Baked Oatmeal

I loved hearing your thoughts on traditions versus ruts. You all made me feel better about serving the same meals to my family - as long as it is done in love and received with joy!

For the past year or so, we have been having baked oatmeal on Sunday mornings. Unlike regular cooked oatmeal, which is eaten reluctantly, everyone at our house loves baked oatmeal. I like to choose a Sunday morning menu that is eaten quickly and also has quick clean up. Boxed cereal, the Sunday morning breakfast that I grew up with, is super simple. But it doesn't last long in my children's tummy. Oatmeal has staying power and helps ward off the cranky hunger pangs, at least until we get home from church.

I'm going to share two slightly different recipes. They are almost identical, but I'm separating them to keep from being confusing. The first is mixed in the morning and baked immediately. The second recipe has the oatmeal soaked overnight in milk and an acid ingredient. If you are familiar with Nourishing Traditions, you'll recognize this method as one that some prefer to increase the digestibility of grains. I usually soak the oats, because it is simple, tastes good, and has become part of my Saturday routine. I have no idea if it is actually healthier. Try both and see which your family likes best.

And yes, I'm picky about my oatmeal. Sometimes I prefer quick oats, and other times the old fashioned rolled oats. I hate to keep both on hand, so I only buy rolled oats (in 25 lb bags) and if I want quick oats, give it a light chop in my hand chopper.

 Baked Oatmeal


3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk
1/4 cup  butter
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups raisins - optional
2 cups chopped apples - optional

Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve with milk.


Soaked  Baked Oatmeal


3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup milk
1 T yogurt, kefir, vinegar, or lemon juice
1/2 cup honey 
1/4 cup  butter
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups raisins - optional

2 cups chopped apples - optional

In the evening, mix oats, milk and whatever acid ingredient you prefer. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature overnight.

In the morning, mix all ingredients together and stir well. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve with milk.

Rut or Tradition

What is the difference between a rut and a tradition?

Soon after we married I read Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer. I loved the inspiration for homemaking with love and creativity. But one comment I've never been sure I agreed with.

"It seems to me totally unnecessary for any home, or even institution, to fall into the rut of serving the same thing the same day each week. One should not be able to say, 'oh yes, Monday, bread pudding' anywhere. Meals should be a surprise, and should show imagination." 

I think I understand the author's goal in encouraging creativity, but don't we look back with good memories at the traditions of our home?

My husband fondly recalls eating bran muffins every Saturday night. At my parent's home, the Saturday night tradition is pizza. Soon after we married, we somehow started making waffles every Wednesday and now I have mutiny on my hands if I forget what day of the week it is.

Maybe we are boring, but my family appears to thrive on a weekly routine.  I love having a few meals each week that I don't have to decide what to make. If I'm thinking ahead, I can even prep the day before.

Think of all the holiday traditions when we MUST have the same menu year after year after year. Is that a "rut"?

Is the key serving things we enjoy? If my family hated pizza or waffles, eating them every week would be drudgery not a treat.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you have menus you repeat regularly? Does your family mind?

Tomorrow I will share our Sunday morning tradition. Or maybe rut. You choose.

Book Sale Treasures

In the past month, I've visited four used book sales. The fall book sale season is officially over. Now I can only dream of spring - or tackle my towering stack of books.

I know I'm possibly unbalanced, but I can hardly think of a more fun entertainment than visiting a good used book sale. I hate shopping, despise the mall, and don't get excited about yard sales. But give me a couple tables full of musty books, and I'm thrilled. And if it is a large well organized book sale and I can get there to stand in line before the doors open, that is true bliss!

This year I went to nine book sales. That number includes visits to the book shelves at the Goodwill. I visited more sales than normal this year mostly because my children are now old enough to go with me. As much as I like book sales, I couldn't justify getting a babysitter for every book sale. The children are learning that book sales are real treats. They will usually find a book to look at and crawl under a table out of the way until mom is finished shopping.

Most of the book sales I visited several hours, or even days, after opening. The best books do leave in the first hour but what I think is best may differ from another and I still manage to find some treasures. Some sales have such crowds that I would never attempt to take my children with me in the first hour. If you are looking for book sales in your area, I give hints here.

Are book sales worthwhile? If you are a bookaholic, I would say "YES!" We have been able to stock our family library very inexpensively thanks to book sales. This year at used book sales I bought 211 books and spent $123.70. That comes to 59 cents a book. I call that a bargain. Children's picture books and classics are easy to find at used book sales. I've also found many books to supplement our homeschool.

You could look at our loaded bookshelves and argue that we don't NEED any more books. And you would be correct, more books are not a necessity for living. But how else can you get hours of entertainment from just over a $100.00?

Sometimes I pick up a book that I don't know much about, and when reading it at home, decide it isn't worth keeping. Other times I don't remember if we own a particular book. And sometimes I pick up books on purpose that I know I have but can share with others. Many of these extra books I swap on Paperback Swap for credit to order free books. If you love books, and don't do Paperback Swap, you are missing a great source of cheap books. I am constantly amazed at the great books I can order from Paperback Swap. It just takes patience to wait for the book you want to become available.

Do you visit used book sales? Please someone tell me I'm not the only book obsessed person!

November in My Garden

Funny how excited I am to start gardening in the spring, and how relieved I am to finish in the fall. I already miss the fresh vegetables but we have plenty of vegetables and fruits preserved in the basement to last until spring. Right now I'm in the mood to sit by the fire and read to the children for half a day instead of pulling weeds.


I didn't do well at planting a fall garden this year, so our garden ended earlier than usual. Some years I would still have broccoli, carrots, and lettuce in November. I feel bad about it until I remember our summer and realize that sometimes there comes a limit to what a person can get done, even if that is only throwing some seeds in the ground. And there is always next year.

My November goals are all about making next year easier. A good mulch job now will help perennials make it through the winter and make spring clean up a breeze. Writing down some notes will help in planning for next year. Organizing my garden tools will extend their life and save time in the spring.

November "To Do" List

1. Drain garden hoses and store for winter.

2. Clean and sharpen tools and organize the garden shed.

3. Empty, clean and carry in the pots for winter.

4. Mulch or compost leaves.

5. Write down notes on this year's garden - a project I should have been doing all season since I probably already forgot a lot.

In the next week, I plan to share my 2011 Garden Year In Review with some lessons I learned and things I plan to do differently next year.

Is your garden done for the year?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Tomorrow is the last day of the giveaway from Homemaid Expressions. Have you signed up?

Thanks to each one who joined in the discussion on using homemade detergent in high efficiency washing machines. I learn so much from you!


I thought I should share the recipe I use for homemade laundry detergent. There is so many recipes on the web. I have tried the cooked recipe and the shredded soap bar recipe in the past. They worked but the recipe I've been using for nearly a year now is the simplest I've found. I keep the ingredients handy, and when I run out, it takes only minutes to dump it together, give it a stir, and we are back laundering clothes.

I've tested this recipe on very dirty muddy clothing this summer. I won't say that it will remove every stain, but it does a better job than many detergents. I figure any soap that can make cloth diapers smell sweet is doing a good job!

For a short while last spring, I used a bought detergents since I was given a box. Immediately, my dish clothes started to stink again. Ed wanted me to throw out the bought stuff and go back to homemade.

All ingredients can be found in the laundry department of larger grocery stores.

Homemade Laundry Detergent


1 box (55 oz) Arm and Hammer Super washing soda
1/2 cup Mule Team borax
2 cup oxygen cleaner (such as Oxyclean)
1/2 cup Calgon water softening powder

Mix together. Use 1/8 cup per load.

Question - Front Loading Washing Machine

Yesterday my washing machine died. I know great-grandma did, but I didn't think I could survive long without a washing machine.

Thankfully my husband agreed.

Tonight Ed brought home a barely used Whirlpool front loading washing machine.  We tried it out tonight. The children were fascinated. Can you tell we don't have TV?

According to the manual you MUST use HE high efficiency detergent, because it is has low suds.

My question: Can I use my homemade detergent? It is low sudsing. (Is that a word?) I love my homemade detergent and hate to go back to buying it.

Anyone have experience with front loading washers?

Bread Questions

I'm hoping to get back to writing about bread, finally finishing the series I began in the spring.

I plan to answer some of the questions you have asked about sourdough. If you have been wanting to start baking with sourdough, now is a great time to begin a starter!

I'd love to hear your questions to add to future posts. What bread baking problems would you like addressed? I won't promise to know it all, but I'd be glad to try!