With Spring in full swing, many mornings around the country are still quite chilly and we find ourselves craving something a little hearty that will carry us through the rest of the day with gusto. Oatmeal is an easy and inexpensive option, and we'll show you how to make your own instant, ready-in-2-minutes version for work, home, or even on the go!
What You Need
Ingredients
6 cups quick cook oatmeal
1 /2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring Ingredients (optional)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Alternative powdered sweetener
• 1/4 cup powdered creamer + 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Equipment
Blender or food processor
Large jar or 16 plastic baggies (sandwich or vacuum seal)
Large spoon
Large mixing bowl
Instructions
1. Place 2 cups oatmeal into your blender or food processor. Blend until powder; if you need to do it in more than one batch, please do so! With zero wet ingredients, depending on your appliance, it can make things easier.
2. Mix powdered oats to a large mixing bowl and add remaining oats, salt and extra add-ins (if you so desire). Stir to combine. You want an even mixture with the powdered oats sticking to the larger oats and extra ingredients.
3. Place mixture in an airtight container (we love our big cracker jars for this) or divide into equal portions and place in bags. Depending on your added ingredients this will usually be a heaping half cup, making it easy to measure out.
4. To eat, place contents of bag into a bowl or mug and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 3 minutes. Adjust water as needed for your preferred oatmeal consistency. Enjoy!
Additional Notes:
On Storage: We love a wide mouth jar that allows us to dip a measuring cup into it each morning, plus there's no added waste of the bag. But if you'll be taking this on the road (work, vacation, camping) individual bags will keep for 6 months, longer if bags are kept in an airtight container. Regular sandwich bags can be used without complication, though the thicker the better to keep out external air. If you want to get crazy, try using Seal-A-Meal bags that can be used time and time again, plus, boiling water can be added right to the pouch, making it easy to eat if on the go, plus there's no dishes to do, just make sure to rinse the pouch when finished.
Related: Good Question: How To Make DIY Instant Oatmeal?
(Images: Sarah Rae Trover)
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Good quick tip. I just had some this morning with ground flax - you could add that into the dry mix too.
Great idea! I never thought of blending the oats. I've never understood those pre-flavored packets of oatmeal - they taste awful and it's so much easier to add flavor yourself.
I always do this, but don't see the need for blending if you use "minute" oats, not just quick-cook. Easy as anything.
The night before, I put some in a reusable container (maybe add some frozen fruit too) and put it in the fridge.
In the morning, I boil water while I'm getting ready, then pour it in and go, and eat on the train! beautiful.
If they're "quick cooking" oats, you probably should eat the box as it will have more nutrients.
I do something similar only using rolled oats, which are less processed than instand oats and thus take longer to digest. You can peak at my version here: http://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/breakfast/back-to-school-rescue-diy-microwave-oatmeal/#