Instant Oatmeal

This one is not creamy like the previous post, but either one you choose making your own instant oatmeal is as easy as combining oats with your favorite flavours. It is fast, healthy and a great cost savings!

Ingredients
8 cups oats – old fashioned
2 cups chopped dried fruit (eg. raisins, dried apricots or cranberries mix/match)
2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pine nuts)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flax seed meal
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
¼ cup cinnamon
4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon nutmeg
½ tablespoon ground cloves

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread chopped nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Roast nuts for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combing all ingredients including toasted nuts. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

To serve: scoop out 1 cup of the oatmeal mixture and place in a bowl with ½ cup water or milk. Microwave for 90 seconds or until liquid is absorbed.
Notes
½ cup of liquid is use to cook oatmeal but feel free to add more or less to reach desired oatmeal consistency. 90 seconds will cook the oatmeal but if you prefer a more mushy oatmeal, feel free to cook longer.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal packets – Brown Sugar Cinnamon

Ingredients: (makes 24 servings)
10 cups of quick oats
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup non-dairy coffee whitener (or powdered milk*)
1 cup brown sugar*
1 cup granulated sugar
ziplock snack sized baggies

*see note below

Directions:
Put 7 cups of the oats into a large bowl.
Blend 3 cups of oats in a blender until powdery. Do 1/2 cup at a time, and then add to the big bowl of oats. (Blending the oats gives it the smoother consistency of store bought packets)
Add salt, cinnamon, whitener, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the oats. Stir thoroughly until well blended.
Measure 1/2 cup mixture and put into individual snack sized baggie, seal. This should make 24 servings of instant oatmeal.
To prepare, just empty 1 baggie of oatmeal into a bowl and add 3/4 cup of water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. (Microwaves vary, so add more if necessary)
Or in the summer time if you want it cold, mix the packet with 3/4 cup yoghurt (any flavour) and set in the fridge over-night.

*Note:
– powdered milk has been known to mold if not used with a month or two. Creamer/milk optional
– You could use 2 cups of brown sugar instead of white sugar, or reduce by half if using variations below.
– you could add salt, cinnamon, whitener, and sugar to the blender/food processor to mix fine.

Adapted from: Coffee Break with Liz & Kate

Variations:
Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Bart-man Oatmeal – add 2 Tbsp. ‘Butterfinger B.B’s’ candies to each packet.

Blueberries & Cream Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried blueberries

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Confetti Oatmeal – To each packet, add 1 tsp. decorative cake/cookie sprinkles.

Cookies n’ Cream Oatmeal – add 1 crushed Oreo cookie and 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer to each packet.

Exploding Oatmeal – add 1 tsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. ‘Pop Rocks’ candy to each packet. This one is fun for celebration days, such as birthdays.

Fun Fruit Oatmeal – To each packet, add 6 or 7 pieces of ‘fruit snack’ type dehydrated fruit.

Health Nut Oatmeal – To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ

Oatmeal w/Raisins & Brown Sugar – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

Peaches & Cream Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried chopped peaches

Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried chopped strawberries

S’More Oatmeal – add 6 miniature marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. Milk Chocolate Chips to each packet.

Southern Charm Oatmeal – to each packet add 1 Tbs Chopped Pecans, 1 T. Brown Sugar, 1 tsp non-dairy coffee creamer, 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Sweetened Oatmeal – To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar