One of my family’s favorite breakfasts is oatmeal.  It’s filling, delicious, and has endless possibilities.  In addition, it is excellent baby and toddler food.  Today, I’m making it extra special for Nolan with mini-chocolate chips.  🙂

I typically make oatmeal with rolled oats since I always have some on hand for muffins, power balls, and granola, but steel cut oats—which are richer in nutrients—would be a great choice, too.  I include no salt and keep the added sweetener low by flavoring the oats with fruit or other already sweet components.

Should you opt for rolled oats, you can have this oatmeal on the table in about five minutes (steel cut take a bit longer to cook).  It is the ultimate quick and easy breakfast that will keep you full and energized for hours.  Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE:  OATMEAL

Serves 6-8

• 4 cups uncooked oats (rolled or steel cut)  –>  I’m using rolled.
• ½ cup specialty ingredients + extra for garnishing (finely chopped raw fruit, dried fruit, raw nuts, raw seeds, etc.) –>  I’m using 1 tbsp each hulled hemp seeds and ground flaxseed, plus ¼ cup slivered almonds.  I’m topping my oatmeal with a sprinkle of mini-semisweet chocolate chips (vegan).
• 1/8-1/4 cup sweetener  –>  I’m using 1/8 cup raw agave syrup.
• ½-1 tsp extract (amount will depend on flavor intensity)  –>  I’m using 1 tsp vanilla.
• 1 tsp spices  –>  I’m using ground cinnamon.
• Liquid of choice for cooking (water or unsweetened plant milk)  –>  I’m using a combination of water and almond milk (there is no particular reason for this – I just didn’t have enough almond milk to sufficiently fill the pot!).

Place your oats in pot.  Fill the pot with liquid enough to cover the oats by about half an inch.  Place the pot on the stove and set to medium heat.  While your oats are softening, add all other ingredients and stir frequently until cooked, which may take as little as 4-5 minutes from the time that you turned on the burner.

Upon completion, your oatmeal will be slightly soupy.  As it cools, the oats will continue to absorb more of the liquid.

Garnish and serve.  Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.