I really like oatmeal for breakfast. It is warm and filling and keeps you going till lunch or beyond. Unfortunately, I rarely want to take the time to make it. Boil the water, stir and stir, trying to figure out how much sweetner to put in, it is just a hassle for only one person. As a result, I used to buy instant oatmeal in the package; pricey but quick and easy was my reasoning until one day I took a look at the ingredients:
- Whole Grain Rolled Oats
- Sugar
- Natural and Artificial Flavor
- Salt
- Calcium Carbonate
- Guar Gum
- Carmel Color
- Niacinamide
- Reduced Iron
- Vitamin A
- Palmitate
- Pyridoxine
- Hydrochloride
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin Amononitrate
- Folic Acid
Hydrocloride? Pyridoxine? What is that? Whatever it is I don't think it sounds very healthy. I would prefer something that is a bit more good for you than store bought instant oats that are full of stuff I never heard of.
So I decided to see if I could make my own instant oatmeal that would be convenient, quick and best of all not chocked full of additives and preservatives that are definitely not good for you! I wanted to make a recipe that I could do in bulk and then split it up into individual servings, that was easy to store and would keep for at least a week.
I sat down with a pencil and paper and did some thinking. After coming up with a plan, I did some checking on the internet to see if the ingredients needed refrigeration and how long they would stay fresh. When I had my formula (I actually did feel kind of like a mad scientist.....hehe) I made my first batch.
It took some experimentation but after a few tries, I finally came up with my favorite recipe for instant oatmeal:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (can use Splenda Brown Sugar)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Mix these together in a bowl
Put 3/4 a cup into a small zipper bag
How to Cook:
Pour the contents of the baggie into a bowl or mug
Add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of skim milk and stir
Cover with a paper towel
Microwave for about 3 minutes
Stir and let sit for a couple minutes
To keep from getting bored, sometimes I put other things in my oatmeal to give it different flavors like:
- Pistachio nuts or any nuts you like, chopped
- Coconut
- Dried apricots, chopped
- Dates, chopped
- Dehydrated apples, chopped
- Mini Chocolate or Peanut Butter Chips
- chocolate chips and peanuts
- sliced fresh bananas and coconut
- dried cranberries and pecans
- diced dehydrated apples and chopped walnuts
These zipper bags do not need to be refrigerated and they last a long time without spoiling. They also make great jar gifts for friends that have the bad habit of skipping breakfast! My homemade oatmeal is much healthier and cheaper than what you buy in a store and frankly much more yummy! Try making some and see for yourself.
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Image Credits:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/3180105556/sizes/z/
