lot of additives that you don't know anything about, and you have little to no say in how your final pumpkin product turns out.

 These are the quick/fast cook oats. I usually go with "Old Fashioned Oats." Once again, they just have a better texture and withstand cooking a little longer.









Honey. Need I say more? If I'm on a calorie counting binge, I use some form of artificial sweetener, but honey makes the whole compilation taste much  better.

Ingredients

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

3 TBS honey

1 cup milk

Mix the oatmeal, steel cup oats, and spices in a bowl. Add the pumpkin. Stir in honey and milk.

Spray a microwavable dish with cooking spray (I like olive oil, once again, more natural). Transfer oatmeal mixture to a microwavable dish.

Cook in microwave for 2 1/2 to 4 minutes. (Cooking time will vary with microwave and chef's preference.)

If you are NOT watching your figure, put a nice dollop of whipped cream on top of your pumpkin pie desert/breakfast! It is a large portion, so splitting it could save your waistline (taking it from ~600 calories down to ~300), and make you a favorite with your honey.

The texture will be a little grainy/nutty, and the the pumpkin/nutmeg/cinnamon/allspice combo will add a nice punch of warmth and comfort to your morning.

This breakfast is fantastically fast (you don't even need to measure the spices... just eyeball it. But be careful, allspice and nutmeg are intense little devils), and incredibly healthy. One serving packs a whalloping 20+ grams of protein and close to 100% of your daily vitamin A requirements! If anything will hold you over till lunch time, this cup o' goodness will.

A picture? Why, yes, I believe I have one of those...

Okay, what about that doesn't make you want to be a morning person? Enjoy!