Preparing for Morning

Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

My early morning hours are so precious to me. I have a full hour and a half to read the Word, pray, exercise and prepare mentally for the day ahead before my active sons' feet have even hit the floor. And now, having implemented a new schedule in our household, I find my time in the evenings to be equally as precious.

Preparing breakfast the night before is vital to the flow of our days. An Amish baked oatmeal that we love is prepared the night before and slides easily into the oven between my devotional time and making the bed. I boosted the nutritional value with some flax meal and millet, and that, along with increasing the cinnamon and nutmeg, makes it so hearty and delicious! And it is delightful with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt or your favorite fresh berries, or even just some warm milk poured over the top.

1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons
3 cups whole oats
1/4 cup of flax meal
1/4 cup of millet seed

Melt butter and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs well, then add brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well until there there no lumps.

Whisk in butter and milk, then add oats, flax meal and millet.

Stir well, and pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until set in the middle. Serve hot! (I double this for leftovers - it's even better two or three days later! - so if you would like to as well, use a 9x13 baking dish, and the cooking time is the same.)

Working in the kitchen after the children are in bed and the sun is slipping behind the mountains is so enjoyable to me - it is exciting to think of serving up a hot meal that didn't use precious morning hours to be accomplished! I've also been known to crack all of my eggs the night before, whisk them up in a glass bowl with some shredded cheese and a splash of milk, then store in the refrigerator to be poured into a skillet the following morning. (A four-slot toaster is next on my grocery list, for I am finding that eight and six-year-old boys can put away the bread!) Clean-up the following morning is much easier when preparations have already been made the night before. We can move onto our next tasks even quicker!

There is still a time and place for cold cereal at our table. Those evenings and mornings come. But I do so like to linger over breakfast. Listening to the chants of catechism by lantern light. Scooping food into my baby's mouth in between bites of my own. And gathering up the dishes, knowing that I will probably not hear, "Mama? I'm hungry!" for at least an hour. That's a half hour longer than cold cereal, friends. I'll take it.

So, what's cooking in my little apartment kitchen tonight? Overnight Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes - it's Daddy's day off!