Homemade Oatmeal...oh yeah!

I should mention right off the bat...I am the oddity in my family.  My family loves coffee and/or tea...I don't.  My (very Irish) family loves corned beef and cabbage...I don't (at least I have my sister on my side about this one).  My family LOVES hot cereal...I DON'T!  I have never been able to choke down oatmeal, porridge or Cream of Wheat.  To me, the slimy consistency rendered it inedible.

Well, when my oldest son was very little my parents would watch him at least twice a week while my husband and I volunteered at our Church.  It was inevitable, seeing as food options for a one year old are still pretty limited, that they would feed him oatmeal.  And, of course, he loved it.  Two and a half years later, his brother followed suit.  The oatmeal bug was running rampant in my house, and I was powerless to stop it!

I quickly learned to be okay at least making oatmeal for my family, if not eating it myself.  It was pretty easy with all of the instant oatmeal options they have at the stores.  My boys particularly love the Dino Egg Oatmeal that Quaker has out.  But those instant oatmeal packs can be expensive.  I needed to come up with a way to feed the boys oatmeal without breaking the bank (or my gag reflex).

After some searching, I found a recipe that looked promising (and I had all of the ingredients on hand) so I adapted it for taste and made it for the boys.  It turned out super pretty if I do say so myself.

Nutty Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal

(adapted from Summer Tomato)

1 cup Water

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup raisins (I used Sun Maid)

1/4 cup pecans, crumbeld

1 tsp cinnamon (I prefer Saigon Cinnamon)

1 Tbsp brown sugar
Splash of Milk (soy or almond, too!)

1. Add water and raisins to a small pot.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, until raisins are nice and plump.
2. Stir in oatmeal.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the oatmeal is your desired tenderness and consistency.  You can add water a tablespoon at a time to achieve this, as well.
3. Spoon the oatmeal into a cereal bowl.  Add a splash of milk.  Top with pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  Stir together.  Add more milk to reach your desired consistency.  Enjoy!