IT'S Oatmeal TIME..!!

I LOVE THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS. Of course, I can say this because it's almost October -- the most beautiful month of the year. 

Everything is different...the air is changing...the leaves are turning...it's wonderfully cool at night...

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT OCTOBER.

The change in the weather means it's time to change our wardrobes -- SWEATERS, PEOPLE..!! I have some magnificent sweaters and it's always fun to get them out and become reacquainted...

And it also means a change in what we eat.  TIME FOR OATMEAL...!!

I made a big batch of plain, old-fashioned oatmeal for John -- and put it in baggies for his breakfast.

However -- MY SPECIAL OATMEAL is a bit more complicated. It involves chopped apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, cinnamon and honey...YUMMO...

I love steel cut oats...but you have to cook them for about 30 minutes.

I add half the apples and cranberries during the last 5 minutes of cooking...then, I cover the pot and turn off the heat.

I stir in everything else right at the end...with a LOT OF CINNAMON...

Then, I just add some milk...OH, HEAVEN...

I put it in sandwich bags and flatten it -- so it's a quick thaw in the microwave.

 

Here's my recipe (or, at least, how I made it the other day). 

6 cups of water 

2 1/2 cups of steel cut oats 

1 tsp of salt 

 Bring to a boil...stir often, keep to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, I add 1/2 cup of chopped apples, and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.

After 25 minutes, put a lid on the pot and turn off the heat.

Right before serving, add another 1/2 cup of chopped apple, 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, 1 cup of chopped walnuts,  2 tablespoons of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of honey. (the apples and cranberries do most of the sweetening).

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People who live in California or Florida probably never get hungry for oatmeal...and I pity them.  Really.  They just don't know what they're missing...