For breakfast oatmeal is one of my favorite foods. I like the whole oats, I can get them at a bulk store not far from me. I wondered how some of you "dress up" your oatmeal?

I read, but have not yet tried, to break up a graham cracker on top of your cooked oats, then add milk. I thought that sounded neat! I would like to try some new things to get my kids to like them better. So add your hints please!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 03, 2002

Answers

Warm milk, sprinkle of cinnamon or brown sugar, slices of candied fruit.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 03, 2002.

Honey,a little milk, sometimes raisins cooked in the oatmeal and sometiems carob chips. Gary likes brown sugar and milk.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

I've never been a real big oatmeal fan, my favorite is cream of wheat. Cooked with milk, not water, then cold milk poured on top, then a sprinkle of brown sugar. We've been eating it most cold mornings this past week!

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 03, 2002.

raisins, walnuts and dried apricots, added after the oatmeal is done and allowed to sit,covered, for about 5 minutes. no sweetener needed for me. my daughter always wanted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon - sometimes I add cinnamon to mine also, esp in th winter, because it is a heating spice [warms you up!]

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), January 03, 2002.

Since I can't tolerate wheat, I love oatmeal! My favorite is maple sugar, if I'm being extravagant. In the summer I don't bother to cook it, just put it in the bowl with chopped apples, or blueberries and either goat milk or rice milk and I add a little honey.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), January 03, 2002.

trail mix, the fruit and nut kind. half milk, half water for the liquid top with a sprinkle of brown sugar or drizzle with maple syrup

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

Last year I was watching Martha Stewart and she "dressed up" her oatmeal, so I decided to try it. It is absoultly my favorite. You take say a cup of the steel cut Irish oatmeal and a cup of rissota pasta. I soak my oatmeal over night, then cook it seperate than the pasta(although I have cooked it together). Add together with a little brown sugar and I top in the summer with fresh fruit like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc. In the winter I add cinnamon and apple chucks, or plums. It is my absolute favorite!!!

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), January 03, 2002.

We use quick oats because they are so convenient. But I have lots of whole oats in storage that I need to use. How do you recommend cooking them?

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 03, 2002.

Mary I just add water and cook them in the microwave for about 3 minutes, but I kind of like the "raw" taste. I did read, in the Tightwad Gazette I think, that a woman added the proper amount of water to the oats and let them sit in the frig all night, then just heated them in the morning.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 03, 2002.

I like mine with banannas or craisans (dried cranberries). I start mine in the crockpot the night before to have a "no cook" breakfast. Like it with toast and butter and a cup of coffee.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

apple sauce, brn. sugar, cinnamon

-- DW (djwallace@sotc.net), January 03, 2002.

CHOCOLATE MALTOMEAL!!!! My kids never ate cooked cereal until I made that, now their favorite breakfast is plain oatmeal with a little milk to cool it off. We keep the choc M O M in the house for late night snacks. Only 120 cals per serving (w/out the milk), and .5 grams of fat.

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), January 03, 2002.

Ann-how do you make oatmeal in the crockpot? What type oats do you use, and how much oats to how much water? I imagine you use the "low" setting. I would like to try that.

I'm lucky that my family likes oatmeal. They also like cream of wheat and they LOVE cheese grits, which is just grits with shredded cheese sprinkled over.

When I was a kid, I couldn't stand cream of wheat-my sister loved it but I thought it was revolting-don't ask me why. Anyway, the morning after my son was born, the hospital served cream of wheat with brown sugar and butter-I hadn't eaten for two days, and I thought it was the most delicious thing in the world-I am still very fond of it. Isn't that wierd?

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 03, 2002.

Kelly, that is so funny because I started eating oats when I was away at camp. That is what they had for breakfast every day, and it was either eat them or starve. They were somewhat cold and lumpy and that is how I still like them. I would never eat them before this experience!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 03, 2002.

Kelly: it's so simple I wish I'd thought of it years ago: I just follow the normal cooking directions (I found by accident that this works on plain oatmeal and on quick oatmeal too).Just follow the directions as if making it on stove or microwave. If you go to bed early, it might be a tad dry--but just add some milk and you'd never know! I use the low setting and start it just before bedtime.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

My kids like cream of wheat that I add a little cocoa and a little vanilla to.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

What I do to save a pot, and microwaving, is to cover whole oats in a cereal bowl above the oat level (add water to taste), and cover with a plate for about 10 minutes. Dress up as you wish.(Blackstrap molasses, brown sugar with cinnamon and bananas and/ or raisins is my favorite).

Ann says to describe the texture as slightly underdone. We love them this way, and it is energy efficient.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

Wife makes it according to box, when done she adds frozen berries or canned fruit.

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), January 06, 2002.