Sundays in our Farm House…

Sundays in our Farm House…

Every Sunday we operate at a slower pace.  The bus isn’t leaving at 7:15, lunches don’t need to be packed, and there is time for reading a book or two with the Mini Me in the corner of the couch or the Mini Farmer Boy in the recliner.  Sometimes the Mini’s and I watch “Sunday Morning” and then hustle into clothes and hair for church. 

You’ll notice that there is no mention of my husband in this routine.  That is because the Farmer Boy farms.  We have sows and cows and their offspring and while we honor the Biblical commandment to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, the livestock still needs to be checked and fed. 

Every Sunday the Farmer Boy gets out of our warm bed, gives me a quick kiss as I drift back to sleep, gets dressed and heads to the farm.  His Sunday farm routine doesn’t always include breakfast because the Farmer Boy isn’t a breakfast man, especially first thing in the morning.  Both of us have been that way – food first thing just doesn’t sound like a good idea.  I think you are either a breakfast person or not.  We typically are not.

Now that we are firmly in our middle age, our eating patterns are changing a little and by the time we get home from church it can be early afternoon before we eat. Our family does not tolerate being hungry very well.  I like that slower pace on Sunday mornings, so anything I fix should be something I can put in the oven and forget while I get ready or am enjoying those Sunday morning moments with the Minis. I’m also aware that my husband who so carefully cares for the livestock and our family and makes worshiping with us a priority deserves something that show I appreciate his efforts when he gets home.

Enter Baked Oatmeal.  It is filling, warm and tasty with a cup of dark coffee.  Bonus is that the Farmer doesn't mind eating it when he gets home from the farm.  If the kids don’t eat it, it warms up pretty well for breakfasts or office lunch for the first part of the week.

Baked Oatmeal

The Groceries:

2 C Quick Oats

¼ C Brown Sugar

½ C Sliced Almonds

1/2-1 Cup sour cherries

1 Large Apple grated with the skin on

4 Cups Milk

½ t Vanilla

¾ t Almond Flavoring

Process:

Combine Oats, Brown Sugar and ¼ cup of the sliced almonds (reserving ¼ cup for sprinkling across the tops of the dish before baking) and stir in the wet ingredients and cherries.  Pour into a very well buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining almonds across the top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-45 minutes. Serve warm with 1/2n1/2 or whole milk in a bowl.

Note: You can use Old Fashioned Rolled Oats or Steel Cut Oatmeal in this recipe. I rarely have them in my pantry, so I just use the quick oats.  It will have a nutty flavor and will take an extra 20-30 minutes to bake.