A bit of catching up

Whew, finally got all the new camping gear put away, and realized I forgot to post my opinion on the Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Cereal.  Like I mentioned before, it looks like large flake oats, but in reality has 5 grains, as the name implies.

Taste wise, it was a little different than oatmeal, but not jarringly so.  Depending on the flavour additions you choose, you might not notice a difference at all.  I only added some brown sugar and chopped pecans.

The texture was a little different.  Some of the flakes obviously soften more than oats do.  It wasn't a negative though.

I'll eat it again, no problems.  The only issue some might have with it is the instructions say to simmer 10-15 minutes.  I don't think I cooked it that long (it would have burned if I had) but for anyone on a longer trip, who's worried about fuel consumption, it might be a concern.  The increase in fiber (20% of your daily recommended amount) and the addition of flaxseed boosts it's nutritional value compared to many other hot cereals, so its worth trying.

Experiment #3: Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal

Super simple.  The kids said it needed more sweetness, but I don't think adding more sugar to something that already has chocolate in it is a good idea for breakfast.

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup one minute oats
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp miniature chocolate chips

Bring the water to a boil, add oats.  Cook and stir for one minute.  Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I really like this one, but then I'm pretty much sold as soon as someone says chocolate.  Squatch agreed with me and ate his whole sample serving.  Bubbie ate about 1/16th of a teaspoons worth and said it was too bland.  I was watching her like a hawk and noted she had no chocolate in her nibble (it was way too small to call it a bite) and tried to get her to eat more.  You'd think she was two rather than almost twelve.

I tend to like my oatmeal a little less thick, and the peanut butter makes it almost pasty.  If you like your oatmeal on the runnier side, add a bit more water.

Yet again I didn't take pictures...but to be honest, it just looked like a bowl of brown goo with darker brown spots so you aren't missing much.

This was originally printed on the Better Homes and Garden's website.  Their picture is actually very nice...

Recipe experiment #1 PB&J oatmeal

As I stated in my last post, I'm hoping to try out some recipes I've found for camp meals over the winter...and hopefully make a good list of things to take with us next summer.  This first experiment was from a comment I saw on a home economics blog about making your own oatmeal packets similar to the store bought ones, only for less money. I love this idea because you can also control the sugar, and you can try other flavours that aren't available any other way.  The author said her kids loved adding a dollop of peanut butter and a dollop of jelly to their oatmeal and I thought, well that would be easy to make at camp, even when back country camping.  If you have a wholesale supply store in your area, you can buy those individual serving packets of jams and peanut butter like you get in a restaurant.  If not, next time you go out for breakfast and get toast, keep the jam packet they give you.  Restaurants aren't allowed to reuse them even if they aren't used, so it would just get thrown out anyway.  You can take peanut butter in small containers, but I'm not sure how well jam lasts at room temperature.  Of course if you are car camping, you can keep a small jar in your cooler.

PB&J Oatmeal - 1 serving

1/3 cup quick oats
2/3 cup water
1 packet peanut butter
1 packet jam or jelly of your favorite flavor.

Boil the water and add oats.  The recipe on the package of oats calls for salt, but I never add it.  It takes like 30 seconds for them to simmer to completeness, or let them sit for a minute.  Add in the jam and peanut butter, stir well.

Conclusion:  Squatch, not surprisingly, loved it, but Bubbie isn't a big fan of jam so took one tiny bite and handed me the bowl.  I think she might like it better with just peanut butter.  I will also try it with Nutella for her.  As for myself, I thought it was alright.  I wouldn't want to eat a huge bowl of it, I don't think, but it wasn't horrible.  It was easy to make, and would be easy to pack for either car camping or back country.  I also like that you don't add extra sugar, just the jam.

The great thing about taking oatmeal for breakfast is that you can easily let everyone have their own flavour choices.  I have a big list of ideas for oatmeal and how to mix it up, so keep watching for more.

If you can't find a restaurant supply store, and feel weird about smuggling jam out of a restaurant, you can order them online. There are places that sell them individually, and some that sell in bulk.  I'm trying to find one that's in Canada so the shipping isn't astronomically expensive and will post links when I come across some good sites.