My Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a food that I have developed a taste for since I changed my eating habits. I first learned to appreciate it for the nutritional value and then came up with a way to thoroughly enjoy the heck out of it, which is always a bonus! I found a blog that helped me see oatmeal in a completely different light. I began using her method and continued to tweak and tweak until I arrived at the perfect oatmeal for me. In this post I will share "my oatmeal" with you. It's easy.

What you need for one serving of oatmeal:

1/3 c. Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (not quick oats!)

1/8 tsp. salt (important)

1/3 c. water

1/3 c. skim milk

1/2 banana chopped into little bitty pieces, preferably good and ripe

1/4 c. dried cherries

1 tsp. (or more!) vanilla extract

Toppings:

1 T Naturally More peanut butter

1-2 T apple butter

First dump the oatmeal, salt, water and milk into a saucepan. Turn it on Med-high heat.

Then go find your star player for this game--the whisk!

The whisk is a requirement for this to be "whipped" oatmeal. Which is way more awesome than "non-whipped" oatmeal. Whole different league.

Okay. After about 5 minutes or so the oatmeal will begin to bubble around the edges. At this point, whip it. You literally have to whip it. And whip it good. When it starts to resemble muffin batter then add the banana and cherries. Whip some more. If it begins to get too thick add a little more milk. Whip it until the bananas have magically melted into the oatmeal. This is your "sugar." The cherries also have time to rehydrate and they get very yummy.

Turn off the heat and add our other game changer--the vanilla!

Always add vanilla. It makes things taste good. Stir it in. Then find a bowl...

Ah-ha! This will do.

It just makes me happy. When there is only 1 T. of peanut butter left in the jar it gets to be my bowl for the morning (or evening in this case). The moment I look down into the jar and realize {This is the day!} it feels like I just won the lottery.

Pour the oatmeal into the jar or bowl and enjoy.

Oh wait. One more thing...

Apple butter. I know, I know. It's got sugar in it. 2 tablespoons for 60 calories. It's just applesauce on steroids. Now eat it.

I didn't like mine very much. :)

Some random kitchen shots....

Love the chalkboard all over my kitchen.

It serves us well.

Doing this post really makes me want a good camera!