Autumn Oats~
Fall trumpeted its arrival for me loud and clear last night when I heard the marching band drums and hearty cheers from the local high school football game in the distance. I so enjoy a good drummer, and these sounds were happily nostalgic. Even though it was a tad chilly, I left the back door open to listen for awhile. The leaves are a-changing, and there's that little nip in the air; yet this morning, pre-dawn was warm enough to open the windows, whereupon I heard a different type of music, the yips and howls from a band of coyotes.
I wanted to make something warm and steamy, a big pot of one of my favorite things, Autumn oats. Okay, it's not just for Autumn, but that's the perfect time to put the pot on the stove and set about cooking up a big batch of comfort food. When I was a small girl, for a while it was just my mother and I. She was a single, working mom, so simple, nutritious, and inexpensive was good. She would make me a packet of instant "opymeal" or a scrambled egg every morning. I still love oatmeal to this day. As it turns out, it's rather good for you, and I believe it's helped cut my cholesterol levels.
A few years ago when I found out I had high cholesterol, I began introducing oatmeal back into my diet, so I came up with Autumn oats. It doesn't take much longer than regular steel cut oats, but you wind up with a large pot of oaty, fruity goodness that will last you for days.
Ingredients:
4 C water
1 C steel cut oats
1 Cookie Sleigh Ride tea (or other flavored tea of your choice)
3-4 cups cut fruit, such as apple, pear, plum, etc or a combination
8 oz frozen blueberries (or any berries or cherries)
1/4 C chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
1/4 C shredded coconut
1 T cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 t vanilla
1) Put the water and tea bag in a large pot on high. My daughter gave me the tea bag idea. I think it adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Clever girl!
2) While the water comes to a boil, chop up the fruit.
3) When the water is boiling, add the oats. Boil hard for 3 minutes.
4) Turn down the heat to a slow simmer. Take out the tea bag, and add the spices, salt, and chopped fruit. Cook for 5 minutes.
5) While this is cooking chop up the walnuts.
6) Add the frozen blueberries and cook for another 5 minutes.
7) Add the walnuts and coconut. Continue at a simmer for another 5 minutes or until the oats are cooked to your liking.
8) Turn off the heat and add the vanilla.
I like to add a little milk to my bowl. This time I added macadamia nut milk ~ yum! Autumn oats is not just for breakfast. I enjoy this treat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or a snack. I hope you'll enjoy it too.
Here's some beautiful fall color from our family vacation a couple weeks ago in Jackson, Wyoming.
Happy Autumn~
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