How to Make: Instant Oatmeal

A while back I had saw a blog post talking about the prices of a box instant oatmeal, compared to an entire pound of oat. The blog post talked about it being no more difficult to turn on the stove and make the real thing instead of the processed box version which often was full of sugar, additives and very little fruit. The blogger showed how he just boiled it away on the stove top for a few minutes and that was that. This, I thought, was a great idea! My husband loves oatmeal in the winter time and will eat two packages of the instant stuff at a time. When you go through two boxes a week at about $4 a pop for the organic stuff, it gets a little pricey! So I told him that I was going to buy regular oats that he could just cook in the pan in the morning. This was met will all sorts of heartache. He hates to cook and he certainly didn’t want to find a pan, measure the oats, measure the water blah blah blah. Basically he was telling me it would be to much work for him. So, I set out to create an instant oatmeal that was just like his packets. All he would have to do is add water and pop it in the microwave. What I came up with is so much cost effective then those pre-made boxes, and better for you too.

One Year Ago: Plum Crumble


What You Need: (Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal)
9 cups quick oats
1/3 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c raisins
2 tbs cinnamon


What To Do:
Remove 2 1/2 cups of the quick oats and place into a food processor. Pulse a few times until they are broken down, but not quite to powder form.  Stir the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon into it and then combine the whole thing together with the rest of the quick oats. Once combined thoroughly, store in an air tight container, making sure to label it. One heaping 1/2 scoop is equivalent to one packet of the store bought stuff. Just add about 3/4 c water and place in the microwave for 1 minute. If this isn’t sweet enough for you, add in some honey, maple syrup etc, after cooking.
Not a cinnamon raisin fan? Make a chocolate version by adding in some cocoa powder and dried milk, maybe some chocolate chips? Omit the raisins and add in a bit more sugar for a cinnamon roll version. Add dried apples instead of raisins. The possibilities are endless.