By ERIN TURNER
In a way, I have oatmeal to thank for introducing me to couponing. It was my first experience of combining coupons with a store sale and getting groceries for rock bottom prices. Albertson’s was having an instant oatmeal sale, there was a manufacturer coupon out there and when combined with the sale made the box of 10 oatmeal packets $1.00 each.
We stocked up…I mean we REALLY stocked up! We ordered cases of them. It was a good thing we did, because our youngest son is an oatmeal freak. He eats it for breakfast, for snack and every chance he gets.
But let me clarify, it’s not a complete bowl until it has “sprinkles” on it…you know, those brightly colored balls you sprinkle on cupcakes? Yeah, well in Gus’ world it’s not a complete bowl until the sprinkles are on. Anyway, it’s odd that we stumbled on this sale right when he was growing out of baby food…I wonder if our mega purchase influenced his love of oatmeal?
Combine Quick Oats, Demerara, Sea Salt, Wheatgerm and Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Well, we have since used up those cases but will always be grateful for the incredible savings on this breakfast staple which lasted us a very long time! But then we were faced with no more 10 cent packages of instant oatmeal in our cupboards. Ah, but enter a handy Pinterest idea I pinned a while back…homemade instant oatmeal packages.
It was one of those ideas that make you feel silly for not thinking of it yourself. For me, it made perfect sense because in January I had scored the large, round containers of quick-cooking oats for 25 cents each.
Here’s my secret: January is National Oatmeal month and the sales and coupons are abundant! So mark your calendars and get ready to stock up in January!
Careful! Don’t blend too much.
With a canister of plain oats, I quickly turned it into a flavorful and nutritional breakfast for my family. In a large bowl, I combined 10 cups of quick-cooking oats, 2 cups of demerara (a less refined form of brown sugar), 2 tsp sea salt, 2 cups wheat germ and 3 Tblsp of pumpkin pie spice. Once I mixed this all together then I briefly blended it in my blender.
You want only part of your mix to blend into a powder which makes it easier to cook but just be careful you don’t blend too much. If you do, just add more whole oats to your blended mixture. This is a very forgiving process.
Once I blended everything, then I poured it back into the container, labeled it with directions and put it on the shelf for my family to enjoy. It was a hit at hunting camp and my little oatmeal fiend loves it too!
The flavor options are endless. Think dried fruit…blueberries, strawberries, dates, raisins, tropical fruit and list goes on. Plus, you can also tailor it with other add-ins such as: chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, coconut or whatever your heart desires.
No bowl of oatmeal is complete without sprinkles…lots of sprinkles!
You can also add in extra nutritional boosts, like I added wheat germ. Ground flaxseed would work well too. Again, you get to design this oatmeal to your needs. If you want less sugar, you can alter that or if you want to use standard brown sugar or sucanat, you can do it.
Some people suggest putting the oatmeal into small snack sized baggies. I like that idea for camping or backpacking but for home, I saved those little bags and just reused the original oatmeal canister–it’s heaper and greener! Plus, less time than filling each little bag and putting instructions on them.
While the mornings have gotten quite chilly and the days slowly move into winter, I feel good cooking up bowls of warm, nutritious oatmeal for my boys before sending them off to school. Since I used quick-cooking oats, making these bowls is a breeze and takes but just a few minutes.
This is a perfect solution for hectic mornings. It also is a great breakfast choice when you are teaching your kids some independent skills because they can safely and easily make their own bowl.
Using some smart couponing and shopping strategies, I was able to create multiple bowls of goodness while spending only 3.6 cents for each “stick-to-your rib” serving! Yup, Oatmeal…it’s what’s for breakfast at our house!
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Erin’s got tons of tips for saving money, couponing, sticking to a budget, and living sustainably in her blog archive.
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Erin Eisenman-Turner is proud to be a native Missoulian. Along with her husband and three sons, they raise chickens, pigs, rabbits, and vegetables at Turner Family Farms in the Orchard Homes area. When the farm chores are done, the coupons clipped, and the blog written, you can find Erin exploring Montana, collecting antiques, and trying to maintain a well-run, happy, and organized home for her family.
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