Baked Oatmeal

Recipe From: this webpage (inspired by some I found on Pinterest, but this one uses quick oats)

Ingredients & Directions: see linked webpage above for ingredients and directions

Rating: tasty
Warming Up: warms up well
Notes:

• First off, I made half of a batch and got 3 good sized servings.
• I used bananas for the bottom layer of fruit and a frozen berry mix for the top. I also used whatever nuts I had on hand (half almonds, half pecans).
• I omitted the butter put on top, after baking, I didn't find it necessary.
• Next time I don't think I'll use bananas, probably chopped apple or peaches for bottom - or just berries for the entire thing.

WW PointsPlus*: 7 (figured using 6 servings for the whole recipe (as is - minus the butter on top) without the fruit. PointsPlus may change depending on fruit you use.)

No Bake Cookies

Recipe From: A FACS teacher I used to work with.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal


Directions:

1. Bring sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Cover, boil for one minute.
3. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. Stir until mixed and thick.
4. Drop by spoonful on waxed paper and allow to cool/harden.

Rating: Delish!
Notes:

• I used reduced fat peanut butter, skim milk, and unsalted butter.
• Recipe says this will yield about 4 dozen. I got 39 today. The size of your cookies would determine your outcome.

WW PointsPlus*: as prepared, 3

Squash Burgers

Recipe From: I modified/combined recipes from Cooking Light and a blog. (mostly from the blog)

Ingredients:
3 cups squash (I've used cubed butternut and a mixture of mashed butternut and acorn)
garbanzo beans (about 1/2 a can)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 c oatmeal
1/2 of a 1/3 c pecans

1/4 c crumbled goat cheese



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Coat butternut squash and garbanzo beans with oil and maple syrup. Bake until browned, tossing occasionally.
2. While baking, combine oatmeal and pecans in food processor and grind.
3. After squash and beans are done, cool, then blend in food processor until nearly smooth.
4. Mix in oatmeal mixture and goat cheese.
5. Preheat skillet.  Form patties. (makes about 6 large patties)
6. Cook on each side until browned.

Rating: I've tried this a couple times and each time it was a little drier than I would like, so I'll keep tweaking.
Warming Up: warms up fine.
Notes:

• Because I make this in hopes of finding one similar to the one I had at Bluephies, I serve it with pesto and a tomato.

WW PointsPlus*: without the goat cheese, 4.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

Recipe From: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients:
Crust:
4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp orange juice
cooking spray

Filling:
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (about 6 oz)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 large egg white, lightly beaten 
 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. To prepare crust - weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare filling - combine ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling.
4. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until edges are golden.
5. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Rating: A nice combination of orange and cranberry 
Notes:

• I substituted 1/8 cup of egg substitute for the egg white and used fat free sour cream.
• The recipe says it make 24 bars, but I got 15.
• A couple other options pointed out in the magazine:
• Cherry-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute dried cherries for the cranberries and use lemon rind for the orange rind.
• Maple-Date-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute chopped, pitted dates for the cranberries. Omit sugar from filling and use 2 Tbsp maple syrup and 2 Tbsp brown sugar instead.

WW Points*: 4