This morning, our 7-year-old Sam entered our bedroom to announce that there was a pecking noise in his room.  After I woke up, moved the dog slightly, and gained my bearings, I heard Charlene explain to Sam that the sound was just the furnace heating their room.  Satisfied with the answer, Sam announced that he was headed downstairs for breakfast.

A few minutes later, I followed Sam downstairs and discovered that the thought of breakfast was soon replaced in the minds of our little ones by Saturday morning cartoons.  I now had a window of time to prepare food.  Starting our favorite oatmeal dish, I put some butter in the microwave for melting.  After the first 45 seconds, it still needed a few more seconds to fully melt.  I placed the butter back in the microwave for another 20 seconds and went about preparing other aspects of the dish.  About 19 seconds later, I heard something that is never good, when associated with a microwave.  “Pop!”  Reluctantly opening the microwave, the entire cup of melted butter appeared to have been transported to the ceiling of the microwave.  Either I had discovered the secret of teleportation or I had managed to explode an ingredient.  Sadly, it was the later.

Mopping up the butter, my mind reflected on some of the benefits of exploding butter.  The microwave would now be clean.  I got to witness butter dripping from a ceiling and how often do you get to see that?  Also, whatever dish that we now heat in the microwave will have a wonderful buttery flavor.  Yes, things were starting to look up and it all started with a “Pop!”

Charlene and I have been using this baked oatmeal recipe for years.  When served with milk and brown sugar, the baked oatmeal gains new life and a wonderfully silky texture.  The best part, no Amish were harmed during the creation of this dish.  Enjoy.

AMISH OATMEAL

3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

½ cup Butter

2 Eggs

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1½ teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

2 cups Frozen Blueberries

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Transfer to a greased 13”x9” baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Serve warm with milk and brown sugar to your liking.

 

Makes 6 plus servings.

Revised Source:  Country Woman magazine, “Amish Baked Oatmeal.”