Save Money At Breakfast

You can save a lot of money if you switch to eating oatmeal for breakfast and with these recipes you can make it an enjoyable experience ,too.

Instant Oatmeal Packets

3 cups oats (quick cooking works best)
salt
8 small zip-like baggies

Process ½ cup oats in a blender (or 1 cup oats in a food processor) on high until powdery. Set aside. Repeat with additional ½ cup oats if using blender. Put the following into each baggie: 1/4 cup regular oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Store in an airtight container.

To serve, empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. Adjust water amount for thicker or thinner oatmeal.

Try some of the following variations:

Sweetened Oatmeal: Add 1 T. sugar

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal: Add 1 T. brown sugar and 1/4 t. cinnamon

Raisins and Brown Sugar: Add 1 T. packed brown sugar and 1 T. raisins.

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal: Add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, & 2 T. Chopped dried apples

Fruit and Cream Oatmeal: Add 1 T. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 T. dried fruit

Health Nut Oatmeal: Add 2 T. any kind of wheat germ

Chewy Granola Bars

3 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla
2/3 cup butter, softened
½ cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips or M&Ms
Optional: raisins, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine vanilla, butter, honey, and brown sugar; add to oat mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Lightly press mixture into the pan with the back of your spoon. Bake at 325 for 22 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

If you cook oatmeal in milk rather than water, the oatmeal will taste creamier. Apple juice, peach syrup, or mixed fruit juice, or even a combination of juices and milk make wonderful new flavors without having to add much extra (if any) sweetener. Cinnamon and nutmeg with chopped apples make a delicious combination. Use your imagination to add whatever you like. (Once, I added hot chocolate mix. That was good!)One last tip for saving money at breakfast: use powdered milk either in part or whole to save money. When powdered milk is cold, you hardly notice a difference, especially on cereal or in recipes. If you think your family will be skeptical about drinking powdered milk, mix it with regular milk. I've served powdered milk with cereal to extended family, and when asked about it later, they never noticed the difference.

Even if your family doesn't want to drink powdered milk, keep some on hand for using in recipes. An added benefit to using powdered milk is convenience. I don't have to run to the store each week for fresh milk since I buy powdered milk in large quantities and make as needed.Download our free toolbar