Oatmeal Love

In my last post I mentioned that I would devote this one to my daily bowl of oatmeal.  I love my oatmeal.  It's what gets me out of bed in the morning.  Lately, however, I think I've been loving my oatmeal a little too much.  Although I measure everything out, my portions have gotten bigger and bigger.  The 1/2 cup has become a heaping 1/2 cup - with perhaps a few more oats thrown in for good measure.  As the amount of oats increases, so does the milk and the raisins and the agave and . . . you get the point.  Even though I tell myself that I'll scale it back, when I go to make it I am usually too hungry to do so and then I'm left feeling too full and weighted down.  Not a good way to start the day.

The solution?  Pre-measure all the dry ingredients and put them in Ziplock bags (to be reused, of course).  Then I just dump it into a bowl, add the liquid and raisins, and I'm good to go.  Not only will it keep my portion sizes in check but it will also save me a little time in the morning to not have to measure everything every day.    It will be like my own homemade instant oatmeal packets only healthier and more delicious.  Everyone knows how to make oatmeal so this isn't rocket science, but here's my tried and true recipe.

Amanda's Oatmeal

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Oats

1 tbsp. ground flax seed

2 tbsp. chopped walnuts

cinnamon (to taste)

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Almond Breeze) 

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. agave nectar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins (It's a lot, I know, but I loooove raisins!)

Stir together oats, flax, walnuts, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add almond milk, water, agave, and vanilla and stir.  Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds.  Add raisins and stir well.  Cover with a plate and let sit for 3 minutes.  Enjoy!  

(If too much liquid has been absorbed, add a little water or almond milk.  You may have to experiment a bit until you reach your desired consistency.)

*Note - This oatmeal is best enjoyed while working on the daily crossword puzzle.

What do you like to mix into your oatmeal?