A-mazing Oatmeal Options!

How is your oatmeal repertoire?

Do you even eat oatmeal in your home?

Does it ever get boring to have plain old oatmeal every day?
No, really?  It does?  Yup, me too.
Get ready...because...

This, my oatmeal-weary friends, is the post for you!

Let me share with you some of my new finds ~

A-mazing Oatmeal Options!!

And, yes...they really are that good!!  :)  

 First up ~ Basic Chocolate Oatmeal originally posted by Katie

who writes the "Chocolate Covered Katie" blog.

Okay, is it even right to make your oatmeal into dessert?

Let's not even open up a debate on that one...agreed?  
Oh, and if you don't like chocolate, you won't like this.  :)

Here's what I did to make it mine.

This will make enough for about four ~
depending on hunger levels.  

5 cups Liquid ~ I used half water and half milk ~ 
(or, all of one or the other)

2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats ~
(You could substitute Quick Cooking oats...
just reduce cooking time accordingly)

3/4 tsp Sea Salt

Put these three ingredients into a medium sized,

heavy-bottomed pot.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered

for about 8 to 10 minutes, until it gets creamy.

Stir in the following, and mix well ~

3 Tbsp Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder

1/3 cup Sugar ~ I use dehydrated cane juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cover with lid and let sit off the heat 

for about 5 minutes prior to serving.
Stir in more of your choice of liquid, if necessary.

Serve with a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top (yes, really!).

And, some chopped nuts ~ I like pecans.

Drizzle with milk or cream.

Dig in ~ I dare you!!  ;-)

 Next up ~ Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal originally

posted on the "Real Mom Kitchen" blog.

A little less dessert-ish, but, completely yummy-ish ~

This recipe fits the bill for a great crock pot breakfast that

can be prepared the night before.

Who does not like to have the morning's work done ahead of time?

And, what could be better than waking up to a cinnamon-y,

apple-ish-ously smelling home in the morning?

Nothing.  That's what!

This recipe will serve six to eight hungry adults.
If you like creamy rice pudding, you will like this.
Yum.  Yum!

One more thing...I found it necessary to fill my

large crock pot half full with water and then I used a 2.5 Litre (2.5 Quart)

casserole dish to hold the recipe ingredients.

I placed this dish into the water and then put the crock pot

lid on the whole thing.

The first time I made this recipe it burned...

perhaps I just have a weird crock pot...

could very well be!

Whatever the reason, it was not pleasant.
Only half the oatmeal was salvageable.

However, the second time I made this, 
I did the insert thing and it worked beautifully!

No burned stuff to scrape off.

And, every last bit of this yummy oatmeal 

was ready to gobble down.

Yippee!! 

3 Gala apples cored and chopped ~ skin on

3 cups Milk

2 cups Water

1 cup Apple Juice ~ I like organic, fresh-pressed

2 cups **Steel Cut Oats ~ uncooked
**(Don't use regular oatmeal in this recipe...
it will become too mushy!)

1/4 cup Maple Syrup 

2 Tbsp Butter ~ cut into little pieces

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon ~ ground

Butter your casserole dish.

Mix all ingredients together and carefully pour 

into the casserole dish.

It will come nearly to the top.

Stir well.

Place into your crock pot. Put the lid on.

Turn the heat to low and set on the counter

to cook while you sleep.

This will take about 7 to 8 hours.

Mine burned after about 5 hours on my first try,

when I cooked it directly in the crock pot.

No fun!  I woke up at about 4:30 am to the smell of burnt sugar.

Take my advice, and use the casserole set-up

and there will be no issues.

It is so worth it!!

In the morning, remove your casserole dish
from the crock pot and stir the oatmeal prior to dishing it out.
Serve with chopped pecans, raisins,

a little more brown sugar and milk or cream.

Enjoy!!  And...do let me know what you think!  :)

Many Blessings,

Camille