OK, so this is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts, both to eat and to make. I just made some this morning, in fact.

Baked Oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375°. Boil together: 

• 4 cups water
• 1 t. salt

Mix together separately:

• 3 c. quick oats
• 1/2 c. soymilk powder (I suppose you could use regular milk powder)
• 1/2 c. coconut
• 3/4 c. chopped dates
• 1/4 c. oil

Mix dry ingredients together with boiling water. Pour into a casserole dish. I like to sprinkle it with a few pecans, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes – 1 hr. (Depends on how browned you like it.) Once again, a low (predominately natural) sugar breakfast! (I use sweetened coconut, and the dates sweeten the oatmeal beautifully.)

This was one of my favorites as a kid. Once, my parents had a brunch birthday party for me and I requested this dish, along with some other food (I don’t remember what). I don’t think my fruit-loop-lovin’ friends loved it as much as I did, but oh well. Honestly, this is a really wonderful dish. If your family enjoys eating naturally, this just might be awesome for them! If they don’t, well, they can adjust.

Note: I also come from the same family where my younger brother announced in his church class, when asked what his favorite food was, that he loved cauliflower! The other parents looked at him in shock/ horror/ veiled distain, and then at my mom (as if to say, “what?! your kid likes cauliflower… how do you get him to eat it… do you bribe him… bla bla bla…“), who tried not to laugh, and nodded her head. Coming soon… the famous cauliflower recipe!