The Perfect Get-Going Food For A Winter Morning

By now, your winter break is probably over. That means the kids are back to school, too. We aren't sure about your house, but in this house, we're all slow to get moving on cold weather mornings. That lag often translates into running late for school, hurrying to work, and forgetting a decent breakfast.

Even if your kids are remote or hybrid learners in the ever changing school landscape that is so common this year, they're not freed from the constraints of having to get out of bed on time; most schools are tracking attendance based on what time they log in! The remote learners just have a shorter commute - from wherever they sleep to wherever the computer is kept.

Clearly this whole winter situation wasn't designed to be easy. Who really wants to get up before the sun when it's freezing out? You need something tasty to look forward to in the mornings - something that you can prepare ahead of time, and just grab and go during your busy out the door rush.

We think you might just need our special apple oat cake. It's full of fruit and grain, and it even has a little boost of protein from the addition of some nuts. (That extra protein is to help you stay feeling full.) It's also low in sugar, so you won't get that wilted sugar-crash feeling like a bowl of cereal or a muffin sometimes leaves you with.

You can bake it in an eight inch round pan and cut it up into soft triangles, or you can spread it in a thin layer on a rimmed sheet pan and cut it into crispier bars. You can keep it simple and make it the same way we did, or you can jazz it up with goodies like maple syrup or chocolate chips. Experiment with it and find what you like!

Ingredients

2 cups oats (quick cooking or old fashioned are fine, but NOT steel-cut)

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 eggs

1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or peanuts

1/4 cup dried berries or raisins

Tools

Mixing bowls, whisk or fork, measuring cups, spoon, pan (8 inch round or 13 by 9 inch sheet), aluminum foil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix together your oats and applesauce in the mixing bowl. Add your salt and baking powder and stir until both are incorporated.

Stir in your sugar, cinnamon, nuts and berries. Feel free to add other goodies here, too, like a spoonful of honey or some favorite spices.

In another bowl, whisk your two eggs lightly. We'll be adding them to the first bowl at the same time as the melted butter or margarine, so make sure you've let the heat come back down some on the butter/margarine. The last thing we want to do is end up with scrambled eggs in oats. (Certainly someone out there must like eggs and oatmeal, but we don't think they go together too well.)

Mix your whisked eggs and melted butter into the first bowl and stir thoroughly.

Line your pan with aluminum foil to help make sure everything comes out in one piece and can be cut up neatly, rather than coming out of the pan in misshapen lumps of varying sizes.

Pour your oat mixture (we hesitate to call this a batter, as it's quite thick and rather lumpy) into the pan you prepared. Smooth it down with a spoon and nudge it into the corners or up to the edges of the pan - it won't spread very much on its own.

Once it's nice and level in the pan, place it in the oven on the middle rack. For a round pan, it should take about 40 minutes. If you used a sheet pan, cut that time down to about 25 minutes and check it frequently to avoid burning the bottom or edges.

Once a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, and the center of the cake looks solid and lightly browned, it's ready to come out of the oven.

Allow it to cool for eight to 10 minutes before using the aluminum foil to lift it up from the pan and place it on the counter. Cut into slices or bars, whichever you like.

Store in an airtight Tupperware, wrapped in plastic wrap, or wrapped in aluminum foil. They'll keep up to four days at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze them, and then pop them in the toaster oven in the morning. They're pretty tasty if lightly toasted and buttered or drizzled with melted peanut butter.

Sure, it's not quite as alluring as visiting the local drive through, but it's more convenient! And it might make you feel a little better about your progress on those new years resolutions. Let us know what you’re planning for year ahead over on our Facebook page, or in the comments below. 

If your appliances are giving you fits, don’t forget that we’re here to help. Whether you need someone to take a look at your oven, or you just want some maintenance tips for your dryer, we aim to be the best. For you and all of our clients in the Coppell area, Appliance Rescue Service is just a call or click away. 

Call us at (214) 599-0055