When Chris and Melissa were married they moved into Melissa’s house, and after the dust settled from combining two households of stuff into one, Chris noticed that there was an inordinate amount of oatmeal in the house, enough to feed a small army or possibly two.  And so began the oatmeal abatement program, where we would try to consume the excess until it was reduced to a manageable level.  To do so, we found recipes that used as much oatmeal as possible.  Chris found a cookie recipe that required 5 ½ cups, doubled it, and made a batch about every other week.  This, combined with other oatmeal rich meals, went on unabated, so to speak, for the better part of a year until we achieved our goal.

We are moving to Milwaukee in about two weeks and have started a much broader abatement program, namely how to creatively use all of the ingredients in the house so we don’t have to move them or throw them out.  Think of it as the Iron Chef competition of Cleveland Heights.  We are now seeking your help and suggestions for recipes that heavily use the following ingredients, which we have large quantities of:

V-8 juice, corn starch, olives (green and black), cocoa powder (vast amounts), walnuts and Peeps (yellow bunnies).  Extra points are awarded for recipes that use multiple ingredients.  Those who provide the best recipes will receive complimentary servings of the dish, as well as the notoriety that comes with being mentioned on our blog.