Baked Oatmeal

As hard as it is for me to admit, next Fall Ryan will be heading off to college.  The question is, which college will he choose to attend?  We took a trip to south Georgia a few weeks ago to help him narrow down his search.

We visited 4 colleges in 3 days and the one he felt was the best "fit" for him was Valdosta State.  I snapped a few pictures while we were on our tour of Valdosta so I thought I would share a few with you.

You can tell why he really liked this campus.  It really is beautiful.

We have 2 more colleges to visit so even though he's getting closer, he's still not ready make a final decision quite yet.

The experience of visiting different campuses has been really fun for all of us.  The kids are getting a sneak peak into college life and Ben and I are realizing that things have changed dramatically since we were in college. 

One thing that's changed is the dining hall experience.  Meal plans vary greatly from university to university but there are certainly a lot of choices and options available to students now.  It's no longer just cafeteria style eating.  There are cafes and coffee shops and even restaurants where you can use your meal card.

Ryan will have no trouble finding food at college - that's for sure.  I'm hoping he'll wake up early to eat breakfast before class and who knows, maybe he'll even choose something healthy like oatmeal.  (Unrealistic expectations?) 

I made this baked oatmeal recipe from attunefoods.com for my family a few weeks ago and it was a hit.  Personally, I liked the grape nut and oatmeal combination. 

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bake

YIELD: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (120 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2 cups Grape Nuts cereal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
2 large eggs, whisked
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk you prefer)
1 cup (256 g) unsweetened apple sauce
Cooking spray

Optional Toppings:
chopped nuts
yogurt
raisins
diced apples
sprinkles






Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle.
Spray a 10 inch pie dish/ baking dish with cooking spray or spray 8 individual dishes.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another bowl combine wet ingredients.











Combine wet & dry ingredients.

Spoon into baking dish or dishes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes for a 10 inc pie or 20 minutes for individual dishes.  Mixture should be solid & not jiggly.

Prepare topping ingredients to customize your oatmeal.

I topped my oatmeal with apples, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.

Yum!

Ciao!