Oatmeal Patties--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

This week's healthy, inexpensive recipe is brought to you in response to a FB question from my friend Pam.  Their family ends up traveling together quite a bit at meal times, and she was looking for some variety of something to put in sandwiches instead of only peanut butter and jelly.  I understand this need so very well!  If you do not eat meat, you can do things like cheese and egg salad for variety--but once I had to cut out dairy from my life, well, it became a choice of peanut butter and jelly or jelly and peanut butter! :)  I LIKE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches--I really do--just not all the time!  And while my tongue loves the taste of some of the meat substitutes out there--my pocket book does NOT like the expense and besides that a lot of them are not really all that healthy.  Just look at the long list of ingredients--if you can't pronounce it, it probably isn't good for you to eat!

ANYWAY, so came about my own personal search for things to stuff into sandwiches that were both healthy and--as always--I wanted them to be cheap as well.  Today's recipe definitely fills both of these requirements.  So instead of sharing the recipe only with Pam, I thought I would post it here on my little blog in case others would like it as well.  I hope your family ends up loving it as much as my family does!

~Susan

 Oatmeal Patties

2 cups water

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sage

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups quick oats

Combine water and seasonings in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add oats and turn heat down to medium. Cook for around 5 minutes until it is thick, stirring constantly.  You are basically making oatmeal--just for the water, you are using seasoned water.  

Remove from the burner and use two spoons to shape into the size patties you want.  Most of the time I make smaller patties and use them on small rolls that I make, but this time I was wanting to use them with regular sliced bread sandwiches, so I made them larger.  I use nonstick baking sheets in my pans.  If you do not have these, just give your pans a quick spray of nonstick spray.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly browned on the bottom.  If you try and flip them over and they are still soft like oatmeal, they need to bake longer.  Once they are brown on the bottom, flip them over and bake 15 minutes longer.  In the above picture, the patties closest to me have not been flipped over yet, the patties farther away from me have already been flipped.

And there you have it.  Yummy Oat Patties, fresh from the oven!  The above picture shows this recipe doubled, as I like having enough for my little family to eat for two meals.  I enjoy cooking--but I am so busy all the time that having leftovers the next day is a real blessing.  I love these in sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and a bit of onion--yum!  You can also tear them into smaller pieces and add into any pasta dish for extra yummyness! 

These patties freeze great! And remember--eating healthy does not have to cost a lot!

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Good Morning Everyone!

We studied this hymn in homeschool today, and this version with pictures was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with you! :). Hope you like it as much as I do!

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Enjoy!
~Susan

Virtual Field Trip--Washington New Hampshire church (Part 2)

Hi Everyone!

It's a chilly day today in my corner of the woods, but that doesn't mean we can't go on a field trip!  Especially when we can take that field trip while curled up next to the wood stove fire!  Today my son Austin is guest posting over at a site especially for Seventh-day Adventist homeschoolers, so if you would like to take a fun trip grab your mug of hot chocolate and come along with us as we finish our tour of the Washington, New Hampshire church and learn more about why it is important in Adventist history!

Washington, New Hampshire church (Part 2)

Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart

Photo Credit:  Jody Ohlsen Collins--used by permission

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

I hope you are having a chance to rest and spend some time with God today.  I love the Sabbath!  It is, in my opinion, the very very best day of the week.  A time we can say STOP to our crazy-busy lives, a pause in time, a weekly holiday with our Creator and Redeemer.  And we don't have to feel guilty about not doing or working during these sacred hours, because our Creator actually TELLS us to pause and rest.  He tells us the most important thing we can DO is to BE with Him--it is not an achievement we must strive harder and better for.  He just wants to spend time with us--because He loves us.  Breathe.  In.  Out.  In.  Out.  Sigh. . . Can't you just FEEL the stress of the week start to depart?

Anyway, I wanted to take a moment and tell you all about the new memory challenge I am participating in.  It actually started this past Monday, so I am a bit late in sharing about it, but it is still not to late to join us if you would like to!  :)

We will be memorizing Psalm 27--the whole chapter, but it is not too long and our pace will be a very doable one verse a week.  We will even be taking off for Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, since often we are so busy with extra activities during those times.  Anyway, so even though this first week is already over, it would be super easy to hop in and join us--and I promise that you will be blessed!

If you are at all intrigued, hop over to the Do Not Depart site and read all about it.  You can find the link here: Memorize Psalm 27
Also at that link you can find free resources to print off and help you in memorizing.  I have especially been helped by the first letter helps.  I like to print out the chapter I am working on, and then print out the first letter helps, and then glue them back to back with glue stick.  Then I run them through my little laminator--this is not necessary, but is only because my background is teaching and I can't help myself.  I love laminating things! ;)  Anyway, that copy I can carry around and ask my daughter to quiz me sometimes--I turn the sheet with the first letter helps on my side, and the full chapter on her side, and she checks me as I recite my verses.  I also laminate the chapter and post it in my shower, then laminate the first letter helps and post those on the opposite shower wall.  I have found this as a good way to review myself every day when I am getting clean.  Soap washes on the outside--God's Word washes on the inside! ;)  You would be amazed at how much you can learn just reviewing each day in the shower!  And I am going to be standing in the shower anyway, I might as well make good use of the time!

Well, that's it for this little invitation.  Go read all about it at the link I gave you--it really won't be as hard as you think, and I promise you will be super blessed!  Don't worry about whether you can finish the entire chapter or not.  Each verse of God's Word that is hidden in your heart will be a blessing--so I hope you will consider joining me! :)

~Susan

Light Oat Waffles--Healthy Eating Makes Cents!

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you for all the positive responses on my Carrot Soup recipe I posted last week!  You all are a brave lot, because so many of you were very excited about trying that recipe--and "Carrot Soup" just isn't a commonly heard of type of soup!  But I hope you do try it and love it as much as I do.

Ever since posting that recipe last week, I have been dutifully taking pictures of different foods as I make them--because, quite frankly, almost ALL of the foods I make on a regular basis are on the economical side of things. . . So I have the recipes and I have the pictures--what I do not usually have is the time to post!  But I thought I would try and make some time this morning, so am posting this even as I am at this moment munching happily away on my plateful of Oat Waffles! :)  The one picture you won't see is a waffle all arranged in a pretty way on a plate and ready to eat.  Why?  Because I ate it--and then thought about that final picture!  But there will be enough pictures to help you know if you want to make these or not, and what stages should look like if you do decide to.  :)

So here it is--my VERY easy famous oat waffle recipe. . . alright, so it may only be famous in my own house, but it certainly IS famous around here! :)  As far as amounts go, I normally will double the recipe amounts, two different times, so in reality I am making four batches of this recipe.  This is to feed four people as a meal, and our family is really three adults and only one child.  This will make enough for all of us to eat like little piggy wiggies, and still have some left ofr the two kids at least to have the next day.  Leftovers heat wonderful in a toaster oven, which will re-crisp the waffles after they become sort of limp from sitting.

Light Oat Waffles

2 1/4 cups water

2 cups regular rolled oats (old-fashioned)

2 Tab. whole grain flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

2 Tab. sesame seeds

Place all ingredients except sesame seeds in blender and blend until creamy.

It will look like this--and will be a bit on the runny side but will thicken a bit more as it sits.

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron on high for 5-8 minutes.  This is important, make sure the waffle iron is hot before you put the batter in.  I have two waffle irons, a round one and a large square one, and I will heat both and run them at the same time.  This helps you get more ready for a whole family to sit down and eat them at the same time--otherwise, people can eat in shifts as the waffles come out hot, or you can keep them warm in an oven until you have enough to all sit down, but they will soften and not retain their crispness. 

When waffle iron is ready, sprinkle some sesame seeds on the bottom of the waffle iron, scoop some batter into the iron, and then sprinkle the top batter with more sesame seeds.  Close lid and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.  DON'T peak until it has baked at least 10 minutes.  Peaking too early can result in your waffle being torn in two as you open the waffle iron.  Don't ask me how I know this.  Just trust me.  ;)

Eat right away or cool on baking rack before freezing.  If freezing, separate waffles by wax paper and freeze in Ziploc freezer bags.  This turns it into your own convenience food of frozen toaster waffles!  I like to heat them in my toaster oven, but I believe a regular toaster would work the same way--you would just have to tear them in half or whatever size needed for your toaster.

And there you have it.  Really, eating these waffles is just as healthy as eating oatmeal for breakfast.  And with the main ingredients being oats and water, they are super super cheap on the budget as well.  We like to eat them with peanut butter and applesauce and granola on top, or my favorite is with a spread of home made jam.  Today's waffles were eaten with home made strawberry jam and some had orange marmalade jam on them.  Yum yum yum!

Hope you enjoy!  And a big thank you to those who shared some of their healthy, inexpensive foods with me last week.  I am looking forward to trying some of those recipes!  And since today I am posting a healthy breakfast food, what is YOUR favorite healthy breakfast food?

~Susan

Creamy Carrot Soup--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would start a little mini-series today.  It may be "very" mini, as I don't have a lot of time to post on this little blog, but I still wanted to at least do a little bit.  I have been thinking about how often people have the idea that they can't afford to eat healthy--that it costs too much, and that it is too complicated.  Well, I have a smattering of recipes that would argue those thoughts--especially the ones about eating healthy costing too much.  And I just thought I would like to share some of those recipes with you.  

I have no idea how often I will post them, due to lack of time, so this will be a very sporadic series.  But be that as it may, I will share when I can and I hope these recipes help someone.  :)

The first recipe I wanted to share with all of you is for Carrot Soup.  Now I KNOW what you are thinking, because quite frankly the words "Carrot Soup" didn't exactly tork my gibs either!  But once I sampled it, I knew it was a recipe to stay!  And with this being Fall and all, it is the perfect VERY inexpensive meal for those cold days.  These ingredients are inexpensive all the time--but if you have an Aldi's store near you, this week you can make this recipe for dirt cheap, since they currently have a two pound bag of carrots on sale for only 49 cents!  Don't worry if you missed it--they will bring this carrot sale around again.  And every time I see it, I buy a couple extra bags of carrots.  They store well in the fridge, and I know that I am going to put Carrot Soup on my menu! :)

Creamy Carrot Soup--serves 2

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 small onion, diced

1/4 c. instant oats

1/2 c. non-dairy milk (or extra water)

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

salt to taste

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, carrots, onion, and oats over high heat.

2.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.

3.  Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

4.  Let cool a bit, then transfer to a blender in batches and combine with non-dairy milk.  Blend until smooth and creamy.

5.  Transfer back to saucepan and stir in ginger and allspice.

6.  Gently reheat, adding in salt to taste.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the amounts you see in the pan in the picture are this recipe tripled.  For my family of four, I triple the recipe except I do NOT triple the ginger but only double the ginger.  This is just for my own taste preferences, plus if I make food "too" spicy my youngest does not like it.  So this is my compromise.  But adjust things to your taste.  Also, for the tripled recipe amount I add in 2 tsp. salt.

Hope you enjoy this yummy soup!  And I would LOVE it if you leave me your "go-to" healthy and cheap recipes in the comments section!

Have a beautiful day--and eat healthy!

~Susan

To Know God--today's blessing

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in for a minute and let you all know that I am indeed alive and well.  Just way too busy to post as often as I would like to!  If only I had someone to follow me around all day and take notes and post for me whenever one of my brilliant ideas crosses my mind. . . just kidding, just kidding! ;)

But seriously, I wanted to share a couple paragraphs from my quiet time reading this morning.  One of the things I am currently reading through is the book "To Know God" by Morris Venden.  It has been SUCH a blessing already, and I am not even half way through, so a huge "Thank you!" to my sweet friend Lisa who kept her eyes open and found me a copy, since I believe it is out of print.

Anyway, I was reading this morning about having assurance of salvation.  And I thought these two paragraphs explained things so very clearly that I wanted to share them.  So here they are:

"When you use the word faith, you are introducing a relationship element.  Even though grace is the gift of God, it must be received by us.  And no one can be saved until he accepts the gift that God has provided.  Faith demands relationship, one party trusting another.  It is possible to accept someone today and reject him tomorrow.  It is possible to be married today and not be married ten years from now.  In the same way it is possible to accept God's grace at one point and reject it at another.  In order to have the continuing assurance of salvation, we must accept God's grace on a continuing basis (Matthew 24:13).

"This brings us to one of the major texts that tells how we can be assured of eternal life.  John 17:3: 'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.'  There is something more to salvation than to accept God once.  And that is to continue to accept Him, today, tomorrow, next week, and every day until He comes again. So eternal life, including our hope of eternal life, is based totally on God's grace, but His grace must be accepted on a continuing basis.  And that is what knowing God is all about."

--To Know God, by Morris Venden, p. 45

Isn't that precious and clear?  We must accept God today, tomorrow, next week, and every day until He comes again.  This is what I want in my life.  Jesus--every single day.

I pray that you want the same!  May you accept Jesus today.  And then tomorrow do it again, for always.

~Susan