I definitely change the baked oatmeal each time I make this recipe. I decided to search her comments to see if anyone had asked about the baking soda and here's the answer.

Question: why baking powder? Isn’t that a leavening agent to help things rise?
ALEXANDRA — SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 @ 6:07 PM REPLY
Hi Liz! It does help leaven/lighten this recipe a bit. If you don’t include it, everything kind of sinks/becomes very dense.

I'm even thinking about trying cranberries that I have in the freezer and maybe buttermilk for fun. I gather you could use almond milk or coconut milk too. I don't bother with the cinnamon - the time I tried it, I thought it overpowered the blueberries.

The recipe sounds great, and would make a fast breakfast, but I won't be trying the baked oats, since it has 3 Tbs. butter and less oats than when I cook them my usual way for breakfast.

The Bob's Red Mill has different water to steel-cut oats ratios depending on whether the oats are cooked right away or rested overnight. It specifies 3/4 cup water to 1/4 cup oats when cooked right away, but 1 cup water and 1/4 cup oats when they are allowed to rest overnight after being added to the boiling water, or when using a slow cooker for overnight. When I made the steel-cut oat crackers last week, I used the ratio for cooking directly, and the water was mostly gone after 15 min. (directions say 15-20 min).

My breakfast steel-cut oats are 1/4 cup, which I add to boiling water and let rest covered on the stove overnight. The next day, I add 1/3 cup milk and 1 Tbs. dates. I cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the spatula, pulled across the bottom of the pan briefly leaves a clear spot, then I cover, turn off the heat, and make my coffee. While the coffee brews, I put the oatmeal into a bowl with 1/4 tsp. maple sugar and chopped walnuts. It's a 20 minute process. I've thought of making a double recipe and microwaving the other half the next day, but then I'd be fighting my husband for the microwave, as that is how he cooks his quick oats.

When I make blueberry pie, I use allspice rather than cinnamon.

For lunch on Sunday, and into the week, I made creamy tomato soup, using a can of crushed tomatoes, baking soda, a can of 2% evaporated milk, onion, and Italian Seasoning. It should have had a cup of chicken broth, but I did not thaw any because I know that I have a container of Penzey’s chicken base. I saw it in the past month in the pantry. Can I find it? I settled for a cup of water. It was still good, and unlike even the Healthy Request Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, it has no high fructose corn syrup and a lot less sodium.

Dinner on Sunday was boneless pork chops, cooked in the frying pan by my husband, roasted sweet potatoes cooked by me in the countertop oven, and microwaved frozen peas. The sweet potatoes are Beauregard, a variety I first encountered at the farmers’ market in the fall. I was able to find a bag of organically grown ones at Kroger last time we went to the next town to shop. They are naturally sweet—no need to add maple syrup.

One of the blueberry pie recipes I make uses 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of lemon zest and lemon juice. It makes a very fragrant pie.

Today I made some potato soup. I used 2 strips of smokey bacon in which I sauteed some onion and a fair amount of celery and carrots. Then I added about 3 cups of potatoes and a quart of boxed chicken broth. After the potatoes were tender I gave it a ride in the food processor. I add a touch of half and half to it when I serve it. Came out pretty good. I portioned some out and froze it. It makes a good lunch with a small sandwich.