Make your own Instant Oatmeal

My husband is going camping with the scouts tonight, I decided to look up my instant oatmeal recipe so he can take it with him for breakfast in the morning.  We love the just add water camping food.  So easy and hassle free.

I posted this a few years ago in a Facebook note. and decided to resurrect it here on my blog.

Make a much cheaper version of this convenience food.

I did not come up with this recipe I found it on some guys blog. He credits someone else...
http://www.grouprecipes.com/22495/make-your-own-damn-instant-oatmeal-packets.html (sorry about the profanity)

Kelty loves instant oatmeal. I use whole milk instead of water. I stir a little less than 2/3 cup milk in with the oatmeal, microwave for 1 minute and then add 1 ice cube to cool it off quickly. I have only made the brown sugar version (w/out cinnamon). Kelty loves it. She always eats every last bite of her oatmeal (unlike most other meals). I tried making it before I found this recipe and I could never get the proportions (or the consistency) right.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients
* 3 cups oats (quick cooking works best)
* pinch to 1/8 tsp of salt to taste in each bag
* 8 small zip-like baggies

Directions
1. Process ½ cup oats in a blender (or 1 cup oats in a food processor) on high until powdery.
2. Set aside.
3. Repeat with additional ½ cup oats if using blender.
4. Put the following into each baggie: 1/4 cup regular oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
5. Store the rest in an airtight container.
6. To serve, empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. Adjust water amount for thicker or thinner oatmeal.
7. Try some of the following variations:
- Sweetened Oatmeal: Add 1 T. sugar
- Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal: Add 1 T. brown sugar and 1/4 t. cinnamon
- Raisins and Brown Sugar: Add 1 T. packed brown sugar and 1 T. raisins
- Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal: Add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, & 2 T chopped dried apples
- Fruit and Cream Oatmeal: Add 1 T. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 T. dried fruit
- Health Nut Oatmeal: Add 2 T. any kind of wheat germ
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY CURRENT VARIATIONS and REAL-LIFE APPLICATION

That's the recipe I started with.  Lately I have been scooping 1/4-1/3 cup quick oats into a bowl, add 1/2 cup milk (whole milk for my kids) and microwave 1 to 1.5 minutes.  I add stuff after.

Our favorites:
-Mash 1/2 a banana and stir into cooked oatmeal (no sugar and perfect for baby)
-1Tbsp or less brown sugar
-Flavored coffee creamer (I bought cheap coffee mate powder a long time ago in several flavors we have an almond flavored and pumpkin spice that are pretty good).  Add to taste.
- Fresh berries. When I had huckleberries on hand this was a favorite breakfast. 1 tbsp or less sugar added before or after microwaved and a handful of berries.
- Sliced strawberries: with 1tbsp or less sugar.
-I almost always add 1 tsp of flax to mine (milled or whole) after cooking.
-Apple butter or apple sauce and a little cinnamon sugar.
-Hot cocoa powder... when I'm feeling indulgent: just add to taste (Chocolate chips work too).

I don't bother blending oat powder and bagging up portions unless I plan on packing it for camping and want to use the add hot water method.  I suppose pre-bagging would make sense if you have older kids who want to fix their own really easy (like the instant).

If I'm making a single or double serving really quick (like I'll be bagging for my hubby tomorrow).  I just put 1/3 cup oats or 2/3 cup (for a Lg serving) in my mini food processor.  I just run it for a few seconds until some of the oats are powdery.  Dump into ziploc bag with a dash of salt and dry flavoring.  He can add as much hot water as he likes (he never measures).