Homestead Hack: Healthier Hot Instant Breakfast

by Texas Homesteader ~

My mornings usually involve coffee and computer work when I first awake. Yeah, I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But I’m one of those people who really needs to wake up a bit before I can even THINK about eating something.

Most warmer months I like to enjoy a jar of my favorite Homemade Yogurt, sweetened with my homemade preserves – quick, easy & healthy. OR sometimes I’ll opt for a bowl of my crispy homemade granola.

But when the chill of winter hits I really want something hot to warm me up and I love the convenience of microwave oatmeal. Now I’m not picking on the Quaker Instant Oatmeal folks, their product is delicious. But those expensive packets tend to be too small a portion for me when prepared, taste way too sweet for my palate.

Plus I don’t recognize some of the ingredients on their little packets of instant oatmeal and that bothers me too.

Oh yeah, they’re convenient, and making oatmeal ain’t nothin’ new. But I wonder how easy, cheap & healthier it would be to experiment with plain oatmeal cooked & sweetened MY way instead of theirs??

HOMESTEAD HACK: HEALTHIER INSTANT HOT BREAKFAST. You can pronounce every ingredient in your hot breakfast for a mere fraction of the cost! #TexasHomesteader

I had plenty of oats leftover in my kitchen cabinet from the last time I made my Homemade Pumpkin Granola. So I’d figure I’d experiment using it and making an apple/cinnamon flavor. I’d be sweetening my oatmeal with some of my own home-canned delights. I pulled out a jar of my Apples Canned in Lite Syrup and a container of rolled oats & gave ‘er a whirl…

HOMESTEAD HACK: HEALTHIER INSTANT HOT BREAKFAST. You can pronounce every ingredient in your hot breakfast for a mere fraction of the cost! #TexasHomesteaderThe microwave cooking directions were almost identical to the commercial stuff. But keep in mind microwaves vary, so be sure to use caution when doing this at home:

Homemade Instant Microwave Oatmeal 

I used:

  • 1/3 cup of whole rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons lite apple syrup from jar
  • 1/4 cup chopped home-canned apples
  • 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a microwavable bowl, stir and place bowl in the microwave on high power for 1.5 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and stir oatmeal. Return bowl to microwave for 30 more seconds.

Keep an eye on your bowl of oats as it cooks & make sure there’s plenty of expansion room in your bowl. Milk will bubble up as it cooks and could overflow and make a mess. Go ahead, ask me how I know. (eh hem…)

Love My Easy Hot Breakfast

When the cooking time was up I brought it out and gave it a final stir and let it cool for a couple of minutes. (breathe deep…) Smells delicious!

Now this was absolutely perfect for me. I don’t like my oatmeal candy-sweet (as is the case with most commercial instant oatmeal packets) but I’m thinking there are many variation options to customize it to your own preferences. Personally I like the bolder texture of the rolled oats, but instant-style oats would probably cook a little quicker.

And sweetening options are almost unlimited. You can sweeten with fresh fruit and honey, or throw in a few juicy sweet raisins and some brown sugar. Maybe you could use a couple of tablespoons of your own homemade jelly to sweeten it to your taste.

In any event, you can feel good knowing you’re able to pronounce every ingredient in the bone-warming breakfast you’re serving your family for a mere fraction of the cost of the commercial stuff!

~TxH~

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18 thoughts on “Homestead Hack: Healthier Hot Instant Breakfast

  1. Bonnie V

    Oatmeal is a staple around here. We usually do brown sugar and cinnamon, but I’ll have to try apples and milk.

    Thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      So many different options Bonnie – gotta love it. I’m wonder if chopped peaches plus the juice from canned peaches might be a way to add the liquid and sweeten at the same time. hummmm…. ~TxH~

      Reply
  2. Judith C

    Those apples look delish! We eat a lot of oatmeal over here. I like the stovetop method with berries, brown sugar and a spoonful of coconut oil instead of butter. Then a sprinkle of freshly grated cinnamon. Mmmm mmm. If I don’t have berries, I’ll use fresh grated ginger.

    Reply
  3. Mimi

    Hi Tammy. Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frou-Frou this week. I hope you’ll join us again? Love, Mimi xxx

    Reply
  4. Lois

    I’m not much of a morning or breakfast person but I do enjoy a bowl of oatmeal in the colder months. I enjoy it so much that frequently it’s my dinner instead of breakfast. I can’t stand the instant packets either and use frozen fruit or chop an apple into my oatmeal and cook. I find a single apple cooked in the oats and a sprinkle of cinnamon is sweet enough for me.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one that thinks those little packets are a bit too sweet Lois. Even when I was using the packets I’d have to add plain unsweetened raw oatmeal to them to both bump up the volume just a touch as well as to reduce the overpowering sweetness of them. I’m a big fan of a raw apple & sprinkle of cinnamon as well when I have fresh apples available. Now THAT’s a healthy breakfast!

      Reply
  5. Cynthia D

    I eat oatmeal for breakfast often. I put oatmeal, coconut milk, and frozen berries in the bowl and heat. I use my own frozen berries and all I have now are strawberries. When hot I add walnuts also frozen shelled nuts from my trees and a little more milk if needed. I buy Bob’s Red Mill gluten free old fashion oatmeal and right now it is on sale on the website. I am debating on whether to buy a 25 lb bag or not. It would cost less even with the shipping than me buying the 32 oz bags in the store. I don’t know about storing the oatmeal though.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      It’s got to be empowering to know how much of your breakfast was actually provided by YOU, huh Cynthia. Love it. We buy 25 lbs bags of flour and I store them in my chest freezer to keep it fresh & bug free. If you have a chest freezer you might consider that?? Otherwise I’ve heard of people obtaining 5-gallon food-grade plastic buckets from bakeries and the like for storing their grains in the pantry? Just a couple of thoughts… ~TxH~

      Reply
      1. Cynthia D

        Thanks, some good ideas.

        Reply
  6. Claudia Wagner

    Oatmeal is a mainstay for me. (And breakfast IS the most important meal for me. I’m starved when I first wake up. In fact, I think that’s what wakes me up, if the cat doesn’t do it first.) Oatmeal lends itself to all kinds of good tastes. With yogurt and fruit. With chopped nuts, strawberries, brown sugar, and sour cream. Peanut butter and syrup. Nuts again and hot chocolate mix. And …. ad infinitum!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Hot chocolate mix Claudia? Hummmm… I may have an idea for tomorrow’s breakfast! 😉 ~TxH~

      Reply
  7. Greg Hill

    I love regular oat meal in the morning …but as you say got to wake up first and surely a cup of coffee or two first . I make oats the old fashion way on the stove top.
    Just a little natural brown sugar a cinnamon and splash of milk. Good for the Heart…
    Thanks for sharing your way.. it’s all good for ya…

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Indeed Greg, so good and so good for you. And nothing comforts and warms a tummy on a cold blustery morning more than hot oatmeal. ~TxH~

      Reply
  8. ColleenB.~Texas

    Not much of a breakfast eater but………………there is Nothing like having a nice bowl of hot oatmeal on a chilly winter morning or for me A lot of time; peanut butter toast to go with my morning coffee

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Me too Colleen, it’s hard for me to get enthused for breakfast. Usually by 10:00 or so I’ve had enough coffee & completed most of my computer work that I’m ready & willing to enjoy something hot for breakfast. Although not the intent, a pleasant little side effect is dropping a couple of pounds over the last few weeks. 🙂 ~TxH~

      Reply

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