My kids love cold cereal – and who can blame them? When we walk down the cereal aisle, there are countless tasty varieties. Some colorful boxes even have puzzles and games on them for us to enjoy while we eat. However, cold cereal usually isn’t filling, it can cost a lot of money, and it usually has lots of sugar, additives, and preservatives.

Oatmeal to the rescue.

I buy oatmeal in bulk – it’s cheaper that way. Preparing oatmeal for breakfast takes a little more forethought than cereal because it takes awhile to cook, but it’s worth it. Oats have high-quality protein, minerals, and seven B vitamins. Oatmeal is cheap, and it leaves you feeling satisfied.  (For other money saving ideas, check out discount cooking magazines.)

I like to use steel cut oats for my breakfast cereal. Use a ratio of one part oats to three parts water (you can alter the amount of water depending on how thick you like your oatmeal). Bring water to a boil, add the oatmeal, and a pinch of salt. Cook for twenty to thirty minutes until the water is gone and the oatmeal is the texture you like.

Oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring. Have an “oatmeal bar” for breakfast. Set out a variety of different ingredients on the table to mix in with the oatmeal. My kids like the variety and fun of making their own unique oatmeal combination. Here are some good combinations to try:

• Honey, walnuts, and raisins
• Brown sugar and cinnamon
• Chopped apples, raisins, cinnamon, and walnuts
• Bananas, pecans, and cinnamon
• Pure maple syrup and brown sugar

Experiment with your own combinations. Breakfast can be tasty and fun without coming in a box.

Spring is springing! With my green thumb itching I want to be outside in the fresh air, not in the kitchen slaving over a hot meal. Nor do I want to jump in the car to pick up endless take-out meals or ask the pizza delivery guy to climb the steps to the front door one more time. My family wants hot meals on schedule, so I’ve found that the barbeque grill offers me compromise.

During the spring and summer months, my Weber grill gets plenty of use as I cook outside as often as I can. Although I like to cook entrees that include chicken breasts, steak, pork chops, and smoked sausage, the top two favorite are still burgers and dogs.

Whether you cook with gas or use charcoal (like me, I’m a traditionalist!), cooking burgers can be very simple. Here’s what any BBQ cook needs to find easy success with backyard burgers.

Start with quality meat. I no longer buy any ground beef that is not ground round or ground sirloin. Both are lean, excellent choices, but for the grill, I go with ground round. Make patties generous and remember that because it is less fat, ground round won’t shrink as much as other ground meats.

Season the burgers before you slap them on the grill. Avoid using salt – it can toughen the burgers. I stick with my favorite Mrs. Dash blends – including a new one for burgers – or a salt-free Cajun seasoning.

Make sure your fire is cook-ready before you start, and give the burgers no more than six minutes per side. If the center is still pink and you prefer well-done, zap the burgers for about a minute in the microwave after you pull them off the grill. No more tough, crusty, or burned burgers!

For my most recent birthday, 2 of my children got me a present I always wanted - a good countertop deep fryer. With the help of my soon-to-be-wife they made the selection of an Emeril LaGasse/T-fal Deep Fryer.

One of the first items that I decided to make was Beer Battered Onion Rings. I have to admit that I am a sucker for anything deep fried, and my kids are no different. So, although they are not the biggest fans of onions, the prospects of some grilled burgers and deep-fried anything sounded good to them!

Deep-Fried, Beer-Battered Onion Rings

4 large sweet onions, sliced into rings

1/2 cup dark beer

1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup of milk

Directions:

Pour beer and seltzer water or soda into the bowl of a blender or food processor (I use the Magic Bullet) . Sprinkle in pepper, mustard, salt and onion powder. Pulse until combined. Add flour last, and process only until mixed. The batter should be slightly lumpy, about the consistency of pancake batter.

Whisk egg white until frothy in a shallow bowl. Gently stir in contents of food processor, mixing until combined.

Soak the sliced onions in a small amount of milk for 10 minutes. Drain and lightly sprinkle with onion powder, then dip in batter.

Cook them in oil that is 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Place on paper towel to remove excess grease, and salt.

With my handy dandy deep fryer I was able to fry all of the onion rings in two batches.

They were enjoyed with ketchup and honey mustard dipping sauces by my family.