Way To Go Eric!

This morning I got a call from my youngest brother Eric at about 8:30 to tell me his fun news. Yesterday he had a great post on his blog Eric Outside.  He recalled an experience he had with his favorite dog Lady,  (She's his only dog so of course she's his favorite!) and the food he feeds her for the hunting season.  Eric is an avid, I mean extremely avid outdoorsman.  I think his real name should have been Gaston!  He loves to bird hunt so much that just as spring is starting to poke her green little head out he blogs about missing the crisp bleakness of fall.  I immediately replied that he was crazy, and that if Mother Nature heard his cries we were going to get way more than our fair share of winter so he better be quiet.  I am not a hunter by any means, and I'm certainly glad James isn't either. Eric hunts for all of us!

Eric feeds his dog Lady the green bag of Iam's most of the year, but during the fall and winter he adds 1 c. of the pink bag of Eukanuba super duper extra high intensity performance max ultra to the mix.  My dad is actually the one who feeds Lady everyday, and he and Eric soon noticed a marked difference in Lady's energy level and sniffing ability.  (You hunter's know what I'm talking about.)  One night after feeding Lady the "pink stuff" for a couple of days, my dad had a dream that he poured a cup of the pink Eukanuba into his morning oatmeal.  He eats oatmeal every morning.  It's his breakfast of champions.   He dreamed how his energy level shot through the roof and everything he could do in a day.  He ran everywhere and never tired. I'm sure his coat was quite shiny too in the dream.  He woke up wishing his dream could have been true.   The '"pink stuff" dream was the topic of quite a few Sunday dinners.  We laughed and laughed at the visual image we got of my dad on the pink stuff.

Eric's last post was about how Lady was now being reduced back to straight Iam's since the hunting season is over and the difference it has made in her activity level.  My daddy'o thought she may be getting sick or just old until they decided to put the pink stuff back into her diet.  It did the trick.  She is back to her perky self, and my dad is seriously thinking of adding it to his oatmeal. 

Here's the great stuff.  Yesterday Eric actually got comments from his post from a couple of the employees at Eukenuba!  They loved his blog, and especially his "Testimonial" of their product.  The post was being sent through the company, and Eric is going to get some free T-shirts, and product.  Score!  He' s famous!  This blogging pays off every once in a while. Maybe I'll score a free Le Crueset pot one day or something of that nature.  Until then I thought a recipe for some fantastic oatmeal would do the trick.

This recipe actually came from my sister Hollie.  She had something similar at a restaurant once, and came home and "figured it out" as we Garner gals put it.  There is nothing more satisfying than figuring out how to replicate a great dish.  I actually taught this recipe at a Macey's class a while back and it was probably the most tried recipe I've ever shared.  It really was a favorite.  So if you don't have a big bag of the pink Eukanuba to add to your morning mush, this should be a great alternative.  Maybe since Eric has such a great relationship with the folks at Eukanuba his can get them to make an oatmeal supplement for dogs best friend.  So when you make this dish think of my dad, and the incredible amount of energy he has, and maybe it will give you the boost you're looking for too! Or at least a big smile.

Baked Oatmeal (Lady's Secret)

1 c. uncooked old fashioned rolled oats cooked according to directions

1/2 c. uncooked Steel Cut oats (these are just oat groats cracked.  You can just use more 

oatmeal if you don't have the Steet Cut oats) cooked according to directions.

1 c. raisins or cranberries

1/2 c. sliced almonds, or pecans

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. coconut

1 t. cinnamon

pinch salt

1 c.  Pink bag Eukanuba :)  Just kidding!

milk to cover

After the oatmeal and Steel Cut oats are cooked, combine them with all the other ingredients except the milk and mix gently until combined.  Pour into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and pour enough milk over the mixture until it is covered.  Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake in a 375'F oven for 30-45 mins.  Until the milk is absorbed.  Serve warm with more milk or just by itself.I love to eat it with cold milk and a little honey.  This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator.  Just scoop out what you want and reheat in the microwave for a minute or two.  It is great to have this in the fridge and eat it all week long.  It is full of good stuff to give you lots of energy.  Feel free to add more or less of any of the ingredients.  This is one of those recipes that doesn't have to be exact.  Try different variations of fruit and nuts, and different spices.  Cardamom is a new favorite spice, or try fresh nutmeg. This breakfast won't disappoint.