Homemade Oatmeal Recipe

It has been a while since I have posted a recipe.  In light of the new year and some people setting weight-loss goals, I wanted to share this with the blogger community as a great way to kick off your morning especially in the winter with this warm, filling, and tasty breakfast.

Background:
I am always cold at work, especially in the winter, so I aim to eat warm foods to try and warm me up from the inside.  Oatmeal is a great way to get a variety of nutrients to start your day.  My main purpose of venturing to make my own oatmeal was to avoid some of the sugar in many of the big name pre-packaged brands without getting too complicated of a prep process.

Ingredients:


1/2 C Thick Cut Oats (purchased from the bulk section at my local grocery store)

1/4 C Craisins

8-10 walnuts or pecans (broken into smaller pieces)

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar or Sugar in the Raw if you prefer

Optional – 1 teaspoon of ground flax or flax powder

I combine all of these in a dish that is microwave safe, and add water to cover the ingredients and then microwave for 1:30 (time will vary based on microwave)

Notes: 
You may have to experiment with different containers as some like to bubble over and some microwaves will cook faster or slower.
I prefer my oatmeal to be on the harder side, mushy oatmeal makes me cringe a little.  Play around with water/cook time to taste.  Some people suggest soaking the oats overnight, but I have not tried that before.

Changing it up:
Rather than the Craisins, you can use 1/4 C raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  This is probably my favorite combo I have tried this far.

Overall:
A great food to fill you up and get you started off on the right foot.  The above recipe helps much to curb my appetite for a majority of the morning until a typical piece of fruit as a snack.  I would love to hear how you modify the recipe and make it work for you!