Spiced Apple Steel-cut Oatmeal

A million years ago, I was on the high school swim team.  Every time my son finally goes to sleep for his nap, I am 16 again, waiting on the platform for the swim heat to start.  As soon as he’s asleep, I start doing as much as I possibly can before he wakes.  I accomplish more during his 1-2 hour naps than I ever did in an entire pre-baby weekend.  This morning, during nap #1, I cleaned the kitchen, did two loads of laundry, roasted some beets, hard-boiled some eggs, & made steel cut oatmeal for the week. It's crazy how much fun it is at my home on Sunday mornings.  Please, contain your jealously! SPICED STEEL CUT OATS WITH APPLES, RAISINS, & NUTS This is a super-easy, hearty, budget-friendly, & diet-friendly breakfast.  It surprises me when people say they hate oatmeal, or that they don’t know how to make it.  Give this a try, you might like it!  My oatmeal-hating husband stopped hating oatmeal because of this recipe. INGREDIENTS Yield – 6-8 Servings

2 cups	Steel cut oats
6 cups	Liquid of choice (I use 3 cups water & 3 cups milk, or all water)
1 Tbsp	Vanilla extract
1 tsp	Nutmeg
1 tsp	Cinnamon
3	Apples, chopped
1 cup	Raisins (or cranberries, or both)
½ cup	Nuts (pecans or almonds), chopped
2 pinches	Salt
To taste	Brown sugar (optional).  I like no sugar, but use about 1/8 cup for my husband.

PREPARATION 1.  Bring the liquid, vanilla, cinnamon, & nutmeg to boil in a large pot.  Once boiling, add the oats & reduce to a simmer.  Cook uncovered 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. 2.  While the oatmeal cooks, prepare & measure the rest of the ingredients.  Once the oatmeal is done, turn off the heat, & add everything else.  Mix well, & portion into containers for the week.  I store mine in pint-sized mason jars.  Today's batch yielded 7 10-oz servings (The size of the apples can change the yield slightly)

This will keep for a few days refrigerated in an airtight container (I make enough for 4-5 days).  You can also freeze the oatmeal. Enjoy! Jessica SUGGESTIONS

• Make a batch of hard-boiled eggs while cooking the oatmeal to maximize your time & have a good protein option to balance breakfast.