Jazzing up oatmeal for breakfast

[Saralee]

I love hot oatmeal in the morning, and usually I just add a little milk and sugar. Does anyone have any yummy ideals for oatmeal? My breakfast needs some creativity.

[rockydog]

I slice apple or banana and mix it in. I hope others come up with something better.

[Lynn B]

Toasted walnuts and craisins! MMMM!

[LGBurns]

I pride myself on making great oatmeal (my husband really likes it and he normally doesn't like oatmeal). For two people, I add one chopped and peeled apple, a handful of raisins cinnamon, cloves and ginger to the water before I bring it to a boil (sorry I don't have exact measurements--maybe 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp each of cloves and ginger?). After it's boiling I add the oatmeal and cook as directed (I always use whole oats not quick oats for this recipe). Then I pour on milk and either brown sugar or maple syrup. Yum! This is a great way to make it. Sometimes I add sunflower seeds as well (at the same time I add the oatmeal). The key is to put the apples, raisins and spices in before you heat the water. That way the fruit gets stewed a bit with the spices making it softer and more flavorful. I've also made this with dried cranberries and dried cherries instead of raisins.

[This message has been edited by LGBurns (edited 03-21-2001).]

[Neanne]

Mmmm. LGBurn's method sounds delicious!!
Besides milk my DH likes his with brown sugar, raisins and fresh strawberries.

[SusanJ]

It's not exactly light, but my favorite way to eat oatmeal is with butter and brown sugar. It gives it a wonderful carmelly taste.

[bluebird]

LGBurns recipe really sounds great and not too difficult to prepare on a work day. How about a handful of cut up dried apricots in place of the apple? I like the idea of adding crunch with the sunflower seeds.

[Peggy]

Saralee,

Have you tried the oatmeal recipe from the June 2000 issue? We really like it! I will post it here in case you don't have access to that issue.

Spiced Fruity Oatmeal (CL June '00)

1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/8 teas salt
1 1/3 cup regular oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (I use non-fat milk)
1 T brown sugar
3/4 teas cinnamon
1/8 teas nutmeg
2 T chopped walnuts

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in oats and cranberries; reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cook 1 minute. Spoon in bowls; sprinkle with walnuts. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1 1/2 teaspoons walnuts).

Calories: 212; Fat 4.2gm; Protein 5.8gm; Carb 38.9gm; Fiber 3.7gm; Chol 1mg; Iron 1.8mg; Sodium 86mg; Calc 49mg.

[JennyLiz]

I had to reply to this thread! My daughters and I eat oatmeal every morning and it keeps us going until lunch. (DH calls me a carb freak, but at least they're good carbs.)

Anyway, I use Old Fashioned oats and make them in the microwave in 3 minutes- so easy. I stir in powdered milk- makes them so creamy and adds an extra calcium boost, wheat germ for vitamin E, and a touch of brown sugar. Sometimes we add a bit of peanut butter or almond butter for variety. YUMMY! JennyLiz

[junietoo]

I could eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner (oh, wait, sometimes I do!) Except I can't stomach the quick kind -- too gluey.

IMO, Trader Joe's has the best oatmeal: Oven Toasted Oats. It's a little thicker cut than even Quaker regular oats and, as a result, is more substantial after cooking -- a bit chewy.

I'm going to try both LGBurns' and CL's version this weekend. JennyLiz, I'm a certifiable carb freak and feel not a bit guilty.

Barbara

[lsdesign]

Here is what I have EVERY morning for breakfast:
McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal made in the microwave. With a large dollop of spicy pumpkin butter (I got the recipe from this bb) a handful of craisens and some milk. It tastes like Thanksgiving every day.

[fob323]

I have oatmeal for breakfast everyday too. I always have frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries in the freezer, and add them, just before the oatmeal is done. I then cover it for 5 or so minutes and it's ready to eat. Not much work to it either.

[Searcher]

I just bought a tin of McCann's regular Irish oatmeal, not the quick kind. Have any of you ever made this in a crock pot? I know you can make Quaker oats in there but haven't seen anything anywhere about the Irish or Scottish oatmeals.

[Angela]

I love oatmeal (mostly for a quick dinner in the winter)and I think it tastes best mixed with brown sugar, maple syrup, and either canned (because like I said I typically eat it in the winter) peaches or pears with some of the juice from the can. Sometimes I add a dash of cinnamon.

[Melina]

I'm an oatmeal fan too, and all of you are making me salivate. I live in California and it's almost 1:00pm, so I'm going to have it for lunch. Now which one?

I just stopped and looked in my pantry. I have dried pineapple, coconut, and papaya. So tropical oatmeal it is!

LGBurns, thanks for the tip on softening the fruit.
Melina

[cjm]

I fix oatmeal for DH & myself quite regularly. I sometimes add fresh fruit & nuts but I ALWAYS add a container of flavored, fat free yogurt - no milk or sugar. I feel like this is quick and easy and healthy!

[lanie]

Searcher - beware of the crockpot oatmeal - I tried it a couple of weeks ago and thanks to 'not having a good sleep night' came down at about 1:30 am - great smell - all crusted to the bottom - now - mind you I have a new corning ware crockpot and find it 'too hot' - not sure if that was the prob - just be careful - I shudder to think what it(or my house for that matter) would have been like if it had gone All night.

[Susan]

Originally posted by lsdesign:
Here is what I have EVERY morning for breakfast:
McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal made in the microwave. With a large dollop of spicy pumpkin butter (I got the recipe from this bb) a handful of craisens and some milk. It tastes like Thanksgiving every day.

Oh, great idea! I happen to have a jar of TJ's pumpkin butter in the cupboard! Love that Irish Oatmeal too!

~~Susan~~

[JHolcomb]

My husband loves Irish oatmeal. We don't make it often because it takes forever. I like my "regular" oatmeal with a teaspoon of cream, brown sugar and fresh blueberries. Nothing beats it. I can't wait for summer and fresh picked blueberries!

[LaraW]

I too love to eat oatmeal! I make it very similar to LGBurns, except that I usually heat milk instead of water, and when I add the oatmeal, I also add a teaspoon of vanilla. Yummy!

[Tiger]

I love oatmeal and cream of wheat. I never heard of Irish oatmeal but I'm going to look for it.
Isdesign your Thanksgiving oatmeal sounds great. Now I'll be looking for pumkin butter too!

[Saralee]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I'm going to have to eat oatmeal for more than just breakfast

p.s. here in good old Illinois it is just gorgeous outside. after a horrible winter the sun is shining and it's in the sixties. i hope that everyone else is having nice weather.

[AGC]

I get quick-cook oatmeal and microwave it with milk and a dash of salt and cinnamon. When its done, I swirl a healthy amount of one of the fresh honeys you can get at the Fresh Market. I think I have orange clover right now-they have about 6 kinds. It provides all the sweetner I need and has the most yummy flavor. When I tried the Zone diet (a mistake for me) the author advises to eat steel cut Irish oatmeal because it provides a good protein to carb. ratio. All I know is it stays with me through lunch and beyond!

[Curleytop]

I buy the oatmeal at Whole Foods, from the barrel at .35 cents per #.
Bring to a boil 4oz or a little more water in a small saucepot. Add 1/4 cup oats. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Serve with maple syrup and raisins or craisins and a little milk. You can also add a little flax seed meal with the oats. I found that I was allergy to it. This actually is half the suggested recipe (from Red Mill), but enough for me. I am NOT a breakfast eater!

[m4star]

Oatmeal is my FAVORITE food. I had it this morning in fact. I do use quick oats because I'm always running late in the mornings. I use one cup water to 1/2 cup of oats, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spices) and some type of fruit (a banana, 2 TBSP of raisins or craisins, fresh berries, a small apple, just whatever is on hand). Then I let it sit while I shower (like 20 minutes) because I like it thick. Then I drizzle on some skim milk or a 1/4 cup of yogurt. Very basic but oh so good!

[This message has been edited by m4star (edited 03-23-2001).]

[Grace]

I've been making a rather large batch of the steel-cut oatmeal, then putting it in a container in the fridge. In the morning, when I don't have much time (or I'm just really hungry and can't wait 20 minutes for breakfast!) I pull out the container, scoop out some oatmeal, doctor it up however I'm feeling that day, and microwave it for a minute or two. I usually have to add just a little milk to smooth it out while it's heating up, then I pour milk on top and voila, breakfast is served. I used to not make the steel-cut kind either because it took too long, but with this method, I've been eating it every morning! YUM!


I tried LGBurns idea this morning (I was making a new batch) with the apples (I left the peel on mine), raisins and flavorings in the water before I added the oatmeal. Really great. I loved it. Thanks LG for sharing. Now I'll have to try the other ideas here too....I'm now an oatmeal convert! Thanks everyone.


[This message has been edited by Grace (edited 03-23-2001).]

[makedah]

I have tried and tried with oatmeal. I have posted messages at other bulletin boards asking the same question: What do you put in your oatmeal? But almost every reply was fruity or sugary. The idea of sweet oatmeal doesn't appeal to me (which is weird because I ADORE granola), and I don't like most dried or 'cooked' fruit. Maybe I'll try that butter idea. I tried adding peanut butter, but that only added marginal flavor. And I can't get the texture to be anything but gluey. (I've used the plain oats, the quick oats and the instant oats.) Although it's SO good for you and cheap, I think I am doomed to hate oatmeal

[GayeC]

These suggestions are making me hungry for oatemal! I ususally add raisins and brown sugar and, when I really want it to be yummy, a little half and half! I like the idea of cooking it with chopped apples or other fruit.

I also adore Cream of Wheat. It is great with brown sugar and a little milk (or half and half!)(cook it with milk too, not water). In the summer I add sliced, very rip S.C. peaches. Now that is to die for!

[PatLB]

I combine vanilla-flavor soymilk as the cooking liquid and add a small "glugg" of blackstrap molasses for each serving. I use quick oats but include some psyllium seed husks and some wheat bran. I stir and heat this mixture altogether rather than heating the soymilk to a boil first. Sometimes I add raisins or dried apricots and then top with banana slices.

The isoflavones from the soy milk + the psyllium hlep to lower cholesterol. I use the wheat bran just to increase the fiber.
I've gotten so used to the brown color and flavor that plain oatmeal now seems like white bread once you are used to having whole wheat. The soymilk adds wonderful flavor. If I'm out of it the oatmeal made only with water seems like something is missing!

[Neanne]

Originally posted by lsdesign:
Here is what I have EVERY morning for breakfast:
McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal made in the microwave. With a large dollop of spicy pumpkin butter (I got the recipe from this bb) a handful of craisens and some milk. It tastes like Thanksgiving every day.

lsdesign--
I searched through so many recipes trying to find the pumpkin butter and never did. Would you mind posting the recipe again?

TIA.