This recipe for oatmeal transforms overnight from water and oats to a warm, filling, heart healthy breakfast your whole family will love. I embellish the recipe by substituting heavy cream for 1/4 cup of the water. The cream definitely reduces the heart healthy aspect of eating oatmeal – so please omit this step or use non-fat, almond or soy milk if heart health is a concern. I’m not a doctor, so please talk to yours if you are looking for medical advice! (end of disclaimer). I use pure, natural vanilla – a cap full, real cinnamon sticks, organic, Blue Agave syrup (feel free to replace with your favorite sweetener) and McCann’s Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.

I’ve included links for your convenience. These are the actual brands that I use. I’m loving the versatility of the Agave syrup/nectar. You can use it on pancakes in a pinch and it works well as a sub for honey. It’s a lot like corn syrup in consistency and comes in flavors, too. You can add chopped apple to the oatmeal in place of sugar, too. It’s a great way to sneak some fruit into your picky eaters.

Speaking of fruit, there’s always the Rum Pot! It’s amazing and is often served over ice cream. I first tasted this in Switzerland after a dinner of traditional cheese fondue at a restaurant slash farm house in the countryside. Ever since then, I dreamed of making this for myself. It only took about 20 years or so! You have to start it in the summer. The batch that we are enjoying now started with homegrown and farmer’s market fruit a year and a half ago. It’s finally fit for consumption and it turns my oatmeal into something you could almost serve for desert! Think bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

Remind me and I’ll share the how to next summer. Flash forward: here’s the Rum Pot (Rumtopf) Recipe, complete with a step by step video.

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