the cereal slaughter

Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 06:18 AM

From my inbox...

The Cereal Slaughter
by Carla Mae Jansen
Save $552 on breakfast!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and yet it
can be a black hole for the budget. My family loves dry
cereal, but when we were looking for ways to cut expenses, we
realized that we were spending $70 per month on breakfast
cereal, and that didn't include the milk!

Our immediate solution was to try making our own granola. I
found a recipe and adjusted it to make some cereal I liked. We
liked it enough that I made it three times a week. We were now
spending $24 a month on breakfast. The best part is that we
still loved our food and it was actually much healthier for
us. We now save $46 every month or $552 per year! What would
you do with an extra $552 a year?

It can get even better. Eating homemade granola was like a
stepping stone for us. Now, on many days a week, we even eat
cooked oatmeal for breakfast. It's simpler, saves time, is
even healthier for us, and it saves about $70 more per year.

If you're not ready to jump away from all your dry cereal, try
eating dry cereal once a week and granola or toast and fruit
on the other days of the week. You may even find your body
feeling better because it is eating more nutritious foods!

Here are a few recipes we use most often. Feel free to adjust
them to your tastes and needs.

Granola:

6 cups oatmeal
1 cup dry milk
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the oatmeal, milk, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix the oil, honey, sugar, and vanilla in a sauce pan over
medium heat just until it begins to boil.
4. Pour the oil mixture into the oatmeal mixture and quickly
stir until everything is moist.
5. Spread your granola onto a cookie sheet and place in the
oven for 6 minutes.
6. Carefully stir the granola and replace in the oven for
another 5-7 minutes.
7. Let the granola cool, then remove it from the pan.

The following variations are sometimes fun, but will make the
granola more expensive. I suggest using them occasionally to
spice up your breakfasts.

Apple Cinnamon: Add 1-2 cups applesauce to your saucepan
mixture, 2-3 tablespoons of cinnamon and an additional 1 cup
of oatmeal to your oatmeal mixture.

Blueberry (my personal favorite): Add 2 cups frozen
blueberries to your saucepan mixture and an additional 1-2
cups of oatmeal to your oatmeal mixture.

Pumpkin: Add 1 cup canned pumpkin to your saucepan mixture and
1 cup oatmeal to your oatmeal mixture.

Cooked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal:

Oatmeal
Water
Unsweetened Applesauce
Cinnamon
Dark Brown Sugar

1. Put the desired amount of oatmeal in a microwave safe bowl.
Most people will begin with 1/2 cup raw oatmeal.
2. Slowly add water until the oatmeal is just covered.
3. Cook in your microwave for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup applesauce, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1
1/2 tablespoons sugar.
5. Mix well. Add milk if desired.

Cooked Oatmeal Variations:

Instead of the applesauce, cinnamon and sugar, try adding your
favorite fruit (strawberries or blueberries are so delicious!)
or another flavor like maple or banana nut. You can use the
same flavors in cooking your granola also.

The less sugar you use, the healthier your breakfast is. Some
members of my family enjoy their oatmeal without any added
sugar while others need the full 1 1/2 tablespoons. Experiment
and see how much you really need.

Sidebar:

One cup of oatmeal contains the following:

- 8 grams of fiber
- less than 2 grams of sugar
- 5 grams of fat
- no cholesterol
- a full cup of whole grains

It's a healthy punch to start your day!
_______________________

Carla Mae Jansen is a freelance writer in Texas. She has a BS
in Biology Composite Teaching, and loves to find ways to live
simpler and healthier.

Take the Next Step:
- Most of us probably keep the basic granola ingredients in
our pantry. So, why not whip up a batch today? Your family
will thank you.

Untitled Comment

Posted by borderling on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 08:07 AM - Link

I quit buying dry cereal about two years ago. Not only is it expensive, it isn't good for you. My children will sometimes twist Dad's arm and he'll treat them to a box of Captain Crunch, but we have an abundance of eggs and homemade bread and I buy organic oatmeal in 25# bags. Our most expensive breakfast is on Saturday when I make pancakes and we use maple syrup. We haven't started making our own syrup yet and that gets to be quite expensive.
From Glory Farm,
Rhonda

Untitled Comment

Posted by gabbie427 on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 10:56 AM - Link

Wonderful post. I wish I could get hubby off the cereal kick. The rest of us could give it up with no problem, but hubby grabs a cup of cereal in the morning and eats it (dry) on the way to work. It has become a habit I am sure, but he refuses to take muffins, toast, etc. I guess this is one thing he is not willing to give up and save on. That is why it is my job to save in other areas, so we can spend a little more on cereal. LOL

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo