Amy's Baked Oatmeal & Chex Mix

I didn't want last week to end for many reasons. My sister Amy, brother-in-law, and niece came to Florida for a week. Blake's lovely mom came to visit us too; we just had a big time. A busy house makes me feel at home. Just when I needed some family hugs, they showed up! All of us were able to go to church together which was a little bit of heaven. We played games, read books, ate homemade Chex mix, Chocolate Bar Cake, tackled children, tackled a stormy beach day, went on power waddles/walks around the neighborhood, laughed, told stories, wiped noses, went on dates, swapped baby clothes (I'm just blown away by God's goodness), swapped maternity clothes, swapped recipes, talked about the next chapter of our lives, having our second children, and God's goodness. 

Amy is so talented! She's a teacher which I think lends to her natural inclination to read all these awesome parenting books full of tips and tricks that I've never heard of. She's a genius. Elise is just precious and you two are wonderful parents. It's a joy to still be your friend, sister, and now mommy friend. I'm tickled when I think back on the days that we used to play "house" and here we are, in a blink, actually living "house." Thanks for putting up with me, your crazy little sister. We are so blessed with these wild children, faithful husbands, and our awesome God who orchestrates it all. So much grace. I love you Pookie! We can't wait to meet baby boy in December!

thanks Google for the pic

While my sweet sister was here, she whipped up a batch of baked oatmeal. I'd never tried oatmeal baked before! Oh man. It's good. Good recipes are meant for sharing, and experimenting with. That's what is so great about this one; you can customize it without messing it up.

Basically, like most recipes, you mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet ones. Combine everything, bake it, enjoy it. We made it the night before so all we had to do was pop it in the oven the next morning. It was a delicious way for us pregnant mommas to get in some much needed nutrients early in the morning. Plus, who doesn't love a hot breakfast that smells up your house?

I also included our go-to recipe for homemade Chex Mix. I hope these two recipes bring you and your loved ones together this season. Happy Fall from Florida.

Amy's Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup preferred nut pieces, chopped
• 1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups preferred berries

Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Grease the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, half of the butter, and vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

Sanderson Sister Chex Mix

3	cups Corn Chex
3	cups Rice Chex
3	cups Wheat Chex
1	cup nuts
1	cup bite-size pretzels
1	cup Cheese-Its or Goldfish crackers
6	tablespoons butter or margarine
2	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2	teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4	teaspoon garlic powder
1/2	teaspoon onion powder (I usually double the seasons because mister Blake likes it that way) Grab three large cookie sheets and cover them with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt the butter in the microwave and then mix all the seasonings together. Pour over each arrangement of snacks, stir to evenly coat. Roast in the oven for fifteen minutes, stir, repeat until it has roasted for an hour. Let it cool. Enjoy! You can customize this recipe too :)