Amish-Style Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Made 1-20-17 Everyone loved it....at the whole pan

YIELD: ABOUT 8 SERVINGS

I'm not a nuts or raisins in my oatmeal kind of girl, but if you are, you can add one or both to the dry ingredients before mixing in the milk/egg mixture.

If you are making it ahead of time and refrigerating overnight, some of the apples may pop up to the top and brown slightly - it doesn't affect the taste.

For just a standard Amish-style baked oatmeal, you could omit the apples. If baking in a smaller pan (like a 9X9-inch pan), you might only want to use two apples instead of three. Pan size can really be varied with this recipe - smaller pans will result in a thicker oatmeal; just keep an eye on baking time.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (more to taste if you like things a bit sweeter)
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
• 2-3 large tart, sweet apples (like Honey Crisp or Gala), peeled, cored and diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly grease a 8X12-inch or 9X13-inch baking pan or 9X9-inch (for super thick oatmeal) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (don't preheat the oven if making ahead of time and refrigerating overnight).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar.
3. In a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and add the melted butter or coconut oil. Stir or whisk to combine.
5. Arrange the diced apples evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and pour the oatmeal mixture over the top. You can cover and refrigerate overnight at this point or bake right away (uncover before baking the next morning).
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden and the mixture is setup and not super jiggly.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature with a little milk poured over the top, if you want.

Skinny Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Made 1-20-17 Everyone loved it....except Marshall of course :)

Prep Time 20 minutes  Cook Time 4 hours  Servings  -10 servings INGREDIENTS 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, diced (about 1/4-1/2 inch) 1 medium onion, diced 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup) 6 cloves garlic, minced 6 slices (turkey) bacon, cooked and crumbled divided 5-6 cups low sodium chicken broth divided 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon pepper ADD LATER: 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk (I use nonfat) 4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat) 1 cup freshly and finely grated sharp cheddar cheese GARNISH cheddar cheese bacon green onions crackers sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add diced potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, 2 strips crumbled bacon, 4 cups chicken broth and all seasonings and spices. Cook on HIGH for 4 -5 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours or until potatoes are completely tender.
3. Remove 1/2 up to 2/3 of the soup (vegetables and liquid) to blender along with cornstarch, 1/2 cup evaporated milk and cream cheese. Blend until very smooth, being careful to let smoke escape or it will explode (I leave a corner open and cover with a paper towel). If you need more liquid in order for your blender to blend, then add additional evaporated milk.
4. Pour creamy blender contents back into slow cooker along with remaining evaporated milk and 1 cup chicken broth. Stir to combine. Cook on HIGH for 20 minutes then stir in 1 cup cheddar until smooth. For a thinner soup, stir in up to 1 cup additional chicken broth.
5. Garnish individual bowls with additional cheese, bacon and plenty of green onions