Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal (By the Pound)

Last year our kids started eating oatmeal for almost every breakfast. We'd buy it in the 42-oz cylinder (the big one at your local supermarket), add a little cinnamon and sugar, nuke it in the microwave, and serve it up. The kids liked it a lot... until they discovered the pre-made packets from Quaker. They liked it all, but "Cinnamon and Spice" was their favorite. They went through it as if their lives depended on it.

Here's the thing, though: Quaker flavored oatmeal isn't nearly as good for you (LOTS of sugar), it's a lot more expensive, and the packets are a pain. After some experimentation, we were able to come up with a recipe that tastes like the "real" stuff (not quite as sweet) and is crazy cheap. We buy oats in 10-pound increments, but this recipe works for the big cylinder you'd find at your local grocery. If you buy the oats from the store, this recipe will cost you about $3.50 for about 30 breakfasts, so just over $.10 per meal. If you buy the oats in bulk, it's half that.

Ingredients

42-oz cylinder of quick oats
1 cup dried milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 t ginger
1 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg

Instructions

1. Take 3 cups of oats from cylinder and add to food processor or blender. Process for 10 seconds.
2. Pour processed oats in large mixing bowl. Add dried milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add remainder of oats (about 9 cups) to mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour entire mixture into resealable container.
5. To serve, boil water (we love our electric kettle), pour 2/3 cup of oat mixture in a bowl, and add boiling water to your own preference.

I like my oatmeal a little runny, my wife likes hers closer to a brick. To each their own. After a bowl or two, you'll know how much water to add.