Breakfast Time - Oatmeal

Oatmeal - I love it. For me it is absolutely the best breakfast. We like to have steel cut oats. They're less processed than rolled oats and therefore more nutritious. Right now our supplier is out so we are enjoying rolled oats instead.

 

I have found that a ratio of two to one works for any kind of oatmeal - two parts of liquid to one part of oatmeal. Steel cut oats take longer to cook unless you soak them overnight. That's not a problem for us because we also make eggs to go with our breakfast so we have something to do while waiting. Not that we're ever at a lack of things to do around here. ☺

 

Oatmeal is so versatile. You can add almost anything you want to it. Sometimes we have a buffet. We pull every topping imaginable out of the cupboards and fridge - brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, nuts, jam, dried fruit, cream, milk, etc. Then the children can have what they want.

Sometimes I need a faster option for oatmeal. I found this recipe on http://heavenlyhomemakers.com for making instant oatmeal like the kind you pay big bucks for at the grocery store. I ate a lot of those packets growing up, and I have to say that this homemade version tastes like the store-bought only better. Better because I know exactly what's in it. And that would be TWO ingredients. This is so simple to make and my children love having it for a bedtime snack. It's so easy that even my eight-year-old daughter can make up a bowl to feed her baby brother.

You need ten cups of rolled oats and two cups of brown sugar. Dump seven cups of the oats into a large bowl. Take the other three cups and blend them up. This helps the oatmeal to thicken when you "cook" it. I love my little coffee mill. I have never used it for coffee, but I do use it for grinding up oatmeal, coconut, almonds, etc.

 So here are the rolled oats. Seconds later oat flour.

Add the oat flour to the oats and two cups of brown sugar. Mix it well and transfer it to a jar. Some people put it in small, portion-size Ziploc bags. I prefer a jar. Often I give my toddler and baby just half of a portion.

This jar would have been a lot fuller, but four of my children wanted a bowl of oatmeal since I had just made the mix. I put the ratio of mix and boiling water on the lid. I have to admit though, that I have found you don't need quite the amount of water recommended. It's a bit soupy. Experiment to get the proportion you want. Also, after adding the boiling water let it sit for a couple of minutes. We always put a plate on top to help hold the heat in.

 

 

This is a picture of the oatmeal with some cream mixed in. Sometimes we add raisins and/or almonds. Again, the possibilities are endless. You could leave out the sugar and just add maple syrup or honey every time you make it. A new taste every time if you want.

The baby enjoys this at night for a bedtime snack.

We also enjoy other hot cereals like Cream of Wheat, Cream of Brown Rice, and a cereal that is apparently unique to Canada - Red River Cereal (a mix of wheat, rye and flax). Virtually any grain can be turned into a hot cereal. Our favourite though will always be oatmeal.

How about you? Do you like hot cereals?

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