I Heart My Oatmeal!

Morning! (Yes, it's still morning to me.)

 Because I just got up, I am just about to make breakfast before I do my hooping and head off for any excursions I may have today. Before we go any further, I need to express my love for oatmeal. Ready? Ok.

I LOVE OATMEAL SO VERY, VERY MUCH!!!!!!

I was considering putting that in bold, but I didn't want to freak any of you out (I may have still done that anyway...)

I know what you're thinking. Oatmeal? But isn't oatmeal boring and gross? No. No it it not.

For those of you out there who already love oatmeal, congratulations! Oatmeal is one of the best possible breakfast you can eat. It's wholesome, full of fiber and protein, and has been tested to have all kinds of health benefits!

But...if it doesn't taste good at the end of the day, who wants it? Right? Well, if you think oatmeal "doesn't taste good" then something is very seriously wrong. Seriously.

My guess is that it's a combination of two things: Bad memories and bad preparation.

Bad memories? With oatmeal? Yes. Most people have childhood memories of their mother trying to shove oatmeal down their throats.

"But MOM, I don't wanna eat it."

"But HONEY, it's good for you. Open up the tunnel, here comes the train, choo choo!"

I feel for you. But that doesn't totally get you out of this. Oatmeal can be very decadent, but you have to know how to prepare it that way. Don't you worry, I've got you covered.

I'm going to create a hypothetical oatmeal non-believer for demonstrative purpose and for you amusement.

So there's this guy. Let's name him Bob. Bob doesn't like oatmeal, and he blames it on two immediate, and very valid excuses. He loves sweet things, and he has the appetite of Micheal Phelps. No problem.

So the answer to Bob's oat-y dilemma is quite simple. Actually, the answer is contained in my breakfast.

It's super rich and chocolate filled, and calls for twice the amount of liquid than traditional oatmeal recipes, which, when cooked the proper way (explained below,) amounts to a fantastic portion size!

Keep scrolling! :)

Super Creamy Cocoa Oats
1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant, do not assume instant)
3T Wheat bran (Trust. Have trust.)
1 cup milk (Any kind. I LOVE unsweetened almond milk.)
1 cup water

Put milk in pot.

Add water.

Milk+water in pot.

Here's your wheat bran.

Here are your oats. (I love target.)

In this lovely mixture, we have milk, water, oats, wheat bran, cocoa powder, and I think there's cinnamon in there somewhere.

My unmeasured bucket of stevia.

Bring it to medium high heat.

My very photogenic banana.

I had to make sure it wasn't poisonous.

Wait until the mixture starts to bubble like this...

...then add your sliced bananas.

Stir pretty consistently until thick.

Keep going...

...you're almost there...

...Yumminess!

That's my friend Priscila posing with the oats. Oat model! :)

Sampling.

She's smiling. This is good.

My almost empty pumpkin butter (recipe to come.)

All dressed up and ready for my mouth. It's topped with coconut, freeze-dried strawberries (I'll explain later,) banana slices, and the last of my pumpkin butter.

My empty pot.

 

Cleanup may seem crazy, but sooo worth it. Just soak the pot, plop in some soap, and go!

So there you have it! Oatmeal is super versatile, and the topping and add in ideas are seemingly endless! I have more flavored and topped oatmeal recipes to come, but check out my list of oatmeal topping ideas.

Oatmeal Topping Ideas
banana
peanut butter
almond butter
better n peanut butter (explanation later)
pumpkin butter
coconut butter (hang on for the recipe)
jam
jelly
coconut
chocolate chips
freeze dried fruit
granola
rice cake granola (future recipe)
dried fruit
cold cereal
other nut butter
additional milk (great for hot days!)
canned pumpkin
honey
flax seeds
chia seeds
berries
and more!

Enjoy!

-Kelly M.