Mmmm Oatmeal

I like to have my morning coffee, and do a little work before I start thinking about making breakfast.

I know, probably not the best way to tackle the most important meal of the day.

I do try to have low calorie, high protein choices, and quite often end up with a banana.

A lot of weight loss programs will try their hardest to get you eating oatmeal. It's like they own shares or are on commission. I've bought the different flavoured quick oats and find them in the cupboard three years later.

A friend and co-worker suggested I try steel cut oats, and she gave me a recipe for overnight crockpot oatmeal. It's taken me a long time to give it a try since I'm not sold that oatmeal is for me.

Steel cut oats are something new for me, not something that I would put in a cookie, they look like little bits of rock. But last night I got the slow cooker out and decided to give them a try.

Here's the recipe I used. I did modify a little from the one I had.

1/2 cup steel cut oats (enough for three hardy gents..I had a bit left over)
2 cups water
1/2 cup skim milk
shake of cinnamon (I will omit next time)
1 Tbsp brown sugar (I will also omit next time and add it after it's cooked)
2 Tbsp dried cranberries

I didn't add salt, and I should have. not a lot, maybe 1/4 tsp or less. Had a bit of a flat taste that I think salt would have taken care of.

I used a water bath. The smaller pot is easier to clean than the larger crockpot.

Set the timer to 8 hours and go to bed.

The result was not too bad. I'm impressed with the flavour, and it's much more "stick to your ribs" than the quick cooking oats. Will I make it again? Yes please, I'll have some more.
(Shelley)