Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal

I LOVE breakfast!  That being said, I wasn't always a breakfast person.  In fact, for most of my life, I skipped that most important meal of the day for one reason or another.  Over the past few years I've gotten better about eating breakfast (slowly but surely!) and now I can't go without it!  Of course, it helps to have a child who needs breakfast, too.  ;)

One of my very favorite breakfast foods is oatmeal.  Before I got into clean eating, I used to buy the Quaker Instant Oatmeal Flavor Variety packs - Maple & Brown Sugar and Peaches & Cream were my favorite flavors!  And let's just say that homemade oatmeal was something I stayed far away from.  Ha!  Not anymore!!  Now the very thought of eating those processed oatmeal packages makes me cringe!

My current favorite oatmeal is a clean version I adapted from a recipe posted by 100 Days of Real Food.  My adapted version of this recipe (see below) makes the perfect amount for my toddler and me, and it's delicious!  This was breakfast for us this morning.

Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• Big dash of cinnamon
• Small splash 100% pure vanilla extract
• Drizzle of 100% pure organic maple syrup
• 1/3 to 1/2 smashed banana (best if it's a little ripe)

Directions:

1. Melt a smidgen of butter in a small pot so that the oatmeal doesn't stick to the pot as much.  Coat the bottom and lower sides of the pot with the melted butter.  You can use oil instead of butter if you prefer.
2. Add milk to the small pot; warm over medium heat until the milk starts to bubble.
3. As soon as the milk starts to bubble, add the oats, stir once, and turn the heat down to medium-low (as low as it can go but still bubble while it cooks).
4. Add the cinnamon and vanilla and then let the oats simmer for 2-3 minutes.  You can stir it a couple of times if you like.
5. Once the oats have soaked up most of the milk, add the maple syrup and smashed banana.  Mix everything together and let the oats simmer for a little longer, giving the flavors more time to meld together.
6. Take off the heat once the oatmeal is the desired consistency and serve or store for later in a thermos.  
7. Top with sliced bananas and sprinkled cinnamon, if desired.

Tips and Other Notes:

If you like your oatmeal a little "soupy," try to catch it before all the milk has been absorbed by the oats.  Alternatively, you can add a little cold milk to your oatmeal prior to serving; this will help cool it down.  If you add too much milk, cook it a little longer until it gets back to the desired consistency.  If you don't want to eat the other half of the banana you used, you can freeze it for later.

Note that some vanilla extracts have added sugar.  Be sure to use a brand without the added sugar to keep it clean!  Always be sure to check the ingredients list before you buy.

I hope you and your family enjoy this oatmeal recipe as much as my toddler and I do!  You can experiment with oatmeal creations of your own, too.  My sister-in-law has tired both apples and peaches instead of banana.  With the apples, she cooks them a bit before adding them into the oatmeal to soften them up.  The peach recipe she makes tastes more like a dessert!

If you come up with any oatmeal combinations you love, please share them in the comments!!  I'd love to give them a try!