Sorry about yesterday’s tantrum. Moving along, let’s continue through our tour of Emily’s Oatmeal Obsession. Next up was…
Oat Delight #2: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
I had this just this very morning! Again, start with the Old Fashioned Quaker Oats. Sidetracking to answer a comment left on the previous post, I have tried the steel cut oats, and I totally agree that it is basically just oatmeal that takes way too long to cook. Some people claim that the steel cut is healthier, but I see no evidence of that from the Nutrition Facts, only in the much higher price tag!
Therefore, I have settled on using the Quaker Old Fashioned Oats instead of the Quick-Cook Oats, because I think they are chunkier, and I actually like having the 5 minute cooking time so that I have time to cook all my toppings and additions!
Add 1/2 cup oats and a pinch of salt to 1 cup of boiling water and bring down to medium heat for 5 minutes. Around minute 4, I add:
2 tbsp skim milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
(or pumpkin pie spice if you have it!)
a few spoonfuls of Splenda
and a BIG squirt of sugar-free maple syrup
Honestly, it doesn’t get better than this. Hot, chunky, gooey pumpkin pie in a bowl for breakfast. Sometimes I add more maple syrup as I’m eating it, just because I can. This morning I added fresh cranberries which I really liked. As they cook in the oatmeal, they heat up on the inside but the outside stays firm, so when you bite into them you get a gooey cranberry explosion. I’ll admit though, you have to like the tartness of fresh cranberries to enjoy this version (Casey was not a fan).
When you’re at the grocery store, make sure you get the plain canned pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling (gross!). Kroger brand is actually my preference (much cheaper), but for some reason is almost always sold out. Libby’s is a fine substitute. More and more I am finding new and unexpected uses for canned pumpkin – only 80 calories per cup, super tasty, and very filling! I love this stuff!
I will move on from oatmeal for now, but I’ll be back later in the series with Oat Delight #3: Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal – mmmmmm. Stay tuned tomorrow for a spotlight on my new favorite yogurt. I know you can’t wait! :)
