Summer Baked Oatmeal (gluten & dairy free)

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We just finished a family bike ride to the lake and I am exhausted.  Hauling kids and beach supplies in a bike trailer has to be a pretty great workout.  We made it to the Lake early this morning for a quick dip.  The water was cold and the sun stayed behind clouds but we have a family motto about jumping in the lake: “It’s always worth it.”  That jump in, even once, is a quick reset for my body.  It’s one of my favorite parts about living on Lake Superior.

We were all starving when we got home.  Thankfully, I was prepared and had a new baked oatmeal recipe ready on the counter! Something I’m really focusing on with recipes these days is making them budget-friendly.  I had a revelation recently.  My kids are getting older and eating more food BUT my income is not increasing along with this.  It seems unfair. :) Thankfully, I love to be creative in the kitchen so I’ll consider this my next challenge.  My kids love oatmeal and would probably eat it for every meal.  Sadly, I don’t agree, so I wanted to make something a little more interesting. Most baked oatmeal recipes are packed with sugar. My goal was to make one with good ingredients that, selfishly, I would also enjoy eating.  This recipe totally nailed it.  The fruit in it makes it taste really fresh.  You could easily mix up the fruit you use, any kind of berry would work.  I’m loving all the summer fruit that’s on sale right now so I wanted to use that up.  We ate this plain, but you could also pour a little cream or milk over the top for something different!


Summer Baked Oatmeal

9 servings

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk

1/4 c maple syrup plus 2 T

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

2 c oats

1 T chia seeds

1 c almond flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 c blueberries

1 nectarine, chopped into 1/2” pieces

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 F

  2. In a large bowl, mix the coconut milk, syrup, and vanilla.

  3. Add the eggs and whisk well to combine.

  4. Stir together the dry ingredients (salt, oats, chia seeds, almond flour, baking bowder) in another bowl and pour into the wet ingredients

  5. Stir to combine

  6. Add the blueberries and nectarines and stir to combine

  7. Pour into a greased 9x9” pan

  8. Bake for 45 min, or until knife inserted comes out clean

  9. Remove from oven and drizzle 2 T maple syrup on top

  10. Let cool slightly before serving

  11. Serve as is or pour on a little milk or cream






Paleo Spiced Pear Cake

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Today felt like winter.  Snow was falling all afternoon and it just smelled cold outside.  Daylight Savings has really made the evenings seem dark.  It’s that time of year when 6pm rolls around and I feel like I should be in bed.  I’ve been trying to get up early to walk the dog.  It feels so good to start my day with fresh air and quiet, but getting myself out of bed when it’s cold and dark takes some serious effort.  Doesn’t it just seem like we should all get extra sleep in the winter?  Couldn’t we all shorten the work day during these months so everyone could sleep in and lay under their warm covers for awhile every day?  Since this seems unlikely, I’m really trying to make healthy choices for myself.  I know I need to be active, eat well, and get out and see friends even though my body keeps trying to convince me to stay home, eat chips, and watch the Netflix Hallmark-style Christmas movies every night.  (Have you watched them?  They’re so great.).  In an effort to grow, I’ve been reading a lot about the Enneagram lately.  Check it out if you’re not familiar.  The Enneagram is a personality assessment that is highly research based, extremely thorough, and insightful.  It’s not a “Which Disney Princess Are You” online quiz or anything like that.  Many books have been written that give helpful insight into how to use your Enneagram results.  So, anyway, I am a Type 9 on the Enneagram: “The Peacemaker.”  As I read about Type 9, I’m learning ways to challenge myself to grow.  One of the most helpful pieces is recognizing how I respond to conflict and how that is perceived by my husband, a Type 1.  I know, it sounds a little cheesy when I talk about the numbers.  But it is amazing how accurate and insightful this can be.  Uncovering unseen things about yourself and the people you love is such a gift for those relationships.   Nines are also prone to sloth.  Which is probably why I have known for so long that I need to stay active and eat well to feel fully healthy.  All people do, of course, but it seems to impact my whole self on a deeper level.  So that is something I’m working through as winter approaches. Dog walks are a start. And eating well is huge. I don’t eat desserts very often. When I do make them, I prefer to make them Paleo. This cake is so delicious, no one would even notice it is grain free. It would probably be delicious with ice cream if you so desire.

Paleo Spiced Pear Cake

45 min

Makes 9x9 pan

Ingredients:

1 egg

3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 c maple syrup

1 t vanilla

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground clove

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

3 1/2 c almond flour

1 c chopped pears


Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 F

  2. In medium bowl, whisk egg and add in coconut milk and maple syrup.  Stir together.

  3. Add the olive oil and vanilla and continue to stir thoroughly.

  4. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the spices, salt, baking soda, and almond flour.

  5. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir together.

  6. Add the pears and stir until evenly distributed.

  7. Pour batter into greased 9x9” pan.

  8. Bake for 40 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

  9. Let cool in pan before serving.