Cinnamon Date & Pecan Baked Oatmeal

What a busy week it has been, since the last time I wrote! Between then and now, I had a major event weekend for the young alumni of the College, so I am still recovering! It's hard to believe we're already in the second week of February - it feels like it's still January, in my mind. Either way, we're about to embark on a very fully scheduled few weeks here; or rather, I am about to embark on that full schedule. In addition to normal everyday work and lessons, I will also be rehearsing and performing in a musical theatre production at a college down the road, as well as squeezing in a conference in Florida. Is that not enough to keep a girl busy? If it isn't, I don't know what is. I'm particularly looking forward to the days that look like this: regular work (8am-5pm), lessons (usually until 6:30/7), rehearsal (8-11). Whoopee! But if you aren't occupying your time with fun stuff after work, then why bother?


So this is yet another round of excuses for why the blog may be neglected. But never fear, there are plenty of great recipes heading your way! To start, I'd like to share this oatmeal recipe. Will and I have been going through breakfast phases, from just plain old yogurt and fruit to muffins and now to these. This is the first of several we plan to experiment with and so far we are pleased! These oatmeal recipes from the ever-faithful Budget Bytes are easy to make and easy to eat. Just throw in a little milk and you're set to go! Or reheat and enjoy however you'd like - up to you! Not being the biggest oatmeal person, I am happy to report that I am actually a big fan of the recipes we've tried so far. Give it a go!

Baking Notes: We subbed pecans for walnuts, since that's what we had in our cupboard! Otherwise, we made the recipe as-is. We added extra dates and pecans too, since we were trying to use up things we had on hand. The last thing we changed was the pan size, from 8x8 or 9x9 to a 9x13 casserole dish, which just meant we baked for less time!

Cinnamon Date & Pecan Baked Oatmeal (makes 16 pieces; adapted from Budget Bytes)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2+ cup dried dates
1/2+ cup pecans, chopped
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Once it is whisked smooth, add the milk and whisk until smooth again. Roughly chop the pecans and dates until they are in very small pieces, then add them to the milk mixture. Stir in the oats last, until everything is well combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish and back for 30-35 minutes, or until center is no longer wet and gooey. Allow to cool before refrigerating, to preserve. Serve with milk, yogurt or by itself and enjoy!

Recipe: Budget Bytes: Cinnamon Date and Walnut Baked Oatmeal