How is our oatmeal challenge coming along???

I wrote at the beginning of January on how I want to start feeding my family oatmeal each day instead of cold cereal and milk.  I thought I would share our transition to oatmeal for breakfast every day.

I did not grow up eating oatmeal.  The first time I had it, I almost vomited.  The texture was gross.  It took many breakfast’s of basically scooping it into my mouth and then swallowing it, until I learned to enjoy the taste and texture.  It started on my weight loss journey.

Since having so many little ones, my mornings became very chaotic.  The last thing I could think about doing was making breakfast, I needed to put something on the table instantly before the whole room was crying with hungry babies.  I resorted to feeding them Cheerios and milk.  Which is not a “bad” food to feed your children for breakfast.  I just know that there are “better” things to feed them.  We have chickens and I could make eggs for breakfast, but mornings are still pretty busy and I don’t want to make anything more stressful than I have to.  Oatmeal is something that requires boiling of water and mixing it up.  Simple and easy nourishment for my children.

The first time I made oatmeal this was the recipe I used:

• 3 c water
• 1 c oatmeal
• 1/2 c farina/cream of wheat
• 1/3 c honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 c milk
• 1 c fruit of your choice: blueberries, strawberry sauce or 1 T cocoa

Bring water to a boil.  If you are adding fruit or cocoa, add it to the boiling water.  Stir in honey, oatmeal, and farina.  Bring to a boiling stage.  Add 2 cups of milk;  allow to boil again.  Take off heat, put lid on and let set for 20 minutes.  Serve with milk.

This was the winner for my children’s transition to oatmeal.

I fed this to them for about a month—now they enjoy just a basic mix for oatmeal.

We like the old fashioned flakes—they are bigger and makes the oatmeal less mushy.  We buy it in 50 lb bags.  Store it in buckets in the basement.  I put the amount we need in a large glass bowl.  Add about 1/2 cup raw sugar and then boil water from my electric tea kettle and pour water enough to cover the oatmeal.  I let it sit for a few moments, while I am changing diapers and getting sippy cups and then cup back and give it a few stirs.  The water is absorbed and ready to scoop out.

Some children like it this way and others have grown fond of our strawberry jam that we made this summer.  They like to pour it over the oatmeal and since we make a low sugar recipe, I don’t mind them adding it to the oatmeal.

I tried just making the oatmeal with no raw sugar and having them pour sauce over it but it seems they left more of it in their bowls.  Maybe in time.

But as of now, my children all eat oatmeal for breakfast.  My rule is if you don’t eat it for breakfast then you eat it for lunch:)