Baked Blueberry and Banana Oatmeal

Hi, Everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend! I have a great new recipe for you today! As I've mentioned before, I've been trying to come up with new ways to get myself to start my day off right, and to eat a healthy breakfast. I like incorporating oats into my breakfast, because they are a good source of fiber and protein, which means they get your body going and give you energy for the morning. I never have an appetite in the morning, so I need to trick my body into thinking it's hungry by preparing something delicious... like this Baked Blueberry and Banana Oatmeal! I never have regular oatmeal for breakfast because I don't like it at all, but this baked oatmeal is so good! It's sweet, smooth and chewy, and warm from the cinnamon, with an unexpected burst of freshness from the blueberries! Not to mention that it makes your kitchen smell like warm gooey oatmeal cookies in the morning! And besides it being a really tasty breakfast, it's also good for you. Oats are a great source of protein, and contain Vitamin E, zinc, iron, magnesium and other nutrients, they reduce harmful cholesterol, and they are a good way to get fiber into your diet. As for the fruit in the recipe, blueberries are antioxidants, and bananas are a great source of potassium.... an awesome breakfast treat! If you're looking for something different to make for breakfast this week, try this!

BLUEBERRY BANANA

BAKED OATMEAL

*Makes 8 servings*

YOU WILL NEED:

2 1/4 cups rolled oats (uncooked)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups fat free milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 medium sized banana, mashed

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

*Other things you could add: dried fruit, raisins, nuts, honey (instead of brown sugar)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir well. Preheat your oven to 375 deg F and grease your baking pan (I used an 8x10 inch pan).

2. Next, in a different, smaller bowl, whisk together milk, egg and vanilla, then pour that into the oat mixture, and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Mash your banana and add it to the bowl, and then at the very end, add the blueberries and stir carefully so you don't smash them.

3. Pour the oatmeal mixture into your greased baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles. Serve warm with some fruit, or in a bowl with some milk and fruit!

And that's it! So quick and easy! I like to make a pan of this baked oatmeal at the beginning of the week, and then heat up a portion every morning. I hope you like it as much as I do! Also, did you notice the my beautiful tulip covered tablecloth?? My mom made it for me, she is very talented with cross stitch embroidery, and makes the most beautiful pictures and tablecloths! This one is one of my favorites, and I love using it for spring and Easter! I found some beautiful yellowish red tulips at the store the other day, and love that they look just like the ones on the tablecloth! I'm so glad that spring is finally on its way, it's my favorite season! I hope you all have a great rest of your week, thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Happy Baking, Everyone!

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