Quick Homemade Breakfast Oatmeal

We saw some family this weekend. Lucky for me, my family members are my biggest fans & they notice when things aren’t up to par - & usually tell me (thanks for calling me out Melissa Donnelly - I needed to hear it).  Lately, I haven’t been blogging a whole lot & that is going to change. Truth is I was sidetracked but other projects that I thought I wanted to try my hand at - & while they taught me new life lessons what I really learned is that this is where I want & need to be right now at this point in my life - here blogging about what I love on a daily basis.  So without further adieu, I’m posting more recipes & other things that lift me up more regularly. Will there be days where I don’t - probably - I’m human after all - but I will do my very best to bring you more of my original posts here. Thanks for sticking with me.

Today, I’m talking about breakfast - a meal that I can usually do without, but I’m trying to be better about eating it as it has been deemed the most important meal of the day.  The one person that I know who eats breakfast on a regular basis (for the past 87+ years!!!) is my Grandpa Paul.  He eats oatmeal everyday for breakfast, except for Sundays when he eats bacon & eggs.

Granted my oatmeal isn’t Grandpa’s - because I like more toppings (he just eats his plain). In the past I’ve eaten oatmeal - mostly instant. You know the package that you tear open & it has oatmeal & other dried counterparts in it - usually semi-identifiable.  Well guess, what Grandpa doesn’t eat that powdery stuff in the package - so I’m going back to basics & making mine from  scratch - well kind of - I’m using the microwave. Instead of taking 2 minutes in the morning to make your instant oatmeal this heartier & healthier way will take you about 5. I think the 3 extra minutes in the morning are worthy of knowing what exactly you’re putting in your body. Plus, it tastes better.

Ingredients (for 1 serving)

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch grated nutmeg
• 1-2 tablespoons REAL maple syrup (not the kind in the womanly shaped bottle!)

Make it!

1. Add rolled oats, water & pinch of salt to a microwave safe bowl (or just be careful taking the bowl in & out of the microwave).  Microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
2. Most, if not all the water should be absorbed & the oats will look soft & about twice the size of the dried oats.
3. Add the milk - cold - & stir it in. I feel this helps cool it down so you don’t burn your mouth eating it & makes it a little more creamy too.
4. Add in raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg (I grate mine using a microplane but you can used the pre-grated stuff too). Drizzle the maple syrup on top & stir well. Add more of any of the toppings to your liking.