Try to Mess Up Oatmeal. I Dare Ya!

With cereal, milk, eggs, pancake and yogurt dominating the breakfast scene, it’s sometimes hard to come up with easy breakfast ideas when you can’t eat wheat or dairy or eggs.  I hope to share a new breakfast recipe/idea/suggestion here every Monday.

I don’t know if these really qualify as recipes, but these 2 oatmeal concoctions are my go-to quick breakfasts when we’re on a restricted diet.  Like I mention on our About page, we’re not worried about cross-contamination, and while we are wheat-free, we don’t work too hard at being entirely gluten-free.  Maybe that’s ignorance on my part, but that’s what seemed to work when we were working through Kismet’s issues.  If you’re dealing with Celiac’s and are missing your oatmeal, please check out this page for more information All you need to know about Gluten Free Oatmeal.

Oatmeal (made from actual, plain oats, as opposed to a sugar and additive-laden envelope) is an actual good-for-you-food (as long as you’re not eating it in cookie form).  The whole grains and fiber land it firmly in the health food (and Core, if I recall my Weight Watchers correctly), and there are so many ways to dress it up.  Those little envelopes so many of us ate as kids might lead you to believe that you have to add a bunch of crap to oatmeal to make it somewhat edible, but that’s simply not the case.  I’m hardly adventurous at all, but these are my 2 favorite ways to fancy up oatmeal a bit.

First of all is my most favorite, and easiest.  I’m so lazy that I tend to go for the quick oats, of whichever brand I got on sale.  I actually do prefer the taste to the old fashioned kind.  Anyway, 1/3 cup oatmeal, 2/3 cup water, nuke for 1:30 minutes.  Toss in about ½-3/4 cup frozen mixed berries, about ½ teaspoon sugar, stir, back in the micro for 30 seconds, and you’re good to go.  Nutritious and delicious, and very hard to mess up.  I know; I’ve tried.  If you can't find bags of frozen mixed berries on sale to stock up, you can always get a big one at Costco*.

Second yummy oatmeal breakfast starts the same way: 1/3 cup oatmeal, 2/3 cup water, 1:30 in the microwave.  Then I add (measurements are guesstimated; I just eyeball it all) ¾ teaspoon safe butter substitute (usually Smart Balance Light), ¾ teaspoon brown sugar (why you gotta taste so good?), maybe 2 teaspoons maple syrup (in all honesty, chemical-laden sugar-free crap), a couple of shakes of cinnamon, and a small handful of raisins.  If Kizzy is around when I have this, I’m lucky if I get to eat half of it.

Now that you've started your day in such a healthy way, feel free to spend the rest of the day eating potato chips and Sour Patch Kids.  :)

 *I always tag along with my sister to Costco when the occasional need arises, but a friend told me they'll let you in without a membership if you can get someone to buy you a Costco gift card.  Once you're in, you can spend more (or less) than the GC is worth.  I have not personally confirmed this.