How to Make Oatmeal Yummy? Other Cheap Foods?

50 responses so far! Perhaps you are too overwhelmed to even read this one, but here goes! I grew up in a really financially poor home, and my Mom worked so hard to feed us nutritious meals on the cheap. She used steel cut oats (totally different, and with powdered milk and sugar or syrup). One meal I liked then was "bean sandwhiches". Take a piece of whole wheat bread, margerine it, put baked beans on top, a couple of small slices of bacon (cooked) and a slice of cheese on it, and broil it until bubbly. She stretched that pound of bacon so that it lasted about 3 months, and it was hot and nutritious. Just a thought! I'm thinking of you. Best wishes.

I add brown brown sugar & maple syrup to mine. Also try adding jelly/jam for fruit flavors, & maybe applesauce(?). Have you ever tried Malt-o-Meal? It's thinner than oatmeal & you you can add the same stuff to flavor it.

Congrats, and good luck with everything.

I don't really have a "recipe". I just like quick oats. I do mine in the microwave, not with boiling water. I like it better this way. I read someone say use milk. When pinching pennies, this is tough, try dry milk. I don't notice the difference when used in baking. I like my oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Okay, where to begin? I am a crazy maniac about cooking on a budget. I only believe in cooking form scratch. I have a whole bunch of ideas for you but I really dislike typing in this mamasource site because it is really slow on my computer. Plus I have a presentation hand out I would love to give you. So if you would like to give me you real email address I really feel I can help you out.
Here is mine and feel free to email me off site
____@____.com
Good luck
L.

I am in the process right now of making bread for my family that costs less than 45 cents for 3 loaves. And it is easy. Check out my blog for some of my recipes but I would really like to email you off site.
http://the7dayadventureist.blogspot.com/

I have a ham and potato recipe. ham is expensive sometimes, but you can use those small bags of chopped up ham or even the lunch meat. other than that you just need butter potatoes flour etc. if your family would like that type of thing email me and i'll give you the recipe:). Good luck. i know it can be hard!

Not sure about the oatmeal, but I strongly suggest you apply for WIC.
Good luck and best wishes!

I love to cook mine with raisins, that's how my grandma made oatmeal. The raisins get all soft and they're sweet enough that I don't need to add anything else. I like the idea someone else had of cooking with other fruit. Throwing in a can of peaches sounds good.

I buy the bag dried fruit at Walmart. They've got blueberries, mixed berries, cranberries, apples.. almost everything. It would be tedious but if you have time to chop them in 1/2 or even 1/4s you could stretch a bag through several meals.
I mix a flavored packet w/an unflavored instant packet-makes it go further & the flavor is still good. I add water at the tap, microwave my 2 packets & water for 1 min & pour a bit of milk in it-I can't stand thick either. My boys like it just w/superhot tap water.
Lucky for you, hubby lost his job during soup season! (I know, there's nothing lucky about it, but the timing could be worse-summer when it's too hot for soup). You can literally make soup out of anything! We fell on some really hard times a couple of years ago & I became really creative w/my cooking. I made soup to feed us & the neighbors (who were sharing food w/us at the time) out of the neighbor's leftover chicken thighs (3 of them), "end of the bag" veggies from the freezer (that last little bit that's too small to serve for a meal) & barley, along w/some chicken boullion.
Buy frozen veggies, dried beans, bagged barley, & canned hominy, 10lbs of potatoes, smoked sausage, the big cheaper cuts of steak (round steak I think is the one I buy all the time) & a package of chicken legs or thighs. I had our grocery bill to $50/month for our family of 4 because that's what we had to spend. We ate a lot of soup, a TON of beans, but we were always full.
Good luck to hubby in his job search!

I'm sorry to hear about your financial situation. I hope positive changes are right around the corner. In the meantime, you could try making oatmeal and then mixing in yogurt to sweeten it. I do this a lot and love it. Yes, it takes the temperature down so it's not quite as hot, but it adds flavor and some creaminess. You can buy large containers of yogurt, whatever flavor you like, which are economical than the individual containers. You could then add in a cheaper fruit, like bananas, if you like.

You might also consider buying some dried fruit in bulk to mix in. It's not as expensive that way. You could even chill the oatmeal all the way and then mix in the yogurt and some diced apples and eat it Swiss style. Cinnamon is always a nice addition, too. I know I'm rambling, but one other way I add flavor to my oatmeal is to stir in some fruit preserves. Again, if you buy a larger jar, it's more economical. Good luck!

I know you have a ton of responses already, but I wanted to throw one other suggestion into the mix. My family does not like rolled oatmeal very much either, but they love granola. All you have to do is mix the oats with some sugar, molassas, honey, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon or anything else you would like, then spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crispy. Much, much cheeper than most of the boxed cereals you can buy, and since you make it yourself, you can control the addition of things you don't like (such as nuts.) Great when paired with milk or yogurt, and it keeps very well for two weeks or more (if it lasts that long!)

If you are not doing so already, look into buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. Also, we have found that buying rice (brown, wild, or white) at our local asian market is much cheaper than the grocery store.

The other cheap food staple of our home is beans. We buy the dried bulk beans, and use them in everything from burritos to chili. If time is an issue, you can cook the beans ahead of time and freeze them for later use.

Finally, don't forget your local food bank, food stamps, or WIC. You are exactly the type of people they want to help!

Good luck.

I actually used to put jelly in it. That covered both the sweetening and the flavor.

Another thing I used to do was to put pancake syrup in it.

Also, I found that if I put the sugar in it before cooking, it takes less sugar to get the same sweetness.

One other thing I would try on the apple front is to cook the apples in some water with the cinnamon and sugar before putting it in the oatmeal. That should soften the apples so that they are more like the ones in the instant packets.

Also, on the cheap front... Cook any kind of macaroni or noodles, mix with a can of cream of anything soup (our fav is mushroom but like celery, too). If you want to add meat, ground meat or sliced up hot dogs or sliced up leftover roast works well to stir in. Sometimes we would stir in vege's, as well. To go even less expensive with the same thing, I would buy in bulk for noodles and buy the large cans of soup and then divide them up in half. Sometimes add a little milk to make the soup go farther.

I actually just posted some strategies on my blog for saving money on food. Geared at singles but still might be a little bit useful. It includes links to coupon sites.

http://coloradocrystal.blogspot.com/2009/11/saving-on-gro...

Hope this helps. Much success to you.

I always HATED oatmeal until my mother-in-law taught me how to make it flaky. I LOVE it now. I don't like it mushy or creamy. To do this, you have to cook it in half the water that it says, but to do that you have to make more than 1 serving. You put the oatmeal in after the water boils. Cook for 5 minutes, then let it sit for 5 minutes with the lid off. I love it with cinnamon & honey to sweeten and a little bit of milk. BTW, cinnamon and honey have great health benefits if eaten daily, as well as the oatmeal. ENJOY!

If you shop at a wholesale food store like sams or costco buy your oatmeal there. We buy the huge box of individual packets, flavored. They also come plain. I add canned fruit, juices and all. My daughter loves it. Peaches, mixed, ect. The cheep stuff is fine. If you are making oatmeal from scratch you can add the fruit while cooking to get it warm. Peaches, apples and pears are great warm. The juice from the can sweetens the oatmeal and you can avoid adding milk and sugar. Also when making oatmeal from scratch try cooking it with apple juice and not water. This makes it very sweet and tart. Of course you can add your own cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup. Also try nutmeg, honey, pumpkin spice, ect... If your kids like PB&J add a dollop to the oatmeal. Applesauce and yogurt as well.
If you are still looking for cheap breakfast foods try cream of wheat (can be mixed with all of the above) also grits. If you ever find pureed baby food on sale a jar of prunes or other sweet items can be mixed in oatmeal.

My grandparents use a double broiler to make their oatmeal, and it has a WAY better texture. I keep meaning to buy one but haven't yet. That might help. Also try making it with milk instead of water or doing half water half milk.
My absolute favorite way to eat oatmeal is with peaches and some vanilla ice cream.
I also like it with brown sugar.

I happen to love making oatmeal from scratch - the regular rolled oats, not the instant kind, and I put cinnamon, brown sugar, chopped apples, walnuts, and if I feel like the extra few seconds, I'll toss in a tiny bit of cloves or nutmeg. If it gets too thick, just add a little water while cooking. If you do that and keep it covered, it'll get creamy.

Good luck with everything... I hope things work out with a job soon.

I know they say fresh is better but frozen is cheaper and lasts longer. Cream of Wheat is my favorite. I HATE oatmeal unless its in cookie form but try raisins with oatmeal?

Instant flavored oatmeal tastes so good because it's full of sugar and artificial flavors. It's also dyed to make the fruit look bright. It may taste good, but it's terrible for you, especially for breakfast. When all that sugar hits an empty stomach, your blood sugar spikes up, then it crashes terribly. My first recommendation is to try to get some kind of protein at breakfast instead of just carbohydrates. Protein helps your body use energy slowly, rather than getting a spike in your blood sugar followed by a crash.

The key to the texture of oatmeal is what kind of oats you use. Steel cut oats have the fullest texture, kind of chewy and really delicious. They take a LOOOOONG time to cook, though. Traditional Quaker (rolled?) oats are what most people get. I think they are gross. Because they are rolled out, they cook the fastest, but they are also kind of clumpy and gummy. What I like is the Thick and Rough oatmeal. It cooks faster than steel cut oats, and it tastes WAAAY better than traditional Quaker oats. I buy ours at our local grocery, but Costco also has them, and they would probably be cheaper in bulk. We buy dried fruit from the bulk section at the local health food store and put some in at the beginning of cooking. I also use half milk and half water for cooking it, which gives it a yummy creamy flavor. Finally, I add brown sugar for sweetness. It's delicious - even my 2 & 5 year olds love it.

Best of luck,
S.

I have a great and easy way to make oatmeal yummy! My kids are picky and they love this! I call it apple-pie oatmeal. I use my crockpot because I never have to worry about sticking/overcooking or buring the oatmeal - somthing I always did on stovetop ;-). Funny you mention camping, the first time I made this was camping I took the crockpot and threw in the ingredients and before the fire was started we have nice hot oatmeal.

Two cups oats
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
2 apples cut up - I leave skin on
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans (my DD is allergic to walnuts but they would be good too - I know you said you don't like nuts, but they add protein on the cheap and if you chop small enough your kids won't notice)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbls cinnamon

Throw it all in crock pot - jump in shower/get dressed and by the time you are done it's perfect - we serve with a bit of milk ontop. Hope you enjoy it!

Hello,
Try honey & cinnamon sugar

I love to add a tablespoon of peanut butter, a teaspoon or so of unsweetened cocoa and sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Yum! It's like dessert, but still healthy with the whole grain, and the addition of protein with the peanut butter.

Hi S.,

When I make oatmeal, I usually add some butter, cinnamon, and a little Splenda brown sugar (so I still get the sweetness but not so much sugar). I also add raisins and dried cranberries.

You could also experiment with adding maple syrup or honey, and I've occasionally added a teaspoon of preserves which really sweetens it up and makes it yummy. Additionally, you can try buying some of those expensive fruits (like raspberries and blueberries) but you can buy the frozen variety and just heat them up when you're ready - much less expensive and very delicious.

Good luck!

Warmly,
S.

My husband is CRAZY about oatmeal and I've learned to like it because of the way he makes it.
I go to Walmart and they have a bag of mixed frozen berries, we always get a 2 pound bag for $2. something. and add it. Instead of using sugar we use honey, and sometimes we add powdered chocolate. Also granola, gives it a better taste. raisins???

Try some brown sugar. Butter always helps too :) and make sure there's enough salt in it. (Boy it's getting more unhealthy by the second...)
I thin it with milk after cooking it. Everyone in my family likes a different amount of milk/different consistency so they put their own on it. Oatmeal is so good for you so a little sprucing up won't hurt!

Bananas are cheap too!

Slice up a banana into small round slices.
Put a tablespoon of butter into a pan over medium heat.
Arrange the banana slices in the pan and caramelize them until they are golden brown.
Prepare the oatmeal per your preference.
Top the oatmeal with the bananas.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
You can also add chopped nuts.

I also like to make oatmeal with dried fruit and chopped nuts.

Sorry to hear about your situation. You've already gotten some great advice for oatmeal and other grocery saving ideas so I'll try not to be redundant.

One thing I do to save money is to buy a lot of food in bulk and make meals to freeze. Some great books you can probably check out from the library for this are "Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer" and "Fix, Freeze, and Forget".

Also, Family Circle and Parents magazines have great recipes for families on a budget. Many have pasta and veggies and the total serving cost per person is only $1 or so.

One other way to save some money, if you haven't already done so, is to cancel the cable or satellite and watch your tv shows through hulu.com or other online sites where shows are free.

I wish you the very best through this difficult time and congrats in advance for your newest member!

First off, make your oatmeal with milk, not water--that will make it taste MUCH better!
My kids and I like to mash a banana into our oatmeal. The banana sweetens and flavors the oatmeal so that you don't even need sugar. Add the banana after cooking the oats.
We also like diced apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Buy a cheap can of peaches (coffee can size! from Costco or the grocery store) drain them, lay them out on a waxed-paper lined cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, remove from the pan, put in a bag, and return to freezer. (You can use these peaches in smoothies, desserts, oatmeal...anything!) Add diced peaches, a bit of brown sugar, and cinnamon to cooked oatmeal. Tastes like peach pie or peach crisp...yummy, and good for you!
For the really lazy mornings, plain brown sugar is good.
Out of laziness, I usually make it in the microwave (just use a tall bowl because the milk will make the oatmeal puff/boil up while cooking) but my husband makes it on the stovetop. I must admit, his is usually better!
On another note...have you looked into WIC (women, infants, and children)? It's a great income-based program where you get checks for free milk, cereal, peanut butter, juice, cheese, eggs, etc. While nursing you get tuna and carrots, too. I just read that they have expanded the program so that you will soon be able to receive fresh fruits and veggies, too.

There are a couple of things you can do. Try mashing up bananas or put brown sugar, butter and milk in it. Another try is Cream of Wheat. It is a tad more expensive than oatmeal, however, when you read the directions on how to prepare it you will see how little you need to use to make it.

Since you guys are really tight right now with no end in sight, you should contact WIC. If you are not familiar with them, they provide food for families with small children to ensure proper nutrition.

Good luck and I hope your husband finds work soon!

Hello S.,
Here's our recipe for oatmeal. If you want to make it more nutritious, soak it overnight.

1. Put oatmeal in a bowl. Cover with water. Add 1 T. of vinegar. Soak overnight.
2. In the morning, add a little water and cook as directed.
3. Add raisins, cinnamon, a little salt, honey and 1-2 T. molasses. Serve with milk.

If you want more nutrition, get some quinoa at costco to add to the oatmeal. It makes everyone feel more full since it is loaded with vitamins and healthy fats. Soak it overnight with 1 T. of vinegar. Rinse it in the morning. Cook as directed: 1 C. of quinoa with 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Add it to your oatmeal.

Peanut butter or nut butters will add protein, also good fats to stay full longer

I am so sorry about your financial struggles. They can be greatly accentuated by the impending arrival of a child. I am a stay at home mom of 5 (soon to be 6) children. My husband is fortunate enough to have a full time job, but makes a very limited amount of money. We have to survive on about $400 a month for a family of 7, so I have picked up a few tips. Here is what I do with oatmeal...

I buy a 25 pound bag of oatmeal 3 times a year. I use it in several recipes because it is so cheap and filling. It makes muffins, quick breads, and pancakes more filling. For breakfast oatmeal I premix a large quantity (about 16 cups) with some powdered milk (about 1 cup) and brown sugar (according to your taste). Then in the mornings I scoop this into a microwave safe bowl and add water. Since there is powdered milk in it the water makes it a nice creamy consistency. Then I let the kids add their desired toppings. We add raisins, peanut butter, homemade jams (I make them in the summer when the fruit is cheap at the produce stands). Occasionally, I will also do cinnamon and sugar, dried cranberries (easy to make from fresh since they are cheaper). I have too many ideas to post, if you would like you can message me and I would be happy to give you some more ideas.

You got some great advice from these moms. I would also check into food stamps. They are for people who are going through a hard time.

The cheapest foods are not usually the best buy. Whole foods satisfy and stay with you for a long time. Whole grains like brown rice are not only better for you, but take longer to digest, so you’re not hungry right away.

You will find this helpful: Whole Foods on a Food Stamp Budget>
http://www.babybites.info/2008/10/21/food-stamps/

S., I do not know what state you live in. But you should check into the WIC program. Women, Infant,and Child program. It is based on income, and family size...
S.

The only way I have ever liked it was when my husband made it in the crock pot over night, and used a little milk to go with the water... When it was ready in the morning I would add a little brown sugar on the bottom of the bowl and cover the bowl with a plate and let the steam melt the sugar into the oatmeal, add a few crasins and it was pretty darn good!

My son loves it when I add a little vanilla and some banana.

I understand your dislike of oatmeal. I grew up having to eat it for breakfast every morning. What started out as a love for oatmeal eventually became an aversion as I remembered bowl after bowl of bland, sticky gunk flavored only with a bit of honey. Then I became a mom and decided to make some changes. :)

My family prefers steel-cut oats, which you can by on sale in bulk fairly inexpensively, and it seems to go farther for some reason. I find that Sunflower Market has great sales on their bulk oats (quick, reg, and steel-cut) if you watch for it. The last time we got organic steel-cut for 43 cents a pound.

Then, what our favorite has become is: enough molasses to give it a nice golden-dark color (this just seems to give it the right flavor as well), cinnamon to taste and a bit of vanilla.

Molasses goes on sale about this time of year, so if your kids like the taste you can stock up in that. Grandma's brand is so much richer than Bre'r Rabbit brand so you use a lot less, even though it is initially more expensive. Cinnamon can also be bought in bulk more cheaply than the smaller cans.

Do you use milk or cream on your oatmeal after that? My husband was feeding my daughter the packaged oatmeal without milk on it, and it would always find a hardened wallpaper-paste-like gunk in her bowl afterward that she hadn't eaten. I couldn't figure out what was going on until she told me "Daddy doesn't make it like you." I felt terrible that so much had gone to waste, and the pre-packaged kind at that! All you need is about a tablespoon or so to break up that gumminess.

Now I make the oatmeal ahead of time in a bigger batch and put it in the fridge so all my husband has to do is put the right amount in a bowl and heat it up. As easy as the packets but much more affordable.

I know I only offered you one idea, but hopefully it will give you ideas. One idea may be to watch the bulk dried fruits aisle for sales. I empathize with you about that expense and the fact that kids just LOVE fruit. Raisins were one of my childhood favorites but they seem so pricey now.

I wish you the best. The other women here are extremely smart and resourceful so I'm sure you'll get some other wonderful ideas.

I think the secret ingredient to making homemade oatmeal yummy is salt. If you look, you'll see those instant ones have their fair share. I like it with a bit of salt in the cooking water, then lots of cinnamon and brown sugar.

Here's a recipe from a friend that looks really incredible:

http://eatingfromthegroundup.blogspot.com/2009/11/butter-...

She uses steal cut oats, which is another thing to consider. They take longer to cook, but taste totally different: nuttier and not mushy like rolled oats.

I'm a huge fan of the Quaker cinnamon roll oatmeal. I know its probably really hard to think about, but if you can subscribe to the sunday paper in your area and clip coupons- you will save SO MUCH MONEY. It takes some practice and getting used to, but the $30/yr I pay for just the sunday paper saves me about $2-300/yr. I can get a box of instant packaged oatmeal for around 50-75 cents.
Onto cheap meals. This taco soup is mainly canned goods, so its awesome for the winter. MOst of the ingredients go on sale for around 50 cents making it pretty cheap. It has a lb of ground beef, but you can always leave that out. My family loves it and its packed with protein!

Here it is:

Taco Soup
1 lb of ground beef, browned
1 can chili
1 can of corn(my family uses 2)
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel(or you could do an extra can of diced tomatoes+one can green chiles)
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can vegetable soup
1 can black beans(my family uses 2)
1 pkg Taco seasoning(I use the less sodium kind)

Mix everything in the crock pot and let it cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Stir occassionally.

You can serve this with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, or by itself. It makes for great leftovers too! Beware though, my crockpot is that large one and its FULL like within an inch. I've also used ground turkey for the meat.

I hope this helps!!

We eat a lot of oatmeal in out house and I've always added strawberry preserves to give it some flavor. My kids seem to really like it.

If possible make it with 1/2 water and 1/2 milk also if you cook it with the sugar in it the oats will absorb more of the flavor and Always add a dash of salt, with oatmeal it is mandatory. You may like steel cut oats better since they don't get a "gloppy" the can be bought in bulk at sunflower or or sprouts markets for 79 cents a pound. My family also enjoys malt-o-meal, grits and cream of wheat. All are cost effective options.

I have a couple things I do to save money. I use www.thegrocerygame.com and I also just found this page, but haven't checked it out. Need to before I go back to the store! http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/mom-feeds-family-week... also www.pinchapennynook.blogspot.com This one is completely free. They are located in IL, but have a lot of resources available. There's a group called Carries Deals on Facebook, which is where I found the second link. The last two are friends of mine, and the deals they post, although not specific to CO, can be used to get free and almost free things, as well as "buy" things that you get more money back than you paid. I'm new to the game, so, so far, I've only been paid a penny. I also found a book on the cheap called Miserly Moms that has some great recipes as well as lots of shopping hints. I like all the recipes in the book that I've tried so far, but I have found that doing the other things, I seem to be able to buy cheaper than make some of the things. Other than the book, the grocery game has a minimal fee ($4 a month or something, but the other day, I saved 60% off my groceries, so it was well worth the fee) and the 2nd website is a dollar a year.

I do make bean tacos that are really cheap. I cook the beans and mash them a bit and mix in taco mix just like you would for meat. Fix the tacos like normal. Depending on the type of beans you use, they taste almost the same. I just use the cheapest. I buy dry beans and get several meals out of a bag. I often cook them in the crock pot until soft and freeze any leftovers. Saves time that way, and I can use the leftovers as quickly and easily as canned would be. Obviously, anytime you can use beans and such instead of meat you save a lot of money, too. The book I mentioned has a really good recipe for meatless lasagna, but it's still about 3x as expensive as the other meals.

I know I don't offer recipes, but I've found that when I'm buying items for between .17 and .47, a lot of really good meals become cheap again. :)

I'm sorry to hear your situation. We have huge medical bills that make money never go far enough for us, so I understand that part, but the unemployment part makes it even harder. I hope your husband finds something soon! I did notice on Carrie's Deals there is a link to get some free fruit. :) Maybe that will help. Let me know if you need an invitation to that. GL!

I find adding banana and honey on top is yummy...I agree that when oatmeal is so thick it seems horrid to me. I make sure I add enough water (and milk) to get the consistency I like.

Can't go wrong with the cinnamon and brown sugar either!

Good luck!

OK so if you don't like the texture...BAKED OATMEAL!!!
6 C oatmeal
2 C brown sugar If you add fruit you can cut back on the sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
2C milk
1 C butter or marge. (applesauce or mashed banana is good sub)
4 eggs

Add cut up fruit, about 1 C, if desired.
Put in greased 9x13 and bake for 40- 45 min
Easy to customize, really fool proof after you have made it a time or two.

My husband puts milk on a warm piece and eats it like oatmeal but I eat it like cake.

YOu should qualify for food assistance. Costco just started taking food stamps (The Horizon card in Utah) As for Oatmeal recipes, my favorite is uncooked oats with milk, cinnamon and sugar, sometimes I add a little peanut butter. When I was young my brothers introduced me to this. They called it Oatmeal Junk, I loved it and still eat it.

I know it's not the healthiest but sometimes I add in peanut butter and chocolate chips...it is a great treat--the PB is good for added protein and the chocolate is good for making you smile!!
I was laid off for a while after having my baby and did a lot of research at libraries on budgeting and saving money. I found "America's Cheapest Family" by Steve Economides. It was pretty good, and the best advice I got from it was planning out your meals 1 or 2 weeks in advance. It gave great tips--such as soup for dinner one night a week, adding oatmeal to meatloaf, rice and beans are extremely inexpensive, baked potato with chili topping, etc. Good luck.

Hi, well our favorite way to eat it is with a spoonful of butter and a couple spoonfuls of honey. you can do the samething with rice. we also love to take hamburger brown it, boil some noodles, add it all together with cream of mushroom soup,some mushrooms, and some sour cream. it tasts just like stogenaugh. hope this helped a little.

S.,

I am so sorry for your difficult situation. Have you tried brown sugar and margarine. I know I find coupons for both of these items. Novemeber is a big month for sales on baking things like brown sugar. I also got a bunch of free butter/margarine using coupons and shopping sales. I don't know if you are in the Denver area or not, but if so check out SpringsBargains.com. They tell you how to use your coupons to get things for really cheap and even free. Becentsable.net is another great one that you can find your area stores via the Grocery Gathering. Feel free to e-mail me back if you want me to help you figure out these sites. I use them regularly to get a ton of cheap and even free grocery items. Best of luck with baby #3 and your family.

Have you tried steel cut oats. You may like them better. You soak them overnight in water. They are not slimy like regular oatmeal and you buy them in bulk cheaply. One of the big reasons oatmeal gets thick and yucky is over stirring and overcooking. We like ours with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and sometimes other finely chopped dried fruits. you don't have to use a lot, only 1/4c. for 6 servings. The cheapest way to make dried fruit, although it's a bit late for this year is to buy fresh fruits that are a bit overripe in the cheap section, cut them up and dry them yourself. They keep great in the freezer section. Also I find some frozen fruits are cheaper than fresh all the time. Try using couponmom and taking advantage of Albertson's specials. I know how tough it can be. We eat on a very tiny budget all the time and it does get old after awhile. Hang in there.

Well, I'm not really sure about a CHEAP way to make oatmeal yummy. I always put in a flavored coffee creamer, like irish cream or something like that, but those aren't very cheap. I have a few main dishes that are fairly cheap. One is broccoli casserole. I know, I know, not many kids like broccoli, but kids actually really love this. All you do is mix together some cooked broccoli, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheese. Put it in a casserole dish, and then sprinkle some cheddar flavored french onions, or some cheezit crackers. Or anything else that might be a little cheaper, but they aren't bad. Also, some stroganoff. Just brown some meat, and then you heat up some cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup and sourcream and milk with some spices, usually garlic powder and onion powder and salt and pepper. Stir that together and heat it up in a pot. Then you add some cooked macaroni noodles and the meat.
Have you thought about applying for a food stamp program? Or there's should also be something like a WIC program. I'm in Idaho, they might be called something different where you are, but I'm pretty sure most states has similar programs. Food Stamps (EBT card) is you get a card (like a credit card)and they give you so much money depending on your income and how many live in the home. And you can buy just about anything at the store. Just not already cooked things, like fried chicken from the deli. You can also use them at a Papa Murphey's not sure if you have one where you live. And WIC is a program for pregnant mothers, and infants. They give you vouchers, that buy you certain kinds of food, like milk and formula, cheese, juice, cereal, etc. You might look into that, at least until your husband can find something. Good luck! I'll keep you in my prayers.

Well, I LOVE oatmeal, so I may not be the right person to ask... not sure.
First of all, to have super yummy oatmeal, I use the steel cut grouts. You can purchase this in the expensive form: McCann's Steel Cut Oats in a can, or the cheap way: in the bulk foods aisle at Whole Foods or at Sunflower. To make them the easy way, I boil the water and oats at night, and after bringing them to boil, turn off the burner and let them sit overnight on the stove. When you wake up, they are done, and need to be reheated.
Oatmeal is a great food, very wholesome and healthy. To improve on it, I add vanilla protien powder. This makes it more balanced, more healthy, and slightly sweeter. Then I add tons of variations on flavors. Cinnamon and nutmeg almost always. To add nuts, I always roast them first in the oven for a few minutes, THEN add to the oatmeal. Apples are good, but try the green granny smith ones. You can cook them with the oatmeal OR shred them on top for a more crisp and sweet flavor - it's also about texture after all. Raisins are also great in oatmeal - cooked. Raisins definitely benefit from getting hot with the oats. What about prunes? A great way to add sweets with iron too.
You can see I stay away from sugar, but the standbys are brown sugar, and maple syrup. Bananas are great in oatmeal too.
All of these suggestions can be added at once, or seperately, depending on your flavor desires.

I like to take and make up the oatmeal and put vanilla creamer in it. Then I take and put sugar on the top and put it in the oven on the highest rack on broil. It scorches the sugar and makes it have a crispy top. It is very yummy that way.

I like to chop up a few peaches or pears that come out of a can or if you have home bottled ones. Then I pour in a little of the juice - makes the oatmeal sweater and you also get the chunks of fruit. Yum.

The instant oatmeal is so yummy b/c it contains TONS of sugar. For a stovetop alternative, I use whole oats, not quick oats. It still only takes 10 minutes and doesn't get slimy and thick. I add a little bit of white sugar, imitation vanilla or almond extract, and cinnamon and raisins. I find the white sugar is slightly sweeter than the brown sugar, and the flavored extract adds sweetness and flavor without so much sugar. The trick is to keep enough water in it so that it doesn't get too thick and gooey. Oh, and my son loves a dab of blue or green food coloring to make it exciting. It's yummy and it's super cheap! I buy the big Quaker buckets or in bulk to save $$.

Don't over-cook the oatmeal. Put brown sugar in the bowl before you add the oatmeal, and I like some maple flavoring as well ("imitation maple extract" is cheeper than "pure maple syrup). If you don't like oatmeal, try creamy wheat or cracked wheat. Still inexpensive, and its a different consistancy so you may really prefer it.

Money is tight for us too. We make bread from scratch, we rely on powdered milk when we run out of real milk (my kids will use it on cereal and sometimes even drink it!!). Ramen is inexpensive, but not too nutritionally sound. Carrots, apples, and bananas tend to be a bit less.

Also, I would suggest that you get some assistance. WIC is a great program for expectant and nursing moms and kids under 5 - it will provide milk, eggs, carrots, tuna, beans, and peanut butter, plus formula if you don't nurse. And you may qualify for food stamps. Your church may also be able to help. I know that the lasting thing you probably want is to be supported for someone else - I feel the same way. But for the sake of my kids, I have had to swallow my pride and accept some help.