Baked Raspberry Oatmeal

When I was a kid, I spent my summers on the banks of the Clam River. My grandparents had retired to a cabin "up north" in Michigan and we visited frequently. Sometimes it was me and my cousins. Sometimes I would take a friend. And sometimes...it was just me. When I had other kids there with me, we would run through the woods, ride a mini bike, play in the river and catch crawdads. But the times I was up there alone were special, because I was able to spend time with my grandpa. He and I would go on long walks in the woods. He would teach me about plants, trees, birds and other wildlife. We would always stop at his raspberry bushes before or after our walk to eat them right from the bush. To this day, when I eat raspberries I always think of him and our summer days together. 

He was a wonderful man and since his passing, I miss him greatly. Here is a photo of him (Lt. Walter Sturley of the Detroit Police Dept) taken by photographer Ray Glonka of the Detroit Free Press. He is captured shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy. The photo was taken in 1962. 

 

To celebrate summer and enjoy my beloved raspberries in many ways, I was looking for a way to bake with them. After some searching and trials...I have adapted a recipe that I had found from a fellow blogger at "So, How's It Taste?", which can be found HERE .

Here we go.......

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking or casserole dish with cooking spray. I like to use coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's. If you don't have coconut oil, you can always use butter flavored spray.

Next, cut your banana into the bottom of the bowl. I have halved the recipe, because it will be just lonely ol' me eating this wonderful treat. I make it in batches of three servings and make it a couple of times a week. My kids like the traditional eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast...

Next mix up the dry goods, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, half of the pecans and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Also...take half of those beautiful raspberries and place them over the bananas. This is the base of deliciousness!

In a larger glass measuring cup measure out your milk and then your honey. Once those are in you can add your egg and vanilla. Mix them all up so that the egg and honey are combined into the milk. I like to use local honey. Preferably honey that is found in my county, but in this case it is Ohio honey. I have found that eating local honey helps greatly with my seasonal allergies!! I have a post about it and other superfoods that can be found HERE :)

Now sprinkle the dry goods over your bananas and berries. Try to get the powder and cinnamon even as your sprinkle! Here is where you may add the chia seeds if you would like. More foods that are super!! Once the dry is in, go ahead and pour on the milk mixture. It will look like a swimmy mess, but fear not...you are about to make it look pretty again!!

Go ahead and sprinkle on the remaining nuts and berries to the top...

Now you are almost ready...just one more thing to add! Take your coconut oil and add blops of it to the top, making sure that you get it fairly even. See...it looks pretty again!!

Now bake it in a 375 oven for 35-40 minutes and enjoy!

Baked Raspebrry Oatmeal

(Serves 6)

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

2/3 teaspoon Cinnamon 

1 pinch Salt

Cooking Spray 

1 tablespoon Virgin Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Chopped Pecans (divided)

2 Bananas

1 pint Fresh Raspberries (divided)

1 cup Milk 

1 Egg

1/4 cup Honey

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Chia Seeds (optional)

240 Calories a Serving / 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus