Mares eat oats...

It is a well known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  However, for me, it is my absolute favorite meal of the day!  I have a unique stomach that starts grumbling as soon as my alarm goes off in the wee hours of the morning.  I never hit snooze because I'm too hungry!  Some people like to eat breakfast on the go, or munch as they sit at their desk.  Not me.  I like to stay snuggled in my robe and enjoy the first meal of the day in the comfort of my own home.

Thank goodness Mr. PT and I have the same constitution.  Some mornings I make us a hearty bowl of yogurt with nuts and fruit, other mornings I do eggs, and some mornings we stick with dry cereal.  But on mornings like today when it is absolutely frigid outside and the thought of that cold car makes you ill, oatmeal is the answer.

There are a number of different ways to do oatmeal.  I do prefer the stove-top versions because of their heartiness, however, for the sake of time, a microwave or kettle of boiling water works.  Mr. PT enjoys the flavored Quaker packets of oatmeal, but those are too sweet for me.  I developed a compromise that works: a packet of low sugar Quaker oatmeal mixed with plain rolled oats.  However, this morning, we were packetless, so I had to get creative.  The end result was delicious!  

Here's what you do...in a bowl mix:

3/4 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup of grape nuts
any amount of raisins you want
any amount and type of sweetener, I usually do about a tablespoon of honey
water (enough that it pools to the side if you tilt the bowl)

Put that mixture in the microwave on high for 1:23 (easy numbers to remember at 6:00 in the morning)

Remove from the microwave and add dairy milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever your preference.  Heat in the microwave for 20 more seconds.

Mmmm...this is so yummy and filling in the morning.  Being half asleep when I make this, I usually make too much and can't finish it all.  However, it really gets the day started, and the nutritional benefits are huge!  You get iron, fiber, B vitamin, riboflavin, protein...without cholesterol or sodium.  And I really don't get hungry again until about 10:30.

Hopefully you enjoy this winter favorite as much as we do.