RECIPE: Easy Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

My family loves blueberries. My family loves oats. It seemed like a good idea to combine the two. One Sunday when both my energy levels and my pantry were fairly depleted and I needed to come up with a simple dessert using what we had on hand, I created these delicious squares. It's hard to go wrong when you combine oats, fruit, and lots of butter :)

Fruit and oats are such a happy match, and you could use just about any type of fruit that strikes your fancy instead of the blueberries. Raspberries, peaches, or a strawberry-rhubarb combo would all be delightful I think (and trying out all of these possibilities will give me plenty of excuses to make these squares again!)

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (I prefer the wild ones)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Oat mixture:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened

Instructions:
To make the filling, combine blueberries, sugar, orange juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a greased 9" x 9" pan.

Spread filling evenly over oat mixture; sprinkle remaining oat mixture over top and press down lightly.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Let cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 squares.

For more simple, tasty and family-friendly recipes like this one, check out my book: Cheap Appétit: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible)

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a signing, seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

Swimming in Strawberries

Right about now I'm wondering if I'm up for another round with the berries. I've safely processed, prepared or consumed the entire 18 quarts our family picked on Canada Day. I absolutely adore strawberries, and nothing can compare to the taste of a freshly picked, sun-warmed berry; however, any sort of serious berry picking effort means a large commitment in the days afterwards since berries will only last a couple of days in the fridge. We may go back and pick another 24 quarts if we can squeeze it in by the end of the week. Our local farm offers a deal that if you pick six 6 quart baskets over the course of the picking season, you get the seventh free, and the frugal part of me doesn't want to miss out on getting $10 worth of free berries!

Here are some of my favourite ways to enjoy one of the great tastes of summer:

Jam - I made 3 batches this year. Once you have some experience, you can whip up a batch in about an hour. I use the standard Certo recipe; for some reason everyone tells me my jam is fabulous and wants to know my "secret". I just follow the directions, LOL!

Muffins - Strawberries are a great substitute for rhubarb in these muffins! If you are lucky enough to have both strawberries and rhubarb handy, use half and half for a scrumptious strawberry-rhubarb muffin.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad - always a hit for a potluck dinner

Strawberry Shortcake - I bake the old-fashioned kind, in one large pan, rather than individual biscuits. I prefer to add very little sugar to the strawberries themselves - just a sprinkle to draw out the natural juices.

Once I've got the jam all safely tucked away, and we've all eaten our fill of fresh berries, I freeze the rest on cookie sheets overnight, then transfer them to plastic freezer bags for long-term storage. Frozen berries are perfect for a fresh-tasting smoothie all winter long!

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

My Favourite Smoothie

It's time to dig out my blender - smoothie season is here! Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived, I am starting to crave refreshing, cold drinks again. I love smoothies for lots of reasons; not only are they incredibly satisfying, they are filling enough to serve as a snack, they are quick and easy to make, and the variations are as endless as your imagination (and the contents of your fruit crisper).

Here is my personal favourite:


Raspberry Coconut Smoothie
This is equally fabulous using strawberries!

Time: under 5 minutes
Serves: One large or two small servings

3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup coconut milk

Toss all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add more juice if necessary to get desired consistency.

It's easy to create your own "custom" smoothie by choosing different combinations of fruit and juice. For best results, at least 50% of the fruit used in your smoothie should be frozen to give it that characteristic thickness. Milk or yogurt can be used in place of the coconut milk.

Make homemade Popsicles by pouring the smoothie mixture into Popsicle molds. My kids can't get enough of these! At ages 8 and 10, they are able to do most of the prep work themselves and just need a bit of help pouring the mixture into the molds.

Money Saving Tips:
-Use the juice left over from canned fruit in your smoothies.
-Smoothies are perfect for using up over-ripe fruit!