Leftover Oatmeal Transformed
After going through the trouble of making yogurt to save a jar of whey, buying from a co-op 50 pound bags of organic oat groats, rolling it into oatmeal, soaking the grain overnight in the whey mixture, cooking it and adding organic butter and coconut oil… I can not bear to throw the stuff away. It goes against every frugal, there-are-children-starving-in-this-world and…don’t-you-know-how-hard-Dad-worked-to-pay-for-it bone in my body to just toss it.
So the experiments began. I would add the oatmeal to my bread dough, but never could get it to stay light. I journeyed through adding it to homemade pancake batter, homemade biscuit dough and cookie dough. Some of those experiments were fair, but we were still searching for *just* the right use for this pale, cold and slimy bit of what could potentially be yummy-healthy goodness.
Enter Peanut Butter Bars. An old La Leche League cookbook recipe I made in ages past called for rolled oats, soaked in boiling water for a bit before adding to the recipe. I looked at the leftover oatmeal and thought,”This has been in boiling water quite a bit…let’s try it.” So, without further adieu, we share with you our new, tried-and-true, we’d-almost-make-extra-oatmeal-just-to-have-for-this…recipe.
Peanut Butter Bars with Leftover Oatmeal
2 cups leftover oatmeal, cold and slimy is fine
1/2 cup butter, softened (coconut oil is also yum)
1 cup sweetener…sugar, sucanat, etc….(or honey- if you half the amount, and it doesn’t get the batter too moist)
1 egg
1 cup whole grain flour…wheat, spelt, etc….(Yes, these work with rice flour if you need!)(maybe a bit of extra flour if you used honey to sweeten)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup peanut butter (we like this better doubled)
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream butter, sweetener and eggs in a bowl. (The boys like to squoosh this with their well-washed hands.) Add oats and other ingredients; mix well. Spread into greased 9×13″ baking pan. Bake at 350′ for 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack; cut into bars. Yield 18(small) servings.
We have also served this hot, scooped into bowls with cold milk either on top or in a glass beside. It is so yummy for breakfast. The texture seems to be a bit different each time we make it, my guess is because of the varying amount of butter and sugar we add to the original oatmeal pot. It makes great snack bars, or with a few chocolate chips mixed into the batter, a very rich dessert bar for crowds. (We have found that tripling this makes two very full jelly-roll pans full.)
Enjoy!
For more frugal ideas, head over to Crystal’s place for her Frugal Friday post!
Posted: January 18th, 2008 under Meme-ish-ness, Recipes & Kitchen Fun, Frugality & Stewardship.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from Laura@heavenly homemakers
Time: January 18, 2008, 10:12 am
Sounds like you cook a lot like I do at my house! Great job coming up with a good way to use your leftover whey soaked organic butter and organic coconut oil oatmeal!
Comment from Sombra
Time: January 18, 2008, 11:43 am
If you want to try porridge bread again, I made this one this week
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
(set to start)
1 cup cooked porridge
2 cups scalded milk
(break apart the cold porridge into the warm milk add:)
3 tablespoons fat (it calls for lard or bacon drippings.. but YUCK, not kosher, I used butter)
2-3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
5-7 cups all purpose flour (This is a Canadian recipe, so that flour measurement might be off, you have to feel the dough to know how much is right. I made mine really wet and spongy and it was great)
Bake 375 for 30 minutes
Comment from Robin @ Heart of Wisdom
Time: January 19, 2008, 1:51 pm
Neat idea. We just finished making Snickerdoodles with oatmeal (raw not left over.) I’m printining out this recipe to keep in my kitchen for the next leftover oatmeal breakfast.
Congratulations! This morning I awarded you the EXCELLENT BLOG AWARD. You can pick up the award at http://heartofwisdom.com/heartathome
Thank you for all your encouraging post.
Comment from Holly
Time: January 25, 2008, 9:26 am
Good gravy, Julie. I have THE VERY THING left over in my fridge…wondering what to do with it! Thanks, Sweetie! 
And sometimes…(shhhhh)….I think…WHAT A PROCESS! The rolling, the soaking, the making of the yogurt to get the whey…blah blah blah…WOW! It sure is EASIER to buy a box of cereal! (Don’t hurt me…just ruminating about the way we do things around our house…)
And regarding your post above…thanks so much! Didn’t I just send you a letter saying…”I can’t do everything that I know I need to do, should be doing…that I know is best and healthiest?” And you, of course, remind me that my daughter is two months old! We must keep things in perspective, and know that balance will return.
I am praying for your nausea - praying every day.
Love to you -
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: January 25, 2008, 11:27 am
Of course it’s easier to buy the cereal… but by the time I buy the oats (to have sitting there making me feel guilty), there’s no room in the grocery budget for cereal.
So I get myself stuck into doing it.
Comment from Holly
Time: January 26, 2008, 8:57 pm
Oh. AS I re-read what I wrote, it sounds like I buy the box of cereal.
I don’t. I do the same thing you do. I was just saying….Goodness, wouldn’t it be easy if I COULD buy the box?
Instead, we buy oatmeal in 25 lb bags…make the yogurt, make the whey, etc.
Sorry if I was confusing!
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: January 26, 2008, 9:39 pm
Did I mention how much…(especially lately) I have dreamed of having a magical stash of dry cereal appearing in my pantry?
There are times I wish I never read Nourishing Traditions. What you don’t know can’t hurt ya, right? Right???? Hee Hee
Thanks for praying, Girlie. This morning I brushed my teeth without throwing up for the first time in a while…. It’s a SIGN!!!!!!!!! (I hope.)
Comment from Holly
Time: January 26, 2008, 11:26 pm
Ack. I know. But now, I have this info in my head, and my children call boxed cereal “cardboard bits….”
And I want to say, “But don’t you like cardboard bits?” (teasingly, of course….)
But no…we JOYFULLY eat lots of oats.
And btw, we had this recipe tonight. YUMMY! It dresses up old oats quite nicely! I put a little carob powder in one batch - that tasted great too!
Comment from Heather
Time: February 22, 2008, 7:55 pm
Visiting from Seeking Faithfulness. She recommended these “breakfast bars” and just when the kids were asking for dinner so….we just made them and the kids are having them with a side of fruit salad and mixed veggies. They are a definite hit on this cold snowy day. Thank you.
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Time: February 22, 2008, 8:29 pm
[…] set out a small bowl of mixed veggies. Then, while they were getting everything set I whipped up this fabulous recipe that Holly linked to. It was a hit. Yes, I encourage my kids to play with their […]
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