Happy Saturday with Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal :)

Good morning friends! I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I've got a baked oatmeal in the oven so mine should get even better in about 15 minutes ;) It's been a very busy morning...made the oatmeal, made black bean fudge (don't let the name scare you off...it was even better than I imagined!). Also finished up my homemade yogurt I started yesterday. It's been a very productive morning.

I think our plan is go pick blackberries. I hear they produced early so I hope we aren't too late.

K, here are some new recipes I've found on my many searches.  I should probably give credit to the blog I found each one on but I'm afraid I visit so many I don't recall where they were found.

Bean Fudge

3 1/2 cups cooked beans (the equivalent of 2 cans.  Preferably, use soaked beans)

3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup carob or cocoa powder**
1/2 cup sweetener, to taste (granulated or liquid.  The resulting product will be fine regardless.  The author used a combination of vegetable glycerine and granulated ACD safe sweetener.) I used organic raw sugar.
6 scoops pure stevia extract (3/16 tsp), to taste*
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

*Note, pure stevia extract comes with a scoop that measures 1/32 tsp.  So 3/16 tsp = 6 scoops

**Love cocoa, but not the caffeine?  Try Wonderslim cocoa powder.

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) or food processor and process until totally smooth.  Adjust sweetener to taste at this point.  Spread the mixture in an 8×8 pan, pressing down firmly.  Place in refrigerator(if you do not eat it all ), for at least one hour or until firm.  Slice into squares and serve.

2. Store in the refrigerator or in the freezer for longer storage or for a frozen fudgey treat. They will defrost nicely on the counter or in the refrigerator.  Do not use the microwave (you’re backing off using that anyway, aren’t you?) or you will have fudge sauce.

Feel free to adjust the amount of carob or cocoa that you use to your taste.  Use the full amount for a really rich taste, half for a nice mellow flavor, or cut it to 1/3 of the amount for a smooth, ultra-light fudge.  If you really want to “go for the gusto”, double it.  Carob has an inherent sweetness so you will probably need more sweetener if you use cocoa.  And if you choose to double the cocoa, don’t eat it too close to bedtime

Apple-Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal (Soaked)

·                        6 cups thick rolled oats

·                        1/2 cup acid, such as whey or raw apple cider vinegar (or sourdough starter, to improve the effectiveness of the soaking)

·                        8 cups water

·                        1/2 to 1 cup chopped almonds (or any other nut/seed — I often add a handful of raw sunflower seeds) I also added 1/4 cup of flax seeds.

·                        1/2 cup butter, lightly melted

·                        2 cups whole milk

·                        6 eggs

·                        1/2 cup rapadura, sucanat or palm sugar

·                        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·                        2 tablespoons cinnamon

·                        1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·                        1 apple, diced finely or shredded

·                        1 cup raisins (optional)

·                        1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)

Yield: 1 9” x 13” pan or 2 8″ square pans.

Combine oats, acid (or sourdough starter*), water, and nuts/seeds in a big bowl. Cover and let soak overnight.

*Sourdough starter improves the soaking’s effectiveness by adding phytase to reduce phytic acid — which otherwise the oats lack — as well as organisms to accomplish an overnight fermentation. Don’t worry, it won’t be sour — if you rinse well the next morning!

In the morning, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain the oats through a fine sieve. Rinse and allow to drain again.

In a big mixing bowl, whisk together butter, milk, eggs, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add oats and mix well. Add the apples, raisins and coconut and mix in gently.

Transfer to a greased 9” x 13” baking dish (or two 8” square cake pans). Smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Today I wanted to share some info on sprouting grains.  Have you heard about how many people are allergic to wheat or have to eat gluten free diets?  The theory is because how grains are prepped in today's convenient food world...

You can sprout your own grains or even buy them sprouted.  One company can be found at the link below.
Here's some info about the benefits from http://www.organicsproutedflour.net/whySproutedFlour.html

The Benefits of Sprouted Flour:

• Easier to Digest - Sprouting breaks down the starches in grains into simple sugars so your body can digest them like a vegetable (like a tomato, not a potato).
• Increased Vitamin C - Sprouting produces vitamin C.
• Increased Vitamin B - Sprouting increases the vitamin B content (B2, B5, and B6).
• Increased Carotene - Sprouting increases the carotene up to eight times.
• Increased Enzymes are actually produced during sprouting.
• Reduction of Anti-nutrients - Sprouting neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which is a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

Until the 20^th century, grain naturally sprouted in the field before it was milled into flour. The invention of the combine harvester during the Industrial Revolution changed everything. Grain could be harvested in the field and then moved to storage bins. The time-honored practice of sprouting was cast aside for modern processing.

Unfortunately, nutrition was also cast aside. When whole grains are not allowed to ferment or sprout, they don’t contain the nutrients that sprouted whole grains do. And they retain the naturally occurring antinutrients, even when milled into flour.

To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. has returned to the traditional practice of sprouting grains in order to render them more nutritious and digestible. However, we don’t leave our grains out in the field to sprout. We nurture the grains in our facility, allow them to sprout, then dry them at a very low temperature, to maintain precious vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.


I soaked my oatmeal overnight in water with 1/2 cup of whey (the liquid off yogurt). If you don't have whey any acid should work...sourdough starter is great too.  I've been trying to soak my grains and beans and have noticed a huge difference in bloating and stomach issues so give it a try.

Hope y'all have a great weekend.