Simple, Economical, Instant Oatmeal

Tonya said:

"Would you mind posting your instant oatmeal recipe? I think I would like to try it."

And Lori asked too.

I first stumbled across this recipe online, but have changed it over the course of time to what I have written below.

I'm truthfully a little embarrassed to post it because it's just so ridiculously simple. Especially compared to all my blog friends who make all these exotic, homemade breakfast dishes.

In my defense, I'm not a morning person. And my girls really do like those little crazy expensive packs of oatmeal.

So I'll assume you'll forgive my lack of morning ambition when I post the following:

Ingredients:

10 cups of some type of quick cook oatmeal (I buy the huge double boxes at Sam*s)
10 T equiv. of some type of sweetener*
10 T dry milk
Cinnamon Powder (to taste)
1-2 T salt (to taste)
Whatever dried fruit you happen to have around **

Directions:

Take at least 4 cups of the oatmeal and process it into a powder in a food processor or blender. This is the trick to making it like those little packets

Then you just basically toss the rest together and store it in an airtight container.

To make the instant oatmeal, pour equal parts boiling water over oatmeal mixture. This will vary depending on how thick or thin you like your oatmeal. Let sit for a minute to thicken. I'm sure you could also add cold water and microwave, but I've never done this.

*Since my girls were used to those very sweet individual packets of oatmeal, I started off using 10-12 T brown sugar. But I've gradually reduced it to about 8 T. It just depends on what you're used to. I don't see why you couldn't substitute your sweetener of choice.

**One of my girls doesn't like the dried fruit in hers, so I leave it out of the main mix but keep a container of dried fruit, raisins and nuts beside the tub of oatmeal so it can be quickly added for those that like it.

Why do I go to the trouble to do this?

Well, I can pay close to $4 for one of those little (10ct?) boxes of individual packets. Even buying them in bulk still cost almost double what I can make it for at home.

One of those packets, by my measurements contains less than 1/3 cup. The above recipe makes over 24 of that size serving. The ingredients bought in bulk costs me less than $2.50 (less if I leave out the fruit/nuts).

Plus, I can pronounce all the ingredients.