I don't really have a "recipe". I just like quick oats. I do mine in the microwave, not with boiling water. I like it better this way. I read someone say use milk. When pinching pennies, this is tough, try dry milk. I don't notice the difference when used in baking. I like my oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar.
There are a couple of things you can do. Try mashing up bananas or put brown sugar, butter and milk in it. Another try is Cream of Wheat. It is a tad more expensive than oatmeal, however, when you read the directions on how to prepare it you will see how little you need to use to make it.
Since you guys are really tight right now with no end in sight, you should contact WIC. If you are not familiar with them, they provide food for families with small children to ensure proper nutrition.
Good luck and I hope your husband finds work soon!
Susie, I do not know what state you live in. But you should check into the WIC program. Women, Infant,and Child program. It is based on income, and family size...
Suzanne
Hi, well our favorite way to eat it is with a spoonful of butter and a couple spoonfuls of honey. you can do the samething with rice. we also love to take hamburger brown it, boil some noodles, add it all together with cream of mushroom soup,some mushrooms, and some sour cream. it tasts just like stogenaugh. hope this helped a little.
I add brown brown sugar & maple syrup to mine. Also try adding jelly/jam for fruit flavors, & maybe applesauce(?). Have you ever tried Malt-o-Meal? It's thinner than oatmeal & you you can add the same stuff to flavor it.
Congrats, and good luck with everything.
I actually used to put jelly in it. That covered both the sweetening and the flavor.
Another thing I used to do was to put pancake syrup in it.
Also, I found that if I put the sugar in it before cooking, it takes less sugar to get the same sweetness.
One other thing I would try on the apple front is to cook the apples in some water with the cinnamon and sugar before putting it in the oatmeal. That should soften the apples so that they are more like the ones in the instant packets.
Also, on the cheap front... Cook any kind of macaroni or noodles, mix with a can of cream of anything soup (our fav is mushroom but like celery, too). If you want to add meat, ground meat or sliced up hot dogs or sliced up leftover roast works well to stir in. Sometimes we would stir in vege's, as well. To go even less expensive with the same thing, I would buy in bulk for noodles and buy the large cans of soup and then divide them up in half. Sometimes add a little milk to make the soup go farther.
I actually just posted some strategies on my blog for saving money on food. Geared at singles but still might be a little bit useful. It includes links to coupon sites.
http://coloradocrystal.blogspot.com/2009/11/saving-on-groceries.html
Hope this helps. Much success to you.
I have a ham and potato recipe. ham is expensive sometimes, but you can use those small bags of chopped up ham or even the lunch meat. other than that you just need butter potatoes flour etc. if your family would like that type of thing email me and i'll give you the recipe:). Good luck. i know it can be hard!
Have you tried steel cut oats. You may like them better. You soak them overnight in water. They are not slimy like regular oatmeal and you buy them in bulk cheaply. One of the big reasons oatmeal gets thick and yucky is over stirring and overcooking. We like ours with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and sometimes other finely chopped dried fruits. you don't have to use a lot, only 1/4c. for 6 servings. The cheapest way to make dried fruit, although it's a bit late for this year is to buy fresh fruits that are a bit overripe in the cheap section, cut them up and dry them yourself. They keep great in the freezer section. Also I find some frozen fruits are cheaper than fresh all the time. Try using couponmom and taking advantage of Albertson's specials. I know how tough it can be. We eat on a very tiny budget all the time and it does get old after awhile. Hang in there.
You got some great advice from these moms. I would also check into food stamps. They are for people who are going through a hard time.
The cheapest foods are not usually the best buy. Whole foods satisfy and stay with you for a long time. Whole grains like brown rice are not only better for you, but take longer to digest, so you're not hungry right away.
You will find this helpful: Whole Foods on a Food Stamp Budget>
http://www.babybites.info/2008/10/21/food-stamps/
My son loves it when I add a little vanilla and some banana.
Hello Susie,
Here's our recipe for oatmeal. If you want to make it more nutritious, soak it overnight.
- Put oatmeal in a bowl. Cover with water. Add 1 T. of vinegar. Soak overnight.
- In the morning, add a little water and cook as directed.
- Add raisins, cinnamon, a little salt, honey and 1-2 T. molasses. Serve with milk.
If you want more nutrition, get some quinoa at costco to add to the oatmeal. It makes everyone feel more full since it is loaded with vitamins and healthy fats. Soak it overnight with 1 T. of vinegar. Rinse it in the morning. Cook as directed: 1 C. of quinoa with 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Add it to your oatmeal.
50 responses so far! Perhaps you are too overwhelmed to even read this one, but here goes! I grew up in a really financially poor home, and my Mom worked so hard to feed us nutritious meals on the cheap. She used steel cut oats (totally different, and with powdered milk and sugar or syrup). One meal I liked then was "bean sandwhiches". Take a piece of whole wheat bread, margerine it, put baked beans on top, a couple of small slices of bacon (cooked) and a slice of cheese on it, and broil it until bubbly. She stretched that pound of bacon so that it lasted about 3 months, and it was hot and nutritious. Just a thought! I'm thinking of you. Best wishes.
I know you have a ton of responses already, but I wanted to throw one other suggestion into the mix. My family does not like rolled oatmeal very much either, but they love granola. All you have to do is mix the oats with some sugar, molassas, honey, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon or anything else you would like, then spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crispy. Much, much cheeper than most of the boxed cereals you can buy, and since you make it yourself, you can control the addition of things you don't like (such as nuts.) Great when paired with milk or yogurt, and it keeps very well for two weeks or more (if it lasts that long!)
If you are not doing so already, look into buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. Also, we have found that buying rice (brown, wild, or white) at our local asian market is much cheaper than the grocery store.
The other cheap food staple of our home is beans. We buy the dried bulk beans, and use them in everything from burritos to chili. If time is an issue, you can cook the beans ahead of time and freeze them for later use.
Finally, don't forget your local food bank, food stamps, or WIC. You are exactly the type of people they want to help!
Good luck.
Peanut butter or nut butters will add protein, also good fats to stay full longer
Thanks, everyone. I always try to stretch our food budget, so I use powdered milk in recipes. I’ll try adding it to our oatmeal, too. I did try adding milk to the oatmeal after the fact, and it helped immensely.
We love cream of wheat, but I’m looking to add some variety. And I think oatmeal is even cheaper.
Yes, I know the instant packets are full of sugar. That’s why we usually only do it while camping!
I’m looking into WIC. We did that when we were college students. Never thought we’d have to go back!