...but it certainly has the potential to be. Last night we did another rotisserie pineapple, but this time I made sure there was enough to throw some into some oatmeal for a little experiment. I wanted to see if I could get my son to eat oatmeal without it being completely undone with tons of butter and sugar like it usually is. So I made some oatmeal and threw in some chunks of pineapple and a spoonful of the brown sugar lemon glaze. Ok, so yes I did add a little sugar, but nothing compared to what usually goes in there. Then I started feeling creative and I just started chunking things in there. Cinnamon and pecan bits went in. And then I mixed it all together so as to trick him. If I don't he'd just eat off the top and stop when he got to the oatmeal. Verdict: He LOVED it. Victory. It took about 4 minutes to make, was kinda fun digging around for additions, and was actually intended as a make-ahead. I have a good friend who will make huge batches of oatmeal and then put it in the fridge and eat off of it for the next several days. I always forget how good it is. It'll get sticky-ish and in the morning you just put a little milk in it and maybe a little sugar and you're good to go. Cold oatmeal is kind of refreshing on hot days.
Anyhoo, onto why you should start fooling around with oatmeal... It's shown to lower cholesterol, fight diabetes, lower blood pressure, control your weight, and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. If that's not enough, go to this list and check out some more reasons as well as some great ideas for add-ins.
And now for the recipes...
Baked Oatmeal; make ahead recipe
Steel Cut Oats with Carmelized Onions & Ricotta, Intriguing but I don't think I can go there. To each his own, though.
Tres Leches Oatmeal - Oh, yeah! I'll be trying this one.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Dried Cranberries and Apples
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies; While I can't promise that these are healthy, I am not here to judge how you use the ingredient of the day
Crockpot Oatmeal; gotta love when you wake up and your breakfast is made for you.
I hated oatmeal as a kid, but mine eat it up - its as great to them as pancakes or french toast for saturday morning. it always kind of amazes me. I use the rolled oats - the ones that stay a little chewy after you cook them - and I add one shredded apple, a handful of raisins or craisins, some vanilla extract and a bit of nutmeg. I let it cook all together and then pour a little milk on the top and they will actually eat it without sugar.
ReplyDeleteI am so substituting the pineapple next time, because they both eat pineapple!